$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000 (63 minutes remaining)
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 6
Average Stack: 6,220,000
WPO Championship Final Table
The opening announcements are made and players have been introduced. Cards are officially in the air for the WPO Championship final table. The WPO blog will have live updates from the final table ahead of the 30-minute delayed live stream. If you wish to not be spoiled, please click here for the live stream link.
Levels are 60-minutes in length until heads up play when they go to 30 minutes. Zach Gruneberg starts the final table with almost half of the chips in play and the chase is on catch him. Whoever is left standing at the end of the night will be crowned World Poker Tour Champion.
The chip counts, payouts, and seat draw are below.
Seat 1. Eric Afriat – 2,280,000 (23 bb)
Seat 2. Zach Gruneberg – 17,600,000 (176 bb)
Seat 3. Joe McKeehen – 5,955,000 (60 bb)
Seat 4. Justin Zaki – 5,565,000 (56 bb)
Seat 5. Stephen Song – 2,740,000 (27 bb)
Seat 6. Michael Marder – 3,080,000 (31 bb)
- $651,928
- $434,614
- $321,533
- $240,251
- $181,329
- $138,254
*includes $15,000 seat to WPT Tournament of Champions
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 6
Average Stack: 6,220,000
Zach Gruneberg
The final six are settled inside the Event Center at Borgata with Zach Gruneberg in the lead by a wide margin. Gruneberg exhibited a dominant display to collect almost half of the chips heading into tomorrow’s live stream final table.
Gruneberg collected most of his chips from start of final table chip leader Stephen Song, who enters tomorrow as the second-shortest stack. Song, Eric Afriat, and Michael Marder all come in bunched together and have a lot of fighting to do over the pay jumps between sixth and fourth place.
In the middle of the pack are Joe McKeehen and Justin Zaki. Both are former Borgata final tablists with McKeehen making his return trip to the Winter Poker Open live stream stage.
The action will play out tomorrow at 2:00 in the Event Center with the accompanying live stream starting at 2:30 pm. The chip counts heading into tomorrow and the remaining payouts are below.
Seat 1. Eric Afriat – 2,280,000 (23 bb)
Seat 2. Zach Gruneberg – 17,600,000 (176 bb)
Seat 3. Joe McKeehen – 5,955,000 (60 bb)
Seat 4. Justin Zaki – 5,565,000 (56 bb)
Seat 5. Stephen Song – 2,740,000 (27 bb)
Seat 6. Michael Marder – 3,080,000 (31 bb)
- $651,928
- $434,614
- $321,533
- $240,251
- $181,329
- $138,254
*includes $15,000 seat to WPT Tournament of Champions
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 30: 50,000/100,000/15,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 6
Average Stack: 6,220,000
Chase Bianchi
The 12-hour journey to the WPO Championship final table is complete. Chase Bianchi is the unfortunate player to bubble after gradually losing chips during final table play. Bianchi had to shove coming into the new level and ran into Joe McKeehen to bust in seventh.
Bianchi pushed 1,010,000 in from the cutoff with 
and McKeehen woke up with 
in the small blind. The 
flop gave Bianchi a ray of hope but the 
turn and 
river left him on the outside looking in. McKeehen improves his stack to end the night.
A recap of the day’s play will be posted shortly.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
End of Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 7
Average Stack: 5,330,000
Stephen Song can’t get the better of Zach Gruneberg at the final table and is down to his lowest point of the day at the end of Level 29.
Gruneberg opened the cutoff and to 180,000 and Song defended the big blind. Song check-called for 300,000 on the 
flop, 650,000 on the turn, and 1,200,000 after the 
river. Song grimaced when Gruneberg turned over 
and mucked his hand.
He is down to 2,300,000 as the blinds go up. The updated counts are below with Chase Bianchi about to be down to 11 big blinds.
- Eric Afriat – 2,170,000
- Chase Bianchi – 1,120,000
- Zach Gruneberg – 16,760,000
- Joe McKeehen – 5,175,000
- Justin Zaki – 6,535,000
- Stephen Song – 2,300,000
- Michael Marder – 3,235,000
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 7
Average Stack: 5,330,000
John Sill
The official final table bubble is here in the WPO Championship with John Sill out in eighth place. Justin Zaki continues to chip up and is at his peak for the tournament by knocking Sill out.
Zaki opened to 175,000 in early position and Sill shoved for 1,300,000 in the cutoff. Zaki called with 
and the needed immediate assistance. The 
board sealed Sill’s window shut and he shook hands as he went to the payout desk.
