€440 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2024 Lex Live Barcelona
€440 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 Lex Live Barcelona
Buy-in
€440
Prize Pool
€172,380
Entries
442
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Level 30
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
After five days of action at the Casino Barcelona, Damiano Aloi has been crowned the Lex Live Main Event champion. He locked up €24,500 and took his first major trophy back home to Australia after cutting a heads-up deal with Niko Wieland (€25,500).
Lex Live is a community-driven event, and it just so happens that the community players are pretty good at poker. Rens Buijs won the High Roller earlier in the series — while in the Main Event — community players claimed the top three spots, with PokerStars Team Pro Sebastian Huber finishing third for €16,000.
Main Event Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damiano Aloi | €24,500* |
| 2 | Niko Wieland | €25,500* |
| 3 | Sebastian Huber | €14,000 |
| 4 | Jordi Escriba | €11,500 |
| 5 | Bakir Saranovic | €9,000 |
| 6 | Oscar Penella Olive | €7,600 |
| 7 | Martin Biegajlo | €6,300 |
| 8 | Sergio Rodriguez Cobos | €5,000 |
| 9 | Kamil Chrostowski | €3,700 |
* Denotes heads-up deal
Final Table Action
It was a slow start to the final table, with not much action for the first couple of levels, many pots taken down preflop with a raise or reraise.
Shorter stacked players Bakir Saranovic, Martin Biegajlo, and Oscar Penella Olive all found early double ups, the latter through Huber in what would be the first hit major hit to the Team PokerStars player's stack.
The first to bust the final table was Kamil Chrostowski, who reshoved from the big blind and ran into Wieland's ace king.
Sergio Rodriguez Cobos then lost a flip against Sarnovic to bust in eighth place, while Saranovic chipped up to over 2,000,000.
Aloi Takes Lead in Game Changing Pot
In what was the first real game changing pot of the day, Biegajlo was all in with pocket queens, Olive all in with ace queen, and Damiano Aloi had them both covered holding ace king. Aloi knocked both players out, reducing the field to five and taking a clear chip lead.
Aloi went on to knock out Saranovic in fifth place. Moments later, Aloi won a flip to eliminate Jordi Escriba in fourth, chipping up to over 9,000,000, more than half the chips in play.
He then ramped up the aggression and continued to utilize his stack advantage, applying maximum pressure to the two other remaining players, Huber and Wieland, who were both sitting on similar stacks.
Huber and Wieland eventually clashed when Huber moved all in from the small blind and Wieland called. Wieland paired his ace on the flop and held to eliminated Huber in third place (€14,000).
Heads-Up Deal Made
When the action went heads-up, Wieland managed to wrestle the chip lead from Aloi, doubling up with two pair against Aloi's top pair. He then won a couple more significant pots, reducing Aloi's stack to around 2,000,000 and putting him in the danger zone.
It wasn't over yet, though. Aloi doubled up with pocket aces, then won a postflop double up with two pair to regain the chip lead.
At this point, the pair decided to talk numbers. The tournament was paused, and Aloi and Wieland spoke privately about a potential deal. When they returned, a decision had been made for a nearly 50-50 split.
Wieland took slightly more, €25,500, for second place. Aloi accepted €24,500, the trophy, and the prestige of being the Lex Live 3 Main Event champion!
Winner's Reaction
Following his victory, Aloi told PokerNews how he was feeling about the trophy win.
"It's very surreal," he said. "I'm so grateful just to have the opportunity to travel to Lex Live, let alone win the Main Event. I can't explain how happy I really am!"
Although Aloi is a profitable player and has had several final table finishes in Main Events in Australia, this is the first time he's won a major trophy.
"I've had some very big spots in Australia over the years. Look, no one likes bad-beat stories, but I've probably run under EV in major events. I've made five final tables in the last three years and not shipped one."
"So to finally break through, it's like the monkey off the back. When you've been playing for ten years, are profitable, and have not had a major breakthrough, you always question whether you can do it. So to finally turn around and say 'Yes you can', it's very nice!"
