David Funkhouser came into the final table third in chips and, after weathering the storm early, defeated Paul Volpe heads-up to capture the $187,200 first-place prize and the trophy in Event #1: $10,200 H.O.R.S.E of PGT Mixed Games II.
After trading chips back and forth with Chino Rheem early in the day, Funkhouser found himself on the short stack six-handed, but after turning a straight against Rheem in Omaha Hi-Lo and scooping the pot on the river, Funkhouser found himself at the top of the chip counts for the rest of the day.
Rheem started his rollercoaster of a day by eliminating Dylan Linde in 7th place for $36,000 when his full house in Sud hi-lo scooped Linde’s two pairs. Dylan Weisman would be the next to fall after Volpe rivered the nut flush and a wheel to scoop the pot in Omaha hi-lo, sending the PLO specialist home with $43,200 and the sixth place prize.
Rheem would drop to 400,000 shortly after that but would find a triple up through Anthony Zinno and Eli Elezra in hold’em with his queen-jack flopped trips against Zinno’s kings. Rheem would finish off Zinno a few hands later in Omaha hi-lo when he would go runner-runner to make a wheel and scoop the flopped set of Zinno. Zinno collected $57,600 for his fifth-place finish.
Rheem’s ride would come to an end an orbit later when his nine-seven was bested by the nine-six of Volpe in Razz as he took home $72,000 for the 4th place finish as his impressive run in the PokerGo studio continued.
Three-handed play was a quick affair, and Funkhouser would come out with the chip lead. Playing Stud Hi-Lo Funkhouser was the bring-in with the K♦️ and saw Volpe completed with the A♦️ to 400,000. Eli Elezra moved all in for 500,000 with the 3♣︎, and Funkhouser called. Volpe made it 700,000, and Funkhouser called.
After calling bets on fourth, fifth, and sixth streets against Volpe, the action checked through on the river. Volpe held kings and jacks for two pair, but Funkhouser held kings and queens to collect the side pot. Elezra had outs to both a low and a full house, but when he peeled the six of clubs, he was left with eights and treys for the worst two pair.
Elezra headed to the payout desk in 3rd place and collected his $93,600 while Funkhouser was suddenly looking at a 2.5 to one chip lead.
Volpe made things interesting during heads-up and would pull to within two big bets of Funkhouser for the chip lead, but an ill-timed bluff in hold’em left Volpe with just 1.5 million in chips, and he was out the door in two hands later when his ace-ten was out flopped by the king-ten of Funkhouser.
Volpe found himself all in on the turn, needing a jack or an ace to stay alive, but when the river landed the nine of spades, he had to settle for the $136,800 second-place prize.
