An online poker player from Athens wins $200,000 in the popular poker room’s $1,000,000 Guaranteed event, a month and a half after winning a prestigious ECOOP tournament.

Winning an online poker multi-table tournament is difficult enough in itself, but taking first prize in two huge events within a very short period of time is quite a remarkable achievement.

Athanasios Ntalakas, a regular player at Titan Poker for the past two years, bested 1,675 other starters on January 10, 2010 and took home the first prize of $200,000 in the $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize tournament, a monthly event at the popular online poker room.

Back on November 23, 2009, Athanasios, whose home is Athens, Greece, won the first prize of $52,000 at the first event of Titan Poker’s European Championship of Online Poker (ECOOP V). That tournament, also a Texas Holdem No Limit Freezeout, carried a $250,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool and was the opener of the fourteen-night series.

Commenting on his win at the $1,000,000 Guaranteed tournament, Athanasios said the Final Table was "by far the toughest" he had ever played. "People were not afraid to put their chips in the middle and put you to the test constantly by 3-betting and shoving. I was fortunate to win my big flips and even when I was low in chips my friends were encouraging me. Finally, I made it to Heads Up with Neil Channing with a 2:1 deficit. Steadily I managed to acquire the same chips and at the final hand I was lucky to outdraw Neil. It was a tough heads-up match against a great opponent."

"My experience so far at Titan Poker is amazing and I will continue playing for a long time and also give it a try at satellites for a live event," Athanasios said.

Athanasios, who is primarily an online poker player, added, "My win at the $1,000,000 Guaranteed is by far my biggest poker accomplishment, but my excitement was the same as when I won the 1st event of ECOOP V. Winning is a great feeling and I am looking forward to the future for similar successes."

At his previous win in November, Athanasios outlasted 1,240 other starters in an online tournament that lasted 9 hours and 17 minutes. In addition to his cash prize, he was awarded with a prestigious Tag Heuer automatic chronograph series Carrera watch, engraved with his nickname and the name of the online tournament that he won.

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