Aloi will return to Australia to see family and his girlfriend and then head to Brisbaine for a mixed-game series.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage of the Lex Live Main Event. Big thanks to players, readers, community members, and staff for what has been a unique, entertaining, high-class event.
Level 30
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Players came back from their break and discussed the deal privately. When they returned to the table, they had come to an agreement for a near 50-50 split.
Niko Wieland took slightly more prize money at €25,500 and took second place.
Damiano Aloi accepted a slight cut in prize money in exchange for the trophy and first place position. He took €24,500 and is officially the Lex Live Main Event champion!
Level 30
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
There is a pause in play while heads-up players take a look at the ICM deal numbers.
Level 30
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Niko Wieland completed the button and Damiano Aloi raised to 350,000, which Wieland called.
The flop came 9♠K♥8♠. Aloi continued for 400,000, Wieland raised to 950,000 and Aloi reraised to 1,800,000. Wieland moved all in and Aloi quickly called for 3,300,000.
Damiano Aloi: K♣9♥ 
Niko Wieland: 10♥9♣
Wieland had a pair of nines and Aloi had two pair, kings and nines. The turn came the K♠ to give Aloi a full house. The river was the 3♦. Aloi won the pot for a huge double up, bringing him back into the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
7,790,000
4,290,000
|
4,290,000 |
|
5,470,000
-4,290,000
|
-4,290,000 |
Level 30
: Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Niko Wieland completed the button and Damiano Aloi raised to 350,000. Wieland limp reraised to 900,000 and Aloi moved all in for around 1,700,000 total. Wieland called and players flipped their cards, with Aloi at risk.
Damiano Aloi: A♥A♣
Niko Wieland: 10♦10♣
The board ran out 5♥8♠A♠9♦2♠. Aloi made trip aces on the flop and won the pot to double up his stack.
"Sick cooler!", said Aloi as he scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,760,000
-1,500,000
|
-1,500,000 |
|
|
3,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Damiano Aloi completed the button and Niko Wieland checked his option.
The flop came 9♣2♣J♠. Wieland checked, Aloi bet 150,000 and Wieland called. The turn was the 5♠. Wieland checked again and Aloi bet 350,000, which Wieland called.
The river came the K♣ and both players checked to showdown. Aloi had 9x6x for a pair of nines. Wieland showed 9x7x for a pair of nines with a higher kicker, his seven playing to give him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,260,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
2,000,000
-700,000
|
-700,000 |
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Niko Wieland completed the button and Damiano Aloi raised to 450,000, which Wieland called.
The flop came 5♥J♠6♦. Aloi led for 550,000 and Wieland called. The turn was the J♦ and Aloi led again for 650,000. Wieland called again.
The river was the Q♦. Aloi checked, Wieland bet 2,400,000, a bet worth most of Aloi's stack. Aloi folded his hand and Wieland won a decent pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,560,000
3,300,000
|
3,300,000 |
|
|
2,700,000
-3,300,000
|
-3,300,000 |
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Damiano Aloi raised to 280,000 from the button and Niko Wieland called.
The flop came 5♥4♥9♠. Wieland checked and Aloi made it 310,000 to go. Wieland check raised to 850,000 and Aloi called.
The turn was the J♥ and Wieland checked again. Aloi bet 1,275,000 and Wieland check raised all in for 3,750,000. Aloi weighed it up and then made the call.
Aloi showed J♠10♠ for a pair of jacks, but Wieland had J♣9♣ for two pair, jacks and nines. He won the pot and, with that, took the chip lead from Aloi.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,260,000
3,360,000
|
3,360,000 |
|
|
6,000,000
-3,360,000
|
-3,360,000 |
Level 30
: 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante
Damiano Aloi completed the button and Niko Wieland checked his option.
The flop came K♦Q♣9♠. Wieland checked and Aloi fired out a bet. Wieland check raised to 450,000 and Aloi called. The turn came the 4♠ and Niko pushed all in for 2,900,000, more than a 2x pot bet.
Aloi went into the tank and then folded his hand to concede the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,360,000
-700,000
|
-700,000 |
|
|
3,900,000
700,000
|
700,000 |