WPT Lucky Hearts: Pick Matt Giannetti

NOTE: This article has been released prior to the start of Day 2 play at WPT Lucky Hearts.  Please verify that this play has made Day 2 at the Seminole Hard Rock.  UPDATE: Giannetti has made Day 2 with a healthy Top 5 stack of over 150k.

Play is underway at our next GPI FPM qualifying event – the World Poker Tour Lucky Hearts Poker Open in Hollywood, Florida, about 20 minutes away from Fort Lauderdale and while many cities all over the north-eastern part of North America are enduring a massive snowstorm, the current temperature in Hollywood 23C/73F.  I for one am jealous as I prepare to make my way to frigid Vegas (10C/50F) for a week.

One player who has caught my attention early at the Seminole Hard Rock is 2011 November Niner Matt Giannetti.  Giannetti has about 76K in chips (from a 30K starting stack) as play is just now getting back underway after the one-hour dinner break.

It’s still very early in the tournament and there are still a few levels left to the night in this re-entry tournament so plenty of things could happen to Giannetti’s chip stack as the day go alongs.

Giannetti does already have a WPT major to his credit.  He won WPT Malta in a warm-up event on his way to his fourth place finish in that year’s November Nine.

After an amazing run in 2011, Giannetti did have a quiet 2012 on the live tournament circuit as he cashed in only two events, although one of those was a final table appearance in a 5K NLH event at the WSOP, good for a 112K USD score.

Despite the fact that he only had a few cashes in 2012, Giannetti does have the respect of his peers in the poker world, you often hear players commenting on how strong his game is.  This should help convince you to take a good, hard, long look at Giannetti for this weekend’s stop at the SHR.

You probably won’t clear all of your current lineup (that 5% agent fee will quickly catch up to you if you continuously add and remove players) and the field at the Lucky Hearts isn’t expected to be a very deep one although today’s 153 runners is a significant improvement on  2012’s Day 1A numbers.  We should be cracking the 300-player mark with registration and re-entries open until 4:30PM ET on Saturday during Day 1B.

At a current market price of 10,500, Giannetti could be a great addition to your team without hurting your bottom line, especially if he remains with a chip stack hovering around the 100K mark to end Day 1A and enjoy a day off tomorrow.

A strong performance here and Giannetti could pass the 4M USD mark for career live tournament earnings.

THE STARS ARE HERE 
This being one of smaller events on the main WPT Tour, there was a worry on if this tournament would attract the star players.  Well, for Day 1A, it’s mission accomplished as plenty of big name pros have made it to Hollywood.

Amongst the name pros who entered today’s competition are WPT Champions Club members Giannetti, Noah Schwartz, Dwyte Pilgrim, Ravi Raghavan, Jonathan Little, Tommy Vedes, Steve Brecher, Jonathan Roy, Matt Waxman and Victor Ramdin as well as Ray Qartomy, Justin Zaki, David Diaz, Matt Stout, Ryan Eriquezzo, Darryll Fish, Kathy Liebert, Leo Margets, Mukul Pahuja, Dan O’Brien, Allen Kessler, Byron Kaverman, WPT Player of the Year Joseph Serock, Hans Winzeler, Adam Levy and 2012 PCA Champion John DiBella.

Matt Salsberg, another WPT Champions Club member, tweeted that he is on his way to the SHR.  Salsberg finished sixth a few short days ago at the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City.

MATT GIANNETTI (USA) | GPI #541 | FPM 10,500
Best WPT Lucky Hearts Result: Never cashed
Career WSOP, WPT, EPT: 1 win, 20 cashes,  $3,827,613

Why should I add Giannetti to my team?
> Offers tremendous value in a small field
> Already has a win on the WPT plus a strong 2011 November Nine run
> Small price tag and can easily be exchanged with EPT Deauville flyer

Feel like adding Giannetti to your team is a good idea?  Head on over to Facebook and signup to play the GPI Fantasy Poker Manager … lineups for WPT Lucky Hearts lock on Sunday at 6PM CET (Noon ET)

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