Unbelievable! This seventh edition of the Swiss Championship of Poker seemed to have an announced winner, Claudio “Swissy” Rinaldi, but instead, in the final head’s up, the outsider Flavio Premarini came out on top and took home the €30,000 first coin and the trophy of the new Swiss Poker Champion. The final day of this 455-player SCOP had started with 27 players left, all already ‘in the money’. Some top players such as Alessandro Galparoli, Antonio Bernaudo, Giampiero Valentini and Luca Cristantielli, all favourites to win the title, were eliminated in the opening rounds. In 15th place was ‘mr EPT’ Andrea Cortellazzi, while close to the Final Table had to surrender Maurizio ‘the professor’ Musso. At the Final Table, a great favourite emerged, who was the chipleader for a long time, Claudio ‘Swissy’ Rinaldi. After the dinner break, however, luck turned its back on the Swiss champion and Flavio Premarini’s blows began to “hold”. Decisive, with 4 left, was the hand he won against Andrea Ettori, who consoled himself with the €8,500 fourth coin. Premarini then ‘executed’ Matteo Sbrana by ‘trapping’ him with a pair of women. The final head’s up lasted very little, although there was no deal. Swissy started with 4 million against his adversary’s 18 million, who in the decisive blow pushed A10 and found Rinaldi calling with KJ. The board was white and the trophy went to Flavio Premarini who thus became the new Swiss Poker Champion.

Here is the overall payout of this seventh edition of the €100,000 guaranteed Swiss Championship of Poker.

1 – Flavio Premarini (ITA) – 30’000€

2 – Claudio Rinaldi (CH) – 18’000€

3 – Matteo Sbrana (ITA) – 12’075€

4 – Andrea Ettori (ITA) – 8’500€

5 – Robert Nitu (ROM) – 6’100€

6 – Gaetano Napoli (ITA) – 4’600€

7 – Samuele Paoletta (ITA) – 3’500€

8 – Stefano Spina (ITA) – 2’600€

9 – Albert Mihalache (ROM) – 1’900€

10 – Antonino Resta (ITA) – 1’400€

11 – Giancarlo Borghi (ITA) – 1’400€

12 – Maurizio Musso (ITA) – 1’400€

13 – Morgan Crosta (ITA) – 1’400€

14 – Michele Zullo (ITA) – 1’000€

15 – Andrea Cortellazzi (ITA) – 1’000€

16 – Ta Quoc Tuong (VNM) – 1’000€

17 – Antonio Crocetta (ITA) – 1’000€

18 – Sebastiano Privizzini (ITA) – 1’000€

19 – Michele Carletta (ITA) – 500€

20 – Loredana Cresta (ITA) – 500€

21 – Luca Cristantielli (ITA) – 500€

22 – Gianpietro Valentini (ITA) – 500€

23 – Domenico Colombo (ITA) – 500€

24 – Renato Bortolotti (ITA) – 500€

25 – Daniele Palma (ITA) – 500€

26 – Antonio Bernaudo (ITA) – 500€

27 – Alessandro Galparoli (ITA) – 500€