Bogdanov outlasted 154 other players over the last five days at the Casino Di Venezia and ultimately defeated Italian hopeful Alessandro Longobardi in just two hands of heads-up play.
Information on Bogdanov is scarce but it has been confirmed he is not a professional poker player. He earns a living as a stock broker and this was his first ever WPT event.
This win absolutely dwarfs his other results, which consist of just three small events in Cyprus. His biggest win before today was $10,984.
Bogdanov was one of just two non-Italians at this final table, along with Danish professional Simon Ravnsbaek.
Dato Up, Ravnsbaek Down
As the final six took to the felt this afternoon in Venice it was Andrea Dato in the driver’s seat, sitting on a big lead. Dato was looking to improve on the fourth-place finish he posted at the last WPT Venice event in 2011.
Things went from good to better for Dato in the early stages, taking a massive pot from the man with the second biggest stack, Simon Ravnsbaek.
Dato continued his dominance, busting the first player of the day when he raised with pocket eights and called a shove from Andrea Carini who held A-3.
With that pot Dato became the first player to break the 2 million mark.
The lead was handed back and forth between Ravnsbaek and Dato, with both players taking a very aggressive approach.
The next player out was Gianluca Trebbi, who by this point was in push-fold mode. Trebbi shoved T♥ 7♥ and ran into Alessandro Longobardi’s pocket jacks. Trebbi was out in fifth for $56,134.
Bogdanov Back from the Brink
Eventual champion Rinat Bogdanov was very nearly busted in fourth place, all-in with Q-9 against Dato’s pocket deuces. A queen on the river doubled up the Russian to over 1 million.
That stroke of luck gave him the chips he needed to eliminate Simon Ravnsbaek next, sending the Dane home with $69,095 to show for his efforts.
In the end Andrea Dato managed to top his last WPT Venice final table performance, but only by one spot.
Dato busted in third, getting it in bad with K♣ 8♣ against Bogdanov’s K♠ T♠. Dato earned $95,003.
The heads-up match was over before it even got started, taking just two hands to be decided.
On the final hand Bogdanov flopped bottom pair and check-called a bet from Longobardi, who had flopped top pair. Bogdanov turned two-pair and they got the money in.
Rinat Bogdanov took €229,800 and denies Italy the home-turf win. Alessandrio Longobardi pocketed €111,700 for second.
The World Poker Tour’s next event started today at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida. Keep an eye on our Poker News Section for updates.
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