Yorky Pud

It has been quite the year for 26-year old Matt Giannetti, not only has he reached the delayed final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event, but over the weekend he also took down the inaugural World Poker Tour Malta Main Event.

At the start of the fourth and final day there were eight players on the unofficial final table, with two eliminations needed for the official final table to take place. It took almost 90 minutes to lose a player, that dubious honour going to Mats Karlson. He was followed an hour later by Christofer Williamson and the official final table of WPT Malta was set.

WPT Malta Final Table Seat Draw

Seat 1: Cecilia Pescaglini: 2,245,000
Seat 2: Filippo Bianchini: 347,000
Seat 3: Fabien Sartoris: 264,000
Seat 4: Matt Gianetti: 1,930,000
Seat 5: Simon Trumper: 560,000
Seat 6: Tristan Clemencon: 1,840,000

The finale got off to an explosive start, with three players being sent to the rail within the first 19 hands! The first of which was Fabien Sartoris, who open-shoved the button with Kd9s and was looked up by fellow short stack, Simon Trumper, who held pocket fives. The final board ran out  8h-Js-4d-8d-Qd and Sartoris headed to the sidelines.

Next to go, just a few hands later, was Tristan Clemencom. On the 11th hand of play and with blinds of 15,000/30,000/5,000a, Simon Trumper opened from the button to 65,000, Clemencon cold-called in the small blind but Cecilia Pescaglini squeezed to 230,000 from the big blind. Trumper got out of the way but Clemencon was going nowhere, instead he moved all in! Pescaglini sighed, stood up and made the call, turning over AhKh in the process. Clemencon stayed seated and flipped over KsKd, which stayed ahead on a board reading Jd-10d-8c-3s but the river was the Ac and Pescaglini soared into a huge chiplead.

Just six hands later and Trumper , down to 480,000, open-shoved with black sevens and Pescaglini wasted little time in calling, with Ac8c, citing her reason for doing so as she was prepared to take a flip. The sevens stayed ahead on the 9s-6c-5h but a cruel Ah on the turn left the Brit drawing to two outs, neither of which landed on the river and the Main Event was down to just three players.

After the lightening quick start it looked as if the final table would be over in record time but poker is a funny old game and often throws up the unexpected. This event was no different as it took six hours, including breaks, for the next player to be busted out. On the 122nd hand of the final table, with blinds now 50,000/100,000/10,000a, Filippo Bianchini found himself down to just 300,000 and he moved all in from the button. Both Giannetti and Pescaglini called and the dealer put out the 7d-5d-2h flop. Giannetti lead out with a bet of 375,000 and Pescaglini called. Both players checked the arrival of the 5h on the turn, and again when the 2c made an appearance on the river. Pescaglini turned over Ah10d, Giannetti 6c6d, which beat both hands as Bianchini mucked his 4s3h.

Heads up only lasted 10 hands and it swung the way of the Texan. A raise and a call meant the duo saw a flop reading 10c-8h-2c, a flop that Pescaglini lead out with a bet of 550,000, Giannetti moved all in and Pescaglini made the call. The Italian held Qs10d and she found herself up against Giannetti's 9c7d. The dealer burned a card and put out the Js on the turn, completing Giannetti's straight  and when the river was the 2s Giannetti had won his first WPT title and Pescaglini, realising she had failed in he quest to become the first-ever female WPT event winner, shed a few tears.

Giannetti now goes into the WSOP Main Event final table third in chips and has the chance to win more than $8,900,000. Now that he has a WPT title behind him I would not bet against the cash game specialist taking down the “Big Dance” in November.

Final table payouts

1st: Matt Giannetti: €200,000
2nd: Cecilia Pescaglini: €116,700
3rd: Filippo Bianchini: €76,820
4th: Simon Trumper: €53,430
5th: Tristan Clemencon: €39,810
6th: Fabian Sartoris: €30,730