WPT Venice 2011 Won By Alessio Isaia

Italian pro Alessio Isaia has just won the 2011 WPT Venice, after defeating a field of 523 players over five days to claim the coveted title, as well as collect the €380,000 ($520,000) first place prize.
With his win the 24-year-old Full Tilt Pro has now taken his live tournament earnings to around the $1.3 million mark and commenting on his famous victory said:
“I’m very happy. I’ve been trying to win a big tournament for three or four years. I came close in the EPT, but I never achieved it. I’m even more happy to win it in Italy, my home country.”
A prize pool of $2,081,132 was created from the  €3,300 buy-ins and attracted a top class field of pros hoping for a share of the cash.
By the end of Day 1a and 1b of the tournament the 523 player field had been reduced down to 219 players with Alessio Isaia the chip leader. Day 2 saw 57 left at the end of play and EPT London Champion David Vamplew take the lead. Day 3 then settled who would be the remaining eight competitors to book a place at the final table on Day 5.
As play at the final table got underway, David Vamplew still held the lead with 4.1m in chips, followed by Alessio Isaia (2.91m) in second and Szabolcs Mayer (2.585m) in third. Other players at the table included Max Lykov (2.175m), Adrien Camille Garrigues (1.555m), Emmanuel Rodrigues (1.465m), Luca Fiorini (470k) and Renato Paolini on a 405k stack.
Eventually, David Vamplew busted in 3rd spot (€149,910) after his Ks-Qs came off second best against Szabolcs Mayer’s Ah-Jh and as the heads-up phase got underway Mayer held an impressive 6 to 1 lead over local favourite Alessio Isaia.
Despite his disadvantage, Isaia never gave up and eight hour and twenty minutes later clinched the title after the longest heads-up battle in WPT history. On the final hand Mayer moved all-in pre-flop for his remaining chips holding Qc-6c only to be called by Ah-Qd. With no help from the board, Szabolcs Mayer collected €228,990 for his runner-up finish, while Alessio Isaia was crowned the 2011 WPT Venice Champion.
Commenting after his marathon heads-up battle, Isaia said: “I’m very very tired. We played for eight hours heads-up, which was exhausting. Mayer is a very good opponent. The money will enable me to play other tournaments, but I’m more happy with the title and the bracelet.”