Allan Mello Becomes WSOP Millionaire Maker Champion in Poker Paradise

Event #2 of the 15 WSOP Paradise tournaments on offer in The Bahamas cost $1,500 to play and had a top prize of a million dollars. With a mammoth $5 million guaranteed prizepool exceeded to over $5.23 million, everyone at the final table made more than $50,000 as nine battled down to a winner as the final table, which featured the player with the most cashes in WSOP history.

Early Exit for World Series Legend

As play reached the final table, there was one among the number who had more cashes than anyone in WSOP history. Roland Israelashvili is a bona fide WSOP superstar, and with 463 cashes in the World Series of Poker, he might have had 10 WSOP Circuit Rings, but he was eight places away from sealing a bracelet win – something he has never achieved.

The final table was one of excitement for every player sat at the turquoise felt, as the set of the action stunned poker fans with its vibrant colours and light, bright look.

A brief but visually informative tour of the featured table at WSOP Paradise #wsopparadise #brieftour pic.twitter.com/9Rw7vJ0sGI

— Matt Hansen (@MattyBet) December 5, 2023

Unhappily for Israelashvili, eight places away from glory was exactly how far he stayed as he was the first player to bust, winning $50,000 in ninth place. All-in for 10 big blinds with king-nine, he lost out to Ukrainian player Nazar Buhaiov’s ace-jack as a ten-high board came to leave Israelashvili on the rail as soon as the final table had begun.

The next player to leave was by no means as well-known as his American former tablemate. French player Arnauld Enselme, who was unable to stay part of the ensemble when he shoved with king-queen only to run into Buhaiov’s ace-queen. No luck came for the French player and he left in eighth place for a score of $65,000.

Kasparas Checks Out

Down to seven players, the action anted up, and with seven different nations represented, the race was on to become the biggest winner of the WSOP Paradise’s early events. Allan Mello led the field at that stage but it was by no means a commanding lead and he had a lot of work still to do. That work began well when the Lithuanian player Kasparas Klezys shoved with pocket tens into Mello’s pocket kings. The kings made a set on the flop, but Klezys flopped a gutshot draw to a straight so the Brazilian Mello was still sweating. He held through turn and river to eliminate Klezys for $81,100 and it felt like a pivotal moment.

The longest-lasting American player busted next as Clement Deng bid his tablemates good luck and headed to the rail for $103,500. All-in with ace-king, Deng was done when Mello’s queen-ten flopped a ten and that was the highest card that landed on the board. As five players remained, Mello had grabbed a big lead at a vital time.

The last French player to lose their stack in the event was Maxime Parys, who busted in fifth place for $128,000. All-in with a suited queen-nine, Buhaiov again called, this time with ace-eight and on a board of A-K-2-Q-K he prevailed to jump into second place with four players remaining.

Allan Mello Wins the Million

Four men battled towards glory, but it wasn’t long before the podium places were reached and it was the Maksim Vaskresenski who missed out. All-in for 19 big blinds with just nine-three suited, Mello’s call with ace-nine was a crusher for the Polish player as a board of K-Q-J-5-6 eliminated Vaskresenski for a score of $158,500.

Out in third was the Norwegian player Morten Norland. He found a better hand to move with, shoving with pocket eights, but Mello woke up with pocket kings and the cowboys shot down the snowmen to eliminate Norland and guarantee that he would miss out on the heads-up, cashing for a stunning score of $263,500 in third place.

Heads-up, Mello had a big lead, but the Ukrainian player Buhaiov actually overcame the chip leader. Working his way into a lead himself, Buhaiov had Mello exactly where he wanted him when the eventual winner was all-in and at risk with queen-deuce. Buhaiov held king-ten, and a ten on the flop meant that Mello went to the river with just three outs to shout for. The Poker Gods were on his side, as one of the three queens in the deck landed on the river to double up Mello.

As the Brazilian worked his way into a lead, it seemed like fate was in his corner. In the final hand, the Ukrainian bluffed the river with just ten-high. Mello called with second pair, a pair of sevens, and that hero-call ended the event, winning Mello $1,000,000 as Buhaiov’s run came to an end in second place for $593,500.

Allan Mello celebrated wildly with his friends as he won his first-ever WSOP bracelet, and the defining moment of his poker career was crown by winning gold on Paradise Island in Atlantis.