Event 4 - One outer for the double up

$500 Buy-In + $60 Entry Deep Stack No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 2500/5000 Ante 500

42 players remain, the average stack is 205K.

At one table, a player moved all in for about 100K on a J♥6♣3♠ flop. He was called by a big stack at the table who turned over pocket queens. The all in player showed Q♦J♦ and would need a miracle jack to survive. To make matters worse, a player who had been involved in the hand and folded stated he had folded Ace-Jack meaning there was only one jack left in the deck. The turn was the T♦ but the river was that one outer, the J♠. The player with queens slammed his hand down on the table, but quickly regained his composure and told the other player "nice hand." His opponent grinned, almost ashamed, as he responded "I'll never be able to say a word about sucking on someone again."

This is what a one outer looks like

Event 5: Omaha Bubbling

$400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B   

Level 17: Limits 6k/12k

They're down to 19 players and have been playing hand-for-hand for a while.  Of course with the high-low aspect and split pots, this bubble could take a while to burst.

Mike Gray

Mike Gray (Myrtle Beach, SC) was the chip leader with 210k, but then he got scooped.

Gabriel Ramos

Gabriel Ramos (Durham, NC) is now the chip leader with about 200k.

Event 4 Update

$500 Buy-In + $60 Entry Deep Stack No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds2.5K/5K Ante 500

Players are on 15 minute break. There are 44 players remaining, just 6 shy of the money. More coverage coming soon as we approach the bubble.

Event 5: 21 Remain

$400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B  

Level 16: Limits 5k/10k

21 players remain, so they're just two spots from the money.

Shawn Busse

Shawn Busse (Massapequa, NY) appears to be in the lead with about 95k.

Other familiar faces still in the field:

Frank Rasile
Chris Reslock
Allen Chou
Glenn Englebert
Joe Loguidice

Event 4: Chip Leader

$500 + $60 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Level 16: 2k/4k/400 ante

Gabriel Leost

Gabriel Leost (France via Chevy Chase, MD) is the chip leader with about 400k.

52 players remain.  Average stack is 166k.

Event 5 - Payouts

Borgata Poker Open
Event 5:  $400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B
September 6-7, 2013

Entries:  106
Total Buy-in:  $42,400

PAYOUTS:
1:      $12,337
2:       $6,786
3:       $3,907
4:       $3,290
5:       $2,468
6:       $2,056
7:       $1,645
8:       $1,234
9:          $925
10-12:  $823
13-15:  $720
16-18:  $617

Event 4 - Payouts

Borgata Poker Open
Event 4:  $500 + $60 Deep Stack No Limit Hold'em
September 6-7, 2013

Entries:  345
Total Buy-in:  $172,500

PAYOUTS:
1:       $45,183
2:       $25,099
3:       $15,611
4:       $12,549
5:         $9,872
6:         $8,115
7:         $6,526
8:         $4,936
9:         $3,347
10-12:  $2,175
13-15:  $1,799
16-18:  $1,431
19-27:  $1,171
28-36:  $1,037

Event 1 Recap

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

The largest field in East Coast poker history came down to two players who have a proven track record against massive fields. Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) defeated Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) heads up to outlast the 4,482 total entries in the premiere event of the Borgata Poker Open

On the final hand, Rozenfeld held 7♠ 4♠ and missed a flush draw against Wach's K♥ K♠, but went runner-runner two-pair to win the title.

"I had a feeling about it," said Rozenfeld said about going to war with 7-4, "they were the same cards he had when he folded the flush." Rozenfeld earned $363,091, the biggest payday of his career, as he wins his second Borgata trophy.

A pivotal heads up hand came with Wach folding 7♥ 4♥ face up on a paired board to Rozenfeld's all in bet for the title. The huge pot flipped the chip lead into Rozenfeld's favor which he never relinquished.

While Rozenfeld won his second title, it prevented Wach, who earned $235,627 for second place, from claiming his first. And it was the second straight year Wach finished second in the opening event of this series.

Last year Wach was runner-up to Benny Bianco in a field of 3,705 entries, the previous East Coast record. That's two second place finishes in back-to-back years for Wach against combined entries of 8,187 (.99975 of both fields).

Rozenfeld also went deep in 2012 with a 25th place finish.  "I learned a lot from that," said Rozenfeld who is a New York car salesman. "I replayed the mistakes I made and used it this time."

The other big story was Alida Veliu's (Wyckoff, NJ) third place finish for $155,639.

"I'm estatic right now," said Veliu, who quadrupled her career tournament earnings.

"This is a different caliber than I'm used to, so I'm satisfied. I had a dream last night that I beat Dan heads up, but dreams don't always come true."

The tournament began with two starting days and saw a Borgata one day record entry of 2,812 for Day 1B. The money bubble broke on Day 2 with the top 400 players earning a min cash of $1,138.

Recognizable names who made it to Day 3 and the final two tables included Ralph Massey (10th) and John DiBella (18th).

Those in the top 100 included Vinny Pahuja (35th), Laura Church (49th), Shankar Pillai (53rd), Roman Valerstein (56th), Travell Thomas (58th), Mark Sykes (77th), Alyson Parker (91st), Gary Ackerman (94th), Tony Sinhishtaj (95th) and Stephanie Hubbard (98th).

Rozenfeld now has book end trophies after winning his first title during the 2011 Borgata Summer Poker Open.

Final Table Results 

Entries:  4,482
Total Buy-In:  $2,241,000

Place-Name-Amount

1st Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) $363,091
2nd Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) $235,627
3rd Alida Veliu (Wyckoff, NJ) $155,639 
4th Brian Henryk (Monroe Twp., NJ) $127,898 
5th Alex Apostol (Staten Island, NY) $102,969 
6th Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) $79,124 
7th Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY) $56,362
8th Andy Andrejevic (Miami, FL) $40,624 
9th Ryan Dion (Blackwood, NJ) $26,013 
10th Ralph Massey (Chicago, IL) $16,800

FINAL RESULTS

Event 1 Winner: Rozenfeld

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) 

$363,091

Blinds 500k/1 million/100k ante

Maksim Rozenfeld raises to 2.2 million, Dan Wach makes it 5.5 million and Rozenfeld calls.

Flop: 9♠ 3♠ 6♥

Wach bets 2.4 million, Rozenfeld makes it 10 million, Wach, who starts the hand with 25 million moves all in; Rozenfeld calls.

