Hand 15: Jaffee open-jammed for his last 14 big blinds and Maio folded, leaving Merulla to tank and ask for a count, before announcing the call.
Showdown:
Jaffe:
Merulla
Merulla made a great call with his ace-high and was out in front of Jaffee's king-high desperation shove. Seeing he was in the lead and his read was correct, Merulla said "ace one time" before sweating the flop.
Flop:
Merulla's hand had dodged paint through three board cards and Jaffee was on the brink, needing to hit one of six outs in the deck to keep his hopes of second WPT title in the last few months alive.
Turn:
Merulla's preflop plea was delivered on fourth street, and just like that Jaffee was drawing dead. Merulla celebrated with his friends and family on the rail, while Jaffe headed away from the final table stage in disappointment. The meaningless river card came just to rub it in, and Merulla jumped to nearly 11 million chips while busting one of the most dangerous players at the table.
David Paredes is Wielding the Big Stack With Precision
Hand 42: Paredes opened his button to 250,000, Maio three-bet to 625,000 and Merulla eyeballed his stack before folding. Paredes laid his hand down as well and the pot was pushed to Maio.
Hand 43: Maio opened for a button raise to 250,000, Merulla folded his small blind away and Paredes flatted to take the flop. Both payers checked down and the turn came . Paredes checked to Maio, who bet 175,000. After Paredes called the river card came and two checks later Maio revealed for the winner.
Hand 44: Merulla raised his button and claimed the blinds and antes.
Hand 45: Paredes raised to 250,000 holding the button and another uncontested pot was taken down with a button raise.
Hand 46: Maio folded his button and Merulla hesitated for a beat before limping in from the small blind. Paredes wasn't about to let a flop come for free, and he raised 320,000 to defend his big blind. The aggression worked and Merulla laid his hand down.
Hand 47: Merulla min-raised from the button and claimed an uncontested pot chock full of blinds and antes.
Hand 48: Paredes opened his button for 250,000, Maio folded from the small blind and Merulla squeezed his cards before flatting in the big blind. The flop came and Merulla checked to Paredes, who responded with a bet of 275,000. The c-bet worked wonders and Merulla folded his hand.
A Short-Stacked Anthony Maio Has Been Forced to Open-Shove to Try and Mount a Comeback
Hand 57: Paredes folded from the button and Maio open-jammed for his last 2.085 million from the small blind. Merulla held his hand to his face for thirty seconds or so while contemplating his next move. He rechecked his cards one last time and flicked them forward, giving Maio a desperately needed pot.
Hand 58: Maio folded from the button and Merulla raised to 425,000 from the small blind. Paredes flatted in position and the flop came down . Merulla tapped the table for a check and Paredes did the same. On the turn, Merulla checked once more, but this time Paredes punished the sign of weakness with a 575,000 wager. Merulla called and the river came down . Merulla checked for a third time in the hand and Paredes took his time before tapping the table as well. Merulla instantly tabled his for trip queens and the pot was pushed his way.
Hand 59: Merulla folded his button and Paredes limped in from the small. After Maio checked his option the flop came down , and Paredes then check-folded to a flop bet of 175,000.
Hand 60: Merulla went for a walk in the big blind.
Hand 61: Maio open-jammed from the button and took down the blinds and antes without a fight.
Hand 62: Maio received a walk in the big blind.
Hand 63: Paredes opened from the button, making it 300,000 to play to take the pot down.
Hand 64: Maio open-shoved from the button, and like clockwork Merulla and Paredes laid down.
Anthony Merulla Has Been Active Here at the Final Table
Hand 65: David Paredes completed the blind, and Anthony Maio checked. Paredes bet 200,000 on the flop, and Maio called. Both players checked the , and a came on the river. Paredes bet 425,000, and Maio called. Maio took the pot with an eight in the hole.
Hand 66: Maio got a walk.
Hand 67: Anthony Merulla raised to 400,000 from the small blind, and Paredes made the call. Merulla fired 225,000 after the flop, and Paredes raised it up to 675,000. Merulla thought for a bit before deciding to lay his hand down.
Hand 68: Merulla raised to 300,000 on the button, and Maio defended his big blind. Maio check-folded to a bet on the flop.
Hand 69: Paredes made it 325,000 on the button. Merulla called in the big blind. Both players checked on , and a arrived. Merulla checked, and Paredes won the pot with a bet.
Hand 70: Maio pushed all in on the button, and he won the pot.
Hand 71: Merulla raised to 300,000 on the button, and Maio defended his big blind. Two checks came on the flop, and Maio checked once more on the . Merulla bet 225,000, and Maio called right away. A completed the board, and Maio checked. Merulla bet 700,000, and Maio snap-called. Merulla showed for a straight.
Hand 76: Maio opened for 325,000 from the button and Merulla shot him a look from the next seat over, beofre comitting the calling chips. Paredes folded and the flop came down . Maio led out for 225,000 and once again Merulla looked over at him with a bemused look on his face. He came along with the call though and the turn came . On fourth street Maio bet 425,000, and Merulla tanked for a minute or so before quietly announcing himself all in to force Maio to a decision for his tournament life.
Maio snap-called and the two showed down the cards that created this collision.
