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 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.
Hand 72: Paredes claimed the pot with an open to 300,000 from the button.
Hand 73: Maio open-jammed from the button and forced two quick folds.
Hand 74: Merulla folded his button and Paredes limped in, with Maio checking his option. On the flop Paredes took the pot down with a c-bet.
Hand 75: Paredes folded on the button, Maio moved all-in for his last 2.085 million from the small blind, and Merulla tanked to think it over. He asked for an exact count of the bet and put his hand to his face, calculating and computing in his head before grabbing a stack of baby blue T5000 chips to riffle. Despite having chips in hand, he decided lay the hand down and the pot was pushed to Maio.
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.
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.
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
on board. Paredes checked over to Merulla, who c-bet for 250,000.
. 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.
. 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.
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.
flop Paredes took the pot down with a c-bet.
flop, and Maio called. Both players checked the 
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.
. Merulla bet 225,000, and Maio called right away. A 
for a straight.
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 
, and Paredes then check-folded to a flop bet of 175,000.