Alvaro Murciano Gets Redemption in the 888poker Live Barcelona Main Event

F. Scott Fitzgerald as soon as famously wrote that there are “no second acts,” however it took Alvaro Murciano simply over a 12 months to get an opportunity at disproving that adage.

In January 2025, Murciano reached heads-up of the 888poker Reside Madrid Principal Occasion in opposition to workforce ambassador Ian Simpson. After a prolonged battle that contained many swings of fortune, Simpson prevailed because the clock went previous 4 a.m. It was a bittersweet ending for Murciano, who needed to settle for second place and €42,000 as a comfort prize.

Quick ahead 16 months, and Murciano discovered himself on the identical stage, with the identical alternative that eluded him in Madrid. He was chip chief on the ultimate desk of the 888poker Reside Barcelona €888 Principal Occasion, and this time he wouldn’t be denied the trophy. Murciano ended up working over the desk and constructing an astronomical chip lead on his approach to ending off German Zafra heads-up and capturing the title.

888poker Reside Barcelona Principal Occasion Closing Desk outcomes

“It means so much. I ended up heads-up final 12 months. It means so much to win and take that non-public revenge,” Murciano stated by a translator after prevailing over the 350-player discipline to win the €50,000 prime prize and gold-plated trophy.

“It was an enormous additional motivation. I already felt fairly near profitable the trophy. It was an enormous level, like, I can win it.”

Simpson was among the many first to greet Murciano after his win, the 2 former opponents sharing an embrace. “My flip, my flip,” Simpson’s fellow 888poker workforce member Ricardo Mateus shouted out. The enjoyment of ending the job this time was palpable throughout Murciano’s face.

He didn’t have a lot to fret about this time. After profitable an enormous pot to bust fellow large stack Michael Falcon in fifth place, Murciano managed greater than 80 p.c of the chips in play. It took him simply 5 extra fingers to bust Pol Silva in fourth and Jesus “el_chur” Ramos in third, establishing a heads-up match in opposition to Zafra with Murciano holding a 16-to-1 chip lead. Murciano received each pot of heads-up earlier than lastly hitting a pair of kings on the flip to finish his dream run to the trophy.

“It felt scripted. Each time I attempted to bluff, the opposite gamers folded. Once I had good fingers, they known as. It was wonderful. It felt like a script,” Murciano stated.

Murciano had round €70,000 in reside match earnings earlier than this occasion, based on The Hendon Mob, most of that coming from his runner-up end to Simpson. He describes himself, although, primarily as a web-based skilled, however he’s turn into an everyday fixture at 888poker Reside occasions. He’s additionally made the journey to the UK for his or her festivals there up to now 12 months. For Murciano, enjoying these occasions is a approach to escape from his traditional career.

“I play professionally on-line. Reside occasions are a passion and one thing to disconnect from on-line poker,” he stated.

Closing Desk Motion

The ultimate 9 gamers returned to the On line casino Barcelona at 4 p.m. native time to battle for the trophy. That they had every locked up at the very least €6,100 out of the €263,424 prize pool, however all eyes had been on the €50,000 prime prize.

Murciano was in pole place firstly of the day, starting as chip chief with 4,765,000 and almost 1,500,000 forward of Jordi Conejos in second place. Falcon narrowed the hole on Murciano when he received an enormous pot off Conejos, floating the flop and hitting a pair of kings on the flip as Conejos couldn’t shake Falcon with a wager of 500,000. Falcon then took the chip lead when Ramos bluffed for 300,000 on the river with queen-high, and Falcon known as him down with two pair.

Conejos’ unhealthy day continued when he misplaced an enormous flip to Ryan Dansie, with Dansie hitting a pair of kings on the flip to beat Conejos’ jacks. Conejos then moved all in for 740,000 with two eights, and Falcon known as with queen-ten. Falcon hit prime pair on the flop to take the lead, and Conejos couldn’t catch up as he was despatched to the rail in ninth place after beginning the ultimate desk in second. Falcon, in the meantime, moved up previous 6,000,000 and greater than 2,000,000 forward of Murciano.