Rozenfeld: 7♠ 4♠ (flush draw)
Wach: K♥ K♠ (over pair)

Turn: 7♣ (Rozenfeld pair of 7s)

River: 4♦

Rozenfeld goes runner-runner two pair to win the hand, the tournament and $363,091 first place prize.

"The top," says Rozenfeld about winning his second career Borgata trophy. "I've had 20 or 30 thousand (dollars) before, but I won't be quitting my day job," says the car salesman.

Rozenfeld won an event during the 2011 Borgata Summer Poker Open for $28,000 ($450 entry) and finished 25th in this same event last year for another $8,000.

Final Table Results

Place-Name-Amount

1st Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) $363,091
2nd Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) $235,627
3rd Alida Veliu (Wyckoff, NJ) $155,639 
4th Brian Henryk (Monroe Twp., NJ) $127,898 
5th Alex Apostol (Staten Island, NY) $102,969 
6th Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) $79,124 
7th Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY) $56,362
8th Andy Andrejevic (Miami, FL) $40,624 
9th Ryan Dion (Blackwood, NJ) $26,013 
10th Ralph Massey (Chicago, IL) $16,800

Event 1: 2nd Place - Wach

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) 

$235,627

Blinds 500k/1 million/100k ante 

Dan Wach didn't win the premiere tournament of the Borgata Poker Open, but his performance in this event over the last two years his bind boggling. He finished runner-up for the second straight year.

2013 2nd out of 4,482 Entries
2012 2nd out of 3,705 Entries

He finished behind just two players Maksim Rozenfeld (2013) and Benny Bianco (2012) out of 8,187 total entries (.99975% of the fields) and players on Twitter are recognizing the feat:

Wow Dan Wach is so absurd. Well done and amazing run once again
— Vinny Pahuja (@vinpahuja) September 7, 2013

Another deep run and his third top three finish, adds to his success over the last year which includes a third place finish in June's Borgata Summer Poker Open.

Year-Event-Result

2013 Borgata Poker Open (Event 1) $235,627
2012 Summer Open (Champ Event) $67, 241
2012 Borgata Poker Open (Event 1) $200,793

Three Event Borgata Total: $503,661

This year's elimination comes with Wach holding pocket Kings against Rozenfeld's 7♠ 4♠. All the chips are in on the flop with Rozenfeld on a flush draw, but ends up runner-runner for two pairs.

Event 4 and Event 5 Updates

Event 4, the $500 Buy-In + $60 Entry Deep Stack No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry) event is playing level 13 where the blinds are 1K/2K with a 300 ante. There are 100 players remaining.

Event 5, the $400 Buy-In + $50 Entry Omaha H/L 8B event is also playing level 13 with 1K/2K blinds and 2K/4K limits. There are 46 players remaining in this event.

More coverage on these events will be forthcoming.

Event 1: Dinner Break

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Play resumes at 8:30 pm with the next blinds 500k/1 million/100k ante.

In a huge hand at the end of the last level, Dan Wach folds to Maksim Rozenfeld's all-in bet with the board showing Q♥ 3♥ 4♣ Q♠ 10♥.

Wach tables 7♥ 4♥ for the flush and gives Rozenfeld the chip lead.

Dinner break chip counts:

Rozenfeld 58 million
Wach 31 million

Event 1: 3rd Place - Veliu

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Alida Veliu (Wyckoff, NJ) 

$155,639

Blinds 400k/800k/100k ante 

After shipping a double-up to Maksim Rozenfeld and becoming the short stack three-handed, Veliu sends the rest of her chips to Rozenfeld.

Rozenfeld, Veliu & Dan Wach see a flop of Q 10 3 and all three players check.

Turn: 2

Rozenfeld bets 1.7 million, Wach folds, Veliu makes it 4 million, Rozenfeld moves all in and Veliu calls 14 million more and is at risk.

Veliu: A 10 (Ace high)
Rozenfeld: Q7 (pair of Queens)

Rozenfeld hits trips on the river to win the hand and takes his stack to 40 million.

Veliu finishes in third place for $155,639.

"I'm estatic right now," says Veliu, who quadruples her career tournament earnings.

"This is a different caliber than I'm used to, so I'm satisfied. I had a dream last night that I beat Dan (Wach) heads up, but dreams don't always come true."

Heads Up Chip Counts

Dan Wach 50 million
Maksim Rozenfeld 40 million

Event 1: 4th Place - Henryk

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

  Brian Henryk (Monroe Twp., NJ) 

$127,898 

Blinds 400k/800k/100k ante 

Brian Henryk raises from the button to 2.5 million and Alida Veliu calls from the SB.

Flop: Q 10 4

Henryk moves all in for 7 million and Veliu snap calls.

Veliu: A Q (top pair, top kicker)
Henryk: J 10 (middle pair)

Veliu dodges the turn and river to take her chip stack to 37 million and is dueling with Dan Wach for the chip lead.

Earlier at the final table a pivotal hand came when Henryk tank called Veliu's 10 million all in and was dominated 77 vs 88 for half his stack.

Henryk finishes in 4th place for $127,898.

Chip Counts:

Dan Wach 42 million
Alida Veliu 37 million
Maksim Rozenfeld 10 million

Event 1: 5th Place - Apostol

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Alex Apostol (Staten Island, NY) 

$102,969 

Blinds 300k/600k/50k ante 

Alex Apostol nurses a short stack with 15 players left and turns it into a 6-figure payday.

Apostol is all in for 9 million with K9 and is against the AQ of Dan Wach, who hits the wheel on the river. Wach, who began the day as chip leader is back on top with 37 million.

Apostol finishes in 5th place for $102,969.

Event 1: 6th Place - Skochilo

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) 

$79,124

Blinds 300k/600k/50k ante 

Igor Skochilo moves all in for 10 million after Maksim Rozenfeld makes an initial raise to 1.3 million; Rozenfeld calls.

Skochilo: AK
Rozenfeld: 99

Board: 4-5-4-Q-Q

Skochilo doesn't connect and finishes in 6th place for $79,124.

Event 1: 7th Place - Ha

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY) 

$56,362

Blinds 300k/600k/50k ante 

Vimy Ha calls the preflop raise of 1.3 million by Dan Wach and they see a flop of  9♣ 8x 2♣

Wach c-bets 1.3 million, Ha moves all in for 7 million and Wach calls

Wach: J♣ 6♣ (flush draw)
Ha: Qx 10x (Queen-high)

Turn:Q (Ha pair of Queens, Wach adds gutshot draw)

River: 10x

Wach goes runner-runner straight to take his chip stack to 20 million.

