Paul Volpe Wins BetMGM Big, Big Championship

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Thu Sep 24, 2026, 11:00 am ET

Read Time: 3 minutes

Paul Volpe Wins BetMGM Big, Big Championship

poker

Paul Volpe has added another major Borgata title to his résumé after winning the $5,300 BetMGM Poker Big, Big Championship.

The American poker professional collected $492,415 after reaching a heads-up deal with Frank Lagodich. The tournament attracted 519 entries and created a $3 million prize pool.

Volpe's victory also capped a remarkable comeback. He entered the final day among the shorter stacks and eventually fell to just eight big blinds. However, he rebuilt his stack and emerged as the chip leader when the final table began.

"I just managed to spin it up," Volpe remarked, as he rode the momentum into his eventual win. He credited a key pocket-nines versus kings pot with helping fuel his recovery.

For players who follow the action beyond US online poker sites, Volpe's latest Borgata victory highlights the continued appeal of major live tournaments.

Volpe Takes Control at the Final Table

Volpe quickly turned his comeback into a dominant final-table performance. His biggest pot came against Sead Duraku, who held pocket aces.

Duraku four-bet before the flop, while Volpe called with pocket jacks. A jack-high flop dramatically improved Volpe's hand, and the remaining chips went into the middle by the turn.

The pot gave Volpe a substantial lead and sent Duraku to the rail in ninth place. Volpe then eliminated Julian Altieri after calling his four-bet shove with ace-king against king-queen suited.

Scott Blumstein also reached the final table, adding another notable name to the championship's final nine. Blumstein won the 2017 WSOP Main Event before eventually finishing sixth in this tournament.

Sanat Mehrotra then came close to doubling through Volpe with ace-king against ace-ten. The river instead gave Volpe a nut flush, sending Mehrotra home in fifth place.

That pot left Volpe with more than half the chips in play. He continued applying pressure before Brock Wilson eliminated Blumstein's run in sixth place.

Wilson's own tournament ended in fourth place, leaving Volpe, Lagodich and Tyler Hirschfeld to battle for the title.

Volpe then eliminated Hirschfeld in third place after making a jack-high straight on the river. That result set up the heads-up showdown with Lagodich.

Final Table Results

Place Player Prize
1 Paul Volpe $492,415*
2 Frank Lagodich $420,000*
3 Tyler Hirschfeld $263,150
4 Brock Wilson $175,080
5 Sanat Mehrotra $122,850
6 Scott Blumstein $97,865
7 David Kinane $79,100
8 Julian Altieri $64,585
9 Sead Duraku $53,865

*Heads-up ICM deal.

Volpe and Lagodich Agree to a Deal

Volpe faced Lagodich heads-up with the championship still to be decided. However, the pair agreed to an ICM deal after discussing their options.

Volpe secured $492,415 and the tournament trophy, while Lagodich received $420,000. Volpe said fatigue and mutual respect helped shape the decision.

The victory marked Volpe's 10th main-event final table at Borgata. His combined earnings from Borgata main events have now surpassed $1.5 million.

The result also adds another significant score to a live tournament résumé exceeding $10 million. Volpe has achieved notable results across No-Limit Hold'em and mixed-game events.

For Volpe, the latest victory carries particular significance. He considers Borgata his home casino and regularly competes in its biggest events.

He also joked about "baby rungood" after discussing his nine-month-old daughter. Volpe said he has enjoyed spending more time at home and expects his next major poker trip to come in December.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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