A man who made waves during the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was Italian poker pro Dario Minieri. He logged his very first WSOP bracelet in a $2,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed tournament, pocketing $528,000 in the process. His competition at the final table included bracelet winner Kevin Song as well as Seth Fischer, whom he defeated heads-up.
Minieri finished in the money in both the 2006 and 2007 WSOP Main Events, landing in 543rd and 96th place, respectively. Hs trademark scarf and easy going demeanor made him the focus of a considerable amount of face time on ESPN during both of his deep runs. Announcer Norman Chad even dubbed him “Harry Potter” due to his resemblance to the film’s main character.
He has shined in the European Poker Tour (EPT) circuit, taking home a third place finish in San Remo during Season 3 for $451,000 and logging another third place finish in Baden during the same season. At the EPT stop in Warsaw, he finished in third for $155,000; the Polish Open event also occurred during Season 3.
Minieri took his tournament skills to the world of cash games for the fifth season of GSN’s “High Stakes Poker,” one of the premier televised ring games. Poker News Daily caught up with the young poker prodigy just a few minutes prior to the start of filming at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas.
Poker News Daily: Has winning your first bracelet during the 2008 WSOP changed the way others at the poker table view you?
Minieri: It’s a little bit removed from that, but people still ask me about it. People have respect for me at the poker table.
PND: Describe how you became involved with “High Stakes Poker.”
Minieri: One of my dreams was to be invited to this show. When they asked me to come, I gladly accepted it. I never thought I would participate in it. I’ve always seen it on television and the first time I had a shot to participate, I took it.
PND: What made “High Stakes Poker” such a dream for you to participate in?
Minieri: The competition. The show has big names like Doyle Brunson. I’ve seen my idols like Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu play in it and I’m really happy to participate. I want to play my best game and make a good impression.
PND: Are you trying to expand your involvement in cash games?
Minieri: I’m still mostly a tournament player. I sometimes play cash games, but I can’t play them as much because of the time commitment of live tournaments. I try to focus on European poker tournaments because they’re closer to me. I don’t try to work on my cash game and mostly just play tournaments, but my game is evolving. I gained a lot of experience when I played in a lot of tournaments at the World Series of Poker. I played with a lot of good players in Las Vegas and saw many new people and styles.
PND: Talk about how poker is viewed in your home country of Italy.
Minier: In my country, we are seeing the growth of this wonderful game. Poker is becoming bigger and bigger because it was recently legalized. I am happy that the people of my country can finally play.
PND: What advice do you have for beginners?
Minieri: Try to watch other people while they’re playing. Try to adopt their styles.