A Lonely Celebration
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As the dealer bellowed, "All in and a call!" a buzz of excitement simmered through the orange section and players had to resist the temptation to leap from their seats.
The man all in was Mike Mercaldo, and with 
versus 
, he was in good shape to not only double through, but sneak into the money. But first, he had to dodge the board.
As the cameras closed in, the dealer reached for the deck and rolled out a 
flop, followed by a 
turn. Mercaldo held his breath as the river was summoned... 
. Mercaldo was safe!
A gentle sigh emerged from the surrounding tables and Mercaldo was forced to celebrate alone, clapping the air and exhaling as big a breath of relief as I've seen thus far. He's now on 80,000, and if he has hit wits about him, should be leaving the Rio with a minimum of $19,263.