Sunday, November 20, 2011

End of Day 1A Chip Counts (Big Stacks)

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Players Remaining: ~108
Average Stack: 64k (80 BB)

Name-Chip Count

Andrew Interdonato 234,775
Alex Nepomnyaschiy 180,200
Alex Queen 170,775
Joel Gola 159,500
Michael Hahn 155,900
Michael Shasho 144,750
Christopher Grove 140,575
Aaron Massey 137,025
Eric Panayiotou 136,450
Chuck Furey 133,625
Louis Menges 132,300

Notables


Sirous Jamshidi 126,675
Cornel Cimpan 105,525
Will Failla 53,300
Mike "Little Man" Sica 49,800
Keith Crowder 40,000
"Miami" John Cernuto 39,725

A full list of chip counts will be posted after 9 am.

Day 1B players hit the felt Monday at noon, while remaining Day 1A players return for Day 2 Tuesday.

Day 1A Chip Leader - Interdonato

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Andrew the Great

Andrew Interdonato (Washington DC) is the end of Day 1A big stack and that earns him a cool $3,000 bonus. Interdonato, who finished 2nd in Event 14 ($350 Black Chip Bount) for $14,060, used a straight flush to win a 150k chip pot after the dinner break and finished with 235k.

Alex "Jedi" Nepomnyaschiy (Staten Island, NY) was unofficially second in chips with a big double-up on the last hand of the night. He has 180k, while Alex Queen (Bethlehem, PA) is third with 171k.

Queen, the Heads Up Champion (Event 15, $29,098), jumped out to a huge chip lead when he won a three-way all in with pocket aces. He worked his stack to the 170-200k range where it stayed the rest of the night.

Big Hand for Jedi

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

On the last hand of the night Alex "Jedi" Nepomnyaschiy (Staten Island, NY) wins a huge hand and unofficially vaults to second in the chip counts.

Holding 9 10 "Jedi" Alex and his opponent, who both have 90k, see a flop of 7 8 2 with one diamond. After calling a bet Nepomnyaschiy warns his opponent that he has a big hand. The turn is a beautiful J giving Nepomnyaschiy the nut straight and a flush draw.

"Jedi" Alex smooth calls 15k and says, "why are you doing this to me?"

The river is the 5 ♠, his opponent moves all in for ~70k, and Nepomnyaschiy snap calls with the nuts. His opponent folds and Nepomnyaschiy doesn't need any Jedi mind tricks to scoop the 180k pot.

Great Call

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

With all the crazy action we'd be remiss if we didn't recount a great call by WPT titleholder Will 'the Thrill" Failla.

On the last hand of Level 8, the board showed K♣ 3♠ 4 8 8 and after Failla checked, Ryan Eriquezzo moved all in and has Failla's 24k covered. That's when the drama unfolds.

Failla goes deep into the tank that eats up half of the 15 minute break. Except for shuffling his chips, Eriquezzo is statuesque.

After 10 minutes, Failla puts his chips in the middle and says, "alright, call." Eriquezzo says, "good call," and tosses his cards into the muck.

Failla turns over 3♣ 6♠ for two pairs, and the small audience of 15 are impressed with the play.

"I trusted my read," says Failla as he doubles 24k. Eriquezzo goes from 60k to 34k.

Last Two Ladies

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH













Lim & Martin

With 125 players remaining (out of 230 entries to start the day), only two women are still in the field. Nancy Martin (Washington Crossing, PA), the mother of poker pro Michael Martin, and Kieko Lim (New York, NY via Japan), who has a $15,000 pay day for a 5th place finish in the 2009 Borgata Summer Poker Open.

Martin is no slouch either with $22,000 in career tournament earnings including a final table ($8,000) in the Sept. Borgata Poker Open.

As play winds down for the day both women have ~20k (33 BB) as they're looking to bag and tag at 11:30 pm.

*****11:05 Update*****

Martin busted during the last level of the night.

Event 18 Recap

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Event 18 is in the books and our Champion is amateur weekend warrior poker player, Avraham Lipman. He'll take home the 2011 Borgata Fall Poker Open Trophy along with a huge payday of $70,614. Congratulations on taking down a very tough field of seasoned poker-pros and Borgata regulars.

Action kicked off yesterday at 11AM where each player who plunked down $1090 was given 15,000 chips. No re-buys, no bounties, just no limit hold-em excitement.

Players enjoyed the 50 minute blind levels so they could show off their skills and really play some serious poker. The field included 260 players with heavy hitters such as
Adam Lippert, Lee Childs, Matt Maccaroni, George Medrano, Olivier Busquet, Dan Pignataro, Tim Finne, Ian Palomo, Joanne Monteavaro, Steve Ryan, Ryan Eriquezzo, Sirous Jamshidi, Dave Inselberg, Jamie Kerstetter, Gordon Eng, Jesse Cohen (fresh from his 13th place finish in event 17), Steven Levy, Steven Cho, Eugene Todd, Jesse Yaginuma, Vinny Pahuja, Feming Chan (fresh from his 10th place finish in event 17), Josh Brikis, Johanssy Joseph (winner of event 14), Mike Dentale, Eric Panayiotou, Bill Blanda, Chris Bell, Russell Crane, and John Lakatosh.

At the start of Day 2 (noon today), poker pro Jason Min (Flushing, NY) had the Max in chips with 362,000. Michael Armsrong was the ultimate shorty with 23,400.

Jason had the chip lead for most of day 1 and a good part of day 2. He was confidently taking down and controlling each table he was at. Let's just say he was scary good.

Bubble broke on day 2 when a player was knocked out in 28th place leaving the top 27 to whack up the $260,000 prize pool. Everyone was impressed with the turnout and the structure. After Level 11, blind levels lasted a full hour. Players showed off their skills which resulted in several pros seated at the final table which included: Jon Lynch, Barbara Rogers, William Frymer, Andrew Egan, Steven Shankman, Richard Marshall, Avraham Lipman, Jon Buglion, Jake Toole, and Jason Min.

At the start of the final table Avraham Lipman had 140,000 vs. Jake Toole's 800,000 and Jason Min's 850,000. So how did our amateur take out both of these seasoned pros?

Before we get to the final three, congratulations to Barbara Rogers who was our Last Woman Standing. She finished in 8th place earning $7,566.

