Russian beats all comers in the cold
The second stop of WPT Season X wasn’t for the feint-hearted. With a Siberian cold snap plunging temperatures to well below freezing, and Venice’s world-famous canals reduced to deadly ice-rinks, it wasn’t your typical sun-drenched poker stopover. But that didn’t stop Russia’s Rinat Bogdanov from turning up the heat up to bank €229,800 and entry to May’s $25,000 WPT World Championship in Vegas.
This year’s WPT Venice field was disappointing when compared with previous years, as just 155 players signed up for the €4,950 main event – down from 500+ in 2011. But Bogdanov didn’t mind. And the Russian still had the likes of James Dempsey, Roberto Romanello and Tony G to beat en route to his first major payday.
‘It’s unbelievable, this was my first big tournament, and now I’m heading to Las Vegas for the first time ever! I have three months to learn English!’ said Bogdanov, who only been playing poker three years ago.
On the final table, Bogdanov squared-off against two of the WPT’s form players, with former final tablists Andrea Dato and Simon Ravnsbaek making their second final tables of the year.
In the final hand, eventual runner-up Alessandro Longobardi raised with Kh-Qd, Bogdanov called with 6c-4c, before check-calling on a Qh-7d-4d flop. A 6s on the turn gave the Russian two-pair and a 4s completed his boat. He moved all-in on the river and Longobardi checked his cards one final time before calling off his stack.
You can catch all the action when WPT Venice Grand Prix airs on UK channel Watch later this year.
Here’s how the final table finished up:
1. Rinat Bogdanov €229,800
2. Alessandro Longobardi €111,700
3. Andrea Dato €72,275
4. Simon Ravnsbaek €52,565
5. Gianluca Trebbi €42,705
6. Andrea Carini €32,195
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