The PokerStars Italian Poker Tour never fails to deliver, bringing big fields and plenty of excitement. The Nova Gorica event, which reaches a climax later today, proves the point once more. Leading the final eight is Carla Solinas, one of the emerging talents of Italian poker. When I say leading the field, make that crushing the field: with eight left, she has more than twice as many chips as second-placed Dubravko Bagic.

This €2,000 buy-in event attracted 286 players, generating a €554,840 prize pool, of which €140,000 will go to the winner. When the finalists reconvene at 1pm local time today, Solinas will look to make quick work of making that money hers.

Should you feel a little miffed you can't be in Nova Gorica to see it, fear not: the final is being screened live at www.pokerstarsipt.it/tv - and although there's sure to be a lot of Italian spoken, you'll still be able to follow the action. Having said that, there is something endearing about listening to Italian, even if you have no idea what they are saying.

If you happen to be able to read Italian, then be sure to enjoy the final table coverage on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog.

Here's how the final eight will sit down:
1. Carla Solinas, 1,933,000
2. Dubravko Bagic, 931,000
3. Carlo Andreoli, 925,000
4. Yordan Mitrentsov, 890,000
5. Brando Naspetti, 780,000
6. Anton Karasinsky, 718,000
7. Iacopo Brandi, 565,000
8. Alessandro Minasi, 475,000

We watched him win EPT Prague with inventive play and a bubbly personality that endeared him to the rail. Since that day in 2008, Salvatore Bonavena, the Team PokerStars Pro, has gone on to yet more success with live winnings totaling $2.2 million. Now he is poised for another big score after making the final table of PokerStars IPT San Remo.

Italian Bonavena is second in chips (1,355,000) going in to today's showdown, behind previous IPT winner Oleksii Kovalchuk from the Ukraine (1,970,000), and in a great position to bag the €175,000 first prize on home soil.

The final, which begins at 2pm local time, also includes a Supernova Elite and PokerStars qualifiers. You can follow all the action (in Italian) on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog.

Gianfranco Mazzariello 455,000
Businessman Gianfranco is a 38-year-old player from Rimini. He has been playing poker for the last four years on PokerStars with the UserID bende73. Previously, he finished 4th at the last IPT Nova Gorica and 6th place at a €1,100 side event at IPT San Marino. Online, he placed 10th in the Sunday Million a few years ago.

Oleksii Kovalchuk 1,970,000
Oleksii is from Kiev, Ukraine and plays on PokerStars with the UserID somnium89. The 21 year old recently won IPT Nova Gorica and now he's seriously one of the few players who can win the IPT Leader board and the PokerStars sponsorship for Season 4. His record is impressive and includes a bracelet in the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed event at the 2011 WSOP, for a $689,739 prize, first place at the Russian Poker Tour for a $123,456 prize, first place at the IPT Nova Gorica 2011 for €150,000.

Salvatore Bonavena 1,355,000
Salvatore Bonavena, 46, is a member of the PokerStars Team Pro from Italy. He has been playing poker for five years with excellent results (Salvatore plays on PokerStars with the UserId bonaven"). Anybody who loves poker knows Bonavena, and PokerStars Blog regularly makes a feature out of his smart attire. It's called the Sal Bon Fashion Report.

Fabio Cetara 840,000
Fabio is a 24-year-old Italian player from Brescia. He's been playing poker for three years and on PokerStars with the UserID giocoacaso87. Fabio is no stranger to the tables - when he is not playing, he is a dealer! He's planning to use his winning to increase his bankroll and to go on holiday.

Alberto Spigolon 1,110,000
Alberto has been playing poker since 2007 and his best performance is a 6th place at the €1,100 Side event during EPT San Remo for a prize of €6,500. When he does not play poker, the 47-year-old Italian works as a retailer.