After Lipman won a couple key showdowns and built his stack, the hand of the tournament, maybe of the entire series, had Min and Lipman getting all of their 3.6 million chips onto to the felt pre-flop. Keep in mind there were only 3.9 million chips slated for the entire tournament.

Both players tabled red A-K suited. Lipman hit runner-runner diamond-diamond for the monster scoop sending Jason Min home in 3rd Place for $23,959.

That made poker pro Jake Toole very happy since he was then guaranteed at least 2nd place money in the amount of $41,613. Heads up lasted around 20 hands. Jake went all-in for the first time in his entire tournament and his A-2 failed to hold up against Avraham's 6-6.

$41,613 2nd place for Toole.

But once again the big winner was Avraham Lipman who works for a medical supply company in University, OH and is considering turning pro. Avraham will be taking home the $70,614 first place prize in time for Thanksgiving, which he'll be spending at his Mother's.

Another exciting tournament with big named players and big cash prize payouts has concluded.

Event 18: 1st Place - Lipman

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Avraham Lipman (University, OH)
$70,614

An amateur weekend warrior just beat out 260 opponents to take home the Borgata trophy and a whopping $70,614.

The huge payday is by far the most cash Lipman has won in any poker tournament.

Imagine you work for a medical supply company, you play poker for two days and you take home $70,614 back to your Thanksgiving dinner. Avraham says hi to his Mom and instead of jumping in the Championship will be heading home for some turkey on Thursday.

As for the money, Avraham will invest some back into poker as he'll continue to play on the weekends. He's also going to seriously think about turning pro.

When you look back on any tournament there's always one or two make or break hands. Early on Avraham was at risk with his tournament on the line and hit his miracle card on the river. He 3-bet with KK in the big blind. Opponent 4-bet on the button so Avraham shipped it.

Opponent tabled 10-10 then hit a 10 on the flop. Avraham packed up his things as the turn bricked. He had one foot out the door when the king spiked down.

The very humble Avraham admitted half the players at the final table could out-play him. "I got lucky in some spots" said Avraham.

Lipman's luck came at the right time as he hit runner runner diamond diamond to take out 2nd in chips, Jason Min. Both players had suited red big slick and both got it in pre-flop.

"When Jason snapped I thought he had AA or KK. After he hit two hearts on the flop, then I hit two diamonds on the turn, I was hoping for a black card on the river".

Diamond on the river spelled gold for Lipman who will bring $70,614 back to Ohio and will no doubt enjoy a happy Thanksgiving with his loved ones. Congratulations again!

Avraham Lipman finished in 1st Place earning $70,614.

Event 18: 2nd Place - Toole

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Jake Toole (Sharon, MA)
$41,613

Jake Toole played so perfect that he only had to go "all-in" once during the two-day Event 18 grind. Unfortunately the one time he was all-in at risk, he shoved with A-2 heads-up and ran into Avraham Lipman's 6-6.

Sixes held on a board of K-10-4-Q-10.

As Jake reflected back on the big hand of the tournament where two A-K suited monster stacks got it in while he only had 300,000 Jake said, "It was nice to have two big stacks collide".

Jake took Avraham about twenty hands heads-up and worked his 300,000 up to 700,000 before finishing in 2nd.

I heard several railbirds and fellow players pay Jake compliments on his poker skills and how he played in this tournament.

He navigated through a tough field to the final table and ultimately for a huge second place payday. Well done! Look for Jake to play tomorrow in the Championship Event.

Jake Toole finished in 2nd Place earning $41,613.

Dash for the Cash

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Andrew Interdonato (Washington, DC) is the new chip leader heading into the last level of the night.

Interdonoto wins a 150k chip pot when he flops a straight flush and gets his opponent to commit 70k on the turn with the king high flush.

Interdonato has 7 8 when the flop comes down 6 9 10. His opponent is holding K Q, but isn't drawing dead as the J gives him a higher straight flush.

The river brick gives Interdonato the pot and the chip lead. He's ahead of Alex Queen who has 184k and Joe Gola with 176k.

The chip leader at the end of level 9 (300/600/75 ante) takes home a $3,000 bonus. "I wish we had stopped after level 8," says Interdonato who finished second in Event 14 ($14,060), has
nearly $36,000 in five different Borgata events in 2011, including three final tables.

Event 18: Heads Up For All The Dough

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Avraham Lipman vs. Jake Toole for $29,001

Avraham has the lead with 3,200,000 vs. Jake's 700,000.

1st Place takes home $70,614.

2nd Place gets $41,613.

Stay tuned for interviews with both players upon Event 18 conclusion.

Busquet, Saul, & Stout Bust

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Olivier Busquet and Kevin Saul are on the rail. Saul ships 9k with K 2but doesn't hit against pocket 8s.

Matt Stout is out after shipping 8k with KJ vs Ari Albilia's AK.

135 players remain with an average stack of 51k; level 8 (250/500/50 ante) is underway.

Ringing Endorsement

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Cornel Champions Borgata
After players settle in from the dinner break and there's calm in the room, two guys wander into the Signature Room and poke around. After hearing them ask the floor director a couple of questions, two time WPT title holder Cornel Cimpan leans back in his chair and casually joins the conversation.

"Best tournament in the world," says Cimpan, who has $3 million in career tournament earnings.
"If you don't play a lot of tournaments and have to pick one, this is the one to play."

The guys are appreciative and say they're planning to play Monday's Day 1B,"

After they leave Cimpan has a message for Tournament Director Tab Duchateau, "make sure he knows I get some of the juice, finders fee."

Event 18: 3rd Place - Min

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Jason Min (Flushing, NY)
$23,959


One of the greatest or worst hands I've ever seen.

The two giant stacks decided to mix it up on what ended up being a tournament ending hand for Jason Min.

Here's how it went down. Hold on to your seat-belts!

Jake Toole has 300,000 and gets out of the way on the button.

Avraham Lipman and Jason Min have virtually identical stacks. Lipman has Min covered by only 200,000.

Jason calls the small blind and Avraham raises to 100,000 in the big blind.

Jason re-raises to 420,000 total.

Avraham goes in the tank. Does he really want to tangle with the other big stack?
After a few minutes he announced, "All In". Jason Min quickly calls.

Avraham's A K vs. Jason's A K . Somebody says, "Chop it up" but it just didn't feel like a chop. The spectators on the rail got closer as they watched the dealer flip a flop of:

8 10 6 . So Avraham has to sweat a heart. Min calling out for the heart.

