In the Main Event of the Italian Championships, a coup took place that hardly has any precedents. Four protagonist actors, albeit in different “chapters” of the commercial, three of which will arrive in the very first positions. It all starts with a card hitting the button during the deal by the dealer
You’ve never seen a shot like this. Sensationalist title right? But reading what happened you will agree. Something like this is unique considering everything that has happened. Here is the most crooked hand of the year: Delrio against Miniello at the 2026 Italian Championships
TO HAVE A JUDGMENT YOU NEED ALL THE INFORMATION
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We are at the Main Event of the 2026 Italian Championships in Campione. Day 3 is underway with the bubble already burst and here we are just a few positions away from the composition of the final table. Economic info: you can play one first coin worth 60,000 euros. We have often come across “ruling”: Texas Holdem seems easy but there are a myriad of particular rules that not everyone knows. It’s not a “fault” not knowing every regulatory detail but it can’t be a justification either. Having made the necessary premises, which will help you to express a 360° opinion, we come to the offending hand. The dealer deals the cards and on the button there is Pier Paolo Fabretti in front of him the placeholder button which identifies its position (which you can find in the cover photo). The second card Fabretti receives hits the placeholder and rises slightly (but does not turn). At that point Andrea Agnoletto, who is to the right of the button, announces “I saw the card it’s an 8♣ “. Since the elusive 8 of clubs was not turned over, this is information that Agnoletto reveals to the rest of the table. Fabretti then turns it over and…surprise, it’s a K♣ ! Curiously, and remember this detailPier Paolo’s other card was an ace! How do we proceed at this point? Having turned the card over completely, that king of clubs is “burned” and the button receives another card (which will be a 2). In the meantime, however, the unthinkable happens
(CROOKED) HAND OF THE YEAR: DELRIO VS MINIELLO
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Chipleader Miniello is UTG and is the first to speak but has already started with the words. In fact, Miniello gets angry (with fate) because he had pinned A♥ TO♣ and he is convinced that what happened to Fabretti involves a “Misdeal” that is, all the cards will be reshuffled and a new distribution will take place. The chip leader evidently does not know that, as a rule, anyone who has had a card burned receives a second one without the hand being declared dead. The problem is that Miniello shows his pocket aces to the whole table. Think of Fabretti who, without Agnoletto’s intervention, would have had AK. Here too we open the rule book which says that in this case Miniello plays his cards face up. The heist proceeds normally but everyone knows UTG’s hand. The players at the table begin to discuss to find the least “painful” way, advising Miniello to raise, all convinced that going allin would be enough to make the table fold. The chipleader instead opts for a decidedly risky mini-raise. Luca Delrio then decides to call with 7♦ 6♦. The “ratio” is simple: if Miniello didn’t go all in with that “informative” advantage then it’s Luca who decides to take advantage. The flop, incredibly, is 7♠ 7♣ 8♥ who gives trips to Delrio. Word to Miniello who goes all in; a very obvious call arrives from Luca who has hit the jackpot. The turn doesn’t change the situation but the river is a sensational ace monoout, given that Fabretti had folded one. Big pot for Miniello, who will finish second, Delrio player out, Fabretti (who will finish fourth) saved by Agnoletto who will win the tournament. It’s difficult to find a more “crooked” hand than this one
June 16 – 3.01pm
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