It took 20 years for the poker pro to notch a win at his favorite casino
Longtime poker pro Mukul Pahuja finally achieved a personal milestone at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. After more than two decades of playing tournaments at the property, Pahuja captured his first title there by winning the $400 PokerNews PowerStack event.
The tournament attracted 981 entries across five starting flights, building a prize pool of $323,730. Only 118 players returned for Day 2, where the pace of eliminations quickly reduced the field. By the second break, just 25 competitors remained in contention.
Pahuja entered the final table third in chips and immediately began building momentum. He eliminated Aaron Hendi early in the final stages, followed by Anthony Cicali and Rajath Tangam. Those knockouts helped push him into position for a run at the title.
Several dramatic hands shaped the final table. At one point, Giuseppe Lomuscio held trip tens on the river but lost a huge pot to Alberto Sabogali, who had already made a full house. Sabogali later added another highlight by eliminating Alex Paredes with a straight flush.
When play reached heads-up, Pahuja faced Sabogali with the trophy still on the line. The two briefly discussed a deal to divide the remaining prize money but ultimately decided to continue playing for the title.
The decisive hand came shortly after Sabogali lost a large pot holding pocket sevens against Pahuja’s king-queen. That clash left Sabogali with only a few big blinds. A final all-in saw Sabogali holding eight-seven while Pahuja revealed pocket aces to close out the tournament.
The victory earned Pahuja $55,165 along with a RunGood Poker Series ring and the Borgata trophy. The win added another highlight to a career that already includes more than $6 million in live tournament earnings.
For Pahuja, the moment carried extra meaning. Borgata has long been one of his regular stops, making the long-awaited home-casino victory especially satisfying.