The turncard was the 5 . It's now anybody's hand. Avraham rooting for a diamond. Jason rooting for a heart. Jake Toole rooting for any red card to jump up $18,000.

The river is the 9 . Avraham goes runner runner diamonds for the win.

The rail exploded. Shouts of "brutal" and "the sickest thing I've ever seen" were heard.

Jason Min played an incredible tournament. He had the chip lead over 50% of the entire tournament. It seemed like there was no way to stop him. It took a sick sick hand like this to derail the well respected, highly skilled poker pro.

Jason Min finished in 3rd Place earning $23,959.

Event 18: 4th Place - Marshall

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Richard Marshall (Raleigh, NC)
$19,419


Richard runs good at Borgata. In fact he credits Borgata as the place where he built his bankroll and turned pro. Before Richard took 2nd in Event 5 at the 2006 Summer Poker Open he was a painter and used his non-manicured hands for a living.

Now the only paint he looks at are on face-cards.

Richard also finished 15th in the WPT Championship Event at the 2011 Borgata Poker Open.

As for today's tournament he just ran his A-J short stack into K-K of Jason Min.

Cowboys held up on a board of: 5-3-9-7-6.

The hand that crippled him was when his A-J lost to Avraham Lipman's A-2 full-house.

"I could have climbed back in if we hadn't chopped another big pot where I had A-K vs. A-10" explained Marshall. Board there was double paired with J-J-2-9-9.

Richard enjoys talking to the table and has a friendly, likable table image. He commented how back in 2006-2007 nobody really knew how to play poker and things were easier then.

Apparently Richard has made the proper adjustments to today's game as he just finished in 4th Place amongst a tough final table and tournament field.

Richard Marshall finished in 4th Place earning $19,419.

May the Force Be with You

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Jedi Uses the Force

Alex "the Jedi" Nepomnyaschiy (Staten Island, NY) has been next to Alex Queen (Bethlehem, PA) all day, but just before dinner break they switched seats.

Nepomnyaschiy was to the right of Queen on Table 19, but when the table broke they were both moved to Table 16; Nepomnyaschiy now has position on Queen, but only 50k, about 1/4 of what Queen has.

Alex "the Jedi," says, "tell everyone, 'may the force be with you'."

He's not very amused when the Gorilla pretends to hear him say, "may the fours be with you?"

You know the Darth Vader hand, the 4♣ 4♠, the dark fours.

******

David Inselberg has been short since returning from break and gets a small double up when his pair of kings (one in his hand), holds against a player holding an ace.

Level 7 (200/400/50 ante) is winding down.

Movers and Shakers

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Since returning from dinner break the players are clearly in one of three camps.

The big stacks, who have their eye on the $3,000 bonus for being the Day 1A chip leader, the average stacks, who are treading water, and the shorties who are wondering, if they don't double-up, what they'll do with their chips if they want to play Day 1B.

Players making a move include, Joe "the Jeweler" Gola (Cherry Hill, NJ) 140k, Michael Hahn (Indianapolis, IN) 135k, and Jay Nair (Seattle, WA) 125k.

Gola says he's recently hit three flushes to build his stack, while Nair is in town early to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family, and put the Borgata Fall Poker Open on the calendar.

Alex Queen ~190k is still the big stack, while Alok Arora 130k has company in the 140k-125k range.

Players eliminated now can re-enter Monday for Day 1B, anyone with chips at the end of the night can forfeit and start over with a fresh 30k.

Event 18: 5th Place - Egan

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Andrew Egan (Hockessin, DE)
$15,132


Andrew Egan was left speechless after check raising his last 300,000 on the turn, holding A-K with a king on the turn.

Jason Min snaps with second pair.

Egan A-K vs. Min Q-9

Board: Q-3-8-K...

Both players stand and await the river. Andrew Egan is at risk.

Another Queen spikes the river. Min celebrates and Andrew Egan is sent packing.

"I think I was the only non-professional poker player left" admitted Egan who has a real day job to go back to.

A friend on the rail could only say, "that was about as ugly as it gets".

Jason congratulated his Opponent saying it was a great check on the turn as he was fooled.

"It was a good group...I played well and had fun" said Egan.

Andrew Egan finished in 5th Place earning $15,132.

Event 18: The Avraham Show

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Avraham sl0-plays J-J and finds a full-house on a board of 3-7-Q-J-Q. Double clubs and double hearts to contend with.

This time Lipman's victim was Jason Min who called a 130,000 river bet from Avraham.

Here's how the final five stack up:
Andrew Egan.......330,000
Richard Marshall.....360,000
Avraham Lipman......1,900,000
Jake Toole...................670,000
Jason Min.....................490,000

Event 18: Full House For Lipman

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Big swing of chips between Richard Marshall and Avraham Lipman.

On the river Avraham bet his remaining 745,000 and Richard said, "I have to call".

Avraham tabled A-2 and Richard showed A-J .

The board read: 2-Q-A-A-K.

Avraham turned the full-house and scooped the monster pot.

Richard has chipped down to 450,000 while Avraham is up to 1,600,000.

Here's what Andrew Egan, Richard Marshall, Avraham Lipman, Jake Toole, and Jason Min are playing for:

1st Place - $70,614
2nd Place - $41,613
3rd Place - $23,959
4th Place - $19,419
5th Place - $15,132

Dinner Break Chip Counts

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

157 players remain (of 230 starting entries) with an average stack of 44k (110 BB).

Alex Queen has the chip lead with 193k (483 BB).

A look at notable chip counts while players are on a 75 minute dinner break.

Name-Chip Count

Alex Queen 193k
Alok Arora 130k
Will "the Thrill" Failla 78k
Miguel Borrero 72k
Keith Crowder 70k
Michael Shasho 68k
Ryan Eriquezzo 60k
Jeff Papola 55k
Cornell Cimpan 52k
Eric Doerr 48k
Jeremy McLaughlin 42k
Sirous Jamshidi 40k
Olivier Busquet 38k
Jesse Yaginuma 37k
Andy Frankenberger 35k
Alex "Jedi" Nepomnyaschiy 33k
"Little Man" Sica 30k
Nancy Martin 23k
Feming Chan 22k
Kenny Nguyen 20k
Kevin Saul 19k
Dave Inselberg 13k
Mike Summers 13k
Adam Cook 10k

Recently Busted

Jamie Kerstetter
Gordon Eng

Event 18: Dinner Break

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Our final five players opted to take a half hour dinner break.