Marco Fabbrini 1,115,000
Marco, 43, plays on PokerStars with the UserID juegocards. He's been playing poker for three years now. His best results include a 15th place at the EPT San Remo (€30,000), a 40th place at the IPT Campione 2011 (CHF 3,900), and a 36th place at the IPT Venice (€4,700 prize).

Andrea Vitale 740,000
Andrea plays on PokerStars with the UserID killermimmo. He's been playing poker for six years and his best performances include a 4th place at the €500 Side event Pot Limit Omaha during IPT San Remo for a €2,985 prize, and a 8th place at the Mini IPT Campione for a CHF 4,600 prize. Andrea, 43, qualified on PokerStars for this event.

Fabio Pilato 1,140,000
Fabio, 33, only has one live cash to his name - but he has certainly made his mark online. Playing on PokerStars with the UserID vaffancallme, he is a Supernova Elite and used his package to enter IPT San Remo for free. Not a bad return!

Former PokerStars Italian Poker Tour winner Olevksii Kovalchuk leads the field as IPT San Remo moves into Day 3. After 10 hours of play on Day 2, 37 players remained in the hunt for the €175,000 first prize.

Kovalchuk, from Ukraine, won the recent Nova Gorica leg of the IPT, and finished up with 850,000 chips last night, well up from the 222,000 he began with. Right behind him are Italian pair Alberto Spigolon with 600,000 and Simone Gatto with 420,500. Team PokerStars Pros Salvatore Bonavena and Dario Minieri made it through to Day 3 with 192,000 and 176,000 chips.

Action resumes today at 2pm local time when they will play down to a final table of eight. For all live updates, be sure to visit our sister Italian PokerStars Blog.

While things were already in full swing at ESPT Madrid, PokerStars IPT San Remo opened its doors for another bumper crowd in the tour's sixth Season 3 event. 102 played Day 1A of the €2,000 tournament, including 16 PokerStars qualifiers.

After eight levels, with blinds at 400-800 (ante 75), the chip leader was PokerStars qualifier Muhamet Perati with 138,100 chips, followed by Italian players Alberto Spigolon and Marco Della Tommasina. The average stack was 54,957 chips and 47 survived.

Day 1B begins today at 2pm local time, when Team PokerStars Pros Luca Pagano, Dario Minieri, Salvatore Bonavena and Pier Paolo Fabretti will take to the tables, along with Team PokerStars Online's Luca Moschitta.

You can follow all of the IPT action live on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog. If you can read a language that has far too many letter 't's and 'i's, then all well and good. If not, Google Translate is your friend.

Meanwhile, congratulations to Giulia Bonello, who was the IPT San Remo Ladies Event winner, taking home €1,900.

Italian player Danilo Donnini has won PokerStars IPT Campione for CHF 272,000. He beat a field of 482 players after finally seeing off his heads-up opponent Mikica Mitrovic, from Serbia, who picked up CHF 181,000 for his second-place finish.

The final action saw a flop of [7c][6d][3c] and Donnini move all-in with [3d][4h], called by Mitrovic with [js][7s]. Mitrovic was ahead, but Donnini made a straight on the [5c] river to give him the trophy.

A full final table report is available in Italian on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog.

The Italian Poker Tour's next stop will be in San Remo in January 2011, although there will be a Mini IPT on December 15 in Nova Gorica. For more details, see the Italian Poker Tour website.

Today sees the final table of PokerStars IPT Campione, with eight players fighting it out to be crowned champion and handed the CHF 272,000 first prize.

One woman has made it through the final, PokerStars qualifier Tania Scremin, who has featured strongly on each day of the tournament so far.

Live reporting of the final will be on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog, and we'll have a wrap of the event right here when it's all over.

In the meantime, here are some short profiles and chip counts for the finalists:

1) Danilo Donnini 2.094.000 chips
Danilo is a 39-year-old player from Italy who plays online on PokerStars with the UserID "Albis72". He's been playing poker for three years with excellent results: 20th place at the €2000 Event during EPT Barcelona for a €5,450 prize; 3rd place at the €1,100 Side event during IPT Campione on January 2011 for a €18,992 prize.

