The first leg of the first-ever PokerStars Championship WPT MonteDam Swing came to a close on Friday, with the conclusion of the PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event in grand fashion in Monaco. Italy’s Raffaele Sorrentino took the title and a first-place payday of €466,714 after topping a field of 727 entries.
“Last week, I felt that I could win,” Sorrentino told PokerStars representatives after the win, “And then when I was here, it was day after day, getting nearer and nearer. And finally I’ve won.”
For Sorrentino, a 37-year-old from Catania, the win was the best of his career.
Sorrentino defeated Germany player Andreas Klatt in heads-up play after the two struck a deal. Klatt earned €402,786 for his finish, but what stands out most is Klatt’s back-to-back performances in the €1,100 National Championship in Monaco, followed by this runner-up finish in the €5,300 Main Event.
Just a week prior, Klatt won the National Championship for €151,445, defeating a field of 1,252 entries. This result placed him second from a field of 727 entries and made him the firm leader on the MonteDam Swing leaderboard. It truly was a marvelous week for Klatt, and he was off to Amsterdam to play in the WPT Amsterdam featuring WPTDeepStacks series straight away.
PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo €5,300 Main Event Results
1st: Raffaele Sorrentino – €466,714*
2nd: Andreas Klatt – €402,786*
3rd: Andrey Bondar – €271,500
4th: Maxim Panyak – €199,900
5th: Michael Kolkowicz – €147,120
6th: Diego Zeiter – €108,300
7th: Davidi Kitai – €79,750
8th: Romain Nardin – €58,740
*Prizes reflect a deal between the players.
Prior to his victory in the €5,300 Main Event, Sorrentino’s biggest cash was for €102,000 when he won an €1,100 side event at the European Poker Tour Barcelona series in 2016.
Sorrentino also earned 115 points for the MonteDam Swing leaderboard and moved into second place behind Klatt, who has a commanding lead with 210 points.
MonteDam Swing Leaderboard Top 10
1. Andreas Klatt – 210
2. Raffaele Sorrentino – 115
3. Romain Lewis – 110
T-4. Andrey Bondar – 85
T-4. Børge Sandsgaard – 85
T-6. Ka Kwan Lau – 75
T-6. Maxim Panyak – 75
T-8. David Bourseau – 65
T-8. Michael Kolkowicz – 65
T-10. Basem Hamed – 55
T-10. Diego Zeiter – 55
Click here to view the MonteDam Swing leaderboard.
Click here for more information regarding MonteDam Swing scoring.
Klatt is now the frontrunner to earn the top MonteDam Swing prize, which is a €7,500 package to the PokerStars Championship Barcelona Main Event.
The top five finishers will earn the following prizes:
1st: PokerStars Championship Barcelona Main Event package (worth €7,500)
2nd: WPT Main Event* package (worth €6,000)
3rd: WPTDeepStacks* package (worth €3,000)
4th: PokerStars National Championship Barcelona Buy-in (€1,100) + Barcelona hotel voucher (€500)
5th: WPTDeepStacks* Buy-in (€1,500)
*WPT and WPTDeepStacks prizes only apply to events in Europe.
All players who participate in at least one PokerStars tournament in Monte Carlo and one WPT tournament in Amsterdam will receive an online ticket to take part in a freeroll at PokerStars, with a prize pool valued at $30,000. Players who compete in both Main Events will receive a $300 voucher towards buy-ins for the 2017 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker.
Additionally, anyone who cashes in the PokerStars National Championship, PokerStars Championship Main Event, or WPTDeepStacks Amsterdam and then also cashes in the WPT Amsterdam Main Event will win a €1,000 bonus.
For more information on the MonteDam Swing, click here.
*Photo courtesy of PokerStars.