Zaki is up to 6,500,000 with only a few minutes left in Level 29. Chase Bianchi is down to 1,200,000 and the shortest stack.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 8
Average Stack: 4,665,000
Justin Zaki
Zach Gruneberg is in control of the final table and gave some taxes back to the field in the form of a double up to Justin Zaki.
Gruneberg opened to 180,000 in early position and Zaki shoved in the hijack for 2,240,000. The late position players folded and Gruneberg called on command with 
. Zaki had the edge in the flip with .
The 
flop reduced Gruneberg’s outs and he was down to needing a ten after the turn. The fell on the river and Zaki doubled through. Gruneberg is playing 12,250,000 after paying out the double.
Chase Bianchi and John Sill are the short stacks with both a few blinds under 2,000,000. Eric Afriat is slightly ahead with 2,240,000.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 8
Average Stack:4,665,000
Zach Gruneberg
Zach Gruneberg is in full control of the WPO Championship final table to the tune of holding almost 40 percent of the chips in play. Gruneberg took down a large pot against Stephen Song to extend his lead.
Gruneberg opened the cutoff to 180,000 and Joe McKeehen called on the button. Song three-bet to 675,000 out of the big blind and both late position players called to the 
flop. All three checked and Song bet 850,000 on the 
turn. Only Gruneberg called and the 
put three to a straight on board.
Song fired once more for 1,400,000 and Grunberg called right away with . The 
of Song went into the muck and he descends to 4,450,000. Gruneberg’s wall equals 14,200,000 as he runs away from the competition.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 29: 40,000/80,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 8
Average Stack:4,665,000
Steven Greenberg
The battle for the pay jump among the short stacks has been decided. Steven Greenberg is out in ninth place, losing the last of his chips to Zach Gruneberg thanks to an unlucky turn card.
Greenberg opened in early position to 175,000 and Gruneberg three-bet to 440,000 on his direct left. Greenberg called and the two players checked the 
flop. The hit the turn and Greenberg moved in for 1,150,000 with Gruneberg calling right behind him.
Greenberg had an ace 
but the 
of Gruneberg was better. The 
completed the board and the start of Day 4 chip leader is on the rail. Gruneberg improves his chip lead to 10,565,000.
Michael Marder doubled up in the same orbit when his held up against the of Joe McKeehen. McKeehen sent 1,115,000 across the table and falls to 5,930,000, still good for third place. John Sill is the low man now with 1,620,000.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 28: 30,000/60,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 9
Average Stack: 4,145,000
Joe McKeehen
Joe McKeehen is officially at full strength at the WPO Championship after getting two million chips from adversary Stephen Song.
McKeehen opened under the gun to 140,000 and Song three-bet to 460,000 two seats over. McKeehen called and checked the 
flop. Song bet 425,000 and McKeehen committed chips to the 
turn. Song turned it up to 1,200,000 and McKeehen continued to the river.
They both checked and McKeehen’s were good after Song mucked. Song is no longer the chip leader with Zach Gruneberg 600,000 ahead of him.
The blinds are up and updated counts are below. Mike Marder is the short stack with 15 big blinds, just ahead of Steven Greenberg and John Sill with $17,696 between the eighth and ninth place payouts.
- Eric Afriat – 3,980,000
- Chase Bianchi – 2,180,000
- Steven Greenberg – 1,915,000
- Zach Gruneberg – 8,345,000
- Joe McKeehen – 7,190,000
- Justin Zaki – 2,810,000
- Stephen Song – 7,750,000
- Michael Marder – 1,175,000
- John Sill – 1,975,000
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 28: 30,000/60,000/10,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 9
Average Stack: 4,145,000
Eric Afriat
Eric Afriat is back in full action in the WPO Championship and Michael Marder is once again at the bottom. Afriat doubled through Chase Bianchi and Marder folded the river against Zach Gruneberg for his tournament life.
Afriat opened to 140,000 in the lojack and was met with a three-bet to 550,000 from Bianchi next door. The action folded back to Afriat and he moved all-in for 1,480,000 total. Bianchi was right behind him with a call, holding . Afriat had 
and a flip for his tournament life.
Afriat implored the dealer to keep it low and the 
board worked well enough to keep him happy. Bianchi is at his low point of Day 4 with 2,125,000.
Marder opened under the gun and Gruneberg called in the cutoff. Marder check-called for 275,000 on the 
flop and 650,000 on the 
turn, leaving himself 1,550,000 heading to the river. Marder checked when the 
hit.
Gruneberg bet 1,250,000 and Marder used a time chip before folding and lamented not shoving the turn. Marder is the short stack at the final table with less than 10 minutes left in the level. Gruneberg ascends closer to Stephen Song with 7,530,000.