He's planning to use his next winnings to increase his bankroll. When he does not play poker, he works as businessman. His favourite poker game is MTT Texas Hold'em. His style is aggressive. For Danilo, the most important skills a poker player must have to reach a final table are courage and luck. His biggest dream is to win this IPT.

2) Mikica Mitrovic 2.058.000 chips
Mikica is a 36-year-old player from Serbia who plays on PokerStars with the UserID "m1k1ca". He's been playing poker for three years now, with winnings which include a 46th place at the IPT San Remo Main event on the 28th July, 2011, for a €3,600 prize.

He's planning to spend his next winnings to take care of his family. When he doesn't play poker, he works as tradesman. To all the beginners who start to play poker, Mikica suggests to have a lot of patience if you ever wish to reach a final table. His biggest dream is to become a professional player.

3) Giacomo Rosa 1.790.000 chips
Giacomo is a 22-year-old player from Italy who plays on PokerStars with the UserID "il_chirurgo3". He's been playing poker for three years with the following results: 34th place at the €2,000 Side event during EPT San Remo in April 2011, for a €2,800 prize; 1st place at the €1,100 Side event IPT Malta in February 2011, for a €29,500 prize; 26th place at the IPT San Remo Main event in October 2010, for a €3,650 prize; 45th place at the IPT San Remo Main Event in August 2010 for a €3,300 prize; 28th place at the EPT San Remo Main Event in April 2010 for a €26,000 prize.

When he doesn't play poker, he still studies at university. His favourite poker game is six-max cash games. His biggest dream is to become a famous broker.

4) Andrea Dato 1.393.000 chips
Andrea is a 32-year-old player from Italy who's been playing poker for eight years with the following results: 78th place at the EPT San Remo Main Event in October 2011 for a €10,000 prize; 47nd place at the WSOP 2011 $1,500 event for a $10,498 prize; a 3rd place at the WSOP 2011, event: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Triple Chance, for a $138,044 prize; 20th place at the IPT Nova Gorica Main event in March 2011, for a €4,200 prize; a 17th place at the IPT San Remo Main event for a €4,350 prize; a 15th place at the IPT San Marino Main event in July 2010 for a €5,300 prize; a 45th place at the IPT San Remo Main event in February 2010 for a €4,000 prize.

He's going to spend his next winnings to increase his bankroll and to be healthy and strong! He considers himself a professional poker player. He says hiis style changes all the time according to his opponents. His biggest dream is to win WSOP Main event.

5) Alessandro Fasolis 1.384.000 chips
Alessandro is a 24-year-old player from Italy who plays on PokerStars with the UserID "bubukonan87". He's been playing poker for three years with the following results: 73rd place at the EPT San Remo Main Event in April 2011 for a €13,000 prize; 1st place at the €1,100 Side event IPT Campione d'Italia in January 2011 for a €57,364 prize. He is planning to use his next winnings to go on holiday, and take care of his friends and his girlfriend. When he doesn't play poker, he studies at university, trying to graduate as soon as possible. He is a regular MTT player on PokerStars and started play cash about two months ago.

6) Semen Apokorin 1.370.000 chips
Semen is a 40-year-player from Russia who's been playing poker 10 years but this is the first time he reached a final table in such a prestigious tournament. He told us he's going to use his first important winnings to finance his local church. When he doesn't play poker, he works as a businessman. His favourite game is Omaha cash and his biggest dream is for peace in the world.

7) Tania Scremin 1.210.000 chips
Tania is a 35-year-old player from Italy who plays on PokerStars with the UserID "fischietta76". Tania is a PokerStars qualifier who has been playing poker for seven years. And this is not the first time she has reached an IPT final. She finished in 7th place at the IPT San Remo Main event in December 2009 for a €16,000 prize. She's planning to use her next winnings to increase her poker bankroll. When she does not play poker, she works in her own restaurant.