Ha is out in 7th place for $56,362

Event 1: Chip Counts

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Blinds 300k/600k/50k ante

Name-Chip Count (Millions)

Brian Henryk (Monroe Twp., NJ) 26.3
Alex Apostol (Staten Island, NY)  12.7
Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) 13.1
Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY) 10.6    
Alida Veliu (Wyckoff, NJ) 10.7
Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) 9
Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) 8

Event 1: 8th Place - Andrejevic

 $500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Andy Andrejevic (Miami, FL) 

$40,624

Blinds 250k/500k/50k ante

Andy Andrejevic hits some bad luck down the stretch and is out in 8th place.

Andrejevic (99) loses a flip to Alex Apostol (AK) when the flop comes A K 5, giving Apostol a 2.4 million double up.

The last of Andrejevic's 1 million chips go to Alida Veliu.

Veliu: A Q
Andrejevic: 10 8

Flop: K 5 2 (Veliu still leads)

Turn: 10 (Andrejevic pair of 10s)

River: J

Veliu hits a straight on the river to get the knockout and taker her stack to 13 million.

Andrejevic takes home $40,624 for finishing in 8th place.

Event 4: Deep Stack Moving Along

$500 + $60 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

 Jason Rosenberg

Level 9: 400/800/75 ante

Jason Rosenberg (Raliegh, NC) is the chip leader with 175k.
190 players remain of 345 entries; the average stack is 45k (57 bb).

Big Stacks 

Jason Rosenberg (Raliegh, NC) 175k
Ireneusz Jozwiak (Fredrick, MD) 160k
Andrew Huene (Raliegh, NC) 135k

Event 1: 10th Place - Massey

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Ralph Massey (Chicago, IL) 

$16,800

Blinds 250k/500k/50k ante

Just back from break and Ralph Massey moves all in for 5 million with pocket 9s, but runs into the pocket Jacks of Maksim Rozenfeld.

The Jacks hold and Massey finishes in 10th place for $16,800.

Event 1: 9th Place - Dion

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Ryan Dion (Blackwood, NJ) 

$26,013

Blinds 250k/500k/50k ante 

Ryan Dion and Alida Veliu see a flop of 8♦ 10♦ 8♣ and Dion is all in for 5 million; Veliu calls.

Veliu: Jx J♦ (over pair)
Dion: Q♦ 9♦ (straight flush draw)

Veliu has a blocker with the J♦ and her pair of Jacks hold.

Dion finishes in 9th place for $26,013.

Event 1: Final Table

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Blinds 200k/400k/40k ante

The average chip stack is 8.9 million (22 bb).

Final Table

Seat-Name-Chip Count (in Millions)

1 Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) 10
2 Brian Henryk (Monroe Twp., NJ) 15.5
3 Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY) 8
4 Ryan Dion (Blackwood, NJ) 2.9
5 Ralph Massey (Chicago, IL) 5.5
6 Andy Andrejevic (Miami, FL) 7.8
7 Alida Veliu (Wyckoff, NJ) 12
8 Alex Apostol (Staten Island, NY) 5
9 Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) 12
10 Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) 15

Event 1: 11th Place - Desimone

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Joe Desimone (Liverpool, NY) 

$16,800 

Blinds 200k/400k/40k ante 

A4 vs A3 of Massey who four flushes with the 3 for 1.5 million, after being crippled with KQ vs KJ of Andy Andrejevic who flops a straight on a Q 10 9 board for 4 million.

Event 1: 12th Place - Fernandez

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Raul Fernandez (Toms River, NJ) 

$16,800 

Blinds 200k/400k/40k ante 

(KJ vs QQ of Henryk for 4 mill)

Events 4 & 5 Update

Registration is closing in the Event 4 $560 Deep Stack with more than 300 players. Players are on their second break of the day and moving up to Level 7 (250/500/50 ante).

In Event 5 ($450 Omaha H/L 8B) the field is closing in on 100 players.

Event 1: Chip Counts

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Blinds 150k/300k/40k ante

Table 1

1 Maksim Rozenfeld (Staten Island, NY) 7 million
2 Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) 9 million
3
4 Ryan Dion (Blackwood, NJ) 9 million
5 Raul Fernandez (Toms River, NJ) 3.5 million
6 Alex Apostol (Staten Island, NY) 1 million
7 Brian Henryk (Monroe Twp., NJ) 10.6
8
9

Table 2

1 Andy Andrejevic (Miami, FL) 3.4 million
2
3
4 Vimy Ha (Brooklyn, NY) 10 million
5
6 Igor Skochilo (Astoria, NY) 20 million
7 Alida Veliu (Wyckoff, NJ) 8 million
8 Joe Desimone (Liverpool, NY) 3 million
9 Ralph Massey (Chicago, IL) 4 million

Event 1: 13th Place - Baksh

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Wazir Baksh (Queens Village,NY) 

$12,465

Blinds 120k/240k/40k ante 
 
 (K9 vs AJ of Ha for 3.5 mill)

Event 1: 14th Place - Lamora

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Brandon Lamora (Albany, NY)

$12,465

Blinds 120k/2400k/40k ante 

Brandon Lamora takes the beat in stride, but isn't happy with having Aces cracked deep in this even.

Lamora ships a 1.3 million double-up to Brian Henryk's KJ when the flop (K K 8) and turn (J) give
Lamora a full house.

A few hands later, Lamora ships the remaining 1.3 million to Dan Wach with Q8 against K2 and Wach hits the King; Wach has been struggling for traction and has seen 14 million drop into the 8-9 million range.

Lamora takes home $12,465 for his 14th place finish.

Event 1: 15th Place - Levine

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

 Matty Levine (Harrison, NY) 

$12,465 

Blinds 120k/240k/30k ante 

Matty Levine is crippled by Vinny Ha for 3.5 million and then gets the last million with K 9 against Ha's pocket 6s.

Ha flops a 9 to take his stack to 8 million.

Levine finishes in 15th place for $12,465.

Event 1: 16th Place - Short

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

John Short (Franklinville, NJ) 

$9,755 

Blinds 120k/240k/30k ante

John Short is low on chips with 800k (< 3 bb) and ships with pocket 5s against the pocket 9s of Raul Fernandez.

Short doesn't improve and is out in 16th place for $9,755.

