Hongbo Lin Turns First Live Tournament Into €46,917 CNP Alicante Victory
Summary
Hongbo Lin won the CNP Winamax Alicante €550 Main Event, taking home €46,917 after a five-way deal at Casino Mediterráneo. It was Lin’s first-ever live tournament; he entered late on Day 2 and stormed through Day 3 with an aggressive, unorthodox style. The event drew 713 entries across four starting flights, the second-largest field of the CNP season. Lin finished heads-up with an 8:1 chip lead over Miguel Montes and closed the title after an improbable all-in victory.
Key Points
- Champion: Hongbo Lin (China) — €46,917 following a five-way deal.
- Field: 713 entries across four starting flights — second-biggest CNP stop this season.
- Notable final table finishers: Miguel Montes (2nd), Iván Paredes Cendán (3rd), Cornel Teodor Chis (4th), Miguel Abeijón (5th).
- Lin won despite it being his first live event; key hands included a blind-vs-blind 7-4 cracking pocket nines and a triple all-in where pocket jacks held up against A-K and A-Q after a turn jack.
- Final five struck an ICM chop leaving €14,425 and the trophy to play for; Lin quickly eliminated the remaining opponents to seal the title.
Why should I read this?
Because it’s a proper poker underdog story — first live tourney, loud rail, daring plays and a tidy €46k win. Quick, entertaining and full of hands you can talk about down the pub. If you like dramatic live results or are into CNP Winamax coverage, this one’s worth the two-minute read.
Context and Relevance
The CNP Winamax circuit continues to draw healthy fields across Spain; Alicante’s 713 entrants made it the second-largest stop after Sevilla this season. Lin’s win is notable for being a debut live victory, underlining how open these regional series can be to new faces. For players tracking the CNP leaderboard and live tournament trends in Europe, the event highlights the depth of interest in sub-€1,000 buy-in live festivals.
Author style
Punchy: this is a tidy human-interest sporting result — underdog triumph, big field and a handful of dramatic hands. Read it for the narrative and the headlines; the nuts-and-bolts aren’t earth-shattering but they’re fun and memorable.
Final Table (condensed)
- 1st — Hongbo Lin (China) — €46,917*
- 2nd — Miguel Montes (Spain) — €24,855*
- 3rd — Iván Paredes Cendán (Spain) — €20,786*
- 4th — Cornel Teodor Chis (Romania) — €28,939*
- 5th — Miguel Abeijón (Spain) — €22,752*
- 6th — Lasse Antero Laukkarinen (Finland) — €11,800
- 7th — Fedor Muntyan (Russia) — €8,900
- 8th — Eduardo Guillén (Spain) — €6,200
- 9th — Axel López (Spain) — €5,000
*Indicates five-way deal.
