Event 2
Update: The final table of the World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship was held as scheduled March 13th at the Luxor HyperX Esports Arena.
1st Place – Vinicius ‘Viny’ Lima
Vinicius ‘Viny’ Lima had the biggest climb of the final six players, starting play at the bottom of the chip counts. At the end, it was the youngest player, Viny, at only 24 years old, against the oldest, David Farah, who was twice his age at 48 years young.
Viny emerged victorious, winning $728,430, which includes $15,000 for a seat in the WPT season-ending Baccarat Crystal Tournament of Champions, along with a Hublot Big Bang Steel Watch, and the WPT Champions Cup trophy.
The $2 Million Guaranteed Kick-Off Deep Stack drew a massive 5,130 entrants, which is the second-largest WPO Kick-Off field on record, behind 2017’s 5,512 entrants. The total buy-ins of more than $2.77 million did set a new record, due to the increased buy-in of $540.
Pascal Zaklama – 1st Place – 2019 BWPO Kick-Off
The final 500 players shared in the massive prize pool and thanks to a three-way adjusted payout agreement at the final table, the final two earned better than second-place prize money. Pascal Zaklama was the chip leader and claimed 1st place and the BWPO trophy, along with $328,695.
Vladimir Alexandrov
Also notable was the 3rd place finisher, Vladimir Alexandrov. He won his entry through a BorgataPoker.com online satellite. Alexandrov managed to parlay his $45 satellite entry into his largest career tournament score, earning a $216,000 payday.
Barry Leventhal wins 4th Seniors Event
Barry Leventhal won his record fourth Borgata Seniors Event, which was also his eighth Borgata title, putting him in a tie for second-most wins at this venue, trailing only Abraham Korotki with nine Borgata titles.
Raj Desai – 1st Place – Almighty Million
The $1 Million Guaranteed Almighty Stack generated total buy-ins in excess of $1.4 million with a BWPO Almighty record of 3,508 entrants. Raj Desai held the chip lead wire-to-wire on Day 3, from 37 players down to the final three, who agreed on adjusted payouts based on chip counts. As the leader, Raj took the lion’s share of $175,429 and his first-ever Borgata trophy!
The first-ever “Ladies Brunch and Learn” was hosted by the Borgata and the World Poker Tour, with guest lecturers WSOP Ladies Champion Jessica Dawley and Loni Harwood, a professional poker player with nearly $3 million in tournament earnings. The sold out seminar was held the morning of the Ladies event, to give the Ladies some beginner instruction on tournament basics and tips to improve their play. In addition to brunch and mimosas, there were gifts and prizes for the attendees. (Due to the event’s popularity, it may appear again on a future tournament schedule!)
Kujdes Galiardi takes down the CSOP event and poses with her sister Alida Veliu, who won the Ladies Event.
The Ladies NLH tournament followed the seminar and drew a field of 154 entries. The eventual winner was Alida Veliu, who took home her second Borgata Ladies Event trophy and claimed her fifth lifetime Ladies Event win. Just a couple of hours earlier on the other end of the Event Center, Alida’s sister, Kujdes Gagliardi, won the CSOP NLH event, accomplishing something we believe has never happened before in the history of poker — two sisters winning trophy events on the same day!
Phil Hellmuth claims BWPO Heads-Up title
For the first time in probably a decade, Phil Hellmuth made an appearance at Borgata, arriving in time to play the Heads-Up Championship. The WSOP bracelet record-holder (15) and new World Poker Tour Raw Deal host blazed a path through the 64-player bracket to take the title and $37,245. He followed that up with a cash in the WPT BWPO Championship for another $7,176.
Speaking of the WPT BWPO Championship, it was another record-breaking turnout. The final tally of entrants was 1,415, beating both the 2017 WPT BWPO Championship record (1,312 entries) and the largest of all WPT Borgata Open Championships, which was in 2011 (1,313 entrants). The prize pool of nearly $4.7 million crushed the $3 million guarantee.
