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IS THIS THE WAY TO ROMANELLO? FREE CHIPS ALL ROUND AS ROBERTO WINS PARTYPOKER.COM EUROPEAN OPEN V!

Februar 16, 2009

London – 16th February 2009 – 32-year-old Roberto Romanello was overcome with emotion after taking down the first major title of his career by scooping $200,000 and winning the PartyPoker.com European Open V in London. Romanello, a consistent professional on the UK circuit for three years hails from Swansea, South Wales and with his family own a chain of fish and chip shops.

 

Romanello overcome European number one Marc Goodwin heads-up after a tough final table that also included PartyPoker.com European Open IV runner-up Craig Burgess and World Open IV runner-up and Irish Open champion Neil Channing. Well respected on the circuit, this Welsh pro was no fish and was as mushy as his peas after his triumph. You could say he chose to keep his emotions open rather than wrapped – he had reached a plaice he had wanted to be for some time.

 

“I’ve made so many final tables but never managed to nail down a title – this win couldn’t mean any more to me,” said a tearful Romanello, who was a very popular winner. “The money will go straight back to my family.”

 

Romanello’s family own a chain of fish and chip shops in Wales and the Roma’s Fish Bar chain they own has been voted the best fish and chip shop in Wales. Romanello’s triumph, however, wasn’t a case of him battering and frying his opponents – he had his fair share of good fortune from the poker cods. There is little doubt to takeaway the title he did it the hard way.

 

“I think I played really well in the first heat and was disappointed to finish runner-up. That got me an entry into the turbo heat and I really felt during it that it was finally going to be my time. This was the big turning point for me.” Romanello, who ran deep in the WSOP Main Event in 2006 and has made three GUKPT final tables, is the first player in history to win a PartyPoker.com European Open or World Open title through the second chance turbo heats.

 

After finishing runner-up to Peter Wood in his heat, he secured his passage to the final table as the short stack by taking out Dale Hoy heads-up in the turbo. Commentator Jesse May was adamant throughout Romanello’s remarkable passage through the tournament that nobody could want the title more and the Welsh wizard continually fought against the odds. When the six seat final table went four handed Romanello found himself with over half the chips on the table but the eliminations of Andy Ward and Craig Burgess at the hands of ‘Mr Cool’ Goodwin meant the stacks were relatively level when it got heads-up with Romanello slightly down on 685,000 to Goodwin’s 715,000. Goodwin was fancied by many after a period of superb play and an ability to avoid marginal situations. Goodwin had made the final table of the World Open IV and on this final table managed to exact some revenge on Neil Channing, who spectacularly bust him with quad tens on the final table of that event.

 

Romanello played over 100 hands heads-up in his heat but his one-on-one with Goodwin was more rapid. Goodwin pushed with Ks 9h and Romanello woke up with As 10s. When an A came on the flop it was enough to give Roberto the victory. Goodwin, who won $100,000 for finishing runner-up, was gracious in defeat. “It would have been fantastic to have been European number one and European Open champion but I am so happy for Roberto. He has been knocking on the door for such a long time – it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy,” he said.

 

Belfast civil servant William Taylor went on to the final table as chip leader but soon creative play from the likes of Andy Ward, Neil Channing, Marc Goodwin and Romanello changed the balance of power dramatically and he was the first to bust after his QQ ran into Ward’s KK. Next to go was Channing, whose ability to continually raise and take down pots without a flop was dominating the game. The Irish Open champion went all in with A8 only to run into Romanello’s KK. Another K on the flop sent Channing home in fifth. Fourth place went to PartyPoker.com European Open IV runner-up Craig Burgess who had largely kept out of trouble during the final table. After going all-in with 77, he was called by Goodwin with A8 and an 8 on the flop and the river ended his ambitions of going one better this year. Third place went to the much fancied Andy Ward, who had held the chip lead numerous times during the final table but after going all-in with QQ against Goodwin’s 1010 failed to hold up after a 10 on the flop.

 

Eddie Hearn, Director of Matchroom Sport said, “This PartyPoker.com European Open saw the events toughest field to date and Roberto Romanello was a worthy champion. It’s not often you see the winner of a poker event breakdown in tears and that’s a measure of just what this title means to the players.”

 

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said: “When the final table was set many could not look beyond Neil Channing and Marc Goodwin but Roberto Romanello is a truly deserving winner. We’d like to congratulate him and his strong group of supporters – there hasn’t been such a popular winner!”

 

Amongst the players who took part in the Matchroom Sport organized 72 runner $7,000 buy-in tournament included Annette Obrestad, Roland de Wolfe, Vicky Coren, Juha Helppi, Ciaran O’Leary, Eoghan O’Dea, Ian Frazer, Surinder Sunar, Barny Boatman, James Akenhead, Padraig Parkinson, Julian Thew, Donnacha O’Dea, Stuart Rutter, Nik Persuad, Karl Mahrenholz, May Maceiras, Thomas Bihl, Robin Keston and UK Open champion Michael Keiner.  Germany’s assault on the title was spearheaded by PartyPoker.com Women’s World Open II champion Soraya Homam and Christoph Haller but both fell down at the semi-final stage. The event ran from Friday 6 February to Friday 13 February and featured 12 six seat heats and two six seat turbo runner-up heats. There were two seven seat semi-finals and one six seat final. The top three players in each of the semi-finals took their chip stacks through to the final. The total prize pool was $504,000 with first place scooping $200,000. Live reporting and hand specifics can be found at: http://www.matchroompokerforum.co.uk/

 

The event will be first broadcast on Five in the UK later this year and then distributed internationally. Coverage of the PartyPoker.com European Open is amongst the best distributed in the world and commentary will be led by the one and only Jesse May. The winner of the PartyPoker.com European Open IV last year was Preston pro Nick Slade.

 

PARTYPOKER.COM EUROPEAN OPEN V – LONDON – 6 -13 FEBRUARY 2008

 

1st – Roberto Romanello –  $200,000

2nd – Marc Goodwin – $100,000

3rd – Andy Ward – $50,000

4th – Craig Burgess – $30,000

5th – Neil Channing – $25,000

6th – William Taylor – $20,000

 

PARTYPOKER.COM EUROPEAN OPEN V FINAL TABLE – LONDON – 6 -13 FEBRUARY 2008

 

SEAT ONE – Marc Goodwin 264,000

SEAT TWO – Roberto Romanello 143,000

SEAT THREE – Craig Burgess 143,000

SEAT FOUR – Andy Ward 293,000

SEAT FIVE – William Taylor 351,000

SEAT SIX – Neil Channing 206,000

 

SEMI-FINAL 1 – Thursday 12 February

 

Chris Bury

Bambos Charalambos

David Rudling

Karl Mahrenholz

Andy Ward

Marc Goodwin

Craig Burgess

 

SEMI-FINAL 2 – Friday 13 February

 

Neil Channing

Peter Wood

Paul Marrow

Soraya Homam

Christoph Haller

William Taylor

Roberto Romanelllo

Written by admin · Filed Under Party Poker News 

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