Max Pescatori was born in Milan, Italy in 1971. He is a professional poker player known as the “Italian Pirate” because of his trademark Italian flag bandana. Max Pescatori moved to the United States at the age of 23. At that time he didn’t know almost anything about the English language but he was delighted by poker and started playing in cash games at the Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Instead of going out with friends, attending night clubs having fun Max Pescatori decided to stay home and to improve his abilities. Max Pescatori began playing Seven-card Stud at the Luxor hotel but soon he directed his attention to Texas Hold’em where he found his place. Max Pescatori was mentored by Valter Farina in 1998- the first Italian to win a bracelet at the World Series of Poker, in 1998. He started to train Max Pescatori and only a year later the student became a professional.
Max Pescatori first appeared in the $300 Limit Hold’em event in the 2003 World Poker Challenge in Reno, Nevada, where he defeated a final table including John Bonetti. Three days later he also cashed in the Omaha High Low event.
In 2001 Max Pescatori took part in the World Poker Tour Aruba tournament. He played with some of the most famous poker players and stroke up a friendship with the Italian Marco Traniello and his wife Jennifer Harman. They both helped him learn much more about poker and advised him how to keep on fighting for his poker dreams. Max Pescatori was invited by Jennifer to watch her play in the Big Game at the Bellagio. In her judgment Max Pescatori had to move up in limits and play in tournaments if he intended to realize his poker ambitions and to improve his game. Jennifer Harman also showed max Pescatori her cards with the hope that it would be in his favour. Following her advice Max Pescatori started playing in games like Omaha Hi/Lo, Pot Limit Omaha and Lowball.
In 2003 Max Pescatori focused his attention on tournaments and that was the beginning of his great victories and final tables which have continued up to now.
In 2004 Max Pescatori cashed in the WSOP tournament and reached to eight final tables in the Ultimate Poker Challenge. In the 2005 WSOP he had six money finishes and came 2nd in the Mirage Poker Showdown. The same year Max Pescatori became 9th in the list on Cardplayer’s Player of the Year – the highest position achieved by an Italian poker player.
In 2006 Max Pescatori won his first gold bracelet in the $ 2,500 No- Limit Hold’em event cashing more than $ 682,000. In 2007 Max Pescatori went on achieving great success in poker tournaments and gained cashes in three WSOP events. He wasn’t satisfied with his first bracelet and soon he repeated his victory winning in the 2008 WSOP event and the total of $ 246,509. There Max Pescatori eliminated players like Allen Cunningham and Minh Ly.
At the moment Max Pescatori lives in Las Vegas, Nevada but he considers himself as an Italian. Max Pescatori is an author for Card Player Magazine and a spokesman for the World Poker Exchange where he proves to be a poker consultant. Outside poker Max Pescatori enjoys playing table tennis, video games and horse racing betting.
Player’s statistics:
Cashes: 98
Total Winnings: $2,376,854
First Place Finishes: 10
WSOP Bracelets: 2
ProRank 1 Position: 37
ProRank 2 Position: 3640
Started Playing Poker: 15 years old.
Favorite Poker Game: Mix games
Ambition: I'm happy with what I accomplished so far in the world of Poker. I'll try to play at my best and keep learning from top playes and from bad ones too.
Hobbies: Table Tennis, videogames, horse racing betting.
Favorite Movie: Fantozzi (Italy) or Kingpin
Favorite Music: The Cure
Favorite Place: Las Vegas
Favorite Celebrity: Vasco Rossi
Poker Players I Respect Most: Jennifer Harman, Todd Brunson, Scotty Nguyen, Michael Mizrachi, europeans like Carlos Mortensen, Chris Bjorn and others less famous like Alan "Full Value" Young. Many are well respected by too hard to nominate everyone.
If I could change anything in the world: Too difficult question for a poker site. If I decide to run for Senator you will know...
If I could change anything in the poker world: Stop changing everything to No Limit. Now even the WSOP have eliminated 2-7 Triple Draw and there is only one Stud Hi-Lo Tournament. And I like no limit, I just do not want to play every day the same game.