Aaron Mermelstein has become the latest member of the World Poker Tour Champions Club after defeating Eugene Todd, in heads-up action, to take the crown at the Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City.

Aaron Mermelstein has prevented Shawn Cunix from becoming the 21st player to win two World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event titles, with a life altering tournament performance in Atlantic City.

[Image Credit: WPT]

The 27-year old from Philadelphia was playing in only his third-ever WPT event, when he walked away from the Borgata Winter Poker Open as the only remaining contestant from 989 entries, and $712,350 the richer.

It was a tough final table.

Season X WPT Jacksonville winner Cunix was joined by the likes of Season 6 WPT Borgata final tablist Eugene Todd, former Deepstacks Tour winner Randy Pfeifer, and World Series of Poker (WSOP) final tablist Justin Liberto.

Mermelstein came into the final table second in chips. Cunix had the chip lead. The next nine hours of play would see 181 hands splayed across the table; 17 different lead changes, and four different chip leaders. It was like a game of pass the parcel with the WPT trophy playing the role of parcel. When the music stopped it remained in Mermelstein’s hands.