Twenty years of competitive poker in Italy, from clubs to international tournaments

Il Poker Competitive cycling in Italy has undergone a profound transformation over the past twenty years, since it first received legal recognition. Since then, seasonal circuits, national and even international events have emerged, all hosted in our country. In this article, we'll briefly review the key milestones along this journey to understand how we got to where we are today.

"Sports" poker was born in Italy in 2005

Sports poker arrived in Italy around 2005, with the establishment of the first clubs that began organizing tournaments, as documented by the Italian Poker Games Federation (FIGP). In this initial phase, the regulatory framework was lacking: the game took place in private spaces, with differing interpretations by various local authorities regarding what was legal and what was not. Some police headquarters authorized tournaments, others opposed them, creating a situation of uncertainty that characterized the entire period until 2012.

The 2006 Bersani Decree introduced the category of "remote skill games" for the first time, implicitly recognizing the distinction between poker and pure gambling (although poker remains based on luck and therefore random), but the regulation of live poker in clubs remained in a gray area for years. It was only with a 2012 ruling by the Court of Cassation, documented by the FIGP, that live poker was declared a legal game even in the absence of specific regulation.

The birth of ISOP and the first Italian championship

The idea of ​​creating a structured Italian poker championship was born as early as 2007, according to the official website of the Italian Series of Poker. The project took shape in 2009, when it was presented to major Italian casinos by founder Giangia Marelli, as documented by Assopoker. The first casino to express interest was the Venice Casino, but a change in internal management prevented the event from taking place. After a period of research, the first edition of the Italian ISOP Championships, dubbed "Anno Zero," was held in June 2011 at the Perla Casino in Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

That first edition saw 190 players, with a buy-in of €1.100. The title of first Italian Champion was won by Flavio Favilli, who beat Alessandro Scermino in the final heads-up, according to the ISOP official websiteThe success of the event led to the organization of a second edition in the same year, with Cristiano Guerra winning.

The evolution of the format between 2011 and 2013

Between 2011 and 2013, the Italian Championships transitioned from their initial format, which featured a few tournaments concentrated over a weekend, to a two-week festival with 15 distinct events, as the official ISOP website explains. Since 2012, the tradition of holding the Championships in May has been established, and Stefano Bertoldi's victory laid the foundation for the Italian Poker Team: Bertoldi was the first player to fly to Las Vegas with the ISOP circuit after winning the Player of the Year title.

Since 2013, the ISOP has become a full-fledged seasonal tournament series with events held almost monthly, no longer limited to just the annual Championships. According to the official ISOP website, since its inception, there have been nearly 100.000 total participants in the circuit's events, and over 100 players have been part of the Italian Poker Team for the trip to Las Vegas.

The international results of Italians

Alongside the development of the national circuit, some Italian players have also achieved good results on the international scene. Philip Candio, originally from Cagliari, was the first Italian to reach the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2010, finishing fourth in a field of thousands. Dario Sammartino, from Naples, achieved the same feat in 2019, finishing second with a prize of $6 million out of 8.569 entrants. Mustapha Kanit, born in Alessandria in 1991, has surpassed $12 million in documented winnings on the international live circuit, according to the Hendon Mob database. Finally, Max Pescatori holds the Italian record of four WSOP bracelets, two of which he won in the same 2015 edition.

The current regulatory framework and responsible gaming

Although poker is classified by the Customs and Monopolies Agency as a "remote game of skill," it's important to remember that it's still gambling and must therefore be approached with caution, an informed approach, and responsibility. For this reason, all online poker rooms are accessible only after setting mandatory deposit, spending, and time limits, so you can more easily monitor your behavior, as intended by law.