Showdown:
Maio:
Merulla:
Maio had fought valiantly to mount a comeback with his short stack, but the last of his chips were committed while drawing dead. Merulla had flopped the nut flush and he could not be beat, leaving a futile to fall on the river to make things official. Merulla was already celebrating on the rail while Maio made the long walk away from one of the pinnacles in a poker player's career: the WPT final table stage.
Anthony Merulla With the Prize He's Playing for in the Background
Hand 77: Merulla went for a walk.
Hand 78: Merulla opened to 300,000 and Paredes called, bringing a flop of on board. Paredes checked over to Merulla, who c-bet for 250,000.
Hand 79: Paredes opened the pot with a raise to 350,000 and Merulla let him have the pot.
Hand 80: Merulla opened for 325,000 and in the first three-bet of heads-up play, Paredes made it 900,000 to play. Merulla flatted the reraise and the flop came down . First to act, Paredes bet 800,000 and Merulla grabbed a stack of gold T100000 chips while contemplating his next move. That move ended up being a raise to 2 million even, and Paredes decided to respect the raise, giving the pot to Merulla.
Hand 96: Merulla opened for 475,000 and Paredes called to see the flop come . Both players checked and the fell on the turn. Two checks later and the river came . Paredes checked, as did Merulla, and the pot went to Paredes when he tabled .
Hand 97: Paredes opened for 450,000 and Merulla called to see the flop come . Merulla bet 325,000, Paredes called and the turn came . Merulla bet 725,000 and Paredes called. The river was the andboth palyers checked, leaving Paredes to table for the winner.
Hand 98: Merulla opened for 475,000 and Paredes called to see the flop come . Two checks later and the turn came . Check-check it went and the river came . Merulla won the pot with a bet of 700,000.
Hand 99: Paredes opened for 450,000 and Merulla three-bet to 2.025 million. Paredes called the big bet and the flop was . Paredes led out for 1.6 million and took the pot down.
Anthony Merulla Just Doubled Through David Paredes After Dodging the Deck's Deuces
Hand 124: Merulla opened for 600,000 and Paredes slowly counted out the chips for a three-bet to 1.5 million. Merulla tanked for about a minute or so while reaching for a stack of gold T100000 chips, which he riffled for a while as he figured out where he stood.
Eventually that stack went forward for the four-bet to 2.6 million and Paredes quickly moved all in, having Merulla covered. Merulla snap-called and tabled , while Paredes could only muster the for a dominated king-high bluff.
With Paredes' supporters on the rail shouting "quack quack" and "Aflac" to summon one of the deck's three remaining deuces to the board, the dealer burned and turned.
Flop:
No ducks could be found and Merulla's big slick had held through the hardest part of any sweat.
Turn:
Paredes was down to one last card, needing to spike a deuce to claim this WPT Main Event title.
River:
"No ducks!" went the explosion on the rail, as Merulla's supporters cheered their man on. With the win, Merulla took over the chip lead and moved one step close to accomplishing every poker player's dream.
Anthony Merulla Just Claimed a Big Pot By Pushing David Paredes Off His Hand
Hand 150: Merulla raised to 800,000 and Paredes flatted to take the flop. Paredes checked to Merulla, who fired out a bet of 700,000. Paredes was not impressed though, and he raised it up to 1.8 million, a move which forced the fold and earned the pot.
Hand 151: Merulla got a walk in the big
Hand 152: Merulla opened for 800,000 and Paredes called, with the flop coming . Merulla led for 700,000 and Paredes counted out a stack before folding his cards.
Hand 153: Paredes opened for 800,000 and Merulla took his time before three-betting to 2 million flat. Paredes obliged with the call and the two took a flop of . Merulla grabbed a handful of gold T100000 chips and slowly counted out a bet of 1.5 million and placed it forward, and Paredes only took a few seconds before calling the bet. The turn card came and Merulla reached for his stack to make a big 2.4 million wager. Paredes tanked for a bit before tossign his cards away, and a sizable pot was shipped to Merulla.
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
just to rub it in, and Merulla jumped to nearly 11 million chips while busting one of the most dangerous players at the table.
flop. Both payers checked down and the turn came 
. Paredes checked to Maio, who bet 175,000. After Paredes called the river card came 
and two checks later Maio revealed 
and Merulla checked to Paredes, who responded with a bet of 275,000. The c-bet worked wonders and Merulla folded his hand.
. Merulla tapped the table for a check and Paredes did the same. On the 
flop, and Maio called. Both players checked the 
, and a 
came on the river. Paredes bet 425,000, and Maio called. Maio took the pot with an eight in the hole.
arrived. Merulla checked, and Paredes won the pot with a bet.
flop, and Maio checked once more on the 
. Merulla bet 225,000, and Maio called right away. A 
for a straight.
. Maio led out for 225,000 and once again Merulla looked over at him with a bemused look on his face. He came along with the call though and the turn came 
. On fourth street Maio bet 425,000, and Merulla tanked for a minute or so before quietly announcing himself all in to force Maio to a decision for his tournament life.
. Paredes checked, as did Merulla, and the pot went to Paredes when he tabled 
.
. Check-check it went and the river came 