BorgataPoker.com Ambassador Dan Buzgon
The field played down to the final six, who bagged up their chips and paused the clock until March 13th, when they will reconvene at the new HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxor in Las Vegas to play it out under the lights and cameras of the World Poker Tour. BorgataPoker.com Ambassador and tournament grinder Dan Buzgon will make his third WPT final table appearance. He will start in the middle of the pack with an average stack when play resumes.
With more than $728,000 waiting for the eventual winner, the “HyperX Six” finalists must be chomping at the bit to get started, but they still have four weeks to wait. Make sure to check back here in the Winter Poker Open Blog for updates on that final table which begins the evening of Wednesday March 13th.
A list of main event winners is below, along with their earnings.
* 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, and myself, thank you for reading! Mark your calendars now for the Borgata Spring Poker Open, which takes place April 2nd-19th. Hope to see you then!
@Kaelaine
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$250,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 8
Average Stack: 2,682,000
A cordial but long-winded deal discussion ended with misunderstanding then understanding, and then poker player happiness: a PLO flip for the trophy.
(Which was won by the first place finisher anyway.)
Frank Brannan didn’t just have the most chips at the end, he was clearly making an effort to win and realize an edge. He didn’t want to agree to an adjusted payout at first, but went along with complicated negotiation.
Rafael Jimenez, 8th – 16,601
Harrison Dobin, 7th – 18,980
Mukharji Uppalapati, 6th – 24, 749
Sal Anastasio, 5th – $25,000
Corbin Avery, 4th – $27,539
Emil Mardakhayev, 3rd $27,991
Adel Jo, Miami FL, 2nd for 50,000. He was dominant this tourney, holding the chip lead for long stretches of the night.
Frank Brannan, Brooklyn, NY 1st $50,000
Congrats on great runs by Frank and Adel!
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$250,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Payouts
End Level 29: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 8
Average Stack: 2,682,000
Est. chips by seat.
S1 Harrison Dobin – 1,500,000
S2 Adel Jo – 5,200,000
S3 Maurice Hawkins – bust
S4 Rafael Jimenez – 1,000,000
S5 Sal Anastasio – 1,800,000
S6 Mukharji U. – 2,800,000
S7 Emil M. – 3,700,000
S8 Frank Brannan – 7,000,000
S9 Morgan Klein – bust
S10 Corbin Avery – 2,400,000
Next, Frank Brannan opened from EP, Morgan jammed, and Maurice with 20 bbs rejammed. Frank snapped, of course – he had the birds, while Morgan needed a third ten. Maurice was wingless with 
.
Top set on the flop for Frank and the turn left everyone else drawing dead. Morgan takes 10th for $4,371, while Hawkins gets 9th for a jump to $6,739.
Rafael J. helps out a calm Sal Amastasio as the dealer counts down the double. Mukharji is at right.
Then Sal was able to double through Mukharji with 
finding an ace against 
in preflop action
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$250,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 29: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 10
Average Stack: 2,682,000
Doan, down to 20 bbs, is felted by Mukharji U., and takes 12th. On table 2, Alfie gets in 
but Adel is waiting with , and takes out the shorter stack.
We now move to a ten handed final table, redrawn on table 1.
The final ten.
Est. chips by seat.
S1 Harrison Dobin – 1,500,000
S2 Adel Jo – 5,200,000
S3 Maurice Hawkins – 1,600,000
S4 Rafael Jimenez – 1,000,000
S5 Sal Anastasio – 900,000
S6 Mukharji U. – 3,800,000
S7 Emil M. – 3,700,000
S8 Frank Brannan – 5,000,000
S9 Morgan Klein – 600,000
S10 Corbin Avery – 2,400,000
Emil picks off a river bluff of 600,000 to kick things off, by Adel who shows a miss with king on a low coordinated board.
Rafael shoves successfully over a Dobin open.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$250,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 29: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 12
Average Stack: 2,235,000
Table 1.
