From September 13 to 23, the BetMGM Poker Big, Big Series was held at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. The highlight was the $5,300 BetMGM Poker Big, Big Championship. A total of 519 players participated in the tournament, which featured a guaranteed prize pool of $3 million. In the end, the victory and prize money of $492,415 went to veteran U.S. pro Paul Volpe.
The event attracted numerous well-known pros. Scott Blumstein, the winner of the 2017 WSOP Main Event, made it to the final table. He ultimately finished in sixth place, earning $97,865. High-roller specialist Brock Wilson and Tyler Hirschfeld also made it to the final day. Wilson ultimately finished in fourth place and took home $175,080. Hirschfeld finished third and secured $263,150 in prize money.
In the heads-up match, Paul Volpe faced off against Frank Lagodich. Both players agreed to an ICM deal. Volpe received $492,415 for his tournament victory, while Lagodich took home $420,000 as the runner-up. For a while, it hadn’t looked like Volpe would come out on top. At the start of Day 3, the American was among the short stacks. But by the time the final table began, Volpe had regained the chip lead.
But even there, the chip leader had to weather a few tricky situations. For instance, Volpe ran into Sead Duraku’s aces with a pair of jacks. On a board with a queen as the highest card, Volpe hit his set and secured one of the biggest pots of the entire event. Duraku was eliminated in ninth place and received $53,865. As the tournament progressed, Volpe dominated the action. Among other things, he eliminated Julian Altieri in eighth place after Altieri’s king-queen of the same suit ran up against Volpe’s ace-king. The Argentine took home $64,585.
This was Volpe’s tenth final table at the Borgata Casino’s Main Events; his total winnings from the casino’s Main Events exceeded $1.5 million. More information about the tournament can be found on the Borgata website.
Final Table Results
Place | Player | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Volpe | $492,415* |
2 | Frank Lagodich | $420,000* |
3 | Tyler Hirschfeld | $263,150 |
4 | Brock Wilson | $175,080 |
5 | Sanat Mehrotra | $122,850 |
6 | Scott Blumstein | $97,865 |
7 | David Kinane | $79,100 |
8 | Julian Altieri | $64,585 |
9 | Sead Duraku | $53,865 |