Event 18 (Day 1B)
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Returning to Level 9: 400/800/1000 ante
Total Entries: 1,023
Players Remaining: ~539
Shaun McBride
Day 1B of the BWPO WPT Championship drew a total of 680 entries and 366 players from this flight will be advancing to Day 2.
Nick Schwarmann
Leading the way is Shaun McBride with 224,200 which is good for the overall chip lead. Nick Schwarmann will also be returning with a massive stack with 177,700 in the bag.
Approximately 590 players will return Tuesday, January 30 at 12 P.M. noon to resume Day 2 play. Tournament registration and re-entry will remain open until the start of level 11 (2:15 P.M).
Below is a look at some of the big stacks from Day 1B. A full list of chip counts and Day 2 seating assignments will be posted as soon as they’re available.
Shaun McBride- 224,200
Nick Schwarmann- 177,700
Z. DeSilva- 170,000
Raghuram Jonnalagedda- 154,400
Chris Orme- 140,000
Shankar Pillai- 125,000
Nick Palma- 119,800
We caught up with Palma after play wrapped up to talk about his day, besting his 10th place finish in September’s BPO Main Event and being “refocused.”
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Level 7: Blinds 250/500/75 ante
Day 1B Entries: 649
We took a moment to check in on the Twitter-verse and there are plenty of players keeping us updated using the hashtag #BWPO2018.
Looks like I am 36th in chip count from yesterday's 1A flight. @BorgataPoker @WPT #BWPO2018 #WPT #WPTMainEvent https://t.co/CTX1P57qpF Tx to my co-counsels & clients for understanding this avocation that takes me away from my day job. pic.twitter.com/HnBspR36zo
— Linda Kenney Baden (@kenneybaden) January 29, 2018
Two smiling faces from Day1a @WPT #BWPO2018 #MyWPT
@MikeDentale @MattGlantz pic.twitter.com/E2wXrg58Q4— Jayne Furman (@JayneFurman) January 29, 2018
Ready to play this @WPT $3 Milly guaranteed Main Event @BorgataPoker, after my lovely breakfast at Metro first #BWPO2018
— Craig Rubinstein (@craigruby) January 29, 2018
Been pretty unmotivated to play poker lately, but a 3 hour to @BorgataPoker to play the $3500 @WPT sounded fun. So far so good! #BWPO2018 pic.twitter.com/jFpGSabGgJ
— Chase Bianchi (@Chase_Bianchi) January 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/LuckyJadeJules/status/958111908808331264
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Level 7: Blinds 250/500/75 ante
Day 1B Entries: 642
The Event Center is bursting at the seams as the BWPO WPT Championship field continues to grow. There are now 642 entries this flight bringing the Day 1A-B total to 985.
There is already more than $3,000,000 in the prize pool and there’s still plenty of time to get in on the action.
Tournament registration and re-entry will remain open until the start of level 11 on Day 2 or approximately 2:15 P.M. tomorrow.
https://twitter.com/_JeannieDuffy/status/958106415226376192
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
End of Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50 ante
Day 1B Entries: 631
At the break it looks like the possible chip leader is Elon Shahar, with over 115,000 on table 4. He’s been extremely active, and just took down an interesting pot where he raised a lead in a three bet pot against another big stack – a dangerous and strong play.
Shahar, playing noticeably well but the table is in turn noticing, attacking his UTG open in one spot fairly light.
Fausto “The Discount Poker Coach” is on Cliff Josephy’s table.
Odd couple: Cathy Dever poses with this outspoken man who insists he is an astronaut.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50 ante
Day 1B Entries: 630
The Day 1B players are now on a 15 minute break. There are a total of 630 entries this flight an counting bringing the combined Day 1A-B entries to 973.
The $3,000,000 guarantee has already been hit and with tournament registration still open on Day 2 the prize pool will only get bigger.
When the players return they will play just two more levels before the bagging process begins.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50 ante
Day 1B Entries: 622
Nick Palma
We are approaching the break and Nick Palma is off to a fast start. He won a big early and hasn’t looked back. Palma is now up to 76,000 and is one of the bigger stacks in the room.
When the players return from break there will be just two levels of play left in the night. Palma will look to finish strong with his sights already set on Day 2.
Playing WPT Borgata $3500 main event. 30k starting stack. Was feeling good when I sat down and we are instantly up to 64k. Big field great structure should be a fun one. #Refocused #Borgata3500
— NICKY P (@nicholas_palma) January 29, 2018
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50
Entrants: 620
On Julie Anna Cornelius’ “splashy table” 26, Chris Orme just played 
extremely well, managing to get the best hand to showdown on 
, facing a lead, then putting in a protection bet on the turn against Mike Vela’s 
.
