Seat 1: Luca Cainelli, 37, Trento near Verona, Italy – 1,935,000 chips
Cainelli has been playing traditional five-card poker since he was 20-years-old but only took up Texas hold’em six years ago. He is mainly a live high-stakes cash game player but since gaining sponsorship at the start of the year has begun entering more tournaments.
Cainelli has played eight EPTs in total but first came to public attention at EPT Berlin in March, when he was knocked out in 11th place. That was good for a €40,000 cash and he followed it up just a few weeks later at EPT Snowfest, finishing 14th earning €15,800. This season he is planning to play EPT events and whatever happens now he is enjoying his first EPT final, and best ever live cash.