Italian Establishes New Dress Sense

Author: Simon Dexter

Gino “El Diablo” Alacqua, the 46-year-old Sicilian who finished second in the EPT Prague event only started playing poker at the beginning of 2006, yet he walked away with more than 400,000 euros and a posse of new, predominantly female, fans.

The antiques dealer, who is single and lives in Milan, said he came to Prague ‘to find love’; only an Italian could say that at the beginning of a poker tournament and get away with it, but apart from his solid poker play, it is El Diablo’s classy dress sense which caught the eye.

In an era of hoodies, beanies and dodgy shades, Alacqua, a bearded, but significantly lighter version of Pavarotti, initially gave the impression he’d come along for a job interview. But hold on, that nickname – the devil – and an impressive playing record suggested he hadn’t arrived in town simply to woo local girls over a glass of Chianti. Having won the Campione d’Italia Main Event this summer, he was a runner-up in the 2006 Italian Championship and managed a further victory and two final tables in side events. In the space of eighteen months, this guy had won almosy 0,000 before travelling to Prague.

Turning up at the final table in a dark suit, crisp white shirt and smart red tie, Alacqua made more of a sartorial impression than any of his opponents, most of whom would probably consider a Windsor knot to be a rather complicated Omaha play. The Italian played his theatrical role to perfection, holding his hands to his temples as an actor might feign a headache, dabbing away the beads of perspiration, tugging occasionally at the collar of his shirt. He looked involved and the watching audience loved him for it.

We think that following his high-profile presence in Prague, Alacqua may have started a new trend. Will poker players now abandon their headsets, get rid of questionable headgear and arrive smartly attired for final tables? Probably not, but if, like ‘El Diablo’, you’re thinking of combining poker with a search for love, dropping the scruffy sweatshirt might possibly improve your chances of success.

Tags: EPT, internet poker, Texas Hold ’Em

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 at 4:26 pm and is filed under News & Promotions Blog.