Level 23 (10,000/20,000/3,000)
Total BPPS Entrants: 272
Players Remaining: 8
Chip Average: 1,000,000

Joe ‘Worm’ Palma (Philadelphia, PA)

John Manzella’s roller coaster ride at this final table has continued, as he just lost potentially the biggest pot of the day to Joe ‘Worm’ Palma, as the river card improved both players. Palma, improved to a straight though and is now up and over the 1,000,000 chip mark.

That action was picked up on a board of {As}{Jd}{7s}, with John Germano checking from the blinds and Palma, in the cutoff, betting 77,000. Manzella, who was on the button, called and Germano folded to send two players to the turn.

The {8d} fell and Palma bet again, this time pushing out 112,000. Manzella then counted down his entire stack before just calling to see the river in position. The {10c} completed and put four to a straight on board but Palma was undeterred. He bet for a third time, sliding out 242,000, a bet which Manzella snap called.

That four straight board was just what Palma needed, as he tabled {Jh}{9s} for a rivered straight, while Manzella threw over {Ah}{10d} for rivered two pair. It was the perfect card for Palma and it would have been interesting how both players would have reacted if the river had been a blank.

It wasn’t though and that perfect river card moved Palma up the BPPS leaderboard, as he’s now one of just three players over the 1,000,000 chip mark.