Marti Roca De Torres Claims 2017 WSOPE Main Event Title

Marti Roca De Torres has claimed the 2017 WSOPE Main Event title after overcoming a field of 529 players at the King’s Casino in Rozvadov, including Italy’s Gianluca Speranza heads-up, to the delight of Spanish poker fans everywhere.
The former economics teacher qualified for the €10,300 WSOPE Main Event via a €220 online satellite on 888poker.es, with the €1,115,207 ($ 1,297,552) he subsequently earned for his victory accounting for all but $30,712 of his live tournament winnings.
De Torres now becomes the fourth Spanish player to capture a WSOP bracelet, and also joins two of his fellow compatriots in taking down a WSOP Main Event bracelet, with the others including Carlos Mortensen (2001), and Adrián Mateos (2013). Commenting upon his remarkable performance, Roca De Torres, 36, said:
“I am more nervous now than before when I was playing. But for sure I am very happy and it is a dream come true..”
The WSOPE Main Event paid out 80 money places, and amongst the notable pros seeing a return on their buy-ins was Pierre Neuville in 53rd (€18,162), David Peters in 44th ( €20,175), Maria Lampropulos in 33rd (€22,895), Anthony Zinno in 24th (€31,337), Rainer Kempe in 22nd (€31,337), and the 2015 WSOPE champion Kevin MacPhee in 10th (€74,737).
After the final table was set on Day 5, De Torres (A-A) got involved in a massive all-in three-way pot against Niall Farrell (K-K), and Maria Ho (A-J), with the ensuing 9-6-3-9-8 board seeing Ho exit in 6th and Farrell in 5th. A while later, Gianluca Speranza then took care of Mathijs Jonkers in 3rd to usher in the final battle against De Torres for the coveted gold bracelet.
At this stage, De Torres was at a 3-to-1 chip disadvantage against his remaining opponent, but he eventually managed to move into the lead when the deciding hand was played with De Torres (5-5) moving all-in preflop, and Speranza making the call with A-J. The dealer subsequently laid out an A-9-3 flop, propelling the Italian into the lead, but a 5 on the turn followed by a 9 on the river swung the tournament back in De Torres’s favor, who was then crowned this year’s WSOP Europe Main Event champion.
Final Table Results:
1: Marti Roca De Torres (Spn) €1,115,207
2: Gianluca Speranza (It) €689,246
3: Mathijs Jonkers (Neth) €476,585
4: Robert Bickley (UK) €335,089
5: Niall Farrell (UK) €239,639
6: Maria Ho (US) €174,365
7: Jack Salter (UK) €129,121
8: Luis Rodriguez (Spn) €97,344