Paul Volpe Wins Borgata BetMGM Big, Big Championship for $492,415
Paul Volpe has won the 2026 BetMGM Big, Big Championship at Borgata, taking down the $5,300 buy-in event for $492,415 after striking a heads-up deal with Frank Lagodich, according to CardPlayer.
The field drew 519 entries against a $3 million guarantee, producing a $405,000 overlay. Lagodich, who entered the final day as chip leader, settled for $420,000 in the deal. It is the second-largest live cash of his career, trailing only his $505,200 runner-up finish in a 2023 WPT Seminole Hard Rock high roller. His career earnings now stand at $4,315,442.
For Volpe, the win is the third-largest live score of his career and his biggest since the summer of 2018. His total recorded earnings now sit at nearly $10.8 million. Volpe, who lives close to Borgata, called it his favorite room to play.
“It’s my home casino and I always play the main events here. It’s absolutely my favorite spot. I say that to people everywhere. The games here have been great for years and I just got lucky it was close to my house so I was lucky to be in this area and play here for the last 15…16 years,” Volpe told PokerNews’ Liam Gannon, as quoted by CardPlayer.
Final table featured Blumstein and Wilson
The nine-handed final table included two well-known Northeast names: 2017 WSOP main event champion Scott Blumstein of New Jersey and high-stakes player Brock Wilson of New York. Blumstein busted in sixth place for $97,865 after his pocket sevens lost a race to Wilson’s ace-king. That payout ranks as the third-largest live cash of Blumstein’s career, behind his $8.15 million WSOP main event title.
Wilson later fell in fourth place for $175,080 when his short-stack shove was called by Tyler Hirschfeld. The result pushed Wilson past $15 million in career earnings. Sanat Mehrotra, from India, took fifth for $122,850, and David Kinane finished seventh for $79,100.
Volpe seized the chip lead early at the final table when his flopped set of jacks held against Sead Duraku’s pocket aces, sending Duraku out in ninth for $53,865. He never gave up the lead after that, later eliminating Julian Altieri in eighth for $64,585 and outdrawing Mehrotra with a runner-runner flush to send him out in fifth.
Deep run for a stacked field
The top 65 finishers shared the $3 million prize pool. Notable min-cashers and deep runs included Jonathan Tamayo in 53rd, Bin Weng in 42nd, Michael Gagliano in 32nd, Matt Glantz in 24th, Alan Sternberg in 22nd, Matt Salsberg in 21st and Aubrey Williams in 20th. WSOP bracelet winner Myles Mullaly went out in 17th for $29,345, while 2015 WSOP main event sixth-place finisher Tom Cannuli busted in 13th for $34,940.
Volpe started the final day’s play-down in 11th place among 13 remaining players before climbing to the chip lead by the time the field reached nine players, a stretch that set up his eventual title at Borgata.