IPT Venice 2 | 310 players | €600,000 prize pool | 1st: Salvatore Bonavena (€155,000)

Italian player Salvatore Bonavena added to the EPT Prague title he won in 2008 with a victory at IPT Venice 2, good for €155,000. A total of 310 runners took part, and the final table took ten hours to play out. All money went in with Bonavena holding A-6, good enough to beat the K-8 held by eventual runner-up Minh Khoa as the board ran out with neither playing improving.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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IPT San Remo 4 | 273 players | €529,620 prize pool | 1st: Alessio Isaia (€140,000)

The IPT was back in San Remo in December, 2009 for the final event of the year, with 23-year-old Italian Alessio Isaia taking the title and prize money of €140,000 after defeating Alioscia Olivia heads-up. The ten-hour final table also featured San Remo 1 winner Stefano Puccilli, who just missed out on becoming the first player to win two IPT titles when he was knocked out in fifth place.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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IPT San Remo 3 | 325 players | €630,500 prize pool | 1st: Giovanni Salvatore (€150,000)

A return to San Remo saw Giovanni Salvatore become the latest big winner in Season 1 of the IPT. He took the title and prize money of €150,000 after beating a field of 324 other runners. One of the short stacks late in the tournament, Salvatore fought back hard, eventually beating Umberto Pavoncello heads-up with A-3 against T-J. Salvatore flopped another two aces; enough to seal the victory and Championship title.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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IPT Nova Gorica | 332 players | €664,000 prize pool | 1st: Marco Figuccia (€160,000)

The IPT broke new territory when it staged its first tournament in Nova Gorica, across the border in Slovenia. After a marathon final table lasting nine hours and thirty minutes, Marco Figuccia, who started the day as chip leader, emerged victorious. He beat another Marco, Marco Pistilli, when his Q-J flopped a Queen to beat Pistilli’s A-7. Figuccia takes home the title and (€160,000) for the win.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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IPT San Remo 2 | 368 players | €713,920 prize pool | 1st: Ramzi Jelassi (€170,000)

August saw the return of the IPT to San Remo, and it was Swedish pro and EPT regular Ramzi Jelassi who emerged as the latest Champion. Local player Andrea Sapere finished in second place, cashing for an impressive €100,000. Big names who took part included Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano, who held the chip lead for a while on Day 1B, but failed to make it to the final table.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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IPT Venice | 439 players | €851,660 prize pool | 1st: Matt Perrins (€200,000)

The tour moved on to Venice in July, with UK-based player Matt Perrins taking home the title. The field included a host of well-known faces, including Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Rousso, Chad Brown and Marcel Luske. The final hand saw all the money go into the middle with Perrins holding K-T and runner-up Johannes Sodastrom pockets fours. A board of 8-K-K-2-3 sealed the victory for Perrins.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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IPT San Remo | 254 players | €508,000 prize pool | 1st: Stefano Puccilli (€120,000)

After three days of intense poker action, it was 37-year old banker Stefano Puccilli who had the honour of being crowned the first ever IPT Champion. He was able to claim victory when his pocket eights made a miracle straight against the paired Ace of his heads-up opponent. Team PokerStars Italy Pro Nicola Fedeli finished in tenth place, but it was Puccilli who celebrated the win.

PokerStars Blog | PokerStars.tv

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