Level 13: Blinds 1,000/2,000/300 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,447
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,650
“Gator Dave” (Jackson, NJ)
“Gator Dave” arrived at Table 36 and found himself ensnarled in the very first hand he was dealt. Irina Akerman shoved her last 12,200 from middle position. Dave flatted from the middle, then the player in the cutoff raised to 26,000, perhaps in an attempt to isolate.
It didn’t work, however, as Gator Dave jammed for 93,400 total, sending the cutoff into the tank. He eventually called, tabling pocket 8s. Dave was out in front with pocket Kings, and Irina was trailing the trio with {ah}{5s}.
When the flop fell {Ac}{th}{6c}, it appeared Irina was going to triple up and carry on, but then the last two cards fell {jh}{qs}, giving Dave the Broadway straight. He more than doubled to ~210,000.
Irina was sent to the rail and we’re not sure if she’ll try again in Flight F, on tap for 7pm tonight.
“Gator Dave” says “Hi to Pete!”
End of Level 12: Blinds 800/1,600/200 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,447
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,650
End of level 12 and players are enjoying their last break of the day.
Shortly before the break and on the last hand played at table 51 before it broke, Will ‘the Thrill’ Failla took a bite out of Duane Wallace’s big stack.
Picking up the action on the flop, the board read {as}{kh}{qc} and Will was all-in for 51,500. Duane tanked for a couple of minutes, then called. Will was holding the nuts with {Jd}{td} for Broadway. Duane was drawing slim with {ad}{9s} for top pair. He need two pefect runners to make a full house or chop.
When the {tc} came on the turn, Duane was drawing to only three outs for a chop — he needed a Jack on the river just to split the pot. The river was the {7d}, however, and Will doubled up to ~160,000.
Duane was still in good shape heading into the break with ~220,000.
Level 12: Blinds 800/1,600/200 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,447
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,650
Duane Wallace (Reading, PA)
Despite getting his pocket Aces cracked earlier by Will ‘the Thrill’ Failla, Duane Wallace just took done a monster pot and maybe the chip lead.
The player in seat 9 opened for 6,500, got a call from seat 10, and Duane. On the flop of 9 6 4 with two diamonds, all heck broke loose. It was checked to the player in seat 10, who fired 16,000. Duane raised to 33,000, seat 9 four-bet-shoved, seat 10 called all-in for less, and Duane called all-in.
The hands were tabled:
Duane: 44 (bottom set)
Seat 9: 97 (top pair)
Seat 10: {ad}{qd} (nut flush draw with two overs)
Somehow Duane managed to fade all the outs and the last two cards were blanks. The player in seat 10 was eliminated and seat 9 took a small side pot. Duane chipped up to about 320,000.
Level 12: Blinds 800/1,600/200 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,447
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,650
2
The 2015 Fall Poker Open Championship winner, Mike ‘Unbelievable’ Dentale has thrown his hat in this ring and announced his arrival in a big way:
Just got to @BorgataPoker 2mm guarantee last minute last day and 2nd to last flight , quadruple 2nd hand in, LFG
— Mike Dentale (@Mikunbelievable) January 21, 2016
Mike took down the Championship event last November, which earned him more than $336,000 and pushed his career earnings north of $1.2 million. That was his third Borgata Open series win, but his first Championship takedown, which was also the largest single cash of his semi-professional career.
The Brooklyn, NY, native owns a window replacement business, but still manages to hit the felt frequently, here and all over the country.
Level 11: Blinds 600/1,200/200 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,447
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,650
Cindy Albert a.k.a. Poker Peach (Germantown, MD)
Cindy Albert started her day off with a positive attitude:
Day 1E #BWPO Ev 1..$2milly gtd..looking to run it sky high! 📈 #onetime ♠️♥️♣️♦️🍑
— Cindy Albert (@pokerpeach) January 21, 2016
However she found herself short-stacked and all-in a little while ago. The player in seat 8 opened for 2,500 and Cindy shoved her last chips across the line. She had to sweat it out, first waiting for the players in the blinds to decide to fold, the wait while the player who had already committed chips to the pot made up his mind.
He eventually opted to release his hand and Cindy took the pot, chipping up to almost 25,000. She’s still in the danger zone with roughly 20 big blinds but is maintaining her positive attitude!