Chips on the table are as follows:

Andrew Egan...........286,000
Richard Marshal......1,240,000
Avraham Lipman.....700,000
Jake Toole.................1,000,000
Jason Min..................861,000

In the final hand before the break, Avraham Lipman had A-J, flopped an ace then called Jake Toole down on every street including a 112,000 river bet.

Next payout (5th place) earns $15,132.

1st Place takes home $70,614.

Break Time

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Alex Queen continues to lead the way with 193k, while Alok Arora has 130k.

Players return at 7:55 blinds will be 200/400/50 ante.

Level Ending, Starters Begin

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Steve Rosen & Failla (center) Check out the Menu,
while Campagna Waits

The Signature Room is getting a little rambunctious as the dinner break is right around the corner. Tony Campagna is waiting to play Day 1B, so he's helping WPT Champion Will "the Thrill" Failla beat the crowd.

Failla selects the Chinois Chicken Salad from the Wolfgang Puck menu as Campagna heads back to the restaurant to hold a table.

Gordon Eng will be on an extended dinner break after busting with pocket kings when he's out flopped by AQ.

Players will be on a 75 minute break starting at at 6:40 pm.

Wolfgang Puck Starters

Event 18: 6th Place - Lynch

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Jon Lynch (Bear, DE)
$12,610

What a sick final hand for Jon Lynch. If you're gonna go down you might as well go down swinging with set over set.

Jon's 10-10 vs. Jake Toole's Q-Q.

Board ran: 10-2-Q-6-3.

Jon shipped his short 340,000 stack in on the flop and Jake snapped off.

Jon is no strangers to math and numbers as he's an accountant by day. Hi to wife and kids Anastasia, Arianna.

"I held on for a long time. Hard to find spots to get it in against these guys. I had a great experience." - Final sentiments from Jon Lynch who is thinking about playing in the Championship.

Jon Lynch finished in 6th Place earning $12,610.

Event 18: Chip Updates

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Blinds are up to 5000 / 10,000 with 1000 antes.

No break yet so Jason Min had a slice of pizza delivered to the table.

Decent size pot between Richard Marshall and Jake Toole.

Both had two pair but Richard's was stronger.

Richard A-J vs. Jake's 10-J

Board: 10-7-A-2-J

Jon Lynch - 160,000
Andrew Egan - 395,000
Richard Marshal - 1,500,000
Avraham Lipman - 450,000
Jake Toole - 600,000
Jason Min - 1,200,000

We'll see if the Jon and Andrew can survive the 5000 / 10,000 blinds with their short stacks.

Sizing up the Stacks

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Alex Queen continues to lead the field with 165k, but another big stack has emerged in Alok Arora (Wilmington, DE) who has 130k. There were 230 entries for Day 1A.

A Look Around the Room:

Table 2

Matt Stoudt 8k
Cornell Cimpan 37k

Table 3

Olivier Busquet 35k
Kevin Saul 50k

Table 5

"Little Man" Sica 32k
Feming Chan 17k

Table 7

Eric Doerr 51k

Table 8

Keith Crowder 67k

Table 9

Alok Arora 130k

Table 10

Ryan Eriquezzo 76k
Will "the Thrill" Failla 49k


Table 11

Jamie Kerstetter 24k
Nancy Martin 12k

Table 13

Jeremy McLaughlin

Table 12

Adam Cook 8k
Mike Summers 30k
Jesse Yaginuma 84k

Table 15

Kenny Nguyen 22k

Table 16

Miguel Borrero 70k

Table 19

Alex "Jedi" Nepomnyaschiy 35k
Alex Queen 165k
Sirous Jamshidi 35k
Dave Inselberg 17k

Table 20

Will Jaffe 9k
Allen Kessler 15k

The Plan for Days 1A & 1B

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

The plan for days 1A and 1B (slightly different from what is printed on the structure sheet) is to play six levels, then take a dinner break, then play three more levels before wrapping for the night.

Approximate times:

6:30pm - Dinner (end of level 6)
7:45pm - Play resumes (level 7)
9:45pm - Break (end of level 8)
10:00pm - Play resumes (level 9)
11:00pm - End of Day, Bag & Tag (end of level 9)

Event 18: 7th Place - Buglion

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Jon Buglion (Commack, NY)
$10,088

Jon thought the final table was a little boring although Jake "PSUTennis" Toole gave him some fits. "That guy is really really good" said Jon.

Jon's exit hand had him shoving with K-Q and running into A-A of Richard Marshall.

Board ran: Q-3-8-9-J.

"He's been getting aces every other hand" said Jon.

Buglion says, "hi Mom" and probably will make it home for Thanksgiving.

Look for Jon in the Championship.

Jon Buglion finished in 7th Place earning $10,088.

Event 18: 8th Place - Rogers

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em   

After a min-raise from early position, Jason Min tossed in 200k.  Barabara Rogers called all-in, the opener folded, and they tabled their hands.

 Barbara Rogers (Lock Haven, PA)
$7,566

Barbara was behind with pocket 7s.  Jason had pocket Tens.  The board came A K 4 A Q and Jason took the pot.

Barbara was the last woman in this event, so it's all testosterone from here on.  She will collect $7,566 for her 8th place finish.

Tiime to Check the Tweets

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Another break is done, so time to check those Tweets:

D_Dayy Nelson Robinson
30k after 2nd break. My table is warring to lag it up

Hutch3276 Brian O'Donoghue
31k at 100/200 25a

TheReaLMander Amanda Musumeci
26k @ 2nd break. Not a ton of movement. Toughy tbl. Maintainin

Flashgordon227 Gordon Eng
Down to 8k from 55k. Playing like a donk

JCamby33 James Campbell
Not the best two levels. Down to 21k after not making any hands. Plenty of time tho #noworries

nevermissmassey Aaron Massey
62k on 2nd break. biggest stack at my table

KevinSauLivePro Kevin Saul
2nd break, up to 51k which sounds good, but I'm playing terribly and was lucky to double b4 break coolering my buddy. Need to play better

BeatByRags Tim Byrd
2nd break 45k plus , good luck me!!!

toddbterry Todd Terry
15225 at 2nd break.