On table 1 by seat
S1 Sal Anastasio – 900,000
S2 Rafael Jimenez – 1,000,000
S5 Mukharji U. – 2,400,000
S6 Emil M. – 2,700,000
S7 Chris Doan – 1,600,000
S8 Morgan Klein – 700,000
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$250,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 29: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 12
Average Stack: 2,235,000
Corbin Avery has doubled through Dobin preflop, over . It’s a 3 million chip pot, taking the breathing room out of Dobin’s stack.
Adel lifts up the chips to call a bet from Hawkins, with the flow of betting now reversed on the river. A BDFD came in, and Adel lays it down suspiciously after leading turn.
Most of the chips and action are on table 2, where it’s now Maurice, Alfie, Adel, Harrison Dobin, Corbin, and Frank Brannan.
Back in action in a few minutes.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
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Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 28: Blinds 30,000/60,000/60,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 12
Average Stack: 2,235,000
In a tournament changing pot, Rob Daisy opened to 150,000. Adel Jo pushed it to 480,000 in position, getting the call.
On a jack high flop with hearts the action went check bet call 400,000, and then on a rainbow check-check. The river was Hello, the 
, bringing in broadway and a bet from Adel, which Daisy paid to . The pot left Daisy under average, while Jo moved to 6,000,000 and the clear tournament lead.
His big stack, acquired with the value bet against Maurice, in tatters, Daisy went with and was picked off by Brannan’s 
. Much like Doan’s easy double, Brannan saw a seven on the flop and faded all draws when the board paired. Daisy, one of the chip leaders just half a level ago, is done.
With the two clashes over, Alfie, Adel, and Dobin all count their chips, the table shaken up and a big stack gone.
With Julio Clavell out in 14th, and now Daisy in 13th, we’re getting closer to the final table.
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Structure Sheet
Payouts
End of Level 27: Blinds 30,000/50,000/50,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 13
Average Stack: 2,063,000
The Hawk seems contemplative after paying off a river shove by Rob Daisy, TPTK vs set. A million chip pot breathes life into Daisy’s run, but Maurice must spin it up again.
Emil Mardakhayez is up on table 1 to 2,800,000 but most of the chips are now on 2.
Mike Testa, who had gotten short battling with the active Frank Brannan, is out in 15th for $3,096.
Testa, foreground, versus Brannan. Frank has been opening light and moving the chips.
Meanwhile, Maurice has gotten a significant number back, winning several pots and is out of danger.
Hawkins snap two barrels into a paired middling board, and Alfie Orta, foreground, is forced to give up. Brannan keeps his hoodie over his mouth even when not in the hand – pretty sick.
Emil, left center, can’t outflop Doan, who survives with 55 over AJo for a double to a little under average.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
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Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 26: Blinds 20,000/40,000/40,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 15
Average Stack: 1,788,000
Olarte, left, is out for $2,004, after Dobin cold calls the squeeze from behind.
Maurice Hawkins, now average stacked and on table 2, opened from EP, was called, and then shoved by Michael Olarte for nearly 20 blinds. It looked strong, attacking the early open, and Harrison Dobin’s flat behind was likely a premium. Hawkins and the EP flatter gave up quickly.
The cards were flipped and Olarte’s could not outflip Dobin’s two tens. After a good half level, the first bust out since the break.
Immediately after, two other quick busts – Jason Mcham in 17th and Eric Phan in 16th – and we are at 15 left. Harrison is now above average after several tough levels, with about 2,400,000.
$350+$50+$100 Black Chip Bounty Deep Stack NLH
$250,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Payouts
Level 26: Blinds 20,000/40,000/40,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,073
Players Remaining: 18
Average Stack: 1,490,000
With just a few minutes before a short scheduled break, the 19th player busts, moving up the pay and triggering a redraw.
Morgan, getting shortstacked dangerously, picks up aces and cools off Klodie’s nines to get back to a playable stack.
Chris Doan has passed 3 million, along with Brannan, for the apparent leading two stacks.
Getting reorganized for the last 18. Dobin, left, has a stack again – apparently with some significant luck he didn’t want to recount.