Ben Volpe Wins Event #45 $1,500 Ante-Only No Limit Hold'em ($201,399)
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Ben Volpe has bested a starting field of 678 entrants to win Event #45 $1,500 Ante-Only No-Limit Hold'em, taking home $201,399 and the coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelet. Volpe earned his third cash of this year’s series as he conquered a 12-hour long final table, and an almost 100-hand heads-up battle.
The day started with everyone settling in and getting comfortable, before the short-stack Sam Panzica was the first to fall. After facing a raise from Paul Lieu, Panzica moved all in and was called, as his 
was behind to Lieu’s 
. The board would bring no help to Panzica, as he was the first to hit the rail.
Daniel Johnson was the next to fall, as he moved all in with the 
on a flop of 
against Blair Hinkle’s 
. Unfortunately for Johnson, the on the turn was not the spade he was looking for, as it gave Hinkle the full house, as he made his way to the rail in 8th place.
Eventual second place finisher Paul Lieu, had a tough time with seven remaining, as he was at the bottom of the chips counts, before two crucial hands brought him back to life. In the first, he committed the last of his chips with 
against Chris Moorman’s 
on a flop of 
. He was able to spike the 
on the turn to double back up. Shortly after, he used his new earned wealth, to eliminated Adam Stone from the final table.
Stone had Lieu barely covered, and moved all in with the 
against Lieu’s 
. Lieu was lucky enough to find the 
on the flop, as Stone was left with an ante heading into the next hand. He won that one, but lost to Blair Hinkle in the next, as we were left with six.
Shortly after, Horacio Chaves moved all in for his remaining chips with the and was called by Lieu, who had 
. The board was unable to assist Chaves, who finished the day collecting $33,371 for his efforts.
Chris Moorman started the day as one of the lowest chip stacks, and was able to make it to the final five, before the inform Lieu was on a mission to eliminate another player on his quest for victory, The remaining five players limped into the pot, and saw the flop come 
{
, before Moorman moved all and was called by Lieu. Moorman had the 
and was up against Lieu’s 
. He wasn't able to improve with his bottom pair, as we were left with just four.
The next to go was the most coveted player at the final table, Blair Hinkle. He was hoping to win his second WSOP bracelet, after securing his first five years ago in the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em event. Hinkle showed that starting with the second lowest chip stack at the beginning of the day was no problem, as he maneuvered his way to the chip lead before finally succumbing to the might of Lieu. Hinkle limped into the pot, and was met with a raise from Lieu, before he opted to moved all in, and was snap called. He tabled his 
, but was in bad shape against Lieu’s . His fate was all but sealed, as the flop came queen high, giving Lieu a set, and he was unable to finding running cards, as his hopes of capturing a second bracelet, fell agonizingly close.
Which brings us to Louis Bonnecaze, who was also looking to add to his impressive resume, after capturing two WSOP bracelets, over 20 years ago. He put in a great effort, but had run into Ben Volpe, after both players flopped a pair. Volpe's top pair of queens led all the way against Bonnecaze’s bottom pair of sixes, as he was eliminated in 3rd place.
Heads up started with Ben Volpe holding more than a 2:1 chip lead, and lasted almost 100 hands. The chips exchanged from one side of the table to the other, before Volpe had the chance to send Lieu home, much earlier then he eventually did. Lieu opened to 40,000, before being met with a raise to 140,000 in chips. He tanked for a minute, before moving all in, and was snap called. Volpe held and was in great shape against Lieu’s 
. Everything went to plan, as the flop and turn were no help to Lieu, as he was one card from elimination. But the 
was able to spike on the river, sending one rail into hysterics, as another one was quickly silenced.
But Volpe didn’t let the deficit affect him, as he clawed his way back, regained the lead, and 40 hand's later, sealed the victory. Lieu played extremely well, adding to his four cashes already obtained in this year’s series, and winning almost more than all his previous cashes combined.
2013 WSOP Event #45 Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Prize Money |
| 1 | Ben Volpe | 201,399 |
| 2 | Paul Lieu | 124,352 |
| 3 | Louis Bonnecaze | 80,839 |
| 4 | Blair Hinkle | 59,375 |
| 5 | Chris Moorman | 44,227 |
| 6 | Horacio Chaves | 33,371 |
| 7 | Adam Stone | 25,472 |
| 8 | Danny Johnson | 19,660 |
| 9 | Samuel Panzica | 15,331 |
That concludes our coverage of Event #45. Keep your browsers locked to PokerNews.com for the rest of the World Series of Poker as we bring you all of the action, as it happens, from the 2013 WSOP.