Italian Poker Pro Max Pescatori wins $292k in 2015 WSOP $10k 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo

The pride of the Italian professional poker community, Max Pescatori, will be taking home his 4^th WSOP bracelet; his second this year. The 44 year old poker pro cashed in for $292,158 on Monday after surviving Daniel Negreanu and Stephen Chidwick in the 2015 WSOP $10,000 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship.

With a 5-figure buy-in, the 3 Day event drew a crowd of 111 participants to the Rio’s registration booths. By the end of Day 1, Pescatori was on the low-end of the stacks, failing to receive notable mention among the 64 players set to return for Day 2. He fared better upon his return, one of only 11 players worthy of going into Day 3. Chidwick led with 808k chips at the start, but the Italian pro wasn’t far behind at 549k.

Shortly after the elimination of Richard Sklar, the final 6 converged on center stage, featuring a wide range of nationalities: Thomas Butzhammer of Austria, Gary Benson of Australia, Aleksandr Denisov of Russia, Daniel Negreanu of Canada, Stephen Chidwick of England and Max Pescatori of Italy.

Butzhammer was the first to fall, ending in 6^th for $51,022. After eliminating the Austrian, Benson found himself short stacked, falling victim to Pescatori in 5^th for $63,981. Next out was Denisov, collecting $81,865 for 4^th when Chidwick scooped the remainder of his chips.

That left three elite poker pros around the felt. On the very next hand, Chidwick jumped head of Pescatori with 1.2mm, but Negreanu held the lead with 1.4mm. Soon after, it looked like the Brit was going to sweep the table when he rose to 2.1mm, leaving just over 600k in front of each of his opponents, but that wasn’t the case.

All three took part in the hand that would end up being the demise of Negreanu. Pescatori scooped the pot, sending Daniel out in 3^rd for $113,062, and thus began his comeback. Just a few hands later, the Italian poker pro was ahead 2-to-1 in the counts, and the very next hand would seal the deal.

Back and forth they bet until the sixth street, when Chidwick put the last of his 1.12mm in the pot, and the cards were tabled.

Max Pescatori: K♠ 10♦ / 10♣ 8♥ 5♠ 2♣ / (x)
Stephen Chidwick: K♣ J♣ / 8♦ K♥ 10♥ 7♣ / (x)

Chidwick was ahead with a pair of Kings to Pescatori’s 10’s, but as he pulled the A♠ on seventh, preparing to double up and take the lead, his Italian foe drew a gorgeous set with 10♠.

Max Pescatori was crowned the victor of the 2015 WSOP $10k 7 Card Stud H-Lo Championship, awarded his 4^th WSOP bracelet – the second this year alone – and $292,158 for the 1^st place finish.

After getting the closest he’s ever come to a bracelet of his own—Chidwick has made 9 WOSP final tables in his career—Stephen was left with the honorable consolation prize of $180,529.