Buy-In: | $3,500 |
---|---|
Prize Pool: | $740,250 |
Entrants: | 235 |
Mike Dentale has won the 2017 Card Player Poker Tour Venetian December Extravaganza $3,500 no-limit hold’em main event. The 47-year-old window business owner from Brooklyn, New York defeated a field of 235 entries to win the title, the trophies and the first-place prize of $185,061. The strong turnout in this event saw the $500,000 guarantee easily surpassed, with the final prize pool reaching $740,250. In the end, the lion’s share of that was awarded to Dentale, who was happy to emerge victorious.
“It means a lot, especially a tournament like this because it’s a bigger buy-in and there are a hell of a lot of really good players,” said Dentale. “But I actually play better with good players, I don’t do well against recreational players, so I like the better fields.”
Dentale was undeniably correct in saying there were a lot of good players in the field, and many of them made the final table. Day 4 of this event day began with Mark Radoja entering the nine-handed final table holding the chip lead. He got off to a strong start when he picked up the AA
against Paul Volpe’s 9
9
. The pair two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winners got all-in preflop and Radoja held to eliminate Volpe in ninth place with $17,026. Shortly after that Radoja eliminated Jim Carroll in eighth place ($21,467) to secure his hold on the chip lead.
Dentale scored the next knockout when he called Jack Salter’s all-in with pocket tens. Salter was behind with nines and was unable to draw out, hitting the rail in seventh place with $21,468. The knockouts kept coming, with WSOP Circuit main event champ Dylan Linde (6th – $34,792) and Eric Vallee (5th – $45,896) both being eliminated within a matter of minutes of Salter.
Joseph Cheong
Cheong was the next-player to hit the rail. The 2010 WSOP main event third-place finisher got all-in with A7
against Radoja’s pocket jacks and failed to come from behind. He took home $82,908.
Radoja took roughly 6.2 million chips into heads-up play with Dentale. The tables were quickly turned when Dentale made a straight against Radoja’s two pair to double up and take the lead. From there the two battled for just less than five hours, with the Dentale holding the lead for the majority of the heads-up confrontation.
Mark Radoja
In the end it came down to a preflop cooler. Dentale raised to 400,000 from the button. Radoja announced that he was all-in and Dentale snap called, standing up and flipping over the AA
. Radoja had been dealt the A
K
and was in need of help.
The board ran out K7
5
10
7
and Dentale’s aces held up to secure him the pot and the title. Radoja earned $115,035 for his runner-up showing.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:
Place | Player | Earnings (USD) | POY Points |
1 | Michael Dentale | $185,061 | 576 |
2 | Mark Radoja | $115,035 | 480 |
3 | Joseph Cheong | $82,908 | 384 |
4 | Almedin Imsirovic | $61,441 | 288 |
5 | Eric Vallee | $45,896 | 240 |
6 | Dylan Linde | $34,792 | 192 |
7 | Jack Salter | $27,389 | 144 |
8 | Jim Carroll | $21,467 | 96 |
9 | Paul Volpe | $17,026 | 48 |
Mark Radoja
The board ran out K7
5
10
7
and Dentale’s aces held up to secure him the pot and the title. Radoja was eliminated in second place, taking home $115,035 for his runner-up showing.
A full recap of the final table will be posted shortly.
Mike Dentale raised to 300,000 on the btuton and Mark Radoja called. The flop was 109
5
and Radoja checked. Dentale bet 300,000 and Radoja called.
The turn was the 7 and Dentale moved all-in. Radoja folded, leaving himself withj 2,350,000. Dentale is now up to 7,050,000,
Players have returned from break to increased blinds of 75,000-150,000 with an ante of 20,000 for level 33.
Player Name | Chip Count |
Mark Radoja | 3,525,000 |
Mike Dentale | 5,875,000 |
Players are now on break following the completion of level 32.
Mike Dentale
Fortunately for Dentale, the board ran out 87
5
A
2
and he doubled up to 4,100,000. Radoja still leads with 5,300,000.
Mark Radoja
Through a series of small pots Mark Radoja has steadily closed the gap. With 4,500,000 to Mike Dentale’s 4,900,000 the two players are approaching even stacks.
The final table was narrowed from nine players down to just two in 2 hours and 30 minutes. Mike Dentale and Mark Radoja have now been battling for 3 hours and 45 minutes, and each time it seems that Radoja is down for the count he has battled back. Who knows how long this battle royale could last?
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Career Winnings | Titles | Cashes | Final Tables |
1 |
David Coleman $115,989 |
---|---|
2 |
Andrew Rodgers $103,936 |
3 |
Ankush Mandavia $95,149 |
4 |
James Leonard $87,820 |
5 |
Louis Cheffy $82,666 |
6 |
Baurzhan Akimov $63,943 |
7 |
Richard Collins $59,914 |
8 |
Michael Rossitto $59,784 |
9 |
Gourg Khanchat $58,530 |
10 |
Terry Fleischer $45,598 |