Event 1: 17th Place - Bennington

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Michael Bennigton (Richardson, TX) 

$9,755

Blinds 100k/200k/30k ante

Michael Bennigton moves all in for 7.5 million on a 9♦ Q♥ J♦ A♦ board and Igor Skochilo snap calls with the turned flush (8♦ 9♦).

Bennington is drawing dead with A♣ 10♥ and finishes in 17th place for $9,755.

"It's better than a sharp stick in the eye," says Bennington who is an emergency doctor, who just moved to Las Vegas. After a runner-up finish in the WSOP Millionaire Maker for nearly $750,000, he's putting medicine on hold and taking a shot at poker.

"This is my first time here," says Bennington. "The place is beautiful, it's been great. This is only the first event and I'm hoping for a lot more (success). It's a blast."

Skochilo takes the chip lead at more than 20 million.  Start of Day 3 chip leader Dan Wach has lost 2 million is down to 12 million.

Event 1: 18th Place - Dibella

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

John DiBella (New Rochelle, NY) 

$9,755

Blinds 100k/200k/30k ante

John DiBella begins the day tangling with Wazir Baksh in two pots that cost him 2 million chips and then ships his last 3.1 million from the SB.

Igor Skochilo opens the betting and gets a call from Michael Bennington, before DiBella squeezes from the BB with Q♥ J♥.

Skochilo makes the call with Aces and Bennington gets out of the way.

DiBella picks up a pair on the turn, but bricks the river giving Skochilo 10.7 million in chips.

DiBella, who has more than $2.1 million in career earnings, finishes in 18th place for $9,755.

Event 1: Gang's All Here

$500 + $60 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry) 

Blinds 80k/160k/20k ante

Play resumes with just a few minutes on the level. Dan Wach is the chip leader with 14.3 million (89 bb), nearly double Vimy Ha's second place stack of 7.6 million.

The average stack is 4.98 million (31 bb) Alex Apostole returns as the short stack with 1.5 million (9 bb).

Remaining Prize Pool

1st $363,091
2nd $235,627
3rd $155,639
4th $127,898
5th $102,969
6th  $79,124
7th  $56,362
8th  $40,624
9th  $26,013
10th-12th $16,800
13th-15th $12,465
16th-18th  $9,755

Event 5: Early Look at Omaha

$400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B 

The Event 1, Day 3, Final 2 Table restart kicks off in minutes and will grab most of the day's attention, so here's an early look at the series' second Omaha tournament.

Players start with 15k in chips and levels are 30 minutes to start (Levels 11+ / 40 min.).

"Miami" John Cernuto (Las Vegas, NV) is one of the first to arrive and looking to add to his bankroll after not cashing in Thursday (into Friday's) PLO.

 The two-day tournament kicks off at noon.

Event 2: Tournament Over, Twitter Still Going

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

@Spewheb congrats mahhh dude! You are from a Dave Chappell right now =)
— John Allan Hinds (@JABistro) September 6, 2013

Congrats to Soheb Porbandarwala (@spewheb), winner of @BorgataPoker Event 2 for just over $56,000
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) September 6, 2013

@SavingTheGreen Nice run Tim. Great job!!! Lousy 9!!
— Cullen H Hofmann (@CullenHMan) September 6, 2013

“@Spewheb: I wanna hug someone. Someone come hug me in the event center.” I'm coming down now!! Congrats kiddo!!!
— Michael Dentale (@Mikunbelievable) September 6, 2013

Event 2: Photo Slideshow

May not work on mobile devices.

Event 2 Recap

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Soheb Porbandarwala came from behind on the final hand to rake all 10 million chips in play and claim his first Borgata Poker Open title and $56,170.  He also pocketed seven bounties during the day.

Tim Little finished in 2nd place, earning $31,579.  The self-proclaimed "wanna-be" poker pro earned nine bounties along the way.  Tim attended Lee Childs' "Inside the Minds" poker training earlier this year, and went on to bust Lee out of this event in 5th place ($12,865).

Third place and $19,883 went to Vinny Tronu, an occasional poker player who manages a retail store full time.

The first Bounty main event brought out 689 entries, amassing total buy-ins of $241,150 and putting $68,900 in bounties up for grabs.  The last 63 players in the hunt earned a payday, but many more earned $100 bounties along the way.

Marsha Wolak, (Sarasota, FL) 2011 WSOP Ladies event winner, finished 289th in Event 1 earlier today, earning $1,333.  After busting out of that event, she jumped into this event, eventually finishing in 60th place ($795) and cashing in two events in one day.

Another notable player in this event was WSOP bracelet winner Mike 'Little Man' Sica.  He received an ovation from the room when he arrived and was welcomed back after missing the last Borgata Open series due to his battle with cancer.

Porbandarwala calls himself a "recreational gambler" who is studying journalism and political science.  He didn't have to re-enter this event, but early on during the 800/1,600 blind level, he was all-in with pocket 4s against pocket Aces -- and thought he was headed for the door.  Then he rivered a 4 to survive.  He went on to parlay that suck-out into a $56,170 payday.  He's going to take a vacation with his family, but expects to return for the Championship event.


Final Table Results
1 - Soheb Porbandarwala (Stamford, CT)  $56,170

2 - Tim Little (Cheverly, MD)  $31,579

3 - Vinny Tronu (Brigantine, NJ)  $19,883

4 - Andy Spears (Buffalo, NY)  $16,140

5 - Lee Childs (Charlestown, WV)  $12,865

6 - Michael Borovetz (Pittsburgh, PA)  $10,643
7 - Harry Rose (Cumberland, MD)  $8,538
8 - Anthony Antico (Staten Island, NY)  $6,433
9 - Jay Jin (Herndon, VA)  $4,444
10 - Daniel Quinn (Clarence, NY)  $3,041

FINAL RESULTS

Event 4: 24 Hour Service

$500 + $60 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Level 1: 25/50

After handing out two trophies mid morning, the Borgata Fall Poker Open machine rolls on with another
event kicking off less than 30 minutes after the last one wrapped.

This is truly a Deep Stack with 25k starting stacks and 30 minute levels to start (Levels 7+ / 40 min.).

Re-entry and late registration is open for 6 levels and this is a two-day event.

Event 2: 1st Place - Porbandarwala

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)   

 Soheb Porbandarwala (Stamford, CT)

$56,170

After being the short-stack three handed, then moving up to middle-stack three handed, then taking the chip lead heads-up, Soheb Porbandarwala came from behind on the final hand to rake all 10 million chips in play and claim his first Borgata Poker Open title and $56,170.  He also pocketed seven bounties during the day.

