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After a well-established poke resume, Paul Volpe (cover image) finally claimed a win at his home ground, the Boragata, taking his career live tournament earnings to more than $4.5 million. The victory came at the 2016 Borgata Spring Poker Open $2,700 Championship, where Volpe, a resident of West Chester, PA made $356,255 for a first-place finish. Post the win, Volpe announced, “Amazing! I’ve always wanted to win here.”
Volpe and Aaron Mermelstein, two-time World Poker Tour winner began the final table with the largest stacks and ended up in a heads up match for the title, after Michael Gagliano was eliminated in third place.
When the blinds were 40,000/80,000/10,000, Gagliano went all in for his last 1.5 million from the small blind with his . Volpe, who had a little more than 9 million, called from the big blind with . The flop missed both players, but the on the turn gave Volpe the advantage, with the river of ending Gagliano’s tournament life. Gagliano exited at third place for $128,768, making his career’s best live cash and taking his lifetime tournament cash above $860,000.
Heads up began with Volpe leading with 10.855 million against Mermelstein’s 6.865 million. Mermelstein put up a valiant fight, but the final hand came an hour into the finale, when the blinds up to 50,000/100,000/10,000.
Volpe replayed the hand to Pokernews stating that Mermelstein moved all in. In response, Volpe called with . Mermelstein had . The flop gave Mermelstein a straight draw, but his luck blanked out on the turn and river and Volpe clinched the title for his third largest live score and his seventh tournament victory.
Mermelstein made a second place finish for $200,305.
1. Paul Volpe – $356,255
2. Aaron Mermelstein – $200,305
3. Michael Gagliano – $128,768
4. Bart Dowling – $102,299
5. Jonathan Borenstein – $80,122
6. Mike Michnik – $65,815
7. Jack Duong – $52,222
8. Ken Smaron – $40,776
9. Jeff Izes – $28,615
10. Mark Steinberg – $18,600