JABistro John Allan Hinds
2nd break, $23.5k. Just stayin' out of trouble

poochpoker Joe Cappuccio
25K 100-200-25

mrhahn5 Michael Hahn
3 of the fish busted now and i cant even get hands to see flops. 31275 going to 100/200/25a. super lagtard on my direct left now.

mscell Mark Scellato
55K at 2nd break.

sickallkris chris grove
18k at 2nd break. 1/200 25a when we come back.

Eye on the Prize

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Alex Queen, who tripled up to 95k in level 2, now has 175k (875 BB) after busting two more players.

"It's not worth counting," he says nonchalantly knowing that the Championship is a three-day grind.

But one thing players are keeping an eye on is the $3,000 bonus given to each of the chip leaders at the end of days 1A and 1B. Queen is certainly the early favorite to take home the extra cash.

Players are on break and re-entry is closed; play resumes with level 5 (100/200/25 ante).

Event 18: 10th - Frymer; 9th - Shankman

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em   

William Frymer was the shortest stack as they settled into the final table and he busted out soon after.  He'll collect $3,279 for 10th place.

 William Fymer (Guttenberg, NJ)
$3,279

Next to go was the next shortest stack, Steven Shankman.  He finished 9th for $5,044.

Steven Shankman (N Caldwell, NJ)
$5,044

8 players remain.  Average is 487k (81 big blinds).

Event 18: Final Table Lineup

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em   

Here are the final ten players with their new seats and rough chip counts:

Seat - Player - Chips
1 - Jon Lynch - 220k
2 - Barbara Rogers - 210k
3 - William Frymer - 20k
4 - Andrew Egan - 145k
5 - Steven Shankman - 100k
6 - Richard Marshall - 1.3 million
7 - Avraham Lipman - 140k
8 - Jon Buglion - 145k
9 - Jake Toole - 800k
10 - Jason Min - 850k

Seat Open, Table 3

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

WSOP bracelet holder Brian Lemke has been replaced on table 3 by 2009 Borgata Poker Open Champion Olivier Busquet. WPT title holder Kevin Saul is in seat one and has/had position on both players.

Other movers include the breaking of the Dave Inselberg, Allen Kessler, and Miguel Borrero table.

Inselberg is now on Alex Queen's table.

Event 18: 12th - Santillo; 11th - Haris

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em  

Mauro Santillo was next to go, finishing 12th for $3,279.

Mauro Santillo (Fredericksburg, VA)
$3,279

On the turn with a board of T T 3 K, Alex Haris got all-in against chip leader Richard Marshall.  Alex's AK was crushed by Richard's pocket Aces.  River was a 7 and changed nothing.  Richard's monster stack keeps getting bigger.  Alex busted out in 11th place.

Alexander Haris (New York, NY)
$3,279

The final 10 are redrawing seats and moving to the final table.

Event 18: 13th Place - Leskowitz

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em  

Brian Leskowitz has busted out, courtesy of chip leader, Richard Marshall.  Richard is now over 1 million chips.

 Brian Leskowitz (Leominster, MA)
$2,774

12 players remain.  Average stack is now 325k (54 big blinds).

Decision Time

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Level 4 (100/200) is underway and it's the last level of the day to re-enter.

Miguel Borerro jumped right into the Championship after bubbling the $1,000 tournament. Steve Ryan, who finished 18th is debating whether to enter.

"I think I should jump right in," Ryan says after cashing for $2,522, "I'm feeling aggressive and want to go with it. I have to figure out."

Sirous Jamshidi is back in the tournament after losing to quad queens.

Any player that busts after this level can take advantage of the Double Play and play Day 1B.

Currently there are 221 entries in the field.

Event 18: 14th Place - Raj

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em  

Arun was the next player to go.  He finished in 14th place.

 Arun Raj (Laurence Harbor, NJ)
$2,774

Blinds are up to 3k/6k with 500 antes.

The final 13 players have settled a bit and play has slowed considerably.  Average is 300k -- that's 50 big blinds.

Event 18: Toole Takes Out Two

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em 

Alex Haris was all-in holding pocket 9s against the big stack of Jason Min, who had him beat with pocket Jacks.

Alex caught a 9 on the board to survive and double-up.

Three-way pre-flop all-in:
Brian Lee - AA
Jake Toole - KK
Josh Brikis - QQ

The board came K 7 4 J 9 and Jake took all the marbles with a set of Kings.

Josh had fewer chips at the start of the hand, so he finished 16th for $2,522.
Brian Lee finished in 15th place for $2,774.

Jake chipped up to over 700k.

Jason Min was moved to this table, to the right of Jake Toole.  He's also stacking about 700k.

But it is Richard Marshall who leads.  He's now up to 900k.  

14 players remain.  Average is ~278k (55 big blinds).

Muck This Chop

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

An interesting hand plays out in front of Media Row and involves two time WPT title holder Cornell Cimpan.

On a board of 2 3 5, Cimpan 4-bet shoves and Arnold Halpern (New York, NY) calls.

Cimpan turns over A 4for the straight and Halpern tosses his cards face down towards the muck. The table convinces Halpern to turn over his pocket jacks and that he had outs, but Cimpan wants an official ruling.

Because the cards are easily retrievable, Tournament Director Tab Duchateau says the hand is live.

Turn: 4
River: A

With the board showing A-2-3-4-5, it's a chop pot, Halpern gets his 22k back and has new life.

When asked if he'll ever fold an all-in hand again, Halpern simply says, "no," while laughing.

"I knew it was the right ruling, I just wanted to make sure," says Cimpan, who's sitting with 40k.

Event 18: Four More

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em 

20th - Philip Marsico (E Rutherford, NJ)
19th - Paul Pedretti (Mineola, NY)

Both players will pick up $2,270 for their efforts.

The final 18 drew seats and moved to the final two tables, where play resumed.

18th - Steve Ryan (New York, NY)
17th - Jess Yawitz (St. Louis, MO)

Both of these players will take home $2,522.

16 players remain.  

Break-Time Tweets

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Lots of players in the main event are tweeting their progress.  Here are some tweets from their first break of the day:

Flashgordon227 Gordon Eng
Sitting at initial 30k stack nearing 1st break

mrhahn5 Michael Hahn
borgata main day 1a today-$1m guaranteed prizepool should be much bigger. 30k in starting chips and little over 30k first break. rly gr8 tbl

mscell Mark Scellato
48K at first break.

toddbterry Todd Terry
Borgata $2700. 28350 from 30k.

leechilds Lee Childs
25,700 first break. 75/150 next level.

