His forehead is huge.
The black superhero mask that everyone stares at is pulling his hair back like a man caught in the hot sweaty midst of the sex position we named after our favourite pooch.
He wears a red cape and bright silver bicycle clips that keep a flailing trouser leg from upending him on his way home.
The kids at the birthday party love him.
We talk about luck a lot in poker. But what luck we have in life. Imagine if these kids were born in Venezuela. How many men in red capes are currently flying around rooms, surrounded by balloons shaped like moons?
The country is a mess.
Donald Trump wants to take all of their gold in a bid to lessen the grip of the dictator, Nicolás Maduro.
I wonder if he knows that Giuseppe Iadisernia is smuggling it right back?
In 2011, when ESPN was following the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event success of Pius Heinz, Iadisernia was finishing 397th for his first-ever live tournament score.
The Venezuelan is one of those recreational poker players that the high stakes stratum needs for it to keep functioning. Iadisernia wouldn’t appear again until 2018, but he’s keen for people to remember his name.
Earlier in the year, Iadisernia finished third for $190,000 in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open $50,000 Super High Roller, and a few days ago, he put 53-entrants into the back of an ambulance on his way to taking down the $50,000 High Roller at the partypoker Caribbean Poker Party (CPP).
V For Venezuelan Victory
You and I get up and go to bed earning enough to pay the cable bill. Iadisernia managed to win $845,000 in the same timeframe.
All the stars entered.
Hours and hours of play condensed into the following final table puzzle.
1. Ali Imsirovic – 11,000,000
2. Chris Kruk – 10,800,000
3. Sean Winter – 8,850,000
4. Sorel Mizzi – 6,840,000
5. Markus Prinz – 5,500,000
6. Giuseppe Iadisernia – 3,425,000
7. Talal Shakerchi – 3,180,000
8. Justin Bonomo – 2,680,000
9. Benjamin Pollak – 1,780,000
What a lineup.
Imsirovic came into this thing as the reigning Poker Masters champion. Chris Kruk had won $25k High Rollers at the PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure (PCA), and partypoker MILLIONS North America, and Sean Winter had finished second to Benjamin Yu in the WSOP $50k in the summer for a million bucks.
Sorel Mizzi flew into the Bahamas after finishing third in the World Poker Tour (WPT) Montreal Main Event. Markus Prinz had finished fourth in the MILLIONS North America Main Event back in April. And Benjamin Pollak recently won the $50k at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) in Barcelona.
Add one of the world’s best amateurs, Talal Shakerchi into the mix, and the All-Time Live Tournament Money Earner, Justin Bonomo, and Iadisernia had more chance of becoming an elf and leading a successful invasion of nearby Brazil than winning this thing.
But, win it he did.
Only seven players would get paid.
Justin Bonomo wasn’t one of them, and neither was Chris Kruk. Bonomo’s demise is an official secret, but we know that Kruk lost his way in an all-in and call against Shakerchi with AJ beating the crap out of pocket nines.
The handsome looking Pollak was the first to leave in profit. The Frenchman who makes hummingbird’s wings flap that tad faster got it in with deuces against the AK of Winter, and a king on the flop, and ace on the river, sent Pollak to the cash desk to collect $125,000.
Markus Prinz was next to fall.
Iadisernia knocked him down.
Prinz made a move with KQo, and the Venezuelan kicked him out holding pocket queens.
Mizzi lost most of his chips when he ran eights into the nines of Shakerchi, and Winter sucked up the last of his fumes when 75h turned a seven to beat J9dd.
Shakerchi left the party in fourth, and the exit gave Winter a commanding chip lead with three remaining. It was a classic flip with queens losing to AK, and the net result was a leaderboard that looked like this.
1. Sean Winter – 32,000,000
2. Giuseppe Iadisernia – 18,000,000
3. Ali Imsirovic – 4,000,000
The Poker Masters Champ was the next to lose his seat, and the elimination sent Winter and Iadisernia into heads-up with little between them. A short-stacked Imsirovic moved all-in holding the raggedy looking T5o, and Winter called with the dominating KTo.
Heads-Up
1. Sean Winter – 29,000,000
2. Giuseppe Iadisernia – 25,000,000
Winter was the favourite to take it down in so many departments, and Iadisernia knew it, asking the cash game ace to split the money several times only for Winter to snub him time and time again.
It was a decision that Winter would turn out to rue.
After a fierce battle between the two, Winter moved all-in from the button holding A7o, and Iadisernia called with AK. Once the dealer had allowed the smoke to clear, Winter had a few soldiers left in the game. Iadisernia sent them into exile when QT beat Q7, to claim the first title of his career.
Here are the final table results:
Final Table Results
1. Giuseppe Iadisernia – $845,000
2. Sean Winter – $550,000
3. Ali Imsirovic – $400,000
4. Talal Shakerchi – $299,000
5. Sorel Mizzi – $225,000
6. Markus Prinz – $175,000
7. Benjamin Pollak – $125,000