New Jersey and Las Vegas poker pro Tom Marchese is $1,306,000 richer this weekend after taking down the $100,000 Super High Roller tournament at Aria Resort & Casino, besting 21 other pros that included some of the most respected names in global poker.
With just the last three players cashing from the prize pool of $2,178,000 the competition was always going to be fierce with players like Doug Polk, “Doc” Sands, Igor Kurganov, Jake Schindler, Philipp Gruissem, Andrew Robl, and Joseph Cheong ranged against each other, and so it turned out to be.
When Robl went out at fourth the action really went up a gear as the three survivors battled for the top prize, with Brian Rast, Cary Katz and Marchese displaying an impressive level of skill and aggression.
It was Rast who was the first to go, busted out at third for $217,800 by Marchese and setting the scene for the heads up between Marchese and Katz, in which after a struggle Marchese managed to prevail to claim the main prize and send a worthy opponent home with $653,400.
It was Katz’s second biggest career take-home (he won $1.3 million in the last Big One for One Drop event).
This was Marchese’s second huge win this year; he claimed $1.46 million for a third finish in the Bellagio $100,000 Super High Roller event in June.