Soheb calls himself a "recreational gambler" who is studying journalism and political science.  He didn't have to re-enter this event, but early on during the 800/1,600 blind level, he was all-in with pocket 4s against pocket Aces -- and thought he was headed for the door.  Then he rivered a 4 to survive.

He's going to take a vacation with his family, but expects to return for the Championship event.

Event 2: 2nd Place - Little

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)   

Tim Little (Cheverly, MD)

$31,579

Blinds 60k/120k/20k ante

Tim Little opened for 350k on the button.

Soheb Porbandarwala shoved.

Tim called all-in.

Soheb:  K9
Tim: AQ

Board: 9 8 5 4 6

Soheb paired his 9 to take the pot and since he had Tim covered, he took the tournament, too.

Tim Little finished in 2nd place, earning $31,579.  The self-proclaimed "wanna-be" poker pro earned nine bounties along the way, also.  Tim attended Lee Childs' "Inside the Minds" poker training earlier this year, and went on to bust Lee out of this event earlier in 5th place.

Event 2: 3rd Place - Tronu

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)  

 Vinny Tronu (Brigantine, NJ)

$19,883

Blinds 60k/120k/20k ante

Soheb Porbandarwala opened, then Vinny Tronu shoved.

Soheb snap-called.

Vinny: QJ
Soheb: AQ

Board: T 9 2 6 3

Soheb took the pot and had Vinny covered,

Vinny finished in 3rd place, earning $19,883.

Vinny works as a manager in a retail store, but plays tournaments and cash games when he can find the time.  He hopes to make it back for some more action during the Borgata Poker Open.

Event 2: Tronu Doubles

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)  

Blinds 60k/120k/20k ante

On the turn with a board of A♥6♥3♦7♥, Vinny Tronu got all-in against Tim Little.

Vinny:  K♥8♥ (nut flush)
Tim:  5♣4♣ (straight = drawing dead)

River:  T♦

Vinny doubled up to ~3.1 million.  Tim dropped to ~4.6 million.

The final three are still pushing chips around the table. 

Event 3: Double, Double

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

Blinds 60k/120k/20k ante

Vinny Tronu doubled through Soheb Porbandarwala.  Vinny moved up to 1.75 million while Soheb dropped to 1.2 million.

Then Tim Little raised on the button and Soheb shoved for 1.155 million from the small blind.  Tim called.

Soheb:  A5 suited
Tim:  QJ

Board:  8 6 4 2 4

Soheb's Ace-high was good.  He doubled up to ~2.4 million.

The final three players are still pushing chips around the felt.

Event 2: Shifting Chips

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

Blinds 50k/100k/10k ante

The final three are shuffling chips around the felt. 

Rough chip counts:

Tim Little 5.8 million
Soheb Porbandarwala 2.7 million
Vinny Tronu 1.8 million

Event 2: 4th Place - Spears

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Andy Spears (Buffalo, NY)

$16,140

Andy Spears had fewer than 11 big blinds when he shoved from the button with Q2 suited.

Vinny Tronu looked him up from the big blind with A5 offsuit.

Andy flopped a flush draw, but didn't get there.  Vinny's Ace-high was good for the pot.

Andy finished in 4th place, earning $16,140 (plus three bounties).

Event 2: 5th Place - Childs

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Lee Childs (Charlestown, WV)

$12,865

Blinds 40k/80k/10k ante

Lee Childs got his last 1.075 million in with A9 suited, but ran into Tim Little's AQ suited.

The better Ace held up and Tim took the pot.

Lee finished in 5th place, earning $12,865 (plus 3 bounties).  

Event 2: Little Doubles

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Blinds 40k/80k/10k ante

After Soheb Probandarwala opened, Tim Little shoved from the small blind for 1.505 million.

Andy Spears moved in over the top from the big blind.

Soheb gave it some thought, then folded.

Tim:  JJ

Andy:  TT

Board: K 4 4 2 Q

Tim doubled up to over 3 million.

Soheb tweeted that he folded AK, which would have busted both Tim and Andy if he had played.

Just folded AK or it woulda been 3 handed. Lol I'm the worst
— Soheb Porbandarwala (@Spewheb) September 6, 2013

Event 3: Photo Slideshow

 

May not work on mobile devices.

Event 3 Recap

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B   

The first trophy of the 2013 Borgata Poker Open to be awarded has been won by Joe Palma of Bensalem, PA.  He earned $17,110 and his first Borgata title after a marathon 17.5 hour tournament.  John Holley came all the way from the Sunshine State just for this tournament.  His travel was well worth it as his second place finish earned him $9,411.

Third place finisher Ryan Waddell held the chip lead for most of the day.  When Joe Palma took the last of Waddell's chips is when the momentum shifted.  Waddell was the defending champion of this event which he won last year during the 2012 BPO, along with $10,693.  He also won the 2012 Borgata Spring Poker Open Pot Limit Omaha H/L event.  His attempt to capture his third Borgata Open PLO/8 title came up short today.  He pocketed $5,418 for his efforts.

147 players entered this event, building total buy-ins of $58,800.  The final 18 players earned a piece of the prize pool.  Several well-known poker pros participated in this event, including 'Miami' John Cernuto, Chris Reslock, and Allen Kessler, but none of them made the money.

"Real smooth" is how Joe Palma described this tournament.  "I felt comfortable all day" he said.  John Holley did take the chip lead away during heads-up play when he flopped trip Kings to crack Palma's pocket Aces, but that lead swung back to Palma a short while later.

Borgata tournaments are "run very well" Palma commented.  "The dealers were very good at the end." He will be back on Monday for day 1B of event 8, the $500 + $60 Deeper Stack NLH event with the $500,000 guarantee.  When asked what he would do until then, he said "sleep".


