Volpe Wins Almost Half a Million at Big, Big Championship

Summary:

• Paul Volpe has won the $5,300 Big, Big Championship at Borgata, taking home $492,415.
• The tournament attracted 519 entries and featured a whopping $3 million prize pool.
• Volpe now has more than $1.5 million in main event cashes at Borgata.

American poker player Paul Volpe added yet another major Borgata title to his impressive list of accomplishments after winning the $5,300 Big, Big Championship at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

The Event #10 tournament attracted 519 players and created a $3 million prize pool. At the ended of five heated competition days, Volpe finally emerged from the final 19 players on the last day and finished on top at the end of an exhausting 11-hour final session.

The victory earned Volpe $492,415 through an ICM deal with runner-up Frank Lagodich. Lagodich collected $420,000, while Tyler Hirschfeld finished third for $263,150.

For Volpe, the result added another significant chapter to a long relationship with Borgata. The poker professional has made nine previous main event final tables at the casino over the past 15 years, and this victory became his biggest Borgata score. 

His main event cashes at the property now total more than $1.5 million.

I’ve done well here over the years here. It’s my home casino and I always play the main events here. It’s absolutely my favorite spot.

“I Just Continued to Keep Going”

Volpe entered the final stages after spending part of Day 3 near the bottom of the chip counts. At one point, he was down to just eight big blinds before building his stack back up.

It’s all blind dependent. At one point I was down to eight blinds, then I just managed to spin it up. Early on I won my nines versus kings. After that I just continued to keep going.

Once the final table formed, Volpe moved into the lead and was responsible for several key eliminations.

One of the biggest hands came against Sead Duraku, who held pocket aces. Volpe called with pocket jacks and hit a jack on the flop before the remaining chips went in by the turn. Duraku finished ninth for $53,865.

Volpe later eliminated Julian Altieri in eighth place and dealt a major blow to Sanat Mehrotra in fifth. Mehrotra’s ace-king was well positioned against Volpe’s ace-ten until Volpe completed a nut flush on the river.

Hirschfeld eventually finished third after making a strong hand on the river, only to run into Volpe’s jack-ten straight. Volpe and Lagodich then reached heads-up play and agreed to an ICM deal.

Volpe said both players had played together before and respected each other’s games.

We both were discussing we were kind of tired. I think we both respected each other’s games and locked up money and decided to chop.

Paul Volpe, who has more than $10 million in recorded live tournament earnings, said he may not return to the tournament circuit until December. With a nine-month-old daughter at home, he said he is enjoying spending more time with his family.

Asked whether the new baby had brought him some extra luck, Volpe had a simple answer.

Absolutely, been running good ever since!