WCOOP 2021: High Roller champ Pedro ‘pvigar’ Garagnani talks triumphs, trophies
“That was a very difficult final table. Lots of pros… well known pros, obviously.”
That’s how Brazilian pro Pedro “pvigar” Garagnani described his last group of competitors in 2021 World Championship of Online Poker Event #4-H, a $5,200 High Roller in which he ultimately triumphed. Garagnani spoke with James Hartigan and Joe Stapleton on PokerStars TV following his win.
Pedro “pvigar” Garagnani
Like a player slow playing a monster, you might say Garagnani was using understatement.
To earn the victory, Garagnani had to negotiate his way through a stacked field and stellar final table full of decorated pros.
Just check out the line-up of crushers who Garagnani outlasted: Diego “Die Ventura” Ventura (second), Christian “WATnlos” Rudolph (third), Michel “FreeLancerZZ” Dattani (fourth), David “dpeters17” Peters (fifth), Pascal “Päffchen” Hartmann (sixth), Dinesh “NastyMinder” Alt (seventh), and Samuel “€urop€ean” Vousden (eighth).
That’s not even mentioning Sam Greenwood, Justin Bonomo, Adrian Mateos, and PokerStars Ambassador Parker Talbot who were among those making the final two tables.
Garagnani got the job done, ultimately topping a 200-entry field to win a first prize worth $195,690. Even so, despite entering the final table with the chip lead, the endgame was a bit of a rollercoaster for Garagnani.
“Actually, I was card dead most of the time,” he explains. “But as I had a huge chip stack, I saw everybody just basically busting each other and then somehow I got to three-handed.”
Having practiced short-stacked situations extensively beforehand, Garagnani knew how to keep his cool as the field shrunk around him. Eventually he found himself heads-up against fellow South American Diego Ventura of Peru.
“It was a very tough battle between me and “Die Ventura” mostly. It was a very tough match,” he says.
Ventura and Garagnani did discuss deal possibilities at one point, but the payout difference wasn’t enough to make it worthwhile, and so they played it out.
SCHEDULE & RESULTS | SATELLITE GUIDE | SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
RESULTS 2002-2020 | 20 YEARS OF WCOOP | YEAR-BY-YEAR | MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS
OFFICIAL WCOOP PAGE | ALL BLOG REPORTS | DOWNLOAD AND PLAY!
It was Garagnani’s second WCOOP title. His first came in 2017 in a $55 PKO turbo event. How did this one compare?
“Back then it was more… important, I guess,” says Garagnani. “But winning a ‘High’ event is very symbolic. It’s a tougher game. It’s a more technical game. I think I feel more rewarded right now for winning this event… [and] not really because of the prize.”
Indeed, while the PKO turbo involved “a lot of splashing around and just shoving,” this big buy-in high roller required more difficult decision-making from start to finish. Garagnani says he only went all in one time, in fact, winning a coin flip versus Ventura while heads-up.
Pedro “pvigar” Garagnani
What’s next for Garagnani?
“Improving and getting better,” he says. “But I’m very interested in playing some live events… [and to] travel to play. I would definitely like to score a very big live event, especially on PokerStars tours like EPTs or something.”
Why does he especially want to win an EPT?
“Because it’s a very nice trophy!” laughs Garagnani.
Of course, “pvigar” will be getting a nice WCOOP trophy for his win this week, too — and a very well earned one, at that!
Back to Top
