Luca Topazio Wins WSOPC Malta Main Event
Italian Luca Topazio won the first WSOP Circuit Main Event in Malta, earning €200,000 and his first career gold ring.
The World Series of Poker Circuit made its debut in Malta, with the €1,500 Main Event drawing 879 entries at Casino Malta. The prize pool reached €1,115,451, and the top 134 finishers were paid. Italian player Luca Topazio emerged as the champion, collecting €200,000 and his first career WSOP Circuit gold ring.
Final Table Run
Topazio began the final table third in chips but quickly climbed to the top of the leaderboard. The most demanding stretch came during four-handed play. Poland's Radoslaw Kopec doubled through Topazio early and built a promising stack, briefly taking the lead. Topazio answered with a hero call in a large pot against Kopec, swinging momentum back in his favor.
He then eliminated Dutch player Lucas van den Belt in third place. Topazio held 5h4c against van den Belt's 3d3c, and the hand ended van den Belt's run.
Heads-Up and the Decisive Hand
Topazio entered heads-up play with a commanding 5:1 chip lead over Kopec. The duel lasted only two hands. In the final hand, Topazio moved all-in with 5c3c, and Kopec called off his remaining chips with KhJd. The board ran out Qs3sQh3dTs, giving Topazio a full house and sealing the victory.
For Kopec, it was another runner-up finish on the WSOP Circuit. He had previously finished second in a Main Event in Middelkerke the year before. Topazio, meanwhile, added to a career highlight from 16 years earlier on the Italian Poker Tour.
Final Table Results
- 1st: Luca Topazio, Italy — €200,000
- 2nd: Radoslaw Kopec, Poland — €125,000
- 3rd: Lucas van den Belt, Netherlands — €85,000
- 4th: Matteo Ricco, Italy — €60,000
- 5th: Aleksandar Georgiev, Bulgaria — €43,000
- 6th: Alberto Cigliano, Italy — €31,000
- 7th: Vitali Bibik, Poland — €23,000
- 8th: Christoffer Jensen, Denmark — €17,300
- 9th: Nicola Bordignon, Italy — €14,191
What the Result Means
The WSOP Circuit's first stop in Malta adds a new location to the international circuit schedule. For Topazio, the win represents a breakthrough on the WSOP Circuit stage, while Kopec's second-place finish continues a pattern of deep runs in Circuit Main Events without a title. The €1,500 buy-in Main Event attracted a field large enough to generate a seven-figure prize pool, reflecting continued interest in mid-stakes tournament poker in Europe.
FAQ
- Italian player Luca Topazio won the €1,500 Main Event, earning €200,000 and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.