Press Release
DANIEL SANTORO WINS FOXWOODS WORLD POKER FINALS
WPT® Season IX Player of the Year Andy Frankenberger Finishes 5th
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Mashantucket, CT (November 2, 2011) – Many of poker’s biggest and brightest names competed in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals, a premier and long-standing event on the World Poker Tour® dating back to its inaugural season. When the dust settled after a week of world-class poker action, it was Daniel Santoro who rose to the top to capture his first WPT title.
Daniel Santoro pockets $449,910 for the win, as 189 runners entered to create a prize pool of $1,778,300. Santoro immediately jumps into the race for WPT Season X Player of the Year and currently sits in 6th place with 1,050 points. Past Foxwoods World Poker Finals Champions excelled in this year’s event as three former title-holders finished within the top 25: WPT Season VI POY Jonathan Little (8th - $54,060), Hoyt Corkins (10th - $34,676), and Cornell Cimpan (23rd - $19,916).
The final table began with a bang. On the third hand, Eli Berg pushed all-in after the flop and lost Kings full to Christian Harder’s Aces full. Ten hands later, reigning WPT Player of the Year Andy Frankenberger shoved all-in pre-flop with Ac10c only to be called by Harder with pocket Kings. Frankenberger would not improve and although he was eliminated in 5th place, the $99,585 payout put him over the $1,000,000 mark in WPT career earnings. Soon after, Daniel Santoro would take the reins by busting Steven Brackesy in 4th place to climb into the chip lead.
During three-handed play, Santoro controlled the action and gradually added chips. When WPT Boot Camp Alumni Bob Carbone moved all-in pre-flop with pocket Tens, Santoro snap-called with pocket Aces. Upon busting Carbone, Santoro held a near four-to-one chip advantage over Harder. Heads up action was fiercely contested, with big chip lead swings and both players winning multiple double-ups. However in the end, Harder’s pocket Tens lost out to Santoro’s AcKs in a race situation when Santoro paired a King on the river. With his runner-up finish, Christian Harder has now cashed in the Foxwoods World Poker Finals three out of the past four years.
Daniel Santoro has been immortalized with the legends of the game as his name was engraved on the towering WPT Champions Cup trophy. He also received a replica of the WPT Champions Cup, a sterling silver Tiffany & Co.® WPT Champions Award and entrance into the prestigious WPT Champions Club, which offers all WPT champions exclusive benefits, a WPT personal concierge and VIP treatment at WPT events.
Santoro played his way through a tremendously talented field, as poker’s elite converged upon the luxurious Foxwoods Resort Casino. WPT One to Watch Jason Mercier, Kathy Liebert, Allen Kessler and WPT’s own Tony Dunst joined more than a dozen WPT Champions Club members including fan favorites Erik Seidel and Dwyte Pilgrim, WPT World Champion David Williams, Season X POY front runner Will “The Thrill” Failla and Season IX Foxwoods World Poker Finals winner Jeff Forrest.
Final Table Standings
1st - Daniel Santoro - $449,910
2nd - Christian Harder - $248,962
3rd - Bob Carbone - $166,271
4th - Steven Brackesy - $129,816
5th - Andy Frankenberger - $99,585
6th - Eli Berg - $83,580
Player of the Year Standings
1st - Will Failla - 1,600
2nd - Bobby Oboodi - 1,400
3rd - Jin Hwang - 1,200
3rd - Matt Waxman - 1,200
5th - Daniel Buzgon - 1,100
6th - Daniel Santoro - 1,050
7th - Fred Goldberg - 1,000
7th - Hugo Lemaire - 1,000
7th - Ken Aldridge - 1,000
As play ended at Foxwoods, the action kicked-off at WPT Amnéville from the Seven Casino d’Amnéville in France. Beginning on November 1, WPT Amnéville boasts a big field of 379 players and concludes with the WPT final table streamed live on November 6 through www.wpt.com.
Coming up next is WPT Jacksonville. The first-ever World Poker Tour main event in North Florida runs from November 18 – 22 at the Orange Park Poker Room. WPT Jacksonville’s final table will feature WPT Live Streaming with Tony Dunst, whose poignant commentary continues to impress the poker community. Buy into the $3,500 WPT main event at www.wptregistrations.com or visit www.wpt.com for more information including the full event schedule and tournament structure.
WPT Media Contact
Max Sloan: Press@WorldPokerTour.com
About World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour (WPT) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in over 150 countries and territories and is currently airing the ninth season on FSN in the United States. Season X of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com, a unique online membership site which offers inside access to the WPT as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club and is available in 35 states across the U.S. WPT participates in strategic brand license, partnership and sponsorship opportunities. WPT Enterprises Inc. is a subsidiary of bwin.party digital entertainment plc. For more information, visit WorldPokerTour.com.
