Adrian State Wins Record-Breaking PokerStars Open Campione Main Event

PokerStars Open Campione Was No Ordirary Affair

The fact that this was no ordinary tournament was evident from the record-breaking field on Day 1a, when an overwhelming 644 players forced a 30-minute delay in proceedings. That number ballooned across the four starting flights, with Day 1c alone attracting 1,124 players — a number that could rival most full tournament fields in past PokerStars events.

Late registration remained open until the first level of Day 2, allowing the final count to reach an astonishing 2,423 entries. The result? A €2,326,080 prize pool that all but ensured massive payouts, with the top prize of €363,000 awaiting the then eventual champion.

Photo Credit: Manuel Kovsca

A Bit of Final Table Action

The Main Event final day began with 26 players still in contention, each guaranteed a payday of at least €8,600 even before the cards were shuffled. The road to the final table was long and grueling, taking over eight hours to bring the field down to the last eight contenders.

Andreas Putz was the first to exit, busting in eighth place for €43,340. The German found himself in a classic blind-versus-blind confrontation, shoving A 5 into Adrian State’s A 10 . The board ran out blank, and State’s superior kicker was enough to take it down.

Gaspare Sposato’s tournament came to a crushing halt in seventh place for €56,330 when he picked up A K in the big blind, only to run into Giorgio Soceanu’s A A . With most of his stack already in the middle, Sposato could only watch as the board failed to save him, sending him to the rail.

Jakub Sterba, who had been nursing a short stack for most of the final table, made his move with K 6 , only to be snapped off by State’s K K . The Czech player was unable to find any miracles and had to settle for sixth place and €73,210.

Salvatore Russo’s deep run ended in fifth place for €95,190 after a massive flip against Soceanu. Russo, holding 10 10 , saw his tournament life on the line against A J . A K Q 5 flop looked safe for Russo, but the 10 on the turn gave Soceanu a commanding lead. With no help on the river, Russo was eliminated.

Manel Montalban, the last remaining online qualifier, bowed out in fourth place for €123,760. Holding Q J , he fired a bet after hitting top pair on a Q turn, but State check-raised with K Q , putting Montalban in a tough spot. He eventually called off his stack, only to see the bad news as State’s superior kicker sent him to the payout desk.

Three-handed play saw Barnaba Perone attempt a bold bluff that ultimately led to his downfall. Holding 9 2 , he pulled the trigger on a triple-barrel bluff against State, who had an ace on an ace-high board. The move cost Perone nearly half his stack, and shortly after, he called off his remaining chips with 9 2 against State’s K 2 . With no help from the board, Perone exited in third place, collecting €160,880.

Heads-Up Battle and Championship Hand

State entered heads-up play with an overwhelming 62 million to 10 million chip lead over Soceanu. But despite the odds stacked against him, Soceanu fought back. He turned a nut flush and managed to get a full double when State, holding two pair, paid him off. The boost in chips gave Soceanu a glimmer of hope, but it was short-lived.

State continued to apply pressure, using his massive stack to force Soceanu into tough spots. The final hand of the tournament saw Soceanu shove all-in with A 9 , only for State to call with 10 8 . The board ran out J 7 6 Q 5 , giving State a straight and sealing his victory.

And just like that, Adrian-Sorel State became the first-ever PokerStars Open Campione champion, pocketing €363,000 for his efforts.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Adrian-Sorel State		€363,000
2	Giorgio Soceanu		€225,200
3	Barnaba Perone		€160,880
4	Manel Montalban		€123,760
5	Salvatore Russo		€95,190
6	Jakub Sterba		€73,210
7	Gaspare Sposato		€56,330
8	Andreas Putz		€43,340

What’s Next on the PokerStars Schedule?

The success of PokerStars Open Campione has set a precedent for the 2025 season of PokerStars’ new mid-stakes tour. Up next on the schedule is PokerStars Monte Carlo, running from April 30 to May 4, where players can expect yet another poker week with huge fields and even bigger prize pools. And if Campione was any indication, the PokerStars Open series is here to stay.