Seat 2: Avihai Smadga, 40, Israel (11,000,000)
Avihai Smadga had already finished quite deep in the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event. Seven years ago, he navigated through the then-biggest-ever 3,447-player contest to the last four tables. The 30th place and €8,430 payday had stayed his best score until he entered the same event this year, battling twice as many opponents.
The 40-year-old from Tel Aviv has been rolling straight from the get-go. He topped Day 1e and turned it into a final-table appearance, the biggest of his 20-year run in poker. Smadga plays tournaments recreationally, both live and online. He’s also into anything connected with the beach; be it partying, surfing, or other sports.