Devon MacPherson conquered a field of 1,002 runners, one of the largest fields we've seen here at the Borgata Winter Open, to take down Event 21 for $42,768.
The marathon tournament ended almost 23 hours after it began, when MacPherson won a flip to win a heads-up match against Nicholas Febbraio. Febbraio and MacPherson dominated the play late in the tournament, knocking out most of the other players and holding sizable chip leads over the other players from at least five-handed play on. Discussion of a chop cropped up a few times, but MacPherson's reluctance to agree to a deal ended up working to his benefit in the end.
"I didn't come all the way up from Florida to chop," MacPherson said when players were attempting to strike a deal.
Satish Surapaneni pushed all in from the small blind, and Devon MacPherson said there wasn't a hand in the deck he could fold, seeing as Surapaneni was so short.
MacPherson:
Surapaneni:
It looked like yet another double was in store for Surapaneni when the flop came to give him a flush draw, but MacPherson managed to find a to take the lead on the turn. A river was a brick, and Surapaneni had finally put himself at risk one time too many.
Nicholas Febbraio pushed all in for just over 4.3 million after Devon MacPherson raised to 900,000 from the button. MacPherson made the call.
MacPherson:
Febbraio:
Febbraio was ahead, but if MacPherson could come from behind and win the hand, he would have an overwhelming heads-up chip lead. Unfortunately for him, he doubled up Febbraio instead when the community came .
Ken Munroe got the last of his chips in with against the of Devon MacPherson. MacPherson flopped a jack, and he sent Munroe to the payout desk in fourth.
Jeremiah McKenna pushed all in for about 1 million from middle position, and action folded to Devon MacPherson in the big blind. He immediately pushed his chips in the middle to signal a call.
McKenna:
MacPherson:
"Hand's been good to me," MacPherson said.
It was good once more, as the board came , ending McKenna's tournament.
Satish Surapaneni asked for a count on the big blind, and he raised 900,000 to put the player all in. It was Sergio Vigano, in the other blind, however, who called off his stack.
Surapaneni:
Vigano:
A runout of brought nothing for Vigano, and he exited in eighth.