Event 8
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 22: 10,000/20,000/3,000
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 34
The Seniors NLH event has just wrapped up in the back of the Event Center. We now shift our focus back over to Event 8 and the money bubble has just bust.
There are now just 34 players left in the hunt and they’re all guaranteed at least $380.
We will be crowning our latest Borgata Winter Poker Open champion here tonight and one lucky winner will take home the $16,554 first prize and the BWPO trophy.
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 45
Shang Dai
We are down to the final 45 Event 8 players and they are inching closer to the money. The final 36 will all make the money and be guaranteed at least $380.
Corbin Avery
Shang Dai is leading the way with 600,000 but there are plenty of players within striking distance. Corbin Avery continues to climb and is now sitting behind a monster stack of 565,000.
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 17: 3,000/6,000/500
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 57
Event 8 of the Borgata Winter Poker Open is a $200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH event. There are a total of 316 entries creating a prize pool of $61,304.
The final 36 players will all make the money and be guaranteed at least $380. One lucky winner will take home the $16,554 first prize along with the Borgata Winter Poker Open trophy.
Below is the full list of the Event 8 payouts.
1. $16,554+BWPO trophy
2. $9,196
3. $5,720
4. $4,598
5. $3,617
6. $2,973
7. $2,391
8. $1,808
9. $1,226
10-12. $797
13-15. $659
16-18. $524
19-27. $429
28-36. $380
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
End of Level 15: Blinds 2,000/4,000/400 ante
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 89
Average Stack: 124,000
Level 15 is done and the Deeper Stack players are gone for a one hour dinner break. Play will resume at 8:10 pm.
Looks like Shang Dai and Eric Holtz are in a race for the chip lead. Both have about 420,000 as they head out to dinner.
Shang Dai
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 15: Blinds 2,000/4,000/400 ante
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 110
Average Stack: 100,500
Blad Mercedes with his ever-present donkey card protector
There’s a lot of talk about balls on table 8. Blad Mercedes brought a set of magnetic balls that connect is all sorts of interesting ways and he’s been playing with them at the table.
Meanwhile, Jackie Liu across the table has been taking Blad’s balls and now she’s got them all – and she took his donkey as well.
Jackie Liu with Blad’s balls and donkey
Meanwhile, Michael Bonita, who is seated between these two, says he’s heard enough about Blad’s balls!
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 14: Blinds 1,500/2,000/400 ante
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 120
Average Stack: 92,200
Rob Rizzo
Rob Rizzo made his stand holding 
and got looked up by a bigger stack who had him dominated with 
.
Then Rob flopped a nine and turned another 9 for trips (not that he needed it) to take the pot, doubling up to ~110,000.
Eric Holtz currently leads the Deeper Stack field with close to 400,000.
Eric Holtz
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 13: Blinds 1,200/2,400/300 ante
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 140
Average Stack: 79,000
“DB” (L) and Michael Schastny (R)
These two guys are enjoying the Conference Championship game on the big screens here in the Event Center while playing in the Deeper Stack. That $5 is a ‘friendly wager’ on the game, but they wouldn’t divulge who was rooting for whom. New England has pulled ahead of Jacksonville late in the 4th quarter.
On the felt, Michael Schastny is leading DB with about 120,000 to DB’s 50,000.
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 12: Blinds 1,000/2,000/300 ante
Total Entries: 316
Players Remaining: 150
Average Stack: 73,700
Registration has closed for this event with (unofficially) 316 entrants. That doubled the guarantee and created a prize pool of more than $61,000.
Half the field is already gone, but we’ve there’s still plenty of action.
Bob Santilli
Bob Santilli got his last 13,400 in from the button holding pocket 5s and got action from the big blind, who had 
. His opponent flopped a flush draw, but failed to improve his hand and Bob’s small pair was good for a double-up.
He’s been grinding tournament here for more than a decade, but the closest he’s come to a trophy is 2nd place. His best live cash was in the 2007 Summer Poker Open Championship. He made the final table, finishing 9th, for more than $33,000.
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 10: Blinds 600/1,200/200 ante
Entries: 289
One of our Borgata tournament regulars has taken a the chip lead as they creep closer to the close of registration.
Stephen Moy
Stephen Moy is up to more than 150,000, playing his usual inscrutable game. Stephen won the 2013 Summer Poker Open Black Chip Bounty event for more than $11,000. His best live cash was during the 2016 Spring Poker Open. A 4th place finish in the $250 DeepStack NLH event garnered him $14,208.
$200+$30 Deeper Stack NLH
$30,000 Guaranteed
Level 7: Blinds 300/600/75 ante
Entries: 259
Terry Klinger
On the turn with a board reading 
, Terry Klinger jammed. Brendan Hocker made the call, showing 
for the bottom end of the straight. Terry had 
for Broadway and the current nuts.
When the 
completed the board, Terry took the pot, sending Brendan to the rail. Terry’s up to about 90,000.
The Deeper Stack has a color-up break coming up at the end of this level, then three more levels for late registration and re-entry.