Final Table Results
1 - Joe Palma (Bensalem, PA)  $17,111
2 - John Holley (Destin, FL)  $9,411
3 - Ryan Waddell (Downington, PA)  $5,418
4 - Donal Dril (Albany, NY)  $4,563
5 - Erik DiGuilio (West Deptford, NJ)  $3,422
6 - George Medrano (Rego Park, NY)  $ 2,852
7 - Peter Ippolito (E Meadow, NY)  $2,281
8 - Mo Farah (Bensalem, PA)  $1,711
9 - Shawn Bixler (Mount Joy, PA)  $1,283
10 - Michael Belorusov (Marlboro, NJ)  $1,141

FINAL RESULTS

Event 1 - Day 3 Table Assignments

Borgata Poker Open
Event 1: $500 + $60 Big Stack No Limit Hold'em
September 3-6, 2013

Entries:  4,482
Total Buy-In:  $2,241,000
Players Remaining:  18
Average Chip Stack:  4,980,000

START OF DAY 3 TABLE ASSIGNMENTS & CHIP COUNTS:
T1 | S1 - MAKSIM  ROZENFELD:  7,260,000
T1 | S2 - DANIEL  WACH:  14,335,000
T1 | S3 - JOHN  SHORT:  1,585,000
T1 | S4 - RYAN  DION:  1,630,000
T1 | S5 - RAUL  FERNANDEZ:  4,905,000
T1 | S6 - ALEX  APOSTOL:  1,510,000
T1 | S7 - BRIAN  HENRYK:  6,255,000
T1 | S8 - JOSEPH  DESIMONE:  4,530,000
T1 | S9 - BRANDON  LAMORA:  1,985,000

T2 | S1 - ANDJELKO  ANDREJEVIC:  6,030,000
T2 | S2 - MATTHEW  LEVINE:  3,925,000
T2 | S3 - JOHN  DIBELLA:  5,665,000
T2 | S4 - VIMY  HA:  7,630,000
T2 | S5 - WAZIR  BAKSH:  4,200,000
T2 | S6 - IGOR  SKOCHILO:  6,470,000
T2 | S7 - ALIDA  VELIU:  2,325,000
T2 | S8 - MICHAEL  BENNINGTON:  6,510,000
T2 | S9 - RALPH  MASSEY:  3,990,000

Event 2 - 6th place Michael Borovetz

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 30K/60K Antes 5K

Michael Borovetz came to the final table as the chip leader but he lost several big races. The first was the previously mentioned A-K against Lee Childs and his pocket 8's. The 2nd one, and the one that would ultimately lead to his demise, was when he moved all in with A-Q and was called by Soheb Porbandarwala's pocket jacks. Down to his last few chips, Borovetz was eliminated two hands later by Lee Childs. An unhappy Borovetz muttered "ever since he sat down, he's made me lose every hand" referring to the dealer. Borovetz stormed off to collect his prize money.

Michael Borovetz finished in 6th place winning $10,643.

Michael Borovetz (Pittsburgh, PA) - 6th place - $10,643

Event 2 - 7th place Harry Rose

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 30K/60K Antes 5K

Action is picking up big time. First, Lee Childs doubled through Michael Borovetz with pocket 8's against A-K. Childs then lost a big chunk of it back to Andy Spears with A-K against pocket 5's. Childs hit a king but a 5 on the river gave Spears the double up.

Harry Rose then moved all in for 750K with A-8 and was called by Andy Spears who held pocket queens. The first card off the deck was an ace but the 2nd card off the deck was a queen and Rose was sent to the rail.

Harry Rose finished in 7th place collecting $8,538.

Harry Rose (Cumberland, MD) - 7th place - $8,538

Event 3: 1st Place - Palma

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B    

Joe Palma (Bensalem, PA) & his railbirds

$17,110

After about seventeen and a half hours of Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, Joe Palma emerged victorious.  This is his first Borgata Open title.

He used to play at Borgata more frequently, until a casino opened closer to his home.  Borgata tournaments are "run very well" Joe commented.  "The dealers were very good at the end."

Joe's a poker pro that plays all the games. He has cashes in No Limit Hold'em, Omaha H/L, HORSE, Stud H/L, and Limit Hold'em.  His only reported win before today was in No Limit Hold'em.

Joe "felt comfortable" all day.  Although third place finisher Ryan Waddell held the chip lead most of the time until the final table, Joe was never very short or in bad shape.  This tournament ran "real smooth" he said.

Joe is also taking a pass on the Omaha H/L event starting in a few hours.  He'll be back on Monday for day 1B of event 8, the $500 + $60 Deeper Stack NLH event with the $500,000 guarantee.

Event 3: 2nd Place - Holley

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B    

John Holley (Destin, FL)

$9,411

Level 24:  Blinds 25k/50k 

Joe Palma had John Holley on the ropes again.  John was all-in pre-flop for his last 105k.

John: Q773
Joe: K975

Board: J 2 6 6 6

John doubled up with sixes-full of 7s.

A couple of hands later, Joe raised pot from the button and John called the 200k, leaving only 35k behind.

On the flop of Q 7 7, all Joe's chips went in.

Joe:  AJ84  (Ace-high)
John: K963 (King-high)

Turn:  3 - pair of 3s for John

River: 4  - pair of 4s for Joe

Joe claimed the last pot and the title.  John finished in second place, good for $9,411.

John came up from Florida just to play this one tournament.  He likes both the pot limit and limit versions of this game, but won't be playing the Omaha Hi/Lo event (which starts in about 4.5 hours).

He used to be a fisherman, but now plays poker for a living.  He's got two wins in PLO/8 events elsewhere, plus a couple of No Limit Hold'em titles and a Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha win.  His lifetime earnings are over half a million dollars.

Event 2 - 8th place Anthony Antico

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 30K/60K Antes 5K

Anthony Antico was down to nine big blinds and moved all in first to act with K♦Q♦. Vinny Tronu moved all as well with A♥Q♠. The flop came with an ace and that would be all Tronu would need to collect Antico's black chip bounty.

Anthony Antico finished in 8th place winning $6,433.

Anthony Antico (Staten Island, NY) - 8th place - $6,433

Event 2 - 9th Place Jay Jin

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 25K/50K Antes 5K

A short stack Jay Jin moved all in with A-J and was called by Vinny Tronu and his A-K. The better hand prevailed and Jay Jin is our 9th place finisher.

Jay Jin finishes in 9th place collecting $4,444.