8) Gaetano Mazzitelli 694.000 chips
Gaetano is a 53-year-old player from Italy who plays on PokerStars with the UserID: "gejar". He only started to play poker recently and his winnings include a 51st place at the €1,100 Side Event IPT San Remo. With his next winnings is going to... pay all the new taxes any new Italian Government is going to impose on him! He qualified for the event after he won an online satellite on PokerStars.

When he doesn't play poker, he works as businessman and he says his biggest dream is to live forever!

It took just eight hours on Day 2 of PokerStars Italian Poker Tour Campione for the 177 survivors to fall to the 37 players who now move forward to today's Day 3. Mikica Mitrovic , from Italy, is the runaway chip leader with 1,340,000 chips, followed by Alessandro Fasolis with 522,000 and Antonino Venneri with 502,000 chips.

PokerStars qualifier Tania Scremin continues her fine form at the event, finishing with 446,000 chips. A total of seven PokerStars Qualifiers are still in with a shout for the CHF 272,000 first prize.

Day 2 casualties included Team PokerStars Pros Pier Paolo Fabretti and Salvatore Bonavena, as well as Team PokerStars Online's Luca Moschitta.

The 37 remaining are expected to play down to a final table today, and all the action can be found on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog.

It was another great day of poker here in Campione d'Italia, back to the action of Day 1B and a further 315 players clocked in. Added to day 1A's field, that makes a total entry of 482 players.

The bumper field at the Casino Campione means the event is looking at a tidy CHF1,136,122 prize pool, of which CHF 272,000 will wing its way into the wallet of first place. Not too shabby for five days work. In total, 72 players will be paid.

Davide Scafati from Italy finished as Day 1B chip leader with 232,400 chips, a little way head of Day 1A leader Sergio Castelluccio with 217,500. The average stack is 68,280.

Among those through to Day 2 are Team PokerStars Pros Pier Paolo Fabretti and Salvatore Bonavena, with 144,600 and 65,200 chips.

A total of 177 runners are playing today's Day 2 - all the action is being covered live on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog.

The latest leg of the successful PokerStars Italian Poker Tour got under way yesterday in the beautiful Campione d'Italia, surrounded by Lake Lugano. Sergio Castelluccio, with 217,500 chips, holds the Day 1A lead followed by Michele Caroli on 198,800. It was the fourth time that Castelluccio has ended the first day of an IPT in the top 10.

A field of 167, including 29 PokerStars qualifiers, played the first day one flight, with 66 making it through to Day 2 with an average stack of 63,600. The highest-placed PokerStars qualifier was Tania Scremin in fourth with 164,400.

Day 1B begins later today with another bumper field, including Team PokerStars Pros Dario Minieri, Salvatore Bonavena and Pierpaolo Fabretti, as well as Team PokerStars Online's Luca Moschitta, who finished second at the last IPT Nova Gorica.

You can follow all the action as it happens over on our sister Italian PokerStars Blog, where Andrea Borea is filing live updates (in Italian, obviously!).

He's one of the nicest guys in poker, one of its greatest businessmen, and now the winner of the San Remo stop of his native Italian Poker Tour. Today, Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano took down the event in San Remo for €210,000.

Though Pagano has been a professional poker player since taking third at EPT Barcelona in 2004, this is his first major win on home soil. In between those big finishes, Pagano has cashed in 18 EPT events (including six final tables) and put up two cashes at the 2006 WSOP.

Pagano beat out a field 426 players in San Remo in the fight for the lion's share of the €826,440 prize pool.

Heads up agains Romania's Dan Murariu, Pagano's [ad][qh] stayed way ahead of Murariu's [qc][9d] on a final board of [2c][8h][7c][jh][3h].

The next stop in the second Season of IPT is in Nova Gorica, September 1-5.

Congratulations once again to Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano for an outstanding performance.