Cindy holds two Ladies Event titles, one from the WSOP Circuit and the other from Foxwoods. Her largest single cash was when she won the Ladies event at Foxwoods in April 2006, taking home just over $27,000. Her best finish here at Borgata came four years ago during the Winter Poker Open. She final-tabled the $1,000 NLH event, finishing in 9th place for ore than $4,000. Her lifetime earnings have topped $120,000.
Level 10: Blinds 500/1,000/100 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,447
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,650
Play has resumed and registration is closed for this flight. There’s one final flight coming up at 7pm and that will be the last-chance flight for players to take a shot at this $2+ Million prize pool.
Dimas Martinez (Buford, GA)
Dimas Martinez is responsible for three of those entries himself. It looks like the third time might be the charm for him, as he’s up to ~150,000 (150 big blinds) in this flight. He’s both fearless and aggressive at the poker table, which is a deadly, and profitable, combination.
As a resident of Georgia, a state which has no casinos or (legal) poker rooms, he has to travel to other states to play, when his business allows him the free time. Over the years he has recorded more than $130,000 in tournament earnings. Most of that came with his 4th place finish in the Championship event of the February 2014 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, good for more than $90,000.
His best finish here at Borgata and his second-largest lifetime score, was a 5th place in last Fall’s $260+$40 Junkies NLH event, where he pocketed $9,059.
End of Level 9: Blinds 400/800/75 ante
Total Day 1E Entries: 1,431
Total Event 1 Entries: 3,633
Players are currently on a color-up break following the end of level 9. Due to the size of the field, the break has been extended to 20 minutes to accommodate the extensive color-up.
Quick Bites available just off the tournament floor!
It will also help with the long line for the cafeteria, our ring-side snack area where players can grab quick bites. They serve everything from beverages and fresh fruit to belly-warming soups, just right for this cold weather.
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is also available, for those who don’t fear the cold!
Level 10: Blinds 500/1,000/100 ante
Total Event 1D Entries: 536
Total Event 1 Entries: 2,202
Time to check the Tweets. Follow us @BorgataPoker and include #WPO2016 so we can catch your chirps!
Had it up to 40k from 25k ss then got coolered w 23 vs 22 on K23 after completing my sb in limped pot. 20k now at 1k bb. 6 more levels 2nite
— Darius Studdard (@IDontLookLikeTO) January 21, 2016
Busto bullet 1, crippled in lvl 1 AK<AA on a K2343r board, grinded 10-20bb for 7 levels to run KQ<AQ for my last 9bb. Try again tomorrow!
— Geno Raman (@GRaman3210) January 21, 2016
Level 10: Blinds 500/1,000/100 ante
Total Event 1D Entries: 536
Total Event 1 Entries: 2,202
Players are back from break and registration is closed for this flight. The unofficial player count for Flight D is 536 entrants, bringing the overall total to 2,202 for Event 1.
Registration for tomorrow’s final two flights remains open and will stay open tonight well past the usual closing time of 12 midnight. It was announced earlier today that the registration desk will remain open until the end of play tonight, allowing players who bust out in the late levels to sign up for tomorrow’s flights before heading for bed. That will help them avoid what is sure to be a very long line at registration tomorrow morning.
Level 9: Blinds 400/800/75 ante
Total Event 1D Entries: 533
Total Event 1 Entries: 2,199
Brad McFarland (Whitehall, PA) & Roman Valerstein (Newtown, PA)
Brad McFarland has turned up in this field and I thought it was his first flight, but after asking him I discovered that he’s actually on his fourth buy-in. “I never made it to the antes [on the earlier entries]” he explained.
He’s cruising this time, however, with about 100,000 — and he’s made it to the antes.
Brad won one of the ‘post-liminary’ events last September during the 2015 Borgata Poker Open. The $300+$40 Deep Stack NLH event drew 217 entries. The one-day event took more than 17 hours to reach a winner and Brad claimed $17,684 for the win.
He had a very profitable 2015, cashing six times in the World Series of Poker. He finished 2nd in the massive 22,374-entrant WSOP Colossus event for $386,253. That is his largest single cash since he became a professional poker player at the ripe old age of 18 (a little over 6 years ago). His career earnings now top $545,000.
Today he’s got another Borgata frequent flier on his left, that being Roman Valerstein. Roman is closing in on his first million in career tournament earnings.