MattStoutPoker Matt Stout
10k from 30k at 75/150 in Borgata 2500 re-entry 1mil guaranteed. Almost folded KK pre, was against AA. Then got flush over flushed. #fb

BeatByRags Tim Byrd
1st break., up 5k good luck me!!!

KevinSauLivePro Kevin Saul
Playin Borgata $2.5k main event, 30k start was down to 15k, but now have 41k, accidentally winning a huge pot off brian lemke along the way

sickallkris chris grove
21.5k at 1st break...havnt made any hands

poochpoker Joe Cappuccio
23K 75/150

JABistro John Allan Hinds
1st break w/ $24.5k from $30k ss

realAriEngel Ari Engel
27k from 30k starting stack

nevermissmassey Aaron Massey
Borgota $2700 main event. 33.1k from 30k start. Tough table in this one

JCamby33 James Campbell
I got a good table draw in the $2700 borgata reentry event. 31k from 30k starting stack 

Event 18: Min Still Leads

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em 

Ian Silverman (Millburn, NJ) busted out in 21st place ($2,270).

On the turn with a board of 9 8 2 5, Barbara Rogers was all-in for 101,600 against Andrew Egan.  Andrew tanked for a bit, then made the call showing pocket Aces.  Barbara held 76 suited and had turned the straight.  She doubled up.

End of level and time for a color-up break. 

Jason Min still leads with a little over 600k.

Richard Marshall is second with ~410k.

Play resumed after the break with blinds of 2,500/5,000 with 500 antes.

Aces Hold for Queen

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Heads Up Champ Wins Three-Way

Follow the bouncing ball to see how Alex Queen (Bethlehem, PA) turns pocket aces into 95k by busting two players (Tony Gregg & Dan Pignataro) for the triple up.

All three players had their starting stack of 30k with blind at 50/100.

Queen (UTG) raises to 300
Pignataro (MP) raises to 750
Gregg (Button) raises to 2100
Alex Nepomnyaschiy (BB) calls
Queen calls
Pignataro raises to 6700
Gregg and Nepomnyaschiy both call
Queen 6-bets all in for 30k total
Pignataro and Gregg both call
Nepomnyaschiy open folds pocket queens

Pignataro: K K
Gregg 8♠ 9♠
Queen: A♣ A♠

Flop J♠ 2 10 (Gregg open ended)

Turn: 5 (no change)

River: J♣

Queen's pocket aces take the pot sending Pignataro and Gregg to the rail.

Nepomnyaschiy, aka "the Jedi," says, "winning the heads-up isn't enough? He runs like God."

Queen won the heads up Championship ($29,098) two days ago and the 2010 Borgata Spring Poker Open title ($356,000). Borgata is definitely Queen's run good home.

Players are on a 15 minute break after playing the first two levels.

Event 18: 21 Remain

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Ian Palomo (New York, NY) was all-in with AJ against pocket 7s.  The pair held up and Ian was bounced in 23rd place.

Karthik (Houston, TX) was all-in with AT against AJ.  The better kicker played and Karthik was out in 22nd place.

Both of these players will pick up $2,270 for their efforts.

Event 18: First Four Out The Door

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em 

Blinds are up to 2k/4k with 500 antes.

These folks have already hit the payout desk:

27th - Terry Bunker (New York, NY)
26th - Ted Geier (Sunnyside, NY)
25th - Maksim Kvitko (Brooklyn, NY)
24th - Kirron Chan (Yonkers, NY)

All will collect $2,270 for their efforts.

Who's Who

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

It seems like everyone turned out for the championship event today (or for the satellite to get a seat in it).  Here are the folks I spotted already in action in the Signature Room:

Vinny Pahuja
Tony Sinishtaj
Andrew Interdonato
Leo G
Amanda Musumeci
Jesse Cohen
Anthony Caruso
Eric Panayiotou
Eugene Juergens
Leonid Lerner
Leonid Vizirov
Sirous Jamshidi
Miami John Cernuto
Chris Bell
Olivier Busquet
Mike Lydon
Natale Kuey
Ari Albilia
Matt Stout
William Dugan
Feming Chan
Michael Shasho
Mike 'Little Man' Sica
Steven Levy
Eric Doerr
John Hinds
Keith Crowder
Nancy Martin
Jamie Kerstetter
Roman Valerstein
Todd Terry
Travis Greenawalt
Mike Dentale
Avdo Djokovic
Alex Queen
Amnon Filippi
Mike Trivisonno
John Lakatosh
Eugene Todd
Jesse Yaginuma
Adam Cook
Darren Elias
Michael Michnik

Event 18: In The Money

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Michael Armstrong got his last chips in with A8 suited but ran into Jon Lynch's pocket Tens.  The Tens held and Michael hit the rail.

Chris Ackerman got his chips in with KQ, but was dominated by Jason Min's AQ.  Board fell J J 8 2 3 and Chris was busted.

Miguel Borrero's short-stack went in with KQ suited and was up against Andrew Egan's A8 suited. 
An Ace on the turn spelled the end of Miguel's tournament -- in 29th place, 2 from the money.

Timothy Finne's chips went in with AK, but ran into Avraham Lipman's pocket 8s.  The 8s held up and Timothy was felted -- in 28th place,  He's today's bubble boy.

And just like that, all remaining players, including Brian Lee, who has yet to turn up, are in the money!

All remaining players will leave with at least $2,270.

Event 18: Lots of Action

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

Ted Geier doubled up with pocket Jacks vs. pocket 7s.

Josh Brikis got his short-stack in with KQ and was dominated by AQ.  Then the flop came J T 9 and Josh flopped the joint for an early double-up.

Paul Pedretti doubled through chip leader Jason Min.

Alex Haris' pocket Jacks held up against Miguel Borrero's AK suited and Alex doubled up.

Joe Gil was all-in with K7 against Steven Shankman's K9.  9 on the flop and Joe was toast.

Michael Armstrong's pocket Aces were good for a double-up through Miguel Borrero (AT).

Sirous Jamshidi was all-in with AJ offsuit against the pocket Jacks of Jess Yawitz.  The board fell 9 4 2 T 9 and Sirous was busted.

