MIke Del Vecchio Wins WPT Rolling Thunder

The World Poker Tour Rolling Thunder Main Event final table wrapped up the tour’s California Swing – the third and final leg of the 500 mile tour. The tournament drew 421 entries and after four days of action Mike Del Vecchio doubled his lifetime earnings by winning the title, $284,638 and a seat at the season-ending Tournament of Champions.

“I’m just so overcome, ten years of blood, sweat, and tears. I always dreamed of something like this,” Del Vecchio said after winning to the WPT. “I was joking with my friends that this was probably one of the toughest WPT final tables I’ve ever seen, it means a lot to win, it feels really good. This feels really good, I definitely ran really hot the whole tournament and stuff like that, but it feels validating,” 

Del Vecchio brought an average stack-lead to the final table and never was in serious trouble. Connor Drinan busted first with a case of bad timing – he found himself in a three-way pot where Olivier Busquet made a full house.

Five-handed play drug on for some time before Steven Tabb shoved with king four of diamonds and Busquet was ahead with ace eight. But the board ran with three diamonds and Busquet was eliminated.

An orbit later Hadley was on the ropes holding ace queen and Del Vecchio served the knockout blow with pocket sixes. 

The next couple hours of play say Tabb, Del Vecchio and Sorel Mizzi take turns as chip leader with wild swings leaving the others short stacked. Then, Tabb doubled up, found king queen on the next hand but ran into Del Vecchio’s ace eight. The board blanked for a Mizzi-Del Vecchio heads-up match.

Del Vecchio and Mizzi played two dozen hands over an hour before they played the final hand. They had heaps on the turn when all the chips went in. Del Vecchio held trip fours, Mizzi held six five of spades for an open-ended straight flush draw. The river blanked with a jack, Mizzi was eliminated and Del Vecchio won the largest score of his career.

2016 Super High Roller Bowl winner Rainer Kempe won the WPT California Swing Title with 212 points. He took 18th place in the LAPC Main Event, sixth place at the Bay 101 Shooting Star but did not cash in Thunder Valley.

Final Table Payouts

1. Mike Del Vecchio – $284,638
2. Sorel Mizzi – $190,105
3. Steve Tabb – $122,296
4. John Hadley – $81,930
5. Olivier Busquet – $63,013
6. Connor Drinan – $52,222