Florens Feenstra doubled up with ace-high in opposition to Mateo Flament, dropping Flament to lower than an enormous blind. Flament bumped into Dansie’s aces the following hand to fall in eighth place. Murciano then picked up two aces and raised to 160,000 beneath the gun. Falcon known as within the large blind, and so they went heads-up to a queen-high flop. Each gamers checked to the flip, the place Murciano wager 200,000. Falcon then raised to 500,000, and Murciano known as. The river introduced a second queen, and Falcon wager 800,000. Murciano ripped off his sun shades and went by a number of time banks earlier than calling, and Falcon immediately mucked his nine-high bluff to give up the pot and the chip lead.

Murciano continued working over the desk when he and Dansie noticed an ace-high flop. Dansie wager 80,000, and Murciano known as to the flip, the place Dansie wager one other 550,000. Murciano known as as soon as extra earlier than main out for 160,000 on the river. Dansie moved all in for 1,085,000, and Murciano snap-called. Dansie confirmed two pair, aces and eights, however Murciano had gone runner-runner to make the nut flush and get rid of Dansie in seventh place.

Feenstra and Zafra bought all their chips within the center on an ace-high flop, Feenstra with prime pair and Zafra with a flush draw. Feenstra stayed forward on the flip, however Zafra hit his flush on the river to double up and depart Feenstra on a brief stack.

Regardless of the 4 shorter stacks and massive pay jumps, Murciano and Falcon weren’t afraid to tangle with one another. They went to an ace-high flop the place Murciano wager 120,000. Falcon then raised to 260,000, and Murciano known as. Falcon then wager 350,000 on the flip, and Murciano got here again together with his personal elevate to 1,200,000. Falcon known as, and so they checked down the river. Falcon had missed a flush draw, whereas Murciano’s king-high was adequate for him to win one other large pot and method 10,000,000.

After the remaining six gamers went off on a brief break, Feenstra bought in his final 255,000 with king-eight however ran proper into Falcon’s queens to fall in sixth. Falcon and Murciano, far forward of the remainder of the sector, then bought concerned in one other pot that may decisively alter the ultimate desk. Murciano known as Falcon’s three-bet to 700,000, and so they went heads-up to the ace-high flop. Falcon wager 500,000, and Murciano known as. Falcon checked the flip, Murciano wager 700,000, and Falcon moved all in for 3,190,000. Murciano snap-called with a flopped set, whereas Falcon had prime pair and a flush draw. The river was no assist, and Falcon crashed out in fifth place.

Murciano made fast work of the remainder of the quick stacks. He first shoved the river in opposition to Silva, and Silva known as for his final 660,000 with queens and deuces. Murciano, although, had rivered kings and fours to get rid of Silva in fourth. Ramos then bought in his final 765,000 with ace-three and was up in opposition to Murciano’s king-four. However at present was simply Murciano’s day, and he spiked journeys on the flop to ship the 888poker streamer to the rail in third.

Murciano led Zafra 16,040,000 to 1,470,000 firstly of heads-up. He received the primary 4 fingers, together with choosing off a bluff on the river by calling down with king-high to depart Zafra with lower than 1,000,000. On the 53rd hand of the ultimate desk, Murciano shoved on the button, and Zafra known as for 660,000. Zafra’s queen-nine was dominated by Murciano’s king-nine, however he pulled forward on the queen-high flop. The flip was a king to provide Murciano the lead, and the match was over a card later.

There have been no dramatics on this duel, no momentum adjustments, no late-night endurance checks as there was in opposition to Simpson final 12 months. Murciano was decided to not be denied this time, and he can lastly name himself an 888poker Reside champion.

That concludes PokerNews’ protection of the 888poker Reside Barcelona Principal Occasion. The tour subsequent heads to the Grosvenor Victoria On line casino in London in October.