Michael Sabat and Derek Chin have also busted out.

Down to 31 players.  Average stack is about 125k.

Brian Lee still hasn't turned up, but he's a big stack, so I guess he can afford to sleep late.

Interesting Championship Tweets

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH

Players are tweeting their progress in this event, even before they play a hand!  Here are some of their thoughts:

AMFrankenberger Andy Frankenberger
Missed my flight so will be an hour and a half late to AC for Borgata main event. Flying with @AllenKessler

sickallkris chris grove
BFO ME Day 1a today.Time to do work.#1time

Flashgordon227 Gordon Eng
@BorgataPoker day 1a of the main event..last chance to make some noise...don't think i'll rebuy if i bust....table 9...anyone?

BeatByRags Tim Byrd
Playing the main today !! Good luck me

poochpoker Joe Cappuccio
early for the @BorgataPoker $2700 main event day 1a only bc I thought it started at 11 not 12. Really hope there is red zone in the sig room

Cards Fly on Day 1A

$2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH
$1,000,000 GUARANTEED


The Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship event kicked off today at noon with Day 1A in the Signature Room.  This event carries a $1 million guarantee on total buy-ins.

The event allows re-entry if a player busts out during the first 4 levels (unlimited re-entries).  A player can also choose to surrender their stack and re-enter.

It's also a double-play, which means players that enter on 1A and bust out (or surrender their chips) may play again on day 1B.

Day 1A and 1B levels are one hour long and they'll play eight of them, then call it a night. On days 2 & 3, levels are 75 minutes long.

Players began with 30,000 chips and level 1 blinds are 25/50.

Shuffle Up & Deal!

Event 18: Day Two Underway

$1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

35 players (well, a couple are running late) have returned for day two and cards are in the air.

Play resumed with blinds of 1,500/3,000 and 400 antes.

Only 27 get paid, so 8 will leave with nothing.

Leaderboard Update (11/20)

Borgata Fall Poker Open Leaderboard Update

By participating in any Borgata Fall Poker Open event (November 9-23, 2011), players will earn points based upon the Borgata Poker Tournament Leaderboard Formula.

Winners will be announced Monday, November 28:
  • 1st Place: $3,500 entry into Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship event (January 29 - February 3, 2012) 
  • 2nd - 4th Place: Apple iPod Touch 
  • 5th - 7th Place: Keurig coffee maker 
  • 8th - 10th Place: Nikon digital camera
    Below are the top scores for the Borgata Fall Poker Open Leaderboard contest through November 19th events*
    (Final Results from events 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)

    486.825 PTS:  MICHAEL MICHNIK (HOLLYWOOD, FL)
    385.025 PTS:  MICHAEL LYDON (MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY)
    343.888 PTS:  JOHN MCGUINNESS (TOMS RIVER, NJ)
    341.250 PTS:  STEVEN RODRIGUEZ (STATEN ISLAND, NY)
    331.188 PTS:  HARRY KOROTKI (OWINGS MILLS, MD)
    329.100 PTS:  LANA OBRIEN (ENGLISHTOWN, NJ)
    322.385 PTS:  AUSTEN JOHNSON (WOODSBORO, MD)
    321.825 PTS:  AMANDA MUSUMECI (PHILADELPHIA, PA)
    320.850 PTS:  ERIC DOERR (NEWARK, DE)
    312.000 PTS:  BARRY LEVY (BROOKLYN, NY)
    297.063 PTS:  DANIEL DAGOSTINO (BELLEVILLE, NJ)
    296.348 PTS:  MARK SYKES (HAMDEN, CT)
    281.495 PTS:  JOHN DELROSSI (MANTUA, NJ)
    260.700 PTS:  ROBERT BROWN (MILFORD, NH)
    258.500 PTS:  EDWARD GRAU (MIDDLE RIVER, MD)
    254.500 PTS:  ERIC LISICA (GLEN BURNIE, MD)
    253.688 PTS:  ILYA VASSERMAN (HUNTINGDON VY, PA)
    250.825 PTS:  MICHAEL SICA JR (N BRUNSWICK, NJ)
    248.500 PTS:  JEFFREY PAPOLA (NEW YORK, NY)
    244.575 PTS:  SUNG HA KIM (CLIFFSIDE PARK, NJ)
    239.125 PTS:  THOMAS FORMICHELLA (BROOKLYN, NY)
    227.775 PTS:  ROBERT BAESCH (BERLIN, MD)
    224.750 PTS:  ANDREW INTERDONATO (WASHINGTON, DC)
    224.190 PTS:  TONY SINISHTAJ (FLUSHING, NY)
    223.575 PTS:  CHARLES BARRETT (DUNKIRK CAL, MD)
    218.338 PTS:  MICHAEL HAHN (CARMEL, IN)
    216.000 PTS:  HAYONG ZHOU (BALTIMORE, MD)
    214.428 PTS:  CUONG PHUNG (ATLANTIC CITY, NJ)
    214.363 PTS:  KEVIN SAUL (WARRENVILLE, IL)
    212.875 PTS:  ENNIO SORGINI (HOBOKEN, NJ)
    206.750 PTS:  JOSEPH LIBERTA (BERLIN, NJ)
    205.763 PTS:  JOHANSSY JOSEPH (SPRING VALLEY, NY)
    204.275 PTS:  NORMAN RODRIGUEZ (W HEMPSTEAD, NY)
    201.775 PTS:  SON NGUYEN (ELKRIDGE, MD)
    201.175 PTS:  CARLOS COLON (E PATCHOGUE, NY)
    201.115 PTS:  DEAN CHEN (ELLENVILLE, NY)

    Sunday, November 20

    Today's Events (Poker Room/The Signature Room)

    12PM: Event 19 - $2500 + $200 CHAMPIONSHIP Double Play Re-Entry NLH
    $1,000,000 GUARANTEED

    • Players start with 30,000 in tournament chips
    • Players may register for Day 1A or Day 1B
    • Players may Re-Enter tournament on Day 1A and/or Day 1B if they bust out prior to the end of Level 4 of that starting day
    • If player entered into Day 1A and has been eliminated from tournament or forfeits his/her chips, player may register for Day 1B
    • Day 1 Levels: each will last 60 minutes | Day 2 & 3 Levels: each will last 75 minutes
    • $3,000 will be subtracted from the prize pool and awarded to the chip leader at the end of Day 1A; and $3,000 will be subtracted from the prize pool and awarded to the chip leader at the end of Day 1B 
    • 3-Day event (with two Day 1 starting days)




