Event 18 (Day 4)

$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 31:  Blinds 75,000/150,000/150,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  6
Average Stack:   9.4 million

top: Vinicius Lima, David Farah, Brandon Hall; bottom: Dan Buzgon, Ian O’Hara, Joseph di Rosa Rojas

Not long after midnight Thursday nite, the World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open televised final table was set.  The clock was paused until March 13, at which time these six players will resume play from the new HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxor in Las Vegas.

Below are the remaining payouts and players who cashed in this event.  Please note that 1st place prize money includes $15,000 for the winner’s seat in the season-ending Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions.

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 31:  Blinds 75,000/150,000/150,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  6
Average Stack:   9,433,333 million

Near the end of level 30, Brandon Hall had just folded the river to a 2 mil bet, willing to call down two but not all three streets on .

“Bluff?” inquired Brandon.

Dave showed the completely unconnected for a naked three barrel.

“Let’s gamble bro!” Farah shows a river bluff to Brandon. “We’ve been bluffing this whole time.”

Chagrin: Hall grimaces at the bluff, while Rojas is amused.

Farah, who has been moving the chips around, continues a little impatient with the sedate and cautious table, and it’s working. He has the chip lead now.

And he gets one more chance to add to it here in level 31, pushing his lead past 18.5 mil, and more importantly, knocking out Steven Sarmiento in 7th for $119,159. Farah lives up to his words, gambling with to river Sarmiento’s on .

Fanfare and goodnight: Sarmiento accepts condolences from Vincius Lima, right.

The heart and the chips: Farah will take over 18,500,000 to the final table in Vegas.

The finalists line up for a shot with the trophy they will play for.

Lotsa paperwork for this one, it’s not all helicopters and Vince Van P. “Damn it,” says Dave, who wants to head out.

The WPT Final Table will be played on March 13th at HyperX Esports Arena in the Luxor Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada. Ian O’Hara, David Farah, Joseph Di Rosa Rojas, Brandon Hall, Vincius Lima, and the Borgata’s own Dan Buzgon are making the trip.

Dan bags 9,100,000 for 3rd in chips and a great shot at the title.

For complete information, final verified counts, of course, check out the WPT and their excellent website.

GL to all the players!

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 30:  Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  8
Average Stack:   7 million

Deep the doldrums of a slow level, Dave Farah tries to ignite things, splashing in his raises, complaining that no one is gambling.

“Everyone call and we’ll just play a turn!”

The table isn’t too impressed.

Stacks are close: O’Hara’s open, and the dramatic pause before Brandon pushes his remaining 3 million in.

Then, a cooler creates a little action between the two shortstacks O’Hara and Shane. From the button Ian O’Hara opens, and from the small Shane jams . The BB Farah folds, and Ian makes the call with .

Two aces on the flop add some chop outs but it doesn’t come, with the and the still leaving Brandon outkicked. Great run for Shane to 8th and $92,693.

With the six playing in Vegas for the Trophy, this is the bubble for the official WPT six handed final table.

From the one seat, estimated chips:

1. O’Hara 6 m
2. Shane bust
3. Farah 11 m
5. Rojas 5 m
6. Hall 16 m
7. Lima 5.5 m
8. Buzgon 9 m
9. Sarmiento 4 m

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 30:  Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  8
Average Stack:   7 million

Definite lull in action since Cannon busted. Even Farah now is quieter. Everyone has at least 25 blinds and is not in danger. The cash games behind featured a lot of yelling before, but it seems that game has broke and the chime of the WPT action clocks can be heard clearly throughout the room.

Sarmiento, right, moves in over Lima in preflop action – the only all in in several orbits. Buzgon looks on.

Rojas checkraises O’Hara from the SB on a disconnected board of 3c 6h 10d 5d, but it gets through.

This pot wounds the shortest stack O’Hara, who now has only 2 m – about 16 bigs.

From the one seat, estimated chips:

1. O’Hara 2 m
2. Shane 2.5 m
3. Farah 9 m
5. Rojas 6.3 m
6. Hall 15.5 m
7. Lima 4.4 m
8. Buzgon 9.5 m
9. Sarmiento 4 m

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 30:  Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  8
Average Stack:   7 million

David Farah is second in chips but first in presence.

Farah continues to put chips in the pot and chat with the table. He’s especially sparred with Lima this level and last.

Vincius Lima, right contemplating more aggression from Farah, seat three.

From the one seat, estimated chips:

1. O’Hara 3 m
2. Shane 3 m
3. Farah 11 m
5. Rojas 5 m
6. Hall 16 m
7. Lima 5.5 m
8. Buzgon 9 m
9. Sarmiento 4 m

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 30:  Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  8
Average Stack:   7 million

Big bluff catch for Rojas lifts the short stack player out of trouble, up to 5 million when his makes a four flush, fading the 610,000 pressure from Farah.

