In the first ever running of WSOP Asia Pacific, or WSOP APAC as it is commonly called, an AUD $1,100 No Limit Hold’em Accumulator event was held. Players could enter on each starting day and combine chip stacks if they made it to Day 2. There were over 1,000 entries when all was said and done and longtime PocketFiver Bryan theczar19Piccioli (pictured), who was once #1 in our Online Poker Rankings, came away with the win and AUD $211,000. More importantly, he scored his first WSOP bracelet.

PocketFives: Congrats on being the first ever WSOP APAC bracelet winner. How are you feeling about it a few days later?

Bryan Piccioli: I’m feeling really good. It still hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m going to take some time off when I get back to the States in a few days, but after that, I’ll be right back on my grind for WPT Montreal and SCOOP.

PocketFives: Tell us about the Accumulatorevent itself and give us your take on it.

Bryan Piccioli: Sure. This is how it works: There are three starting days. Even if you make it through to Day 2 on the first day, you can still play the other days and your stacks combine if you get lucky enough to make multiple Day 2s, hence the name Accumulator. I’m not really a huge fan of the format because the pros are almost always going to enter all three Day 1s and a lot of the recreational players won’t be entering all of the days. I busted out on Day 1A and 1B, but the third time was a charm and I bagged up right around the average stack on Day 1C.

PocketFives: We think you’re right about the event ultimately favoring pros, as the final table included Jeremy Ausmus(pictured), Jonathan Duhamel, and Jonathan xMONSTERxDONGxKaramalikis, whom you beat heads-up. Evaluate their games for us.

Bryan Piccioli: I really didn’t know too much about Ausmus’ game, only that he made the Main Event final table last year. He had a great amount of success last year at the WSOP, so I assumed he would be very solid, which he was. I’ve played tons online with Karamalikis, so I had a decent idea of what to expect from him. He has crushed the live scene in the last few years in Australia and Macau, so I was anxious to see how his live game was. He was definitely my biggest threat at the final table given the seating arrangement.

I’ve played a good bit live with Duhamel at the WSOP in Vegas and in a few European tournaments and obviously he’s just a flat out sicko. Phil Hellmuth, who finished in 20th, was a lot of fun. It was my first time playing with him live and he did not disappoint. I took a few pots off of him with two tables left and he went on one of his famous rants. I think he partially does that stuff for show, but a lot of it is authentic and just how he is – very, very competitive by nature – which is probably the biggest contributor to his success.

PocketFives: Is it at all intimidating to be seated with that kind of talent in a live poker tournament or are you used to it by now?

Bryan Piccioli: I’ve just logged so many hands with awesome players online and live, so nothing was really too intimidating. I’m very comfortable with the way my game has evolved in the last year or so. I feel pretty confident at pretty much any table I’m seated at. The fact that a bracelet was on the line obviously changed some things, but I still felt pretty comfortable and extremely focused the entire final table.

I’ve been somewhat of a regular on the live circuit for the last few years, so a lot of the grinders have already seen me around or met me at various live stops and know a little bit about my game.

PocketFives: You told us that you’re headed to California, New York, Montreal, and Las Vegas in the coming weeks. Do you get tired of the traveling or do you enjoy it?

Bryan Piccioli: Part of me gets sick of all the airports, planes, packing suitcases, living in hotel rooms, and stuff life that, but as long as I’m surrounded by a good group of friends, that stuff won’t bother me too much. Part of me always tells myself that I’m going to get a place for at least six months, settle down, and really focus on some things, but I’m too easily convinced by friends to just hop on a plane on a whim and join them on some random adventure.

PocketFives: Is there anyone you’d like to recognize or thank?

Bryan Piccioli: I just want to thank everyone for the overwhelming support I received during the final table and after the win. I know it sounds cliché, but I really couldn’t have done it without my friends here to keep my confidence up. We all know how poker is a game of swings and the lows are oftentimes much tougher than the highs are satisfying.

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