November Niner Matt Giannetti Wins WPT Malta 2011

Matt Giannetti has triumphed at the WPT Malta, after defeating a field of 240 players over four days to lift the prestigious title, and collect the $273,200 top prize.
The 26-year old Matt Giannetti has made the poker headlines recently having already qualified for the 2011 WSOP Main Event final table, which is scheduled to get underway in November. Ahead of his showdown with destiny, the US pro’s WPT victory has now taken his career life time earnings to $634,306, although he is already guaranteed an additional $782,115 for having made it through to the WSOP final table. A massive $8,711,956 also awaits the eventual winner.
As the €3,000 WPT Malta six handed final table got started at the Portomaso casino, last woman standing Cecilia Pescaglini was in pole position (2.245m), followed by Matt Giannetti close behind with 1.93mm in chips, and Tristan Clemencon with 1.84m. The other players at the table were all short-stacks with Simon Trumper on 560k, followed by Filippo Bianchini (347k) and Fabien Sartoris (264k).
Two hands later and Fabien Sartoris was out in 6th place ($41,977), his K-9 shove from the button beaten by Trumper’s pocket fives.
Ten hands later and Tristan Clemencon was eliminated in 5th ($54,381) after an all-in raising war pre-flop holding pocket kings to Cecilia Pescaglini’s Ah-Kh. Pescaglini then dispatched Simon Trumper in 4th ($72,985), in another pre-flop race, this time holding Ac-8c to Trumper’s pocket sevens, with the board falling 9-6-5-A-4.
With the elimination of short-stacked Filippo Bianchini in 3rd ($104,936), Matt Giannetti then went heads-up against Cecilia Pescaglini, who was hoping to become the WPT’s first ever female champion.
Unfortunately for Cecilia, she fell just short of her dream in an exciting finish which saw her all-in holding Q-10 on a 10-8-2 flop against Giannetti’s 9-7. A J then fell on the turn relegating Pescaglini to a runner-up finish worth $159,412.
Meanwhile, Matt Giannetti was crowned the WPT Malta champion and collected a healthy $273,200 for his hard fought efforts. Tweeting later, Giannetti wrote:
“God damn, I am a lucksack, so mad how I played, way too much run good expended… Happy I won but feel like I don’t deserve it.”