Event 1
End of Level 16: Blinds 2,000/4,000/400 ante
Flight 1D Entries: 388
1D Players Remaining: 70
1D Average Stack: 139,000
Total Event 1 Entries (A-D): 1,452
Kevin Saul (Aurora, IL)
As predicted, Kevin Saul is our runaway chip leader in this flight, having amassed a staggering 479,500 in this the “D” flight of the $1 Million Deep Stack event. Kevin, known as “BeL0WaB0Ve” online, has more than $3 million in total tournament winnings. Here are some of the other chip leaders in this flight who be returning Friday for Day 2 action.
Joey Couden 377,000
David Gerassi 304,000
Nicholas Gerrity 262,500
Matt Vitale 247,500
Chris Cisk 237,500
Alan Taddei 235,500
Timothy Pirraglia 202,000
A full list of players with official chip counts will be posted when available. A redraw will take place before Day 2 begins at 12 noon Friday, and the seating assignments will be posted in the blog and in the Event Center.
That will do it for Day 9 of official Borgata Winter Poker Blog coverage. We’re at about the halfway mark of this series with no signs of stopping. Action will pick up in just a few hours, so keep watching this space for more poker!
End of Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50 ante
Flight 1D Entries so far: 316
Total Event 1 Entries (A-D): 1,380
Average Chips: 32,917
The remaining 24 tables in Flight 1D are on a 15-minute break. When we return, we’ll be on 250/500 blinds with a 50 ante. There are 10 more half-hour levels tonight, with a few breaks sprinkled in there.
Time flies when you’re having fun and the first week of the Winter Poker Open has certainly been just that, as six WPO champions were crowned, along with multiple players making deep runs to notch some of the biggest results of their career. To start this ‘First Week Action’ recap with anything other than the opening $2,000,000 GTD event would be criminal. That event saw a massive 5,100 player field come together and in the end, it was Jason Loehrs claiming victory. He earned just over $380,000 for the win, which was his first here at Borgata.
Loehrs claimed victory yesterday and there were two other WPO trophies awarded before the weekend officially over, as Duane Hunton locked up a win right before 6 AM today. That Event 6 ‘Big Stack NLH’ victory was good for a nearly $30,000 score and Guy Cicconi overcame a sizable heads up chip disadvantage to claim an over $14,000 score for his Event 5 ‘Seniors NLH’ win. He’ll be back for the WPT WPO Championship next weekend and we could very well see Joe Cashen back for that main event as well, as he claimed just shy of $45,000 for his Event 3 ‘Saturday Series’ win on Saturday.
Alison Grippo was another Saturday winner this weekend, as she took home just shy of $5,000 for her Event 4 ‘Ladies NLH’ win. The biggest winner, save for Jason Loehrs, was Ryan Slanicka though, as he took home close to $52,000 for his Event 2 ‘$100 Black Chip Bounty’ victory, after a grueling 15 hour Day 2 session.
There are still over a dozen WPO titles still up for grabs, meaning that the final week and a half of the series is surely going to be just as exciting as the first week. The WPO blog will be here to bring you all of that action but if you want to go back and catch up on what’s happened over the last week, the links at the top of this post will bring you to each event’s individual coverage.
It should also be noted, that a complete list of results from each event are linked as well.
Jason Loehrs just beat 5,101 players to take down Event 1 of the Winter Poker Open and the lion’s share of a nearly $2,500,000 prize pool. We caught up with the Pennsylvania native after his win to talk final table strategy, the live streamed final table and how things may or may not change in his poker future.
That officially concludes our coverage of Event 1 of the Winter Poker Open. A complete list of results will be published tomorrow and while Loehrs is the biggest WPO winner thus far, there are still two trophies up for grabs tonight.
Keep it here for all the action, as the WPO blog team will cover both Event 5 and Event 6 to a champion over the next few hours.
Event 1 – $2,000,000 GTD
Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 5,101
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 127,525,000
Jason Loehrs – Winter Poker Open $2,000,000 GTD Event 1 Champion
After claiming the Event 1 title, Jason Loehrs said that making the final table was a huge accomplishment in and of itself and he wasn’t wrong, as over 5,100 players started this week trying to get to where he was. Loehrs added that the rest was just “icing on the cake” and after outlasting the biggest BPO field in history to claim an over $383,000 score, that win means a lot of icing and a lot of cake.
It was likely that relaxed and down to earth thinking that likely propelled Loehrs to his first career title, along with some well timed rushes of cards. Through the first half of the final table, there was tension as the pay jumps were big and the decisions magnified but Loehrs didn’t concern himself with either of those potential road blocks.
Instead, he flew under the radar and laddered up a few spots in the final table payout scale, before catching fire after the elimination of Jonathan Borenstein, one of the lone professionals to make this final table, along with BorgataPoker.com pro Asher Conniff. The latter of those two knows what it feels like to capture and Event 1 title but today, it was the pro in sheep’s clothing taking home the hardware.
Loehrs isn’t an amateur by any means but his previous tournament experience might make him seem that way to the untrained eye. Coming into this final table, he has just over $50,000 in career earnings but the way he navigated the final few days of this tournament, it was clear that Loehrs’ poker knowledge and expertise was much more than what his past results showed.
The AMTRAK engineer says that this win won’t change much come tomorrow morning, when he’ll head back to work but after buying a new house a few months ago, the huge score will certainly help pay some of those bills. The levelheaded Loehrs doesn’t have any drastically new poker plans but after winning the biggest opening event in Borgata Poker history, he may allow himself a run in the WPT WPO Championship.
He finished 50th in that event in 2014 and if he’s able to play how he did this week, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him make another deep run in that championship event next weekend. That concludes the WPO blog’s coverage of Event 1 and a winner’s interview with Jason Loehrs will be posted shortly.
