David Paredes Won Three out of Four Hands to Chip Up Without a Contest
Hand 21: Paredes opened to 250,000 on the button, Maio called from the small blind and Merulla did the same from the big. The flop came and Paredes c-bet to take down the pot after it was checked to him.
Hand 22: Merulla raised to 335,000 from the small blind and Paredes came along from the big blind, taking the flop in position. Merulla c-bet 225,000 and Paredes flatted, with the turn coming . Merulla tapped the table for a check, and Paredes fired away with a bet to force the insta-fold.
Hand 23: Merulla opened to 240,000 on the button and Paredes responded with a three-bet to 760,000 from the small blind. Maio got out of the way and with the action back on him, Merulla made the call. The flop came down and Paredes c-bet for 800,000, forcing the quick fold and taking down the pot.
Hand 24: Paredes folded the button, Maio called from the small blind and Merulla eyed his stacks before raising the action to about 300,000. Maio three-bet to 975,000 and Merulla stared him down from the next seat over, before hoisting a stack of gold T100000 chips forward for the big four-bet. Maio wasted no time in folding his hand in the face of pressure, and Merulla took down yet another big pot.
Hand 16: Anthony Merulla completed the blind, and David Paredes checked. After the flop, Merulla bet 125,000, and David Paredes called. Merulla's second bullet of 250,000 on the turn induced a fold from Paredes.
Hand 17: Anthony Maio check-called 200,000 on the flop, then bet out 325,000 on the turn. Merulla folded.
Hand 18: Paredes raised to 225,000 from the button, and Merulla called in the big blind. Paredes bet 250,000 on a flop, and he took the pot.
Hand 19: Maio opened to 235,000 from the button. He took down the pot.
Hand 20: Merulla raised to 215,000, and Maio three-bet from the big blind to take the pot.
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.
Hand 12: Anthony Merulla raised to 250,000, and David Paredes three-bet to 600,000. Merulla made the call. Both players checked the flop, and a hit the turn. Merulla fired 450,000, and Paredes called to see an river. Paredes bet 1.5 million on the river after Merulla checked, and Merulla wanted no part of the bet.
Hand 13: Merulla raised to 250,000, Paredes called, and Vladislav Mezheritsky moved all in. Paredes made the call after Merulla folded.
Paredes:
Mezheritsky:
Paredes grabbed complete command of the race when the flopped. Neither the nor the gave Mezheritsky the help he needed, and he exited in fifth.
Hand 11: The action folded around to Jared Jaffee and he opened for 225,000. Merulla three-bet to 595,000 holding the button and Jattin decided to four-bet to defend his big blind. His four-bet to 1.125 million prompted Jaffee to lean back in his chair, before five-betting all in with his stack covering both opponents.
Merulla announced the call, as did Jattin and the rail exploded in anticipation to see the three player's holdings:
Showdown:
Jattin:
Merulla:
Jaffee:
The ultimate cooler had taken place, as three players at a six-handed table were dealt big pocket pairs. The audience buzzed when the cards were tabled, and Jattin was out in front with his cowboys. Both Jaffee and Merulla were in terrible shape and would need to spike a set or an unlikely straight or flush to catch up.
Flop:
Jattin's kings held up through the flop and he was on the verge of scoring a huge triple-up to start this final table.
Turn:
Just like that, Jattin's dreams were dashed as Jaffee spiked his gin card on the turn, making a set of tens to come from worst to first in a flash. The third diamond on board gave Merulla a slew of additional outs though, while Jattin was left drawing to the only.
River:
With calls of "diamond!" echoing through the room, Merulla made his flush on the river to snatch the pot away from Jaffe in improbable fashion. Jattin was left lacking with his black cowboys, and with that his final table appearance came to an abrupt and dramatic end. Merulla is now second in chips at the table with 10,755,000, putting him in commanding position with just four players standing between him and the title.
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and Paredes c-bet to take down the pot after it was checked to him.
flop in position. Merulla c-bet 225,000 and Paredes flatted, with the turn coming 
. Merulla tapped the table for a check, and Paredes fired away with a bet to force the insta-fold.
and Paredes c-bet for 800,000, forcing the quick fold and taking down the pot.
flop, Merulla bet 125,000, and David Paredes called. Merulla's second bullet of 250,000 on the 
turn induced a fold from Paredes.
turn. Merulla folded.
flop, and he took the pot.
just to rub it in, and Merulla jumped to nearly 11 million chips while busting one of the most dangerous players at the table.
hit the turn. Merulla fired 450,000, and Paredes called to see an 
flopped. Neither the 
