Sami Kelopuro Wins SCOOP 2011 Main Event, Secures $504,691

Sami Kelopuro, a Finnish poker professional known primarily for his cash game skills, won the SCOOP 2011 Main Event. With a $10,300 buy-in, Kelopuro secured $504,691 in prize money. This victory marks a significant achievement for Kelopuro, who has been playing at the highest limits since 2007 but has had limited success in online tournaments until now.

Kelopuro mentioned in an interview that he rarely played online tournaments before SCOOP 2011, focusing more on cash games. Despite his limited tournament experience, he managed to navigate through the 380-player field, which was a notable decrease from the 613 players who participated in the 2010 event.

The SCOOP 2011 series featured 114 tournaments with a total of 107,697 players from 156 countries. Russian players made a significant impact, earning a total of $3,458,414.74 and securing the 4th place in the overall profit ranking. This success highlights the growing presence of Russian poker players on the global stage.