The poker action is heating up at Orenes Gran Casino Castellón as the PartyPoker Tour festival delivers packed fields, thrilling side events, and zero hidden fees. While Marius Laurentiu Dinu secured the Mini Main trophy and a €16,000 top prize, the marquee €500 Main Event officially kicked off its opening flights.
Mini Main concludes with Marius Laurentiu Dinu taking the trophy
The €150 Mini Main Event drew an impressive 727 entries, generating a total prizepool of €90,875. Nine finalists returned to battle for the title, including PartyPoker Tour Ambassador Matt Staples, who eventually finished in 5th place. After intense heads up play, Marius Laurentiu Dinu outlasted Alberto Martinez Vendrell to claim the victory, taking home €16,000 and the prestigious trophy. Alberto Martinez Vendrell secured second place for €11,000, while Christian Martin Medina rounded out the podium in third for €7,500.
Main Event Day 1A gets underway
With the Mini Main concluded, attention turned to the €500 Main Event boasting a €100,000 guaranteed prizepool. Day 1A attracted 112 entries, with 28 competitors successfully navigating through to Day 2. Notable names advancing to the next stage include Niall Farrell, Barny Boatman, Robbie Bull, and Alex Georgiev. At the end of the flight, Alfonso Jesus Lapaz Mendez set the pace at the top of the chip counts with 442,000, followed closely by Francisco Iwan Molina Morren with 370,000 and Juan Martinez Vendrell with 362,000.
Side events and festival highlights
The festival schedule offered plenty of action across various poker disciplines. In the PLO 7-Max, Oliver Hutchins triumphed over 44 entries to collect €1,800 and another PartyPoker Tour trophy, defeating Siddharth Sudunagunta in heads up play. Meanwhile, the Win the Button NLH Bounty attracted 93 entries and a €4,650 prizepool, with Alfredo Ruiz Leiva capturing the win ahead of runner up Sam Taylor. Organizers also highlighted a festival first, introducing a multi day Mystery Bounty event to the tour schedule.
