High Roller Champion Claudio Coelho "Full of Confidence"

Yesterday saw Portuguese reality TV star Claudio Coelho take down the WPTDeepStacks €2,200 High Roller for €29,825 after a heads-up deal against Jose Quintas. Quintas took the larger share of the prizepool, but Coelho secured the title and the victory after a further 90 minutes of heads-up play.45 players 8 re-entries.

With around $250,000 in career earnings Coelho is no stranger to the poker felt, with the best result of his career coming back in 2009 at EPT Vilamoura, where he finished ninth in the Main Event for €23,426 ($34,906).

Speaking on the dinner break of Day 1A of the WPTDS Main Event, Coelho said that it was a tough and complicated field, especially having come into the final table as the short stack.

“I was able to manage that stack, and whenever I was in all-in and call situations, I was ahead and the board held.

“The last three was where it got complicated, with Anthony Zinno and Jose Quintas.”

Ah yes, we didn’t mention that the third place finisher was WPT Season 13 Player of the Year Anthony Zinno.

“I managed to eliminate Zinno [in third place for €13,095] and began a very close heads-up match. Fortunately, it fell my side and I won. I’m super happy because when I’m confident and I believe in my work, the game just flows naturally to me.”

Portugal is one of the emerging nations when it comes to poker, with several players making deep and noteworthy runs in past years. Coelho says that his home nation needs that one big results.

“I honestly think as a country, we’re at a very high level – well above average. We’re just missing a big result.

“We were close with Pedro Oliveira finishing 11th in the WSOP Main Event and I’m sure that Portuguese poker is evolving in a good way.

“We have the quality to win one of those big prizes; I’m certain we’ll win big sometime in the near future.”

We asked him how his WPTDS Main Event was going so far.

“I’m relaxed because, as I said, I’m full of confidence. I’m bossing the table.

“I feel some fear in my opponents at the table, so I’m trying to take advantage of that. We’re at the early stages of the tournament, but I’ve already doubled up, I’m relaxed and I hope to have a good tournament because things are going my way!”