Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 16: (2,000/4,000/400)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 291
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 61
David Jackson (Jacksonville, FL)
A player raises to 8,500 from early position and David Jackson makes the call. Boulos Estanous comes along as does the player in the small blind. They go four handed to the {ah}{5c}{ks} flop and the action checks around.
The turn is the {3s} and again all four players knuckle the felt. The {as} hits the river and the small blind leads out with a bet of 17,000. The player in early position calls and with the action back on Jackson he raises making it 40,500. The players all quickly fold and Jackson rakes in the pot without a showdown.
David Jackson- 165,000
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 15: (1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 291
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 90
The players are now on a 10 minute color up break. This will be the last break of the night and they will be playing two more levels when they return.
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 15: (1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 291
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 90
Andrew Lauer (Granby, CT)
Andrew Lauer has been steadily amassing chips here on Day 1B of our first event of The Borgata Winter Poker Open. He just found himself in a three way all in preflop confrontation against Miguel Martinez and a short stacked all in player. Lauer was holding ace king and had the king queen of Martinez in bad shape.
The short stacked player held pocket aces and when the king spiked on the flop Lauer would take the lead and hold onto it. After raking in the pot he is now closing in on the 250,000 chip mark and finds himself near the top of the chip counts. The Connecticut native is now stranger to tournament success as he took home two WSOP circuit rings in two days this past August at Foxwoods.
Those scores would bring his live career tournament earnings up to over $100,000. Although he has had major success in along the east coast Lauer still looks for his first win here at The Borgata and is off to a lightning fast start in Event 1.
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 14: (1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 291
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 90
Ragavan “Rags” Thiagarajah (Marlton, NJ)
A player in late position raises to 6,600 and it folds to Ragavan “Rags” Thiagarajah in the big blind and he defends. They go heads up to the {9s}{8h}{8d} flop. Rags checks and his opponent slides out a bet of 12,000. Rags wastes no time check raising all in for his last 32,300 and his opponent nearly beats him into the pot with the call.
Rags turns over {9c}{th} but is behind the {ks}{kc} of his opponent. The turn brings the {7c} and Rags picks up some extra outs as he turns an open ended straight draw. The {6s} completes the board and Rags river the straight to crack his opponents pocket kings and stay alive.
Ragavan “Rags” Thiagarajah- 80,000
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 13: (1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 291
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 100
Miguel Martinez
We arrive at the table to catch the heads up action on a board reading {7s}{8h}{js}{4d}. There is nearly 60,000 already in the main pot and Miguel Martinez slides a stack of blue chips forward covering his opponent who has 70,000 behind.
The player goes into the tank for about a minute and splashes in the calling chips. Martinez turns over {5c}{6h} for a turn straight and his opponent fires his hand face down into the muck before the river is dealt.
The {jc} hits the river and Martinez rakes in the massive pot. He is now playing close to 250,000 and looks to be in a battle for the chip lead with T.J. Crews who is playing nearly an identical stack.
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 13: (1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 291
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 110
The players have returned from their break and the cards are now back in the air. With Level 13 now underway this means tournament registration and re-entry are now closed. There are now a combined 790 total entries through the first two flights of Event 1 the $500+$60 Deep Stack NLH $2,000,000 guaranteed.
We will be playing through the end of Level 17 at which point the remaining players will bag and tag their chips. The surviving players will return Friday January 20 at 12 P.M. noon to resume Day 2 play.
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 12: (800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 290
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 110
T.J. Crews (Edgewater, MD)
A player raises to 3,600 from under the gun and it folds to T.J. Crews in the cutoff position who makes the call. The big blind calls and they go three handed to the {6c}{7c}{4s} flop. The big blind checks and the under the gun player tosses out a bet of 5,200.
Both players call and the dealer burns and turns the {3s}. The big blind checks and the under the gun player fires out a second bullet this time of 11,000. Crews makes the call and the player in the big blind calls.
The {2h} hits the river and both players check to Crews who bets 22,000. The big blind quickly folds and after thinking it over for a few moments the under the gun player lays it down. Crew rakes in the pot adding to his chip lead which now looks to be hovering around 250,000 as we approach the last break of the night.
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 11: (600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 286
Total Day 1B Players Remaining: 110
Andrew Lauer (Granby, CT)
A player limps in from early position and Peter Sennon limps in from middle position. With the action on Andrew Lauer on the button he tosses out a raise. The early position limper gets out of the way and Sennon moves all in for about 36,000. Lauer quickly calls and Sennon is at risk for his tournament life.
Lauer: 
Sennon: 
Lauer wastes no time taking control of the hand as the dealer fans the 
{ks}{6h} flop improving him to top two pair. Sennon will need one of the two remaining eights in the deck to stay alive.
The turn brings the 
and the river is the 
to earn Lauer the pot and send Sennon to the rail in the process.
Andrew Lauer- 85,000
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 10: (500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 286
Scott Blumstein (Morristown, NJ)
We catch up to the heads up action with about 12,000 in the main pot on a flop of 
. Blumstein fires out a bet of 7,000 and his opponent makes the call. The dealer burns and turns the and Blumstein checks.
His opponent asks Blumstein to move his hands so he can get a look at his chips. Blumstein obliges and the player see Blumstein’s stack of 27,650 before announces “all in”. Blumstein leans back in his chair to think over his decision as a call would be for his tournament life. After giving it some thought Blumstein slides out the last of chips announcing “call” and the hands are shown.
Blumstein: 
Opponent: 
“I just have a nine” says the player as they turn over their hands and Blumstein’s pair of kings is in the lead. The 
completes the board and Blumstein’s top pair holds up earning him the pot and the double up.
Scott Blumstein- 73,000
Event 1 (Day1B)– $2,000,000 GTD
Level 9: (400/800/75)
Total Day 1B: Entries: 272
Dan Dizenzo (Sussex, NJ)
A player moves all in from under the gun for his last 6,425. The action folds to Scott Blumstein in the cutoff position who thinks it over for about 30 seconds before electing to fold. Dan Dizenzo makes the call from the button, the blinds fold and the hands are shown.
Dizenzo: {as}{qs}
Opponent: {ks}{qh}
Dizeno’s ace queen is dominating the king queen of his opponent. The dealer spreads the {td}{4d}{6d} flop and neither player is holding a diamond.
The turn {jc} gives his the player an open ended straight draw but the river {7d} seals the deal for Dizenzo. His opponent is sent to the rail and Dizenzo adds to his stacks which is now close to 65,000.