Event 15
2018 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Champion Eric Afriat
Last night after nearly four hours of heads-up play, Erif Afriat defeated Justin Zaki to win the $3 Million Guaranteed World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship to claim his second WPT title, earning more than $651,000. ($15,000 is withheld for entry in the Season-Ending WPT Tournament of Champions in May.)
Afriat overcame a 2:1 chip deficit to take the lead, then the chips swung the other way and at one point he was down 4:1 in chips. He continued to battle back until he had all the chips and the win. Zaki earned more than $434,000 for his 2nd place finish.
This final table also included 2015 WSOP Main Event Winner Joe McKeehen, for the second year in a row. And for the second year in a row, he finished 4th.
James Roberts – BWPO Kickoff Event Winner
The WPO series began with a $2 Million Guaranteed Deep Stack Kickoff event which drew more than 4,500 entrants. At the end, it was James Roberts who hoisted the Borgata trophy. The recent retiree earned $378,391 after battling his way through a star-studded final table.
More than $10 million was paid out in prize money in these 23 main events alone, not including satellites and secondary events. A complete list of main event winners is below.
*AP Indicates Adjusted Payout
Thank you to all the participants and congratulations to all the winners! A special thanks goes out to all Borgata tournament staff and dealers for a terrific series.
On behalf of Borgata Poker Bloggers Tim Kelliher, Chris Murray, Brittany Paige, Matt Clark, and myself, thank you for reading! Mark your calendars now for the Borgata Spring Poker Open, which takes place April 10th – 27th. Hope to see you then!
@Kaelaine
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 26: 25,000/50,000/5,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 10
Average Stack: 1,420,000
Event 15 Winners from Left: Michael D’Amico, Louis Fragale, Bill Parker, John Gordon, Michael Forca, Louis Pelletteri, Luis Rodriguez, Mike O’Connell, Brett Brucaleri. Not Pictured: Abraham Araya
The final table of the Saturday Series started to talk about a deal from the moment play started. Before any action took place, they started to break down the numbers on a potential adjusted payout agreement. All 10 agreed and the tournament ended on the spot.
Abraham Araya and Bill Parker both earn over $23,000, taking the most money in the deal. Luis Rodriguez claims the trophy. A look at the final places by payout total along with the original payouts for the Saturday Series is below.
- Abraham Araya – $23,591
- Bill Parker – $23,452
- Louis Pelletteri – $17,603
- Louis Fragale – $15,000
- Michael D’Amico – $13,654
- Mike O’Connell – $13,325
- Brett Brucaleri – $12,287
- Michael Forca – $10,301
- Luis Rodriguez – $8,021
- John Gordon – $7,491
| 1 | $48,016 |
| 2 | $26,997 |
| 3 | $17,355 |
| 4 | $13,788 |
| 5 | $10,799 |
| 6 | $8,870 |
| 7 | $7,039 |
| 8 | $5,496 |
| 9 | $3,857 |
| 10 | $2,507 |
- Brett Brucaleri – 950,000
- Michael D’Amico – 1,150,000
- John Gordon – 400,000
- Mike O’Connell – 1,100,000
- Louis Pelletteri – 1,850,000
- Luis Rodriguez – 490,000
- Abraham Araya – 3,310,000
- Michael Forca – 695,000
- Bill Parker – 2,975,000
- Joseph Fragale – 1,300,000
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 26: 25,000/50,000/5,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 10
Average Stack: 1,420,000
Charles Johnson and Ramzi Mus are on the rail and the Saturday Series has arrived at a final table. Abraham Araya holds a small lead with Bill Parker right behind him. The final 10 will play down to a winner and $48,016 first place prize. The chip counts and seating assignments for the final table are below.
- Brett Brucaleri – 950,000
- Michael D’Amico – 1,150,000
- John Gordon – 400,000
- Mike O’Connell – 1,100,000
- Louis Pelletteri – 1,850,000
- Luis Rodriguez – 490,000
- Abraham Araya – 3,310,000
- Michael Forca – 695,000
- Bill Parker – 2,975,000
- Joseph Fragale – 1,300,000
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 26: 25,000/50,000/5,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 12
Average Stack: 1,185,000
A dozen Saturday Series contestants are left in the front of the Event Center. Bill Parker (pictured) is near the top of the leaderboard with 2,500,000 after getting consecutive double-ups.
Parker doubled up with 
against the 
of Ramzi Mus for 540,000 and accumulated his first million. Then, on a board of 
, Charles Johnson shoved to put Parker at risk. Parker called for about 900,000 total and collected the 700,000 the pot to double again.
Johnson is under six big blinds with the final table two places away.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 25: 20,000/40,000/4,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 14
Average Stack: 1,015,000
The Saturday Series hit a small elimination lull and is now back on track thanks to Brett Brucaleri (pictured). Brucaleri opened in early position to 110,000 and Nathaniel Lindquist called out of the big blind.
Lindquist moved all-in for 190,000 on the 
flop with 
and Brucaleri called with 
. The 
turn and 
river locked up the pot for Brucaleri. He improves his stack to 1,250,000 only four eliminations from the final table.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 24: 15,000/30,000/4,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 16
Average Stack: 888,000
Only 16 players in the Saturday Series with over $48,000 going to the winner. Abraham Araya (pictured) is among them and hopes to use his experience to push his way toward a title. Araya owns a WSOP Circuit Main Event ring and presumably came to the Borgata in anticipation of the WPT Main Event. So far, so good for Araya, who is playing close to 1,000,000 as the Saturday Series nears a final table.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
End Level 21: 8,000/16,000/2000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 34
Average Stack: 417,647
Down to three tables.
As the final three tables were formed, easy goin’ Hampton Dan Voccia made a bit of a lazy call – as someone named Hampton Dan should – from the small blind on table three. The problem was that short stack Jason Fan was behind him in the big.
Hampton Dan and Jason Fan.
“Damn it!” exclaimed Hampton Dan.
The PFR folded and it came back to Dan, who showed a face card and dumped it.
Fan turned over pocket tens, moving up to 170,000 without showdown, and now Hampton Dan was a bit regretful. “We were flipping!”
But Hampton Dan did not call Jason Fan.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 21: 8,000/16,000/2000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 34
Average Stack: 417,647
The river decision was a painful one for everyone, Manny most of all. He’d already bet a massive 150,000 for value on the end, but had been raised 306,000 on the end, nearly the average stack.
The big raise.
With the future of his tournament on the line, Manny took a lot of time, and nearby Ibra Ibrahimovic began to get testy, hinting at a clock. When Manny pushed his chips up to the line but grimaced and stopped, one player blurted out their opinion of his tormentor’s hand.
Getting the bad news.
Through it all, Mike Damico, sitting there with 
on 
, remained impassive and hard to read, other than seeming perhaps rather comfortable and interested when Manny nearly called.
In the end, Manny said, “there is too much out there,” and pushed it over. Quads were flipped, and Manny showed his 
– bad spot.
Yum-yum.
Mike now has over 1,100,000, while Many is healthy but disappointed with 500,000 as we move to level 21
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
End of Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 44
Average Stack: 322,000
Manny Minaya has over 1,150,000 as we cross into level 20.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000
Total Entries: 568
Players Remaining: 54
Average Stack: 263,000
A short bubble came and went in the Saturday Series resulting in the final 54 players finishing in the money. Only 54 remain as they start to move toward the end of the night. The players still in are now fighting for their piece of the $192,836 prize pool, including Joey Galazzo (pictured).
As the action nears the final table, the Winter Poker Open blog will pick up coverage with $48,016 set to go to tonight’s winner.