Francisco Benitez Looking back at this summer’s 2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona , most will remember Giuliano Bendinelli as the big winner for taking down the €5,300 buy-in Main Event for €1.5 million. But there was no one more dominant during the European Poker Tour festival in Spain than Uruguay’s Francisco Benitez .
Benitez, a 16-year poker veteran who primarily plays online, started off the series on the Spanish coast by taking down two high-roller events, an already impressive feat (he was the only player to win multiple events at the festival) that he followed up by making two additional high-roller final tables.
All said and done, the 31-year-old Uruguayan cashed for $1.1 million at EPT Barcelona and picked up the four largest live cashes of his career, according to The Hendon Mob .
PokerNews spoke with Benitez during EPT Barcelona about his background as a professional poker player in South America and his breakout year on the European live circuit. Learning Poker in Uruguay
Benetiz started playing poker when he was only 15 years old and was a professional by the time he was 18.
“I have 16 years (of experience) playing,” Benitez told PokerNews . “13 years professional.” Francisco Benitez Sorry, no real money games are currently available in your region, but you can play these Free Online Games Replay Poker ClubGG Poker How much poker is there in Uruguay?
“Not much,” Benitez admitted, adding that there are a few tournaments but they are “not that big.”
The South American country has hosted a number of poker festivals and events, including World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Punta del Este , Brazilian Poker Series (BSOP) Punta del Este and partypoker MILLIONS South America , where Benetiz finished fifth in a $25,000 Super High Roller for $60,000.
Benitez is also a constant traveler and has cashed in poker tournaments around the world, including at 2014’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas and 2016’s EPT Monte Carlo and at 2021’s WSOP in Las Vegas.”I live in Uruguay, but I travel a lot,” he said. “Not a lot, a lot, but I travel four to six months […]
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