Event 4
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
Mike Collette
With the elimination of Ryan Hagerty in 8th place the final seven players started to discuss an adjusted payout deal. The stacks were counted down and within minutes a deal was struck.
Mike Collette who held the chip lead at the time of the time will take home $28,670 and his first Borgata Winter Poker Open trophy.
Below is a full look at the chip stacks at the time of the deal along with adjusted Event 4 tournament payouts.
Mike Collette- 4,225,000 ($28,670)
Anonymous- 3,770,000 ($27,237)
Angelo Rossi- 2,850,000 ($23,995)
Michael Watkins- 1,835,000 ($19,688)
Fotios Nicoles- 1,460,000 ($17,813)
Welther Marmol- 1,440,000 ($17,707)
John Visco- 1,125,000 ($15,952)
(L to R) Angelo Rossi, John Visco, Welther Marmol, Michael Watkins, Fotios Nicoles, Mike Collette (Seated)
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 29: Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 7
Ryan Hagerty
The anonymous player raised from the button and Ryan Hagerty moved all in for 1,800,000 from the big blind. The player snap called turning over 
and Hagerty showed 
.
The dealer fanned the 
flop and the player improved to top pair with the nut flush draw to put a hammerlock on the hand.
The turn 
and river 
were no help to Hagerty and he was eliminated in 8th place taking home $6,237 for his efforts.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 28: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 8
Vinny Pahuja
Vinny Pahuja moved all in for 1,200,000 from early position and Mike Collette re-shoved all in for about 3,000,000. The rest of table quickly folded and the hands were shown.
Mike Collette: 
Vinny Pahuja: 
The board ran out clean for Collette and Pahuja was sent to the rail in 9th earning $4,309.
Mike Collette- 4,225,000
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 28: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 9
Jacob Naumann
Jacob Naumann was the first player to fall from the Event 4 final table. His 
was outflopped by the 
of Mike Collette.
Naumann is our 10th place Event 4 finisher earning $2,948 and Collette takes the chip lead with just over 3,000,000 and nine players remaining.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 28: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 10
Angelo Rossi
The Event 4 Saturday Series NLH final table is now set and it’s Angelo Rossi leading the way with 2,800,000. Mike Collette is right on his heels with 2,400,000 and Ryan Hagerty rounds out the top three with 1,950,000.
The players will battle it out here in the Event Center into the early morning hours.
One of these ten players will be crowned the Borgata Winter Poker Open Event 4 Champion and take home $54,451 and the trophy.
Below is a full look at all of the updated chip counts and final table seating assignments as well as what’s at stake.
Seat 1. Fotios Nicoles- 1,100,000
Seat 2. Vinny Pahuja- 1,000,000
Seat 3. John Visco- 1,400,000
Seat 4. Jacob Naumann- 700,000
Seat 5. Angelo Rossi- 2,800,000
Seat 6. Mike Collette- 2,400,000
Seat 7. Welther Marmol- 1,500,000
Seat 8. Anonymous- 1,900,000
Seat 9. Michael Watkins- 2,000,000
Seat 10. Ryan Hagerty- 1,950,000
Payouts
1. $54,451
2. $30,616
3. $19.277
4. $15,648
5. $12,473
6. $10,319
7. $8,278
8. $6,237
9. $4,309
10. $2,948
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 26: Blinds 25,000/50,000/50,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 12
Welther Marmol
We are down to the final 12 players here in the Saturday Series NLH and just two eliminations away from the final table. Welther Marmol is heating up at just the right time.
Marmol was hovering in the middle of the pack for much of the night but that is no longer the case.
After dragging in back to back pots Marmol now finds himself near the top of the chip counts with 2,000,000 as we approach the break.
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 26: Blinds 25,000/50,000/50,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 13
Jacob Naumann
Jacob Naumann moved all in for 270,000 and the player next to act re-shoved for about 600,000. The rest of the table quickly folded and the hands were shown.
Jacob Naumann: 
Opponent: 
The dealer spread the 
flop and Naumann improved to middle set to put a hammerlock on the hand. The turn and river 
sealed the deal for Naumann and he earned the double up.
Jacob Naumann- 665,000
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/40,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 16
Mike Collette
A player in late position raised to 100,000 and Mike Collette called from the big blind. They went heads up to the 
flop and Collette moved all in for 320,000.
His opponent snap called putting Collette at risk and the hands were shown.
Mike Collette:
Opponent: 
Collette turned over ace five for a gutshot straight draw and would need to improve against the top pair of his opponent. The turn 
was no help to Collette but the 
completed the board.
Collette spiked his straight on the river to earn the double up and stay alive.
Mike Collette- 780,000
$350+$50 Saturday Series Deep Stack NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/40,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 668
Players Remaining: 17
Eric Chan
Eric Chan got his stack of 480,000 all in pre-flop from the big blind against the player on the button. Chan stood up tabling his and he was dominating the of his opponent.
“Run good one time” Chan said just as the dealer fanned the 
flop. The hit the turn and Chan let out a fist pump after pairing his king leaving his opponent drawing dead.
The meaningless completed the board and Chan secured the double up.
Eric Chan- 1,100,000
