New York poker pro Anthony Merulla is probably still celebrating his massive win this weekend in the 2014 $3 Million Guaranteed World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open main event after an impressive performance that saw him best 1228 other runners to claim the $842,379 main prize.
When the final table was reached Merulla was not among the faves to win, being second lowest chip stack at the table, but he kept his cool and by dint of skilled and disciplined play started to edge his way up the chip stacks until it was just he and David Paredes facing each other in the heads up.
The confrontation was to last for just over a hundred hands as the duo fought for supremacy, with the lead changing hands several times before Merulla managed to gain a complete grip on the game and surge to victory in a multi-million chip pot to claim that $842,379 first prize.
Graciously conceding defeat, Paredes left with the runner up prize of almost a half-million dollars.
Other final table pay-outs were:
3. Anthony Maio $307,565
4. Jared Jaffee $258,590
5. Vladislav Mezheritsky $213,650
6. Farid Jattin $174,352