The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, Disneyland and Christmas Eve rolled into one. But not everyone looks forward to the annual trek to the desert with the overexuberant enthusiasm of a child.
Roberto Romanello, for example.
The Welsh wizard has always felt homesick during his times in Vegas. Add a set of twins into the equation, and it makes the ordeal even harder peas.
As much as Romanello would have preferred to stay at home, serving fish, chips and the mushy things to Gorseinon punters, he had the little problem of a Triple Crown to solve.
Nine years after adding a World Poker Tour (WPT) title to his European Poker Tour (EPT) title, Romanello filled the Triple Crown lacuna, and he didn’t even have to leave his house.
Romanello cast a sinister spell over the 922-entrant field in Event #39: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em, beating the former PocketFives World #1, Niklas Astedt, heads-up, to claim the bracelet and $216,213 in prize money.
It’s the first time a Welshman (or Welshwoman) has earned a bracelet. He becomes the ninth person to win the Triple crown since Gavin Griffin became the first to achieve the feat in 2008 (interestingly, four of the nine are from the British Isles, with only Northern Ireland missing from the radar).
Romanello’s victory in EPT Prague to his online bracelet win spans nine years and seven months making it the most extended wait for a Triple Crown of the nine. Jake Cody holds the speed freak record winning all three in a halcyon space of one year and four-months back in 2010/11.
Here are the final table results.
Event #39: $1,500 No Limit Hold’em
922-entrants
Results
- Roberto Romanello – $216,213
- Niklas Astedt – $156,905
- Paul Barnes – $113,866
- Aleksandr Trofimov – $82,633
- Thomas Cazayous – $59,966
- Hannes Speiser – $43,518
- Ravali Krishna – $31,581
- Orkhan Allahverdyiev – $22,918
Triple Crown Club
- Gavin Griffin
- Roland De Wolfe
- Jake Cady
- Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier
- Davidi Kitai
- Mohsin Charania
- Harrison Gimbel
- Niall Farrell
- Roberto Romanello