Paul Volpe wins Borgata title again with a score of $492,415!

Paul Volpe won the Borghata Big, Big Series $5,300 Championship, taking home $492,415. This was his tenth Main Event final table appearance at this casino, and his biggest single prize.

Five days ago, the crown jewel of the Big, Big series kicked off at the Borghata Hotel, Casino & Spa. The #10:$5,300 Big, Big Championship attracted 519 players vying for this prestigious title and a significant share of the $3,000,000 prize pool. Only 19 of the initial entrants had the chance to compete today, and after 11 hours of intense competition, one emerged victorious.

Anyone familiar with the Borghata poker scene knows Paul Volpe's prowess in Atlantic City's biggest events. Over the past 15 years, he's reached the Main Event final table nine times in seasonal series and special events here. Today, his tenth final table appearance resulted in his biggest win in Borghata, as he took home the Big, Big Championship and $492,415, bringing his lifetime Main Event winnings here alone to over $1,500,000.

“I’ve done well here over the years,” the newly crowned champion said of his success at the casino. “This is my home casino, I always play the Main Event here. It’s absolutely my favorite place. I tell people all over the place. The games here have been great for years, and I’m just lucky to live nearby, so I’m fortunate to be in this area and to have been playing here for the past 15 or 16 years.”

With a record of over 10,000,000 live prizes ($10,000,000), Volpe has proven himself a master of multiple games, winning major titles and prizes in various game types such as Omaha High & Low and Nine Mix.

"If I thought (Texas Hold'em) was my best game, I'd go play Triton with those guys. I'd say I'm generally better at mixed games than No-Limit. I still enjoy No-Limit Texas Hold'em tournaments."

Early on Day 3, Volpe fell to one of the shortest stacks on the table, but eventually bounced back to a chip lead when the final table began.

“It all comes down to the blinds,” Volpe said, discussing how he handles the full day’s stack. “There was a point where I was down to eight big blinds, and then I managed to turn things around. Early on, I won a run with a pair of kings with a 9. After that, I kept going and made a lot of hands. To win these kinds of tournaments, you have to be lucky, play well, and luck is more important in the short term.”

When Volpe and Frank Lagodich entered into a duel, the two players reached an ICM agreement, and Volpe took the trophy.

"I certainly won't share the prize money with everyone. We've all been saying we're a bit tired. I've played against Frank a lot here, some at the WSOP, he's a No-Limit player, a learner, he's very tough. There are some people I won't share the prize money with, and maybe some people won't either. I know the audience likes to see the outcome, but sometimes that's not how it is, it usually depends on the players. This happens all the time. I think we all respect each other's games, lock in the prize money, and decide how to split it."

After the victory, Volpe specifically highlighted the diverse personalities of players in Borghata and the variety of the participating lineup.

“You need them,” Volpe said, discussing the importance of character players in the game. “I think even as poker grows, we’re seeing fewer and fewer wild players. Character players are important to poker. They’re still here, and we need to keep them in the game.”

As for his poker plans, Volpe has different life priorities now, and his next trip may be several months away.

"I think it's most likely to be Wynn in December. I don't think I'll go to Bahamar. I have a nine-month-old baby at home, and I'm really enjoying being at home with her."

When asked if he believed in good luck for babies, Volpe answered quickly.

"I absolutely believe that I've had great luck ever since!"

Final table results

* Indicates that an ICM agreement has been reached.

Final Day Match Results

The competition started early, with some players who started with substantial chips falling. Myles Mullaly (17th place - $29,345), Thomas Cannuli (13th place - $34,940) and Matthew Iles (12th place - $34,940) all found themselves out of the final table.

The last player to miss the final table was BetMGM qualifier Lucas Bernui, whose chip stack dwindled after playing against Volpe. He poured his last chips into a J-high board with KJ, while Kinane made a second pair with AT. Kinane improved to triplets of 10s, but the river didn't help Bernui, who finished in 10th place with $42,095. The remaining nine players made it to the final table.

Final Table Results

Entering the official eight-handed final table, a massive pot unfolded. Sead Duraku, with the fourth-largest chip stack, pre-flop four-bet pocket aces, while Volpe called with pocket jacks. After a J-high flop, all chips were poured on the turn, giving Volpe the biggest pot of the tournament and a huge lead over the entire table, while Duraku finished in ninth place with $53,865.

After dinner break, the next elimination also came from Volpe. Julian Altieri went all-in with his KQs, only to see Volpe call with AK. Ace-high was everything for the Argentinian player, who finished eighth with $64,585.

Next up was Kinane, a popular figure in Borghata and a frequent commentator, who finished in seventh place. Tyler Hirschfeld went all-in with Q9s, bypassing Frank Lagodich's opening, and Kinane woke up in the big blind with AK to call. Hirschfeld had three pairs of 9s on the board, winning the pot, and Kinane claimed $79,100 from the prize pool.

2017 WSOP Main Event champion Scott Blumstein started the final table with the second-largest chip stack, but a clash with Hirschfeld left him with the shortest remaining stack. He went all-in from the small blind, bypassing Hirschfeld's button to open the pot. Brock Wilson, in the big blind, went all-in with AK, eliminating Hirschfeld. Wilson formed Ace, and Blumstein's deep run ended in sixth place, winning $97,865.

A river card sent BetMGM qualifier Sanat Mehrotra into the cash, earning $122,850 in fifth place. He found himself in a great position, with AK against Volpe's AT, and everything seemed to be going well until the river gave Volpe the nut flush to win the pot. Mehrotra went from a one-shot satellite to a six-figure prize, while Volpe took more than half the chips on the table.

Wilson's final clash was two-part, both involving Hirschfeld. He first saw Hirschfeld double up his chips, with Hirschfeld's AQ beating his A8. Then, he risked his own hand with KQ against Hirschfeld's JT. A 10-high board pushed the pot to Hirschfeld, and the high-stakes tournament regular finished in fourth place, earning a respectable 1TP 4T 175,080.

Although the chip increase propelled Hirschfeld to second place, his newly acquired chips were transferred to Volpe shortly after Wilson's elimination. Hirschfeld made three 9s with A9 on the river, but he was already drawing dead against Volpe's JT, making a J-high straight. When Volpe went all-in on the river, Hirschfeld called, ending his run in third place with $263,150.

The competition then ended, with Volpe and Lagodich splitting the prize money. Volpe took home the trophy and $492,415, while Lagodich finished as runner-up and received $420,000.

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