With an analytical mind and a head for numbers, Italian player Luca Pagano was always going to be well suited to poker. Previously, he studied computer programming and also dabbled in the stock market. With poker, he was able to find a far more exciting way to make money.
After discovering PokerStars, Luca began playing at the free money tables and found himself beating them after only a short time. He made the decision to graduate to real money games soon after and hasn’t looked back since. He’s clocked up many cash finishes in PokerStars biggest tournaments and also won countless amounts of money at the high stakes cash tables.
Luca has also enjoyed great success in live poker tournaments, in particular at events on the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour. He finished 3rd at the Barcelona event in Season 1, cashing for $24,500. In April 2008, Luca finished 6th at the Grand Final of Season 4 in Monte Carlo, earning an impressive $533,253. Season 6 EPT Warsaw saw him add to his resume, with yet another final table appearance for $128,930, extending his record for most EPT cashes, with 12 in total.
Although he spends most of his time travelling around the world looking for the next big event or juicy cash game, Luca also has a hand in a range of different business interests and continues to trade in stocks and shares.
Career Highlights
| Event | Date | Position | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPT Barcelona €1,000 Main Event | September 2004 | 3rd | $24,500 |
| EPT Deauville €2,000 Main Event | February 2005 | 8th | $17,492 |
| EPT Dublin €5,000 Main Event | October 2006 | 13th | $25,563 |
| EPT €10,000 Monte Carlo Grand Final | April 2008 | 6th | $533,253 |
| EPT Dortmund €5,000 Main Event | March 2009 | 6th | $198,900 |
| EPT Warsaw PLN 25,000 Main Event | October 2009 | 4th | $128,930 |
| IPT San Remo €2,000 Main Event | August 2011 | 1st | $298,720 |
| EPT Deauville €5,000 Main Event | January 2012 | 7th | $144,666 |
