Dec 2 2011
PokerStars signs 2011 WSOP runner-up Martin Staszko
written by: Steve under News Comments: Comments Off
PokerStars continued its push into Central Europe yesterday, signing the Czech Republic’s Martin Staszko. Staszko finished 2nd in the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, and proved to be the equal of just about every player at the final table including his now fellow Team PokerStars Pro and 2011 WSOP Main Event Champion Pius Heinz.
Staszko is a former Chess champion, who has only been playing poker for a mere five years at this point. That said, the unassuming Staszko has proven to be a very competent poker player over the past few years, and after making his first significant cash in the 2010 EPT Deauville, which caused him to quit his 9-5 job at a manufacturing plant in his hometown of Trinec.
Staszko has also been a proficient online player, booking a major tournament win and nearly $200k playing under the online screen-name of “filfedra”. So how does the former foreman working the graveyard shift for $15,000 a year feel about his new life and his new deal with PokerStars? Staszko gave the PokerStars blog a quote that only a chess player could deliver:
“I enjoy a live game but for practical reasons it is better online. I can play every day without ancillary costs. The Czech Republic has almost no decent live tournaments. Even tournaments with buy-ins of five ($275) or ten thousand ($550) crowns for me are not interesting when you have to pay hotel and travel.”
Apparently for Staszko, the deal is all about practicality! Staszko will join some of the world’s best poker players as a representative of Team PokerStars Pro, a well-deserved honor for the man that was a single card away from being crowned the 2011 WSOP Champion.
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