Rocco Palumbo Becomes the First Italian in 4 Years to Win WSOP Bracelet
Italy had not seen a WSOP bracelet winner from the country since 2009. But the wait ended on June 26 as Rocco Palumbo won Event #44 and won the first bracelet for Italy this year. It was not an easy road for Palumbo as he had to overcome some stiff competition from other players, especially in the final few rounds. But his resilience was apparent as his ability to come back from setbacks was on full display. He never allowed his opponents to get ahead by a big margin, thereby never letting himself go out of contention.
Palumbo Managed to Comeback Every Time He was Pushed Back
Robinson was the final opponent Palumbo was up against and the match was a roller coaster ride for Palumbo. Even though Palumbo was the more dominant of the two, wearing down Robinson’s stacks regularly, Robinson also doubled back on a few occasions. Initially, Robinson used a K-J with another J coming up on the turn to double back on Palumbo’s 5-5. In the next round, each of them was holding a King high flops and called it. However, Robinson had the last laugh as he outmatched Palumbo on the final draw. Even though Robinson got his nose ahead on a couple of occasions, Palumbo found ways to double back and keep them even.
Third Time Lucky For Palumbo
It was on the third time that Palumbo made the final kill and claimed the title. Robinson found a chance where he could make the stacks even and went in with the bet. Palumbo had no reason to fold on this one as he was holding A-9 combo and called it in. Robinson thought he was in with a chance as he was holding a K-6. But the flop was pretty disappointing for him and it came out A-J-4, ending Robinson’s hopes of making the stacks even. When the final card came out, a 4 of clubs, the game was decided in Palumbo’s favor. The K of hearts became the inconsequential river, making Palumbo the first Italian to win a WSOP bracelet in four years.
Italy’s Dry Run Since 2009
The Italian contingent usually has a group of extremely talented poker players who have done well in events all over the world. The absence of a winner from that group was surprising considering the pedigree these guys have. However, Palumbo changed it all and created history by becoming the next winner after Jeffery Lisandro in 2009. Palumbo was understandably elated and said that he was aware of the significance of his win. He also said that he was glad to be the person who ended the losing streak.
From the beginning, Palumbo played a dominating game. Even though it wasn’t easy for him, his win was characterized by the comebacks he made even when his opponents wore his stack down. A couple of days ago, Naoya Kihara created history by becoming the first player from Japan to win a WSOP bracelet. To know more about it, click here.
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