Last March, Run It Up Reno debuted its first-ever Taiwanese poker event. It was won by RIU’s own Andre Hengchua. It was so popular that it was brought back for this time around and while it wasn’t won by an actual employee, it certainly stayed in the RIU family.

Nadia Wanzi defeated the 191-entry field in the second-ever $125 Taiwanese poker event and Team RIU pro, Ben ‘Spraggy’ Spragg, heads-up for the title. The two made a deal heads-up, but as per the rules here in Reno, they had to leave 10% of the prize pool to play for.

She came out on top of the heads-up battle and earned $3,687, along with her first-ever RIU trophy.

“I’m really happy that I won,” she said. “It might be beginners luck, but I will definitely be back to defend the title.”

Wanzi came to Run It Up Reno for the first time last spring. She traveled to Northern Nevada all the way from the Netherlands. She loved the atmosphere and immediately became friends with nearly everybody inside the four walls of the tournament area.

Between the lighthearted atmosphere and the plethora of friends she made her first time in Reno, she doesn’t plan on missing another RIU series.

“The people,” said Wanzi when asked why she makes the long plane ride from Europe to Reno. “To be honest, I am truly surprised to see a lot of women here. If any of the women that are interested in playing poker that are maybe not as experienced playing live poker ever give it a go, it should be at a Run It Up Reno. This is the nicest, safest, most gentleman and women-friendly environment.

“This is such an eclectic bunch and everyone just gets to be who they are and it’s all about the poker. It doesn’t matter if you’re a woman, or gay, or colored or whatever. That’s what I like. I can be in such great company here. I just love it. I hope I never miss another edition.”

Wanzi participated in the rake free Taiwanese cash game hangout on Sunday night. There, she was able to take away some solid pieces of advice from Hengchua, and used that knowledge to make some heads-up adjustments against ‘Spraggy.’

“I was really nervous for the heads-up because I knew that I had to change my strategy,” said Wanzi. “I was thinking that suited connectors and stuff win more hands in multiway pots, but when you’re heads-up, you need to pump the equity as much as possible and spread the equity over the three layers.”

The strategy change worked to perfection and she earned her first RIU title after defeating one of Team RIU’s most formidable pros.

Full Results:

1st: Nadia Wanzi – $3,687
2nd: Ben Spragg – $3,015
3rd: Joe Brindle – $1,850 + seat into Platinum Pass freeroll (winner of RIU Warrior last longer)
4th: Nicholas Jenkins – $1,255
5th: Nick Eastman – $875
6th: Bjorn Peterson – $630
7th: Edward Killworth – $630
8th: Ryan Schoonbaert – $465
9th: Garhet Houston – $465
10th: Herman Dodd – $395
11th: Adam Johnson – $395
12th: Brett Gordon – $365
13th: Melanie Moser – $365
14th: Steven Filipovic – $300
15th: Cindy Kersiake – $300
16th: Patrick Preston – $265
17th: Chris Moneymaker – $265
18th: Ryan Stephens – $265
19th: Robert Mariano – $265
20th: Peter Dirkson – $265
21st: Pavel Krapivin – $235
22nd: Brian Lewis – $235
23rd: John Boriolo – $235
24th: Jason Somerville – $235
25th: Kevin Barrett – $235
26th: Lex Veldhuis – $215
27th: Andrew Hurst – $215
28th: Jon Turner – $215
29th: Cynthia McRae – $215
30th: Rory MacDonald – $215