888poker LIVE’s first-ever trip to Madrid concluded this week with Italy’s Marco Biavashi taking down the €800,000 GTD Main Event for a career-high score of €150,000 plus a package to compete in the 2020 World Series of Poker Main Event.

The 2020 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event saw 1,067 entries pack the Casino Gran Via Madrid with hopes of making the final table and potentially picking up a six-figure score. After two days of play, the third and final day of the tournament turned into a long one. It was a 15-hour grind which saw Biavashi, who won his Main Event entry in a €100 satellite, overcome a short stack and eventually outlast an aggressive heads-up opponent in Kazakhstan’s Daniyar Aubakirov to take home the trophy.

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Players had already played nearly nine hours on Day 3 before 2016 WSOP Main Event final table participant Fernando Pons was eliminated in tenth place, just missing out on the final table.

After a break, the final nine drew for seats and got to the business of determining a champion. By this point in the tournament, the stacks were shallow with the chip leader holding just 32 big blinds.

The bustouts got started when Spain’s Ruben de Pedro shipped his short stack holding only to be looked up by fellow Spaniard Miguel Tejero’s in the big blind. The board ran out clean for pocket queens and de Pedro hit the rail in ninth place for €11,200.

Despite an abundance of short stacks, play dragged on with the next elimination coming nearly two hours after the first. Israel’s Ran Shahar, who entered the final table with a top three stack, got involved in a big hand with Spain’s David Gonzalez Delgado where his second pair-top kicker fell to a gutshot straight on the river. Shahar settled for a €14,000 payday for eighth place.

Minutes later Shahar’s countryman Gilad Yam-Hod followed him to the cage. After Daniyar Aubakirov put in a raise, Yam-Hod three-bet shipped his stack with the only to be called by Aubakirov’s . The board provided little drama as it came , giving Aubakirov a full house. Yam-Hod picked up €18,000 for seventh place.

Now, the eliminations came a little more quickly. Marco D’Amico moved all-in with his short stack holding and was called in the big blind by Delgado and his . Although D’Amico was in great shape to double-up, the cards did not cooperate as the board ran out giving Delgado a runner-runner straight and eliminating D’Amico in sixth place for €24,000.

A big pot took place on the very next hand when Aubakirov raised from the cutoff with only to be shoved on by Tejero and his . After getting a count, Aubakirov kept up his aggression and made the call leaving Tejero to flip for his tournament life. The board ran out , providing Tejero no help and sending to collect his €32,000 for his fifth-place run.

At this point Aubakirov was stacking chips and building a massive lead. He had well over 50% of the chips in play when Biavaschi finally eliminated his first opponent of the final table.

Spain’s Pablo Paez picked a spot and shipped his eight big blind stack in the middle with . From the small blind Biavaschi made the call holding . The board provided no help to either player which meant that Biavaschi took the hand with king-high and Paez’s deep run ended in fourth place for €45,000.

Less than ten minutes later Delgado couldn’t hold on any longer. Three-handed, he moved in his short stack from the button with only to be called in the big blind by Aubakirov and his . Aubakirov spiked middle pair on the . The turn gave Aubakirov two pair but also gave Delgado life to an open-ended straight draw. However, the was a brick and David Gonzalez Delgado fell in third place for €70,000.

Despite starting at a chip deficit when heads-up play began, Biavashi closed the gap and eventually picked up a number of big hands in a row to take the lead. At one point it looked like Biavashi had the tournament won, he even began to celebrate a little, but Aubakirov found a double and continued to play tough.

Eventually, with Aubakirov very short, Biavashi finished the job. Aubakirov made his stand with and was called by Biavashi holding . The flop came giving Biavashi two pair and Aubakirov some back door possibilities. The hit the turn, giving Aubakirov some new outs but the river closed the door. Aubakirov finished at the runner-up, booking a €105,000 score.

After winning his way into the tournament on a €100 satellite, Marco Biavaschi was crowned the 2020 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event winner, earning €150,000 and a trip to Las Vegas to play in the 2020 World Series of Poker worth $12,500.

888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event Final Table

1. Marco Biavaschi – €150,000
2. Daniyar Aubakirov – €105,000
3. David Gonzalez Delgado – €70,000
4. Pablo Paez – €45,000
5. Miguel Tejero – €32,000
6. Marco D’Amico – €24,000
7. Gilad Yam-Hod – €18,000
8. Ran Shahar – €14,000
9. Ruben De Pedro – €11,200