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FRANK SINOPOLI
NAME: Frank Sinopoli
AGE: 34
RESIDENCE: Hollywood, FL
YEARS PLAYING POKER: 16 years (6 mths professionally)
FAVORITE FORM OF POKER: NL Tourneys
Back in February ’04, Frank and I are seated at the same table in the $1,500 NL event at the Commerce LAPC Series. With five tables remaining in the tournament, a seat opens up right next to me, and, unfortunately for me, the player brought in is one of very few people I dislike (an ex-friend who chose to date an ex-girlfriend of mine just after our breakup). As the villain and I exchange words, the tension rises to the point where the floor people are giving us warnings. Finally, the table breaks. I explain to the table that any player who busts the villain will get free drinks on me after the tourney. Sure enough, a few minutes later, Frank stands up from his table and yells across the room for everyone to hear, “Hey, I just busted that guy for you; you owe me some beers,” while the villain walks out in disgust, having finished on the bubble. Sweet!
So the tournament breaks for the night, Frank and I both still in, and we head to the bar for drinks on me. At the bar he introduces me to his good friends and traveling buddies, the brothers Mizrachi: Eric, Rob, and Mike the Grinder. We all sit and chat, drink beers, and talk shop. Turns out Frank is no newbie; he explains to me how that year he had won the Party Poker Sunday tourney two times in a three-week period (for $60k each). Later that year, this former poker dealer went on to cash six times at the WSOP.
Since then, Frank, who describes his play as selectively aggressive, has gone on to consistently cash in various tournaments, including a $145k win at the 2005 LAPC. In addition, Marcel Luske picked him to join his Circle of Outlaws alongside Patrick Antonius, Noah Boeken (Check Profile Dec. 05) and brothers Eric and Robbie Mizrachi (Check Profile Nov. 05). As you can see, Frank steadily keeps pushing ahead. He’s long overdue for a breakout.
MARCELLO DEL GROSSO
NAME: Marcello Del Grosso
AGE: 30
HOMETOWN: Toronto, Canada
YEARS PLAYING POKER: 3 years professionally
FAVORITE FORM OF POKER: NL tourneys
Lately I keep finding myself in the same spot. I’ll run into a buddy after busting out of a tournament, and of course he asks who is still in. My reply has on numerous occasions been, “Um, none of our buddies are still in… wait – I’m wrong… Marcello’s still in there, with good chips, too!”
Marcello always seems to be in the hunt lately. And when it counts! Most recently, Marcello found himself with a deep finish in the 2006 Legends of Poker Main Event, not to mention a top 100 finish in both of the last two WSOP Main Events. Not a bad achievement when you consider the size of both fields and the fact that 2005 was his first time playing in the WSOP.
A former pool shark, Marcello mainly focuses his time on poker these days. While I haven’t had the chance to play at a table with him, you can tell by the company he keeps, as well as his consistent results, that he’s no joke. He’s great friends with the brothers Mizrachi and Frank Sinopoli, and I have no doubt their advice and strategy discussions were instrumental in his rapid ascent.
In his three years on the circuit, I’ve watched Marcello keep pushing further and further with his accomplishments. Last year, at his first WSOP, he cashed an impressive five times, with an 83rd place finish for $92k. This year, he cashed three times, with a 72nd place finish in the Main Event for $90k. Marcello now seems to be fine-tuning his big buy-in tournament game. I think it’s just a matter of time before we see him with some strong final tables.
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