    11AM: Event 42 - $270 + $30 Championship Qualifier NLH
    • Players start with 12,000 in tournament chips 
    • Levels will last 25 minutes each
    • Approximately 1 in 10 will win entry into Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship event
      (Nov 20-23, 2011)
    • 1-Day event


    4PM: Event 43 - $540 + $60 Championship Qualifier NLH
    • Players start with 15,000 in tournament chips 
    • Levels 1-10: each will last 30 minutes | Levels 11+: each will last 40 minutes
    • Approximately 1 in 5 will win entry into Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship event
      (Nov 20-23, 2011)
    • 1-Day event

      Event 18: End Of Day Chip Counts

      $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

      Player............Chip Count
      1. Jason Min...................362,000
      2. Brian Lee....................355,400
      3. Bryan Leskowitz..........228,900
      4. Richard Marshall..........215,700
      5. Steve Shankman..........202,400
      6. Kirron Chan................183,800
      7. Jake Toole...................178,100
      8. Andrew Egan...............158,100
      9. Jess Yawitz..................157,800
      10. John Buglion..............134,000
      11. Jon Lynch..................130,600
      12. Ian Silverman.............113,700
      13. Terry Bunker..............105,400
      14. Barbara Rogers..........101,700
      15. Tim Finne...................100,500
      16. Mauro Santillo..............98,600
      17. Auraham Lipman..........98,500
      18. Kanthik Kanthik............87,100
      19. Arun Rajasekhar............87,000
      20. Miguel Bornero..............83,000
      21. Steve Ryan.....................82,500
      22. Philip Marsico.................74,100
      23. Chris Ackerman...............70,400
      24. Ian Palomo.......................60,700
      25. William Frymer..................57,300
      26. Joe Gil...............................55,000
      27. Mahrsim Kritlso..................52,900
      28. Derek Chin.........................43,500
      29. Mike Sabat.........................40,200
      30. Josh Brikis..........................36,400
      31. Sirous Jamshidi....................33,300
      32. Ted Geier.............................33,100
      33. Paul Pedretti.........................31,200
      34. Alexander Haris....................27,300
      35. Michael Armstrong................23,400

      Play has ended for the night as the 35 remaining players have bagged and tagged and headed out.

      Congratulations to our top 35.

      This is going to be a painful bubble to watch tomorrow as only the top 27 get paid.

      27th earns $2,270.
      1st earns $70,614.

      Steve Ryan told me he was very happy with his chip stack.

      It's been a wire to wire chip lead for Jason Min since I've been covering the tournament at 8:30 PM.
      Can he go all the way? We'll find out tomorrow starting at noon.

      Event 18: Brian Flying High

      $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

      Brian Lee - 270,000

      Brian Lee has been under the radar most of the night but I can't ignore his growing stack any longer.

      A couple key double-ups for Lee came when 1) his A-A held up against K-K and 2) he flopped a straight and got paid off.

      36 Players remain. Top 27 get paid.

      Everyone wants to make it to tomorrow and take a run at the huge $70,614 1st place prize.

      Doesn't look like we'll make the bubble by the end of the night as everyone will bag and tag in fifteen minutes.

      Play will resume tomorrow at noon.

      Everybody's chip counts will be posted on the blog at the end of the night.

      Event 18: Chan Chips Up

      $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

      Kay & Jennifer Chan

      Kay's wife Jennifer called me over as a big hand was brewing.

      Opponent stuffed his medium stack in on the flop and Kay insta-called.

      Kay tabled A10 on a 10♠ 5 A♠ flop.

      Opponent showed K♠Q♠ giving Kay (and Jennifer) a major sweat - any spade, any Jack.

      Board bricked out and Kay's A10 held up bringing his chip total up to 192,500 pot.

      Opponent was knocked out.

      Kay and Jennifer have been married for 5 months. They met in NY at a poker game where Kay was playing and Jennifer was dealing.

      Kay showed me a tatoo on his wrist of Jennifer's name. Now that's love!

      Event 18: Think Long, Think....Right

      $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

      "Tim, good call...tough call...my read was totally off" says Ian Palumbo after the hand concluded.

      Ian was observing what turned out to be a 145,000 pot. Joe Ferrigno (Manchester, NY) stuck it all in when the ten hit the turn. Joe had Timothy Finne covered by only 3,000.

      Finne tanked on the 9-4-6-10 board.

      Does he call off his entire stack here? What does Joe have?

      Timothy makes the call and tables A-10 of clubs. Joe lets out a cry then tables the losing 7-9.

      Jack on the river gives Timothy the double-up to 145,000 and cripples Joe to 3,000.

      Event 18: Gumbiner The Triple-Up Miner

      $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

      Lew Gumbiner (Somerset, NJ)

      In the last two orbits Lew Gumbiner was down to one 1000 chip. The table seems to be rooting for him to make a miracle comeback. Lew succeeded in step one which was a much needed triple up when his JJ held against K-Q off.

      A few hands later, Lew jammed with A-9. The dealer started to muck Lew's hand but the floor straightened everything out and the hand continued.

      Small blind and big blind called Lew's last 3800.

      Board of K-J-K-3-K was a winner for Lew's A-9.

      Table-5 is filled with some quality quotes.

      Kay Chan got a laugh after he told Lew, "at least you made it to the break".

      Everyone's laughing now but if Lew can climb back into this tournament and make it to tomorrow, the chip and a chair dream has a shot to actualize.

      In another funny moment at the table, after Kay Chan called himself the "dealer's assistant" Ted Geier quickly quipped, "yeah, he takes care of the antes making him the ante-Christ".

      Kay's wife Jennifer is railing behind her man.

      Event 18: Min It To Win It

      $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em

      Jason Min - Stacked Up & Having Fun

      Jason Min has a big stack and knows how to use it. He absorbs the 35,000 stack to his right as he catches lucky on the turn.

      Jason's A-6 of spades vs. Opponent's A-10 of diamonds.

      Board ran: 7-5-3-6-K.

      Jason put his Opponent on a wide range of hands noting he had less than 20 big blinds.

      With that KO, Min is now at the 300,000 mark and extends his tournament chip lead.