Then, the splashiness part resumed. Vela opened to 800, was immediately 3 bet to 1800 by Marc Sandy, the button cold called and Joey Galazzo flatted from the big. However, no fight on 
, as all the preflop money rolled over for the cbet. Healthy pot for Sandy.
Vela opened and Sandy, in green, three bet, only to pick up a few ambitious calls.
Post-action quietness for one hand. Everyone folded to Julie Anna on the button, slightly smaller to 700, which she opened. Galazzo folded, but Bruce Kramer wasted zero time firing a three bet to 2200. She immediately surrendered but got some information, as Joey pried a show from Kramer – 
.
“I’d kill for that hand,” Joey complained, with slight exaggeration.
Threatening lives for suited broadways – Galazzo.
Then it was Stephen Moy’s turn, going to 800. Chris Orme then stuck in the three to 2200, followed by a surprise snap 4bet to 6200 by Pablo Mariz. The rhythm of the call threw Moy off, because he mistook it for a flat, and tossed in the call.
Confusion. Moy calls the wrong amount while Orme and Mariz look on hungrily.
This created a problem, as he tried to pull it back, but the chips can’t leave the pot. The players explained his options, and now Moy put the whole 6200 in. However, as one might predict, now Orme 5 bet to 25200, which led Mariz behind to shove for a few chips more.
Maximally frustrated, Moy folded, Orme tossed in the call, and the drama was over before it began 
in both players’ hands. The board ran out middle cards for a chop, but Moy confessed to throwing away 
, which would have put a brutal beat on the two big hands.
Perhaps a little mad but mostly in disguise, Moy now opened from UTG to a hot 4000 at 150/300, which Kramer openly called out as huge. However, no one wanted to give the ridiculous bet action, so when it fell back to Sandy in the big, Moy tried to coax a call by promising to check it down.
Too big. Kramer, center, Vela, and then Sandy don’t want any of those 4 oranges pre.
Sandy said “Okay,” encouraging Moy, who clearly held the nuts, and Marc flipped up with Moy- no call, per tournament rules, which Sandy obviously knew and was just teasing Moy, who held .
Sandy, left, tunes out next to Moy, a vexed smirk on this face – no action!
Finally it was Julie Anna’s turn for a little sugar – three bet over an LP raise gets through at what appears to be a great table.
No contest. Julie Anna mucks and collects.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 5: 150/300/50
Entrants: 588
BorgataPoker.com awarded 12 seats into the Winter Poker Open WPT Main Event Championship. Keith Donovan won his seat via satellite and his in action on Day 1B. The online pro is a regular in the New Jersey online streets and is excited to have the opportunity to represent his home state this week at the Borgata.
New Jersey is synonymous with online players having live success. Scott Blumstein winning the WSOP Main Event and Thomas Pomponio highlight recent victories. Donovan thinks there is something in the water and hopes it is his turn to cash for a big score in the live arena.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
End of Level 4: Blinds 100/200/25
Entrants: 560
We take a short break until 3:39 PM
On 49, baby poker elephant Christian Soto is over 50,000 and comfortable.
With Soto watching on, tough blind on blind action to close the level as tables exit.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
End of Level 4: Blinds 100/200/25
Entrants: 559
On table 3, Chris Aaron just took down Steve Dannenmann for stacks.
A pall over Steven’s jacks – two pair.
Calling out of the button with 
, Aaron continued aggressively on the flop against Dannenmann, naturally enough, on 
, while losing several others in the multiway spot.
Then, all the money went in on an apparent blank, the 
. Steven, however, was far from dead against the two pair, holding for an overpair and a gutter.
However, the river slammed the door on Dannenmann, filling up Aaron with the 
. Steven leapt up without a word, not amused by the offsuit connector ending his bullet.
Meanwhile, the table discussed the hand.
“Nice, suited connectors are my favorites…”
“It was not suited!” pointed out seat one – a nice needle.
“I know a guy who only plays unsuited connectors, doesn’t get overflushed that way!”
Aaron counts it up with some snazzy microbial gloves – past 40,000 and healthy again.
Apparently everyone had equity, as seat 3 folded pocket eights, and the flop action forced pocket fours to fold.
Aaron could have 100,000. Loosen up, table three.