Jay Jin (Herndon, VA) - 9th place - $4,444

September 6

TODAY'S EVENTS (EVENT CENTER)

11AM: Event 4 - $500 + $60 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• Players start with 25,000 in tournament chips 
• Levels 1-6: will last 30 minutes each | Levels 7+: will last 40 minutes each 
• Players that bust within the first 6 Levels may Re-Enter (unlimited re-entries) 
• 2-Day event

12PM: Event 5 - $400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B 

• Players start with 15,000 in tournament chips 
• Levels 1-10: will last 30 minutes each | Levels 11+: will last 40 minutes each 
• 2-Day event

4 PM: Event 30 - $150 + $30 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

• Players start with 15,000 in tournament chips 
• This is a Bounty tournament.  Players must have their Bounty chips clearly displayed on table in order to remain active in tournament
• Levels will last 20 minutes each 
• Players that bust within the first 6 Levels may Re-Enter (unlimited re-entries) 
• 1-Day event

7 PM: Event 31 - $150 + $30 No Limit Hold'em (Re-Entry)

• Players start with 12,000 in tournament chips 
• Levels will last 20 minutes each
• Players that bust within the first 6 Levels may Re-Enter (unlimited re-entries) 
• 1-Day event

Event 2 - 10th place Daniel Quinn

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 25K/50K Antes 5K

Harry Rose opened the action to 145K and a short stacked Daniel Quinn moved all in for his last 200K. Anthony Antico moved all in as well, which was enough to get Rose to fold. Quinn had A♣Q♦ and Antico had T♥T♦. Antico flopped a set on the T♣7♥2♥ and would end up hitting a winning flush when the turn and river came 9♥8♥.

Daniel Quinn finished in 10th place winning $3,041.

Daniel Quinn (Clarence, NY) 10th place - $3,041

Event 3: Palma Doubles

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B   

Level 24:  Blinds 25k/50k 

John Holley opened for 100k and Joe Palma raised to 300k.

John called.

Flop:  T 9 4

Joe bet pot (600k) and had very little left behind.  John shoved and Joe called all-in.

John:  KK74
Joe: AQ63

Turn: Q

River: 6

The low didn't come, but Joe went runner-runner two pair to scoop the pot.  He doubled up to nearly 2 million.

John was left with only ~220k.

John doubled up on the next hand with AK63 versus Joe's AQJ9.

A couple of hands later, John was back up to ~700k and Joe had about 1.6 million.

Event 3: Holley Doubles

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B   

 Level 23:  Blinds 20k/40k

John Holley's stack had been slowly moving across the felt to Joe Palma, then this big hand occurred:

Both players were in for 95k pre-flop.

On the flop of K K 5, Joe bet 125k and John raised pot, which put him all-in for his last 385k.

Joe called.

John:  KQT9
Joe:  AA32

Turn: 3

River: Q

John had flopped trip Kings and Joe's pocket Aces couldn't catch up.  When the low failed to come through for Joe, John scooped the pot, chipping up to 1.21 million. 

That left Joe with 995k.

Event 2 - Finally, the final table

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 20K/40K Antes 4K

Michael Borovetz opened for a raise and called the approximately 500K all in re-raise with A-Q. He was up against A-9 and the better hand held up and we are down to our final ten. Borovetz is the chip leader with 2.6 million in chips. The final table is as follows:

Seat 1: Anthony Antico, Staten Island, NY
Seat 2: Jay Jin, Herndon, VA
Seat 3: Lee Childs, Charlestown, WV
Seat 4: Soheb Porbandarwala, Stamford, CT
Seat 5: Vinny Tronu, Brigantine, NJ
Seat 6: Michael Borovetz, Pittsburgh, PA
Seat 7: Timothy Little, Cheverly, MD
Seat 8: Andy Spears, Buffalo, NY
Seat 9: Harry Rose, Cumberland, MD
Seat 10: Daniel Quinn, Clarence, NY

Michael Borovetz (Pittsburgh, PA)

Event 3: 3rd Place - Waddell

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B  

 Ryan Waddell (Downington, PA)

 $5,418

Level 22:  Blinds 15/30k 

Ryan Waddell had seen his stack moving in Joe Palma's direction and his final hand was no different.

Ryan got all-in pre-flop against Joe and they tabled their hands:

Ryan: K852
Joe: A633

Board:  T 4 2 T 4

Eve though Ryan paired his deuce, Joe's pocket 3s scooped the pot.

Ryan finished in 3rd place earning $5,418.

"PLO/8 is my best game" Ryan said.  I should say so.  Ryan has two Borgata Open trophies at home, both won playing this game.  His first was during the 2012 Borgata Spring Poker Open, which earned him $9,624.  His second PLO/8 victory was last year during the 2012 Borgata Poker Open.  That win earned him $10,693.

Event 2 - Birthday boy scoops big pot

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'em (Re-Entry)

When Harry Rose (Cumberland, MD) started playing in Event 2 yesterday afternoon he was celebrating his 68th birthday. He's trying to make sure he's still not playing in this same tournament on his 69th birthday. Harry opened the action to 75K and found himself facing an all in re-raise. Rose snap-called and turned over pocket queens. His opponent had 7's and was unable to find any way of improving and was thus eliminated in 12th place. Harry is up to approximately 1.5 million after the hand. Happy belated birthday Harry!

Harry Rose (Cumberland, MD)

Event 3: Lead Change

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B  

Level 22:  Blinds 15/30k

Joe Palma has flopped trips twice in recent hands to take pots from Ryan Waddell.

Joe is up to ~800k.

Ryan is down to ~540k.

John Holley is in the lead with ~850k.

Three handed play continues.

Event 3: 4th Place - Dril

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B   

Donal Dril (Albany, NY)

$4,563

Level 21:  Blinds 10k/20k 

Donal Dril got his last chips in on the turn with a low draw, but the low didn't come and his opponent scooped the pot with Ace-high.

Donal finished in 4th place, earning $4,563.

Event 2 - A Baker's Dozen

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

And we're down to 13. In a hand that saw three players move all in pre-flop, it was Jay Jin who would emerge the victor when his Queens bested the A-K and pocket 7's of the two other players. Jin would yell deuce repeatedly (Personally, I'd be rooting for a queen, but that's just me) as the board came out rags and continued so through the river. Jin tripled up to 825K while the player with pocket 7's won the side pot to eliminate the player holding A-K.

Jay Jin

Event 3: 5th Place - DiGuilio

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B  

Erik DiGuilio (West Deptford, NJ)

$3,422

Level 21:  Blinds 10k/20k 
 
Erik DiGuilio got his short stack in against John Holley after flopping Kings-up.  John had pocket Aces, so when the board paired giving John Aces-up, Erik's day was over.

Erik finished in 5th place, earning $3,422.

Rough counts for the final four:

Ryan Waddell 750k
Joe Palma 550k
John Holley 600k
Donal Dril 250k

Event 2: Breakfast Bubble

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 15K/30K Antes 4K

It's almost breakfast time here in Atlantic City at Borgata and it looks like we might be lucky if we finish before lunch time. There are 14 players left. One of the players eliminated recently busted when his A-J was bested by another player with A-K. The holder of Big Slick barely had him covered to deliver the knock out.