Event 1 – $2,000,000 GTD
Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 5,101
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 127,525,000
John Simon (Naperville, IL)
Heads up play only lasted a few hands, as Jason Loehrs and John Simon played a massive pot with just a few minutes remaining in Level 39. Simon opened to 2,200,000 and Loehrs called in the blinds to see the {Kh}{Qh}{5c} flop. Loehrs checked and Simon checked back to see the {6d} fall on the turn.
Loehrs checked again and Simon bet 2,400,000, only to see Loehrs check-raise to 6,000,000. The short stack called and the {10h} completed both possible draws and the board, while bringing a third check from Loehrs. Simon quickly announced himself “all-in” and after Loehrs asked for a count, the dealer cut down a 29,400,000 chip stack.
Loehrs went into the tank and he admitted that he “didn’t think he could fold this one”. He ran the hand through his head and audibly eliminated putting Simon on a flush draw or a set. Eventually, he called and Simon tossed over {Ad}{10s}, for a rivered pair of tens.
The big stack then stood and turned over {Kd}{6h} and his kings up were good, meaning that his two pair hand had just won him the Winter Poker Open Event 1 title. The two remaining players exchanged a sportsmanlike handshake and Simon congratulated Loehrs on his victory.
Simon will make just under $250,000 for his runner-up finish and Jason Loehrs will take home $383,431 for his Event 1 win. A complete winner’s story and interview will be posted shortly.
Event 1 – $2,000,000 GTD
Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 5,101
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 63,700,000
The Winter Poker Open Event 1 title is on the table and we are now heads up for that trophy and $383,000 first place prize.
After the elimination of Rohit Hukmani in 3rd place, we are now heads up for the $2,000,000 GTD Winter Poker Open Event 1 title. The players are back from their short break and the live stream is ready to begin again. The WPO blog will be tracking the action as it happens though, with a link to that live stream provided here.
As it stands, Jason Loehrs controls a close to 2:1 chip lead, as he’s playing 85,400,000 to John Simons’ 41,700,000. These two players have battled through an over 5,100 player field to get here and now, they’ll be playing for the biggest WPO title of this series and an over $383,000 score.
It should be noted that there are just under 15 minutes remaining in Level 39, after which the blinds and antes will increase to 500,000/1,000,000/100,000.
Event 1 – $2,000,000 GTD
Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 5,101
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 63,700,000
Rohit Hukmani (Hicksville, NY)
After scoring the last two eliminations, it looked like Rohit Hukmani was going to run away at this Event 1 final table but after a series of unfortunate losses, he was suddenly the short stack. Eventually, he was down near the 15 big blind mark and after John Simon folded his button, Hukmani moved all-in from the small blind.
The shove was for just over 14,000,000 and Jason Loehrs, who was in the big blind, didn’t need to think after looking at his cards, as he snap called and tabled {10s}{10d}. Hukmani held {Ad}{8s} and he needed to hit to stay alive.
He didn’t on the {9c}{5c}{4h} flop but he did pick up a couple more outs on the turn, as the {8h} paired him up. It was too little, too late though, as the {4c} paired the board on the river to confirm the knockout and send this Event 1 title to heads up play.
Hukmani will make just over $173,000 for his podium finish and we are now down to our final two players, from a field of over 5,100. Those players are taking a quick break to get the live stream stage set up for heads up play and an update of their stacks will be posted shortly.
Event 1 – $2,000,000 GTD
Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 5,101
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 42,500,000
John Simon moved all-in on a jack-high flop against Rohit Hukmani and he’s now back playing the chip lead, with over 60,000,000. That’s good for half the chips in play as we are still three-handed.
The swings throughout Event 1 have been drastic and Rohit Hukmani is the most recent player to experience a downswing, as he’s gone from sizable chip leader to low man at this final table. The first hit to his stack came from John Simon, as the two saw a flop of {Js}{5s}{3c} after Simon opened the button and Hukmani called in the small blind.
Hukmani checked but only to check-raise to 11,500,000 after Simon continued for 3,500,000. Immediately, Simon re-raised with an “all-in” declaration, forcing a quick fold from Hukmani. That dropped the former big stack down to 26,000,000 and Simon, who came into Day 3 with the chip lead, up to 61,000,000.
In one of the very next hands, Hukmani lost another sizable portion of his stack, after he saw a flop of {10c}{6s}{3h} from the big blind. Jason Loehrs opened to 1,750,000 and then continued for 2,000,000 on the flop after Hukmani checked. Hukmani called to see the {10h} pair the board on the turn, with both players checking to see the river.
The {Kd} fell and Hukmani checked for a third time, only to see Loehrs bet 5,000,000. Hukmani looked like he hated the spot but he eventually called, only to be shown {Qd}{Qh}. The pocket pair was good for Loehrs, who is now playing close to 45,000,000, while Hukmani is down to near a 20 big blind stack.
Event 1 – $2,000,000 GTD
Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 5,101
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 42,500,000
Since the level went up, some sizable pots have played out but none of them have really gone to Rohit Hukmani, as he’s seen his chip stack dwindle over the last few orbits. Those losses from the big stack have this three-handed battle nearly even as we play through Level 39, with a complete update of the chip counts provided below:
- Rohit Hukmani – 48,800,000
- Jason Loehrs – 33,4250,000
- John Simon – 45,300,000
The remaining Event 1 payouts are also listed below and it should be noted that while we are just three-handed, meaning that there aren’t as many antes in each pot, each orbit will cost players 1,500,000 chips. The button is also circling quickly, meaning that a run of unplayable cards could take a quick chunk out of the remaining stacks.
- $383,431
- $247,399
- $173,179