WPT Venice Carnivale Final Table Preview

Isaia goes for title #2 in Venice while Dato, Trickett, Koutoupas and co. will try and stop him…

ISAIA GOES FOR TWO, THIRD FT FOR DATO

Earlier today at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star in San Jose, Nam Le (GPI#506) would come up short in his bid to become the first ever player to win the same event twice on the World Poker Tour. On Saturday, Italian pro Alessio Isaia (GPI#1386) will have the same opportunity.

After not collecting a single score in 2013, the WPT Champions Club member would cash twice to start the 2014 poker season at EPT Deauville.

Andrea Dato (GPI#280) will start final table play as the chip leader. Like Isaia, Dato is no stranger to deep runs in Venice having final tabled WPT Venice in 2011 and the WPT Venice Grand Prix just a few months later.

TRICKETT, KOUTOUPAS IN THE MIX

Earlier this week former WSOP Big One for One Drop runner-up Sam Trickett (GPI#1611) signed a new sponsorship deal with Everest Poker … well, it didn’t take long for Everest to see a return on their investment. Following a late-night surge, Trickett finds himself heading into final table play second in chips, just a few chips shy of the million mark.

EPT Deauville Champion Sotirios Koutoupas (GPI#335) needed to outlast superstar Eugene Katchalov in order to pickup his first major. On Saturday, he will be put to the test again having to weave his way through the quality remaining field, while holding the smallest chip stack at the table.

Let’s take a closer look at our final table participants:

[table id=956 /]

›› SEAT 1  |  ALESSIO ISAIA  

• Won WPT Venice in 2011 (€380,000)
• Finished 3rd at WPT Malta in 2012 (€52,600)
• Finished 7th at WPT Vienna in 2011 (€49,100)
• Won IPT Sanremo in 2009 (€140,000)
• Did not register a single score in 2013
• WPT Career: 1 win, 2 final tables, 4 cashes, $663,186 USD
• GPI Ranking: Current: #1386  |  Career Peak: #14 (Nov 2011)

›› SEAT 2  |  MAURIZIO SAIEVA  

• Finished 24th at IPT Nova Gorcia in January (€3,700)
• Won 1K side event at IPT Sanremo in 2010 (€51,000)
• Finished 149th in Main Event at 40th WSOP ($40,288)
• WPT Career: First WPT Cash
• GPI Ranking: Current: #4755  |  Career Peak: #1153 (Oct 2012)

›› SEAT 3  |  ANDREA DATO  

• Finished 4th at WPT Venice in 2011 (€43,170)
• Finished 3rd at WPT Venice Grand Prix in 2012 (€72,275)
• Recently finished 5th at IPT Saint Vincent (€20,000)
• Finished 60th at 44th WSOP this summer in Las Vegas ($123,597)
• Finished 3rd in NLH Triple Chance event at 42nd WSOP ($138,044)
• WPT Career: 2 final tables, 2 cashes, $152,835 USD
• GPI Ranking: Current: #280  |  Career Peak: #47 (Oct 2012)

›› SEAT 4  |  SOTIRIOS KOUTOUPAS  

• Won EPT Deauville in February (€614,000)
• Finished 25th at EPT Prague in December (€24,900)
• Runner-up at EPT Prague in 2012 (€510,000)
• WPT Career: First WPT Cash
• GPI Ranking: Current: #335  |  Career Peak: #306 (Mar 2014)

›› SEAT 5  |  MARIO VOJVODA  

• Won side event at ISPT Wembley last May (£4,720)
• Finished 136th at EPT Barcelona in September (€10,000)
• WPT Career: First WPT Cash
• GPI Ranking: Current: #3795  |  Career Peak: #2152 (Oct 2013)

›› SEAT 6  |  SAM TRICKETT  

• Finished second at inaugural Big One for One Drop ($10,112,001)
• Won Aussie Millions 250K Challenge in 2013 ($2,000,000 AUD)
• Won Aussie Millions 100K Challenge in 2011 ($1,525,000 AUD)
• Finished 2nd at Aussie Millions 250K Challenge in 2011 ($1,400,000 AUD)
• Won Partouche Grand Final in 2011 (€1,000,000)
• WPT Career: First WPT Cash
• GPI Ranking: Current: #1611  |  Career Peak: #5 (Jan 2012)