Seat 3: Adria Calonge, 27, from Spain, lives in Andorra – 3,525,000
Adria Calonge may only have $17,000 on his live event resume, but it would be short-sighted to underestimate his experience. The 27-year-old has been a professional poker player for about seven or eight years. But until recently, he'd played almost exclusively online. That's why he moved from Barcelona to Andorra.
Calonge first dipped into live events a few years ago when he went to Las Vegas. But he didn't like the city and returned to the virtual realm after that trip.
Things changed this year, though. Having moved up the stakes a bit, Calonge decided to give the live scene another chance and attended EPT Barcelona. He cashed in the EPT Main Event and EPT Mystery Bounty, and, more importantly, loved the experience.
"I like how EPTs are organized," he said, and added he would be coming to more stops in the future. Malta was next up, so he didn't hesitate to show up here.
Not only has he now made it to the final table, but he also had the chance to compete against countrymen Juan Pardo and Adrian Mateos along the way, players he'd looked up to for much of his career. "I'm used to playing against them online, but when I sat down and looked at Juan, I realized I've made it," Calonge says.
Despite meeting and facing off against his Spanish hero, Calonge admitted he'd expected to be more stressed by the magnitude of this live event achievement. Instead, he's able to focus on his top game, something that's in his DNA.
"I've always been very competitive, be it in sports or anything else," Calonge said. "Poker has allowed me to do that for a living. It is never only about the money; I like the competition."
Player profiles courtesy of Jan Kores/Florence Mazet/Howard Swains