Congratulations to Santo Bakker, Winner of WPTDeepStacks Amsterdam (€130,690)

Pictured: Santo Bakker, Winner of WPTDeepStacks Amsterdam Season 2022-2023

The return of the World Poker Tour to Amsterdam was a great success as 757 registration slips were gathered in the WPTDeepStacks Amsterdam, breaking the record of entries in a tournament at Holland Casino Amsterdam. This created a monstrous €734,290 prize pool with €130,690 set aside for the winner. Just eight returned for the final day and when the last chance saloon had closed for business it was Santo Bakker reigning supreme.

Bakker was relatively only known as an online player until now, having under €1,000 in career live cashes prior to this tournament win. Some might say beginner’s luck, but he has already proven himself online with multiple cashes, having one for an impressive $210,519 just last April. He is considered by many locals as an up-and-coming poker star and the reputation is sure to go global if he keeps finding six-figure paydays on the virtual, or real, felt.

Pictured: Santo Bakker celebrates with friends and family after final hand of WPTDeepStacks Amsterdam

“No offense to a lot of live players but live feels a bit softer, online has more regs, bit harder to play. I think that this tournament was a bit tougher, but the feeling is the same, probably even better here because I’m with all my friends and my family.” Said Bakker when asked about comparative differences between live and online.

The eight that returned for the final day played on the edge and it was not long before they started to fall. Woody Christy and Ivica Pezelj were eliminated in the first two hands by Tonny van Eck. A highly aggressive table continued to roll and it seemed like Hendrikus Soering was pulling away from the pack until an unlikely flop saw Bakker’s full house collect a double through Soering who flopped triple treys.

Tonny van Eck lost a flip to Bakker and Fabio Peluso shared the same fate against Soering. Three-handed had a lot of small pots, mostly benefitting Soering until he shoved a turned board versus David Hu. Both had second-pair, but Hu had Soering outkicked and made the call to see, earning a double. Hu then finished the job with king-queen against the pocket sevens of Soering, flopping a king that eliminated Soering in third.

WPTDeepStacks Amsterdam Final Table Results:

1st: Santo Bakker – €130,690
2nd: David Hu – €87,080
3rd: Hendrikus Soering – €64,210
4th: Fabio Peluso – €47,850
5th: Tonny van Eck – €36,040
6th: Tian Mengshi – €27,440
7th: Ivica Pezelj – €21,120
8th: Woody Christy – €16,430

Pictured: David Hu doubles through Hendrikus Soering

Hu then began the heads-up portion of this event with a healthy chip lead but Bakker quickly shifts himself back into the lead with a flopped straight. Hu bet the three jacks in his hand, and then called a river raise to see Bakker’s straight. Just moments later, Hu bet on every street until the river with a flush draw that included a gutter. A check came on the river when he missed, Bakker quickly shoved and Hu decided to call with his rivered pair of sevens in hopes that Bakker missed a draw. Bakker turned over a flopped queen and Hu was eliminated in second place for a respectable €87,080.

Congratulations to Santo Bakker on becoming a WPTDeepStacks Champion here in Amsterdam.

That wraps it up for the WPT.com coverage of this stop, but tune in on April 7-11 for WPTDeepStacks Sydney.