Simone Andrian won the 2024 WSOP Europe Main Event and €1.3m [Image: Flickr.com / World Poker Tour]

Wire-to-wire

In my role as commentator at Merit in North Cyprus, I have presided over dozens of final tables. Over the years, a few names have stood out as consistent deep runners, players who put themselves in contention for glory time and time again. One such name is Simone Andrian, a supremely talented young Italian who emerged from the online world in 2021 to make an immediate splash.

a bankroll and morale boost that would ensure his regular participation on the European poker circuit

At his first live festival post-pandemic lockdowns, he traveled to the King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic for the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE). He left with the 6-max bracelet and €158,616 ($173,300), a bankroll and morale boost that would ensure his regular participation on the European poker circuit for the next few years.

If that was a baptism of fire, then last night we saw confirmation of Andrian’s class in that same venue as he took down the 768-runner WSOPE Main Event for €1,300,000 ($1,420,348). Having taken the lead during Day 4, he never really looked back, taking the tournament by the scruff of the neck and completing a wire-to-wire act worthy of Philippe Petit.

The heater

After he won the €1,650 ($1,803) 6-max bracelet at the WSOPE, Andrian had what, looking back now, appears to be a lean period. For 18 months, he toiled away, making six final tables, finishing 8th in three of them. Trips to San Remo, Monte Carlo, and Rozvadov produced solid results but no headlines. Then, in the summer of 2023, he caught fire, winning back-to-back big-field MTTs.

In June, he outlasted 837 other players to take down WPT Prime San Remo. Three weeks later, he won the 916-entrant PokerStars Summer Festival Main in Malta. Then, in December, he made a deep run in the $10,400 buy-in WPT World Poker Championship at the Wynn, ultimately bowing out in 29th for $159,200.

As extraordinary as this heater was, it still felt like Andrian was on the cusp of something huge.

The results kept coming in 2024 as he won the Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm-Up for $165,000. In July, he finished third in the $3,200 Online High Roller at the WSOP for $122,550, following that up with a 4th place finish at the Merit Poker La Notte Degli Assi Main Event for $115,000. As extraordinary as this heater was, it still felt like Andrian was on the cusp of something huge.

Six to two

By the end of Day 5, the WSOPE was down to just six players, all vying for the prestigious title. Andrian had a commanding lead, more than double Estonia’s Urmo Velvelt in second. In fact, he had over 40% of the chips in play. Marius Galinski of Poland was in third position and way back were the short stack chasing pack of former EPT champion Ran Ilani of Israel, David Hochheim of Germany, and Enrico Camoski of Italy.

The final day shook out almost in the order of the overnight chip stacks but that doesn’t do justice to the rollercoaster days that some of the players experienced. Camoski busted quickly, but Hochheim got an early double after calling Andrian’s small blind shove from the big blind with Q-T suited and holding against T-7. However, exactly orbit later, another battle of the blinds saw Hochheim all-in with A-4 offsuit versus Andrian’s pocket Queens which held.

Golinski got into a big clash with Ilani, his A-Q no match for the Israeli’s pocket Queens. That put him short, and he was eliminated shortly after by Andrian. There would be no more laddering for Ilani who, it must be said, battled gamely for a time. He was sent to the rail next, his A-K ultimately losing a classic race to Velvelt’s pocket Queens. That paved the way for a fascinating heads-up with Andrian having surrendered the chip lead for the first time in two days of play.

Heads-up

The heads-up match went back and forth. Andrian reclaimed the lead. Velvelt wrestled it back. Andrian pulled away once more, only for the momentum to suddenly shift dramatically in Velvelt’s direction. For a time, Andrian’s bluffs were ill-timed, his aggression met with even more aggression. At one point, Velvelt held a 3:1 lead.

The tide seemed to turn when Andrian made a stupendous hero-call with just a pair of Fives on an Ace-high board. Shortly after, Andrian picked off a semi-bluff with top pair versus bottom pair and a gutshot. He was in the ascendancy, and this time he closed it out. Velvelt five-bet shoved A-T into Andrian’s pocket Tens, the board ran out clean, and a new WSOPE Main Event champion was crowned.

I’ve been playing here a lot and to have that kind of score here feels special.”

In a post-match interview, Andrian thanked his rail and paid tribute to his heads-up opponent. “It’s amazing. By far the biggest score of my career. I couldn’t be more happy,” he said, adding: “I’ve been playing here a lot and to have that kind of score here feels special.”

2024 WSOPE Main Event Final Table Results

1. Simone Andrian – €1,300,000
2. Urmo Velvelt – €854,000
3. Ran Ilani – €590,000
4. Mariusz Golinski – €415,000
5. David Hochheim – €297,000
6. Enrico Camosci – €217,000
7. Robin Berggren – €161,000
8. Luka Bojovic – €122,000