Event 16 (Day 2)
Event 16 of the Borgata Winter Poker Open is the $1,590 Heads-Up NLH. There were a total of 64 players who battled it out for the $37,248 and it to say it was a stack field would be an understatement.
The likes of Olivier Busquet, Joe McKeehen, Tim Reilly, Ronit Chamani, Alex Queen and Alex Rocha all took their shot at the title.
When the dust settled it was none other than 15 time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth in the winners circle.
Hellmuth arrived on Day 1 and squared off with Wenhao Ying in round one. He was victorious and would meet Tim Reilly in the round two. Reilly took the first match but Hellmuth kept his cool and battled back to earn the 2-1 victory.
He would then face Travis Greenawalt and in Phil’s words “He handled himself very well and I may have even gotten lucky a few times.”
It was on to round four to face Steven Sarmiento and Phil was again victorious this time in round three.
He would then face off with Joey Cappello in the finals and battle it out for the $37,248 and the trophy.
“The man played amazing and certainly did not give his chips away” said Phil after defeating Cappello after a nearly three hour heads-up battle.
The players shook hands after the match and had nothing but respect for each others game. Hellmuth will take home $37,248 and his very first Borgata Poker Open trophy and he has now earned nearly $23,000,000 throughout his storied poker career.
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 1
Level 6: Blinds 500/1,000
Joey Cappello
Phil Hellmuth won consecutive hands to moved back into the chip lead and Joey Cappello was left short. Cappello moved all in pre-flop for his 4,050 and Phil Hellmuth called putting Cappello at risk.
Phil Hellmuth: 
Joey Cappello: 
The board ran out 
and Hellmuth’s king high was enough to eliminated Capello in second place.
The two players shook hands and Capello is our Event 16 Heads-Up NLH runner-up taking home $18,624 for his efforts.
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 5: Blinds 400/800
Joey Cappello
Phil Hellmuth is leading the Heads-Up NLH battle after taking the first match but Joey Cappello is not going out without a fight.
Cappello is chipping away at Hellmuth here in match number two and he has now taken a 2-1 chip lead as play continues.
Joey Cappello- 20,000
Phil Helllmuth- 10,000
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 3: Blinds 200/400
The heads-up battle for the $37,248 and the BWPO trophy continues. Phil Hellmuth is up 1-0 in this best two out of three matchup.
The pace of play has been a slow one here in our second match and both players are treading cautiously with nearly identical chip stacks.
Phil Hellmuth- 15,500
Joey Cappello- 14,500
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 5: Blinds 400/800
Phil Hellmuth
The players saw a flop of 
and Joey Cappello check called a bet of 1,000 from Phil Hellmuth. The turn was the and Cappello checked.
Hellmuth bet 2,800 and Cappello check-raised all in for about 7,000. Hellmuth quickly called turning over 
for top two pair and Cappello showed 
.
The river 
was no help to Cappello and Hellmuth wins the first match of the finals to take a 1-0 lead.
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 4: Blinds 300/600
Joey Cappello moved all in for 6,675 and Phil Hellmuth called putting Capello at risk.
Joey Cappello: 
Phil Hellmuth: 
The dealer fanned the 
and Cappello paired his eight while Hellmuth picked up the nut flush draw.
The turn and river 
were no help to Hellmuth and Cappello secured the double.
Joey Cappello- 13,350
Phil Hellmuth- 16,650
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 4: Blinds 300/600
Joey Cappello moved all in for his last 5,200 and Phil Hellmuth called. Cappello turned over 
and Hellmuth showed 
.
The board ran out 
and Cappello’s pocket kings held up to earn him the double up.
Joey Cappello- 10,400
Phil Hellmuth- 19,600
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 3: Blinds 200/400
Phil Hellmuth raised to 900 and Joey Cappello called. They saw a flop of 
and Cappello check-called a bet of 1,000.
The turn was the and both players knuckled the felt. The 
hit the river and Cappello checked for a third time. Hellmuth bet 2,100 and after nearly a minute Cappello released his hand.
Phil Hellmuth- 21,500
Joey Cappello- 8,500
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 2: Blinds 150/300
Phil Hellmuth
The players saw a flop of 
and Phil Hellmuth checked. Joey Cappello bet 300 and Hellmuth check-raised to 1,000. Cappello called and the dealer burned and turned the 
.
Hellmuth led out with a bet of 700 and Cappello called. Both players checked the river and Hellmuth tabled 
. Cappello flashed before firing his hand into the muck and Hellmuth took the pot.
Phil Hellmuth- 20,000
Joey Cappello- 10,000
$1,500 + $90 Heads-Up NLH
Structure Sheet
Total Entries: 64
Players Remaining: 2
Level 1: Blinds 100/200
Phil Hellmuth
The final two Heads-Up NLH players have returned to the Event Center to face off in the finals.
After defeating heads-up specialist Olivier Busquet 2-0 Joey Cappello will battle it out with none other than 15 time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.
Joey Cappello
Hellmuth took a short break after defeating Ryan Hall 2-1 to enter the opening flight of the $3,500 BWPO WPT NLH Championship. With just 20 minutes left in the night Hellmuth managed to turn his 40,000 starting stack into 88,500 and move on to Day 2.
There were 64 heads-up players that entered and just two remain. One of these players will be crowned the Borgata Winter Poker Heads-Up NLH Champion and take home $37,248 and the BWPO trophy.
Play is now back underway and we will be picking up on all of the heads-up action.
Payout
1. $37,248+BWPO Troph
2. $18,624
My opponent had me down to 4,000 in chips, actually I think 3,700 (to his 26,300), but I never gave up! I came back to win. Now I’m through to the finals in @BorgataPoker NoLimHold’em Heads Up Tourney. 64 started, 2 left, playing it out at 9:15 PM EST #POSITIVITY
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 28, 2019