Joseph Rojas celebrates a big call on the end. Farah sighs.

Just before, an interesting pot where Brandon Shane overbet shoves a paired board into the capped small blind range of Vincius Lima. Shane opened to 225,000 and was flatted in the SB by Lima and the BB Buzgon overcalled. Shane downbet the . Lima found a slow call and Buzgon then released.

Shane decided not to overrep the turn after Lima checked, but when Lima checked it over to him on the , Shane moved in for 2.1 m, and got a fairly quick fold.

We return from break next. Hall remains chip leader at 16 m, with O’Hara bringing up the rear with 3 m.

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 29:  Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  8
Average Stack:   7 million

Bluffcatching on turn with MPNK works out this time.

O’Hara puts a beat on Farah, drilling the river but not able to get a value bet in, despite position. On , Farah check raises O’Hara with , who calls with . Eight ball on the river. Farah falls from his high, but is still a big stack.

Then, more action for Brandon Hall. Michael Cannon opens the button, Hall jams over the short stack from the big, and Cannon calls off his 20 bigs.

It’s for Cannon, but can’t improve against Hall’s

Michael Cannon takes 9th for $72,842.

With a three bet from the blinds, Hall is now big stacking the table and picking up extra chips.

From the one seat, estimated chips:

1. O’Hara 4.6 m
2. Shane 2.5
3. Farah 10.4 m
4. Cannon bust
5. Rojas 2.5 m
6. Hall 17 m
7. Lima 5 m
8. Buzgon 11 m
9. Sarmiento 4 m

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 29:  Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  9
Average Stack:   6.28 million

With Gang’s bluff on failing and sending him to the rail, it’s time to combine tables. Table 2 becomes the new game, next to the rail.

Hall collects Dylan Gang’s stack.

This is it: three eliminations away from the final six.

From the 1: O’Hara, Shane, Farah, Cannon, Rojas, Hall, Lima, Buzgon, and Sarmiento.

Thanks to his conflict with Gang, Hall has the lead: over 15 m. Farah and Buzgon are next with around 11 m.

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 29:  Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  9
Average Stack:   6.2 million

Lima, down to 13 bigs, wakes up with queens and gets it in against Gang, who goes with . A ten on the flop improves Dylan to a few outs, but holds. Dylan appears to take it well.

However, just minutes later, the same two are all in again, with the almost exact reversal, as Vincius Lima holds and the aggressive Gang finally has a premium, .

The runout includes an ace, and this time Gang is less amused, having doubled Lima twice in two orbits.

Vincius, foreground, is still while the dealer counts down the second double, but Gang spins away, aggravated.

Sarmiento examines the great value bet from Gang.

However, Gang turns it around immediately, bluffcatching on a paired board with , then extracting 400,000 from Farah’s on the river.

Table 1 estimated counts by seat:

1. Brandon Hall 10.1 mil
3. David Farah 10.5 mil
4. Dylan Gang bust
6. Steven Sarmiento 6. mil
7. Vincius Lima 5.4 mil

Next to the entrance and the new rail is table 2:

1. Daniel Buzgon 10 mil
2.  Joseph Rojas 2.1 m
3. Michael Cannon 1.5 mil
4. Brandon Shane 2.4 mil (moved from 1)
7. Ian O’Hara 3.7 m

Then, just as we publish, Gang is out with a useless – Hall shows down vesrus a busted draw.

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$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts

Level 29:  Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries:  1,415
Players Remaining:  10
Average Stack:   5.6 million

From yesterday, all those chips. Now Nick Schwarmann turns them into $57,833.

It’s an echo from yesterday from when Nick jammed the flush draw into Hagerty and changed the tournament. This time he does it again on the turn, facing Hall on . Nick jams 1.6 m with the nut spade blocker, holding , but Hall won’t let go, knowing what Nick is capable of, calling and winning with .

Blank river, and it’s over. Hall is a big stack now.

With 10 left, a pay jump.

Cat and mouse on 2: Shane completes the small, but folds to O’Hara’s raise.

Meanwhile, we move into level 29 without a pause, as players agree to skip the break.

In the back corner next to the trophy is table 1, by seat, estimated chips:

1. Brandon Hall 10.1 mil
2. Nick Schwarmann bust
3. David Farah 8.5 mil
4. Dylan Gang 10.3 mil (moved from 2)
6. Steven Sarmiento 6. mil
7. Vincius Lima 1.5 mil

Next to the entrance and the new rail is table 2:

1. Daniel Buzgon 9.5 mil
2.  Joseph Rojas 2.5 m
3. Michael Cannon 2 mil
4. Brandon Shane 3.4 mil (moved from 1)
7. Ian O’Hara 3.8 m

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