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Dario takes down Event 31! |
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From PokerStars Blog
2008 World Series: Dario Minieri snags first bracelet
ESPN 360 commentator Nick Geber called him the "baby-faced assassin." PokerStars blogger Howard Swains dubbed him "Super Dario." Noted poker writer Paul McGuire called him "Scarf Boy." Now, Dario Minieri has a new title: World Series bracelet winner.
Tonight, Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri won the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event, pocketing $528,418.
Minieri entered the final table with a substantial chip lead, and with four players remaining, he eliminated Kevin Song with A8 vs. KJ. When the hand was over, Minieri couldn't stack his chips fast enough for the floor to count.
"How much I got now? I don't know!" Minieri asked with a smile, his Italian accent coming out a little more than usual.
"I don't know," the TD responded, his eye on Minieri's pile of chips. "I haven't gotten that far yet."
The eventual answer: more than 3.5 million...more than twice what his opponents had...combined.
Three-handed play was a grind, and one that wasn't kind to Minieri. He lost a race with AK vs Seth Fischer's JJ. Then Justin Filtz got all-in with a wheel draw and a diamond flush draw to Minieri's higher flush draw and Broadway draw. Minieri was a big favorite, but Filtz made his wheel on the turn and Minieri couldn't catch up.
"I didn't want to come in third, because I came in third on two European Poker Tours. It was a nightmare," Minieri said.
He wasn't kidding. Minieri has two final table appearances on the EPT. His first came in Baden during Season 3. He finished third. A year later, he made the final table in San Remo, Italy. Again, it was a third place finish.
All was not lost, however, and Minieri kept the pressure on. After the dinner break, Fischer dealt Filtz a soul-crushing defeat--AK vs AA where the big slick came out the winner. That gave Fischer the advantage going into heads-up play with Minieri. The early going was not what Minieri wanted to see. Before long, he was down nearly 3-1 in chips. His aggression nearly got the best of him. He bluffed all-in with 3s4s and got snap-called. He looked up see he was up against two kings. At first it appeared Minieri might draw out with a spade flush. Instead, the turn and river went runner-runner fours, giving Minieri trips and the game-saving double-up.
From there, Minieri didn't look back. Over the next few hands, he ate into Fischer's stack. When Fischer finally pushed with KdTd, it was Minieri's turn to snap call. Pocket queens held up and the young Italian won his first bracelet.
"I have never seen so many bad beats in one day. I feel very lucky," he said.
Before tonight, Minieri had not recorded a major live poker win. He now has his first victory, first World Series bracelet, and first opportunity to say he has more than $1 million in career winnings.
Congratulations, Dario, on your first bracelet.
From Card Player.com
 Super Dario Dominates Early and then Triumphs over Adversity in Exciting Fashion
Dario Minieri has been close to winning a major tournament title before. He was down to the final three players in the European Poker Tour championhip event in San Remo, Italy back in April, but third place is where he fell. Tonight, Minieri simply dominated the final table of the $2,500 no-limit hold'em six-handed event until things got down to three handed. Both of Minieri's opponents doubled up through him, and it looked like he might fall in third place again. In an exciting turn of events though, Minieri doubled up twice himself as an enthusiastic group of Italians supporters cheered him to victory. Minieri added $528,418 in prize money to his career live tournament winnings - giving him over $1.2 million at a young age. This amount probably pales in comparison to the money Minieri has made online, so it is safe to say that the gold bracelet meant the most of any prize Minieri was awarded this evening.
Dario Minieri Rising
Dario Minieri has put on an absolute clinic of hyper-aggressive poker during the last stretch of play. He has taken down 14 pots, and has only had to show down his hand twice! This table is starting to become a race for second as opposed to a race for the bracelet. Minieri now holds over half the chips in play while all three of his opponents hover around 800,000. Things could change if someone doubles through Minieri though. There haven't been too many major pots of consequence with Minieri as table captain. Any time his opponents raise preflop he snaps it off with a reraise. The other players at the table are begining to adjust as they have begun limping into pots.
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