Lee Childs was able to double up when he opened for 50K with the blinds at 10K/20K and a big stack moved all in from the button. Childs snap called with K-K and was well ahead of his opponents suited K-J. No miracle arrived for the big stack and Childs doubled up to just under a million in chips.

Event 3: 6th Place - Medrano

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B  

George Medrano (Rego Park, NY)

$2,852

Level 20:  Blinds 8k/16k 

John Holley opened, got one caller, then George Medrano shoved for 185k.  John called.

George:  A944 single suited
John: AKJ3 suited spades

George flopped a 9, but there were also two spades.  A third spade on the turn gave John the flush and the pot.

George busted out in 6th place, earning $2,852.  He's headed home now to his wife and six-month-old baby, but will be back next weekend for more poker at Borgata.

Event 2: Keep it dirty...

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 12K/24K Antes 3K

There are 16 players remaining. A short stacked player moved all in with pocket 6's and was called by a player with A-Q. "Low cards," he pleaded. The flop was safe for his pair. "Keep it dirty," he said as the dealer put out the turn card. Another good card for his 6's. The short-stack looked nervous, as if he was expecting a bad card to come. It was a ten, and he doubled up. "I haven't begged that much since my last ex-girlfriend," he joked, surviving to see another flop.

Event 3: 7th Place - Ippolito

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B  

Peter Ippolito (E Meadow, NY)

$2,281

  
Level 20:  Blinds 8k/16k 

Peter Ippolito opened for 64k and then Joe Palma announced "pot".  Peter only had ~110k behind and he called all-in.

Peter: A544
Joe: AQQ3

Board: 9 9 8 T A

Joe scooped the pot with Aces-up, Queen kicker.  Peter finished in 7th place, earning $2,281.

Event 3: 8th Place - Farah

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B

Mo Farah (Bensalem, PA)

$1,711

Level 19:  Blinds 6k/12k 

Mo Farah got his last chips in from the big blind and was up against Donal Dril (button) and George Medrano (sb).

George: AQT9
Mo: KJT3
Donal: AKQ8

Board: A 5 3 T 3 (no flush possible)

George took the high with two pair.  Donal took the low.  Mo was shut out and sent packing in 8th place, good for $1,711.

Event 3: 9th Place - Bixler

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B

Shawn Bixler (Mount Joy, PA)

$1,283

 Level 19:  Blinds 6k/12k

Sean Bixler got his short-stack in pre-flop and called by a few players, who checked down the board.  Sean came up empty at showdown and busted out in 9th place ($1,283).

Event 3: 10th Place - Belorusov

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B

 

Michael Belorusov (Marlboro, NJ)

$1,141

Level 19:  Blinds 6k/12k 

Mo Farah and Michael Belorusov have been all-in and survived with chopped pots.

Then Michael was all-in against Peter Ippolito and his AKxx was ahead of Peter's AQ9x.

When the board ran out, Peter made a straight and no low was possible, so Peter scooped.

Michael busted out in 10th place, earning $1,141.

Michael is originally from Russia, but now lives in Marlboro, New Jersey.

Event 2: Former WSOP Main Event Final Tabler Still Alive

$350 Buy-In + $50 Entry + $100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

Blinds 8K/16K Antes 2K

Lee Childs, best known for his 7th place finish in the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event (and no, he is not the author of the Jack Reacher book series), is here playing at the Borgata Poker Open and is among the final 24 fighting to take down the $56,170 first place prize. The average stack is currently 430K and Lee is just below average with 350K. Lee told me that he's been spending more time on the East Coast with his family. "I have a three year old son and I'd rather spend time with him than these guys," he explained, nodding his head at the rest of the table. When I asked Lee if he had to deal with the terrible two's he answered "not really, he's been great."

And that is what we call running good.

Lee Childs

Event 3: Final Table Chip Counts

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B 

Level 18:  Blinds 5k/10k

Play has resumed.  Here are the approximate chip counts as of the break:

Ryan Waddell 645k
John Holley 355k
George Medrano 320k
Donal Dril 270k
Joe Palma 190k
Erik DiGuilio 180k
Shawn Bixler 65k
Michael Belorusov 65k
Mo Farah 56k
Peter Ippolito 38k

Event 3: Final Table

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B 

Level 17:  Blinds 4k/8k

Lin V (Virginia) busted out in 11th place, earning $1,141.

With his departure, the final ten players drew for seats and moved to the final table.

Here's the new lineup:

Seat - Player (Hometown)
1 - Shawn Bixler (Mount Joy, PA)
2 - Joe Palma (Bensalem, PA)
3 - Erik DiGuilio (West Deptford, NJ)
4 - John Holley (Destin, FL)
5 - Donal Dril (Albany, NY)
6 - George Medrano (Rego Park, NY)
7 - Mo Farah (Bensalem, PA)
8 - Michael Belorusov (Marlboro, NJ)
9 - Ryan Waddell (Downington, PA)
10 - Peter Ippolito (E Meadow, NY)

Shortly after the final table formed, they finished the level and took off for a break.

Event 3: Latest Departures

$400 + $50 Pot Limit Omaha H/L 8B

Level 17:  Blinds 4k/8k

 Top Row: Cana, Haveson, Scarpetta

Bottom Row: Rausenberger, Alwan, Benjamin

The latest Omaha-lics to hit the rail:

Earning $856
17th - Timothy Rausenberger (Haskell, NJ)
16th - Jerry Cana (Atlantic City, NJ)

Earning $998
15th - Frank Benjamin (Manhattan, NY)
14th - Dave Scarpetta (Lenox, PA)
13th - Brian Haveson (Garnet Valley, PA)

Earning $1,141
12th - Kal Alwan (Wayne, NJ)

Eleven players remain.  Average stack is 200k.

Event 1: No Wach for you

$500 Buy-In + $60 Entry Big Stack No Limit Hold'Em (Re-Entry)

With 19 players remaining, a short stacked player moved all in first to act from the small blind with K-5 and was called by Mike Bennington who held pocket 3's. The flop came Q-5-2 putting the short stacked player in the lead. The turn was an ace keeping the short stacked player in the lead but if Bennington could catch a 3 or a 4, he would have the winning hand. The river was a 4, giving Bennington a straight and bringing us down to 18 players thus ending play for the night.

The current chip leader is Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) who has 14.335 million in chips. Full chip counts will be posted on this blog before play resumes tomorrow.

Event 1 Chip Leader Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ)