Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 360
Jesse Letchworth (Colonial Heights, VA)
It’s no surprise that wherever the WPT goes, so goes some of the top tournament professionals. If we as bloggers became “star struck” by every new face that arrives just for this event, then we’d be defeated the true purpose of this blog. The thing about the blog that players really enjoy is the fact that their are no “little people” to us. Whether your career earnings are $3,000 or $3,000,000, it’s not going to effect your ability to make it on the blog.
So while the chip counts may be littered with recognizable pros from all over the country, we wanted to take a moment to check on the Borgata “regulars” that are currently in the field. Leading the way of that group is Jesse Letchworth (Colonial Heights, VA), who currently sits with 135,000. Letchworth already has a cash in this series for Event 1 (136th Place – $2,229), but with a deep run in this event, would likely earn himself his largest lifetime cash.
Here are some other counts from the players who call Borgata home:
Dan Howe – 73,000
Dennis Gnidash – 68,000
Esther Taylor – 67,000
Andrew Lydon – 56,000
Gregory Fishberg – 55,000
Gordon Eng – 54,000
Mike Dentale – 53,000
Joe McKeehen – 47,000
Greg Himmelbrand – 47,000
Tom Dobrilovic – 32,000
Sardor Gaziev – 18,000
Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 360
Greg Weber (Howell, NJ)
The cameras may be focused on the “elite” players that are in the field, but Greg Weber (Howell, NJ) is looking to steal some of that limelight, as he shoots up the leaderboard. Weber currently sits with 175,000 with an hour remaining in Day 1A play, looking to reach Day 2, and put himself in position to make a deep WPT run for the first time. Greg has some really impressive results, but he has yet to cash on the World Poker Tour.
Weber is already the owner of one Borgata Poker trophy ($200 NLH 2011 Borgata Winter Poker Open), which was his largest lifetime score for a pretty long time ($15,105). That was until the opening event of the 2014 Borgata Fall Poker Open, when he reached the final table, and finished in third place ($78,635). That’s currently the highlighting score on his resume of (17) recorded cashes, (16) of which have come here at Borgata. Weber likely already calls Borgata his home casino, but a deep run and potential final table appearance would help him consider it his “home away from home.”
Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 360
Where did the day go? We have already reached the final level of the night, as Level 8 will see players posting blinds of 300/600/75. The activity since returning from break has been pretty slow, but we did lose two notables over the (75) minutes post-dinner, as both Jared Jaffee and Rex Clinkscales posted Twitter departures. One of the players in the top ten at the moment is Borgata regular Matthew Silberzweig (Elmont, NY), who sits at the level’s transition with 130,000. Silberzweig’s deepest WPT run came during the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open WPT Championship event, when he finished 85th for $7,336.
It may be a local that is seeing some success in the later stages of the day, but the top stacks continue to be held by well known pros:
Jason Helder- 210,000
Ami Alibay – 160,000
Jake Schwartz – 144,000
Matthew Silberzweig – 130,000
Dan Wach 125,000
Blake Bohn – 115,000
Andy Hwang – 80,000
Maurice Hawkins – 77,000
Matt Affleck – 75,000
Andrew Lydon – 70,000
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 360
Jason Koon (Las Vegas,NV)
There were ten players to enter during the dinner break, reaching the tournament podium just before the cards got back in the air (and registration closed). The official amount of entries for this flight sits at 360, with tomorrow’s field expected to crush that number. One of the, if not the final entry to this flight, was notable tournament pro Jason Koon (Las Vegas, NV).
Koon has over $2,692,000 in career live tournament earnings, most notably his runner-up during the 2013 Bellagio Cup $10,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event ($316,000). Jason is also known for his many “high roller” results, with his best finish coming in the WPT Alpha8 Saint Kitts $100,000 buy-in event, finishing in fourth place for $298,760.
Jason is also well known for his health regiment, very strict in the diet that he keeps, along with the workout schedule he abides to. There was a great article about Koon written during the PCA, which can be found by “googling” PCA 2015: Jason Koon Nutrition Plan. Koon is currently seated with Chance Kornuth, whose table broke just moments ago.
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 360
Mukul Pahuja (Hicksville, NY)
During the Event 17 final table last night, notable professional Sean Drake was talking to other players about playing this particular flight. The players were questioning why he would want to play on little to no sleep, rather than resting up and waiting for Day 1B. “How could you not want to play tomorrow…all of the online wizards won’t be there,” Drake asked his table mates. He does make a very good point, as the GSSS Main Event is running simultaneously with this flight.
There may be a bunch of players that did choose to stay home and play online, but Mukul Pahuja (Hicksville, NY) is currently make the best of both worlds. He’s got the laptop out and is playing both this live event and GSSS events at the same time, giving himself an opportunity to play again tomorrow if need be. It’s an attractive option for players that travel here to Borgata, with the ability to play online if they choose. Many of these big named pros gained their experience (and bankrolls) via online poker, and with New Jersey one of the only states with legalized online poker, more and more names are circling Borgata on their schedule. Mukul may be looking to follow in the footsteps of WPT’s own Tony Dunst, who won a GSSS event during the 2014 Borgata Poker Open.
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 358
Blake Bohn (Eden Prarie, MN)
Players have re-entered the Event Center, and the cards are back in the air for the final two levels of the night. One of the first players we spotted back was Blake Bohn (Eden Prarie, MN), who came back to a healthy of 110,000. We use the term “healthy” because of Bohn’s last appearance here at Borgata.
For those that don’t remember (or didn’t even know), Bohn was escorted away by medical staff just as the money bubble burst during the 2014 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship. He was one of the chip leaders at the time, and a lot of the discussion surrounded whether or not he was going to be able to return (and how much he’d lose as his chips were being blinded out). It wasn’t too long before Blake returned to play, and it’s fortunate he was ok, as he went on to reach the televised final table.
Blake would end up finishing in 5th place at said final table, earning himself just over $213,000. The memories of that deep run likely overshadow the moment he had on the bubble, and it’s good to see him back in good health.
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 350
One of the first things we look at during any break throughout the day it Twitter, as players will often times update their current statuses. It also gives an opportunity for those who don’t have huge chip stacks to get themselves some “pub” on the blog. When players do return at 8:30pm, they will pick up the action with Level 7 and new blinds of 250/500/50. Here are some updates we caught from Twitter on the start of dinner:
Just busted @WPT @BorgataPoker main. Lost last 15k qq v 55. They flopped a set. 0-2 with queens today. #day1bTomorrow
— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler) January 26, 2015
Rough table draw CHarder DElias & not-so-kind 2 lvls but we made dinner break @BorgataPoker WPT Main w 20,300 going to 250/500/50 BB leggooo — Aditya Prasetyo (@KingsOnTilt) January 26, 2015
Dinner break 70k going to 250/500
— Tyler Patterson (@TylerPoker) January 26, 2015
25825, 52 BBs, at dinner. #WPTBorgata — Todd Terry (@toddbterry) January 26, 2015
98k on dinner break. 250/500/75 next
— Matthew Affleck (@mcmattopoker) January 26, 2015
105k on dinner of borgata wpt going to 250 500. Running okay! — Jerry Payne (@sandler1860) January 26, 2015
36k on dinner comin back to 250/500 #Wptborgata #yawn
— Greg Himmelbrand (@GregHPoker) January 26, 2015
Level 6 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 350
Jake Schwartz (New York, NY)
Event 19 players are beginning to leave their seats and exit the Event Center to head on a (75) minute dinner break. The dinner break will be from 7:15-8:30pm, with players returning to finish the final two levels of the night. There was still a lot of activity just before break, and a handful of players busted and got right back in action, including Joe Kuether (Elm Grove, WI). While Jason Helder still leads the field with just under 175,000 on break, it’s been Jake Schwartz who’s been trending steadily upwards of the last few levels. Schwartz leaves the tournament area with 124,000, and from his demeanor, seems to be very comfortable with the table he’s been sitting at.
Here are some updated chip counts tallied moments before dinner break started:
Jason Helder – 173,000
Dan Wach – 125,000
Jake Schwartz – 124,000
Ami Alibay – 120,000
Blake Bohn – 110,000
Jerry Payne – 105,000
Ryan Jones – 100,000
Jordan Christos – 94,000
Chance Kornuth – 83,000
Ryan Olisar – 79,000
Matt Affleck- 75,000
Level 32 (Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 591
Players Remaining: 1
Chip Average: 11,820,000
Tim Rausenberger (Haskell, NJ) Event 17 Winner
As slow as this final table was moving at one point, is as quick as the tournament ended. When the dust settled, it would be New Jersey native Tim Rausenberger (Haskell, NJ) taking home the trophy and the $49,956 first place. The score eclipses Tim’s lifetime earnings, which were $40,154 coming into the day. To say Rausenberger is a loyal Borgata player would be an understatement, as every single one of his (11) recorded cashes came in this establishment.
It was a stacked final table that Rausenberger had to best, included two WSOP bracelet winners (Sean Drake and Tyler Bonkowski), a beast from the Midwest (Kau Vang), and a seasoned Borgata veteran (Joseph Galazzo). Here is how the final table broke down:
- Tim Rausenberger ($49,956)
- Michael Ciccarelli ($28,090)
- Kau Vang ($18,058)
- John Iannucci ($14,346)
- Tyler Bonkowski ($11,236)
- Sean Drake ($9,230)
- Kyle Haberman ($7,234)
- Jake Vo ($5,718)
- Mike Rutkowski ($4,013)
- Joseph Galazzo ($2,608)
Level 32 (Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 591
Players Remaining: 4
Chip Average: 3,500,000
Tyler Bonkowski (Regina, SK)
Another WSOP bracelet holder has just exited the field, as Tyler Bonkowski (Regina, SK) just experienced the “turbo-ish” style of this event. He was one of the bigger stacks when play was six-handed, but he lost most all of his chips when he doubled up Michael Ciccarelli. The two players got the chips in on a flop of {9d} {ad} {3c}, with Tyler holding {ac} {4h} against Michael’s {as} {8d}. The turn would all but end things after the {8s} hit the felt, and Tyler would be eliminated just a few hands later.
Bonkowski came into today with over $616,000 in career tournament earnings, highlighted by the bracelet win mentioned earlier. Bonkokwski was a $3,000 Limit Hold’em event during the 2011 WSOP, earning $220,817 along with the bracelet. Tyler traveled here for the BWPO Championship Event starting tomorrow, but started his series with a nice little score, taking home $11,236.