Ben Volpe, a 26-year-old aspiring poker professional from Chicago, won the World Series of Poker event no. 45 ($1,500 ante-only no-limit hold’em). Volpe collected his first gold bracelet and a $201,399 cash.
Midway through heads-up play with Paul Lieu, Volve had the chip advantage, but was holding pocket queens against pocket fours, and Lieu rivered a four. Volpe was devastated for a moment and went to his supporters on the rail.
After regaining his composure, Volpe responded with a comeback that allowed him to take home the title.
“I was surprized by how many chips I had left, Volpe said. “When you come this close and see the gold bracelet on the table, you quickly forget about the beat, because I really wanted that bracelet. I just kept fighting.”
Other notables at the final table included Chris Moorman, Blair Hinkle and the aforementioned Lieu.
Take a look at the final table results:
| Finish | Player Name | Prize | POY Points |
| 1 | Ben Volpe | $201,399 | 840 |
| 2 | Paul Lieu | $124,352 | 700 |
| 3 | Louis Bonnecaze | $80,839 | 560 |
| 4 | Blair Hinkle | $59,375 | 420 |
| 5 | Chris Moorman | $44,227 | 350 |
| 6 | Horacio Chaves Cortes | $33,371 | 280 |
| 7 | Adam Stone | $25,472 | 210 |
| 8 | Daniel Johnson | $19,660 | 140 |
| 9 | Sanuel Panzica | $15,331 | 70 |
For complete coverage of the summer poker festival, check out our WSOP landing page.
Photo Credit: Joe Giron/WSOP
