Event 15 (Day 3)
There were a few tournaments that awarded WPO trophies yesterday that we’re going to recap before we start to bring you updates from the early arriving WPT WPO Championship Day 1A flight, including the “live streamed” $1,000,000 GTD Event 15 Final Table, which saw a Borgata “regular” claim his first major live tournament title.
Daniel Buzgon (Marlton, NJ) entered the Event 15 Final Table with a slightly below average stack and managed to keep himself afloat throughout the early levels of play, then battled three handed for close to two hours before finally gaining complete control heads up against Ben Beahm, claiming the title a few hands later, his first Borgata title.
Buzgon had come close before, Final Tabling a WPT event at the Borgata a few years ago and notching back-to-back runner up finishes during last month’s WSOP Circuit stop at Harrah’s AC, but wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away, claiming the WPO trophy and the $195,000 for first.
The next trophy awarded would be the $150,000 GTD $1,000 Event 16 Six Max title, which would be claimed by Brandon Setzer (Concord, NC) who would outlast an extremely stacked Final Table to claim his first outright poker title since 2011 and make one of the biggest scores of his tournament career, making just over $60,000 for the victory.
The last trophy won yesterday was actually awarded early this morning as Tim Rausenberger (Haskell, NJ) took down his first title and outdid his career earnings in the process, winning the $100,000 GTD Event 17 ‘Saturday Series’ for just under $50,000.
One more trophy will be awarded today, with the Final Table of the $1,500 + $500 Purple Chip Bounty coming back to crown a champion at 1 PM.
Live updates of that event will start when the Final Table begins and we will be posting the chip counts and remaining payouts for that event shortly.
For a complete list of results from the respective events, click the links above and for a complete recap of the action from each event, click the categorical tabs under the title.
Level 40 (Blinds 500,000/1,000,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 1
Chip Average: 57,600,000
Hand Number: 138
Daniel Buzgon (Marlton, NJ) – Winter Poker Open Event 15 Champion
We’ve mentioned a few times throughout the course of this Winter Poker Open players that ended 2014 with big results and Daniel Buzgon would certainly fit that category, as he ended the year last month with two runner up finishes in back-to-back WSOP Circuit stops at Harrah’s Atlantic City.
“To come that close, I mean it’s poker so I get it, but you don’t get those opportunities very often,” Buzgon would say before getting cut off by his fans on the rail congratulating him mid-interview.
We’d imagine Buzgon was going to say that the next time he got to a situation to win a major poker tournament, he wouldn’t let that opportunity slip away and he didn’t, as he managed to parlay a massive double up in heads up play into the $1,000,0000 GTD Event 15 title.
Dan working a below average stack for the early few levels and was then cool, calm and collected when he finally gain the chip lead, only to see Leo Goldberger managed to chip up after being cut down to a few big blinds, something Buzgon described as “frustrating, because while he was so short, the rest of us were too.”
Buzgon seemed content working a short stack though, making disciplined decisions and using slight edges in equity to combat and eventually overcome the “short stacked” situations he found himself in throughout the early levels.
Daniel Buzgon might have ended last year “second best”, but he’s come into 2015 claiming his first ever Borgata title and making one of the biggest tournament scores of his career, besting one of the biggest fields that the Winter Poker Open has seen, taking home just under $195,000 for his Event 15 victory.
This concludes the Event 15 coverage from the Winter Poker Open blog, but there are still three tournaments running in the Event Center and we will be crowning another champion here tonight as the Event 17 ‘Saturday Series’ and the Event 16 $1,000 Six Max will both be playing down to a winner tonight.
If you missed any of the Event 15 Final Table action, you can re-watch the live stream of this event any time by clicking the link above.
Level 40 (Blinds 500,000/1,000,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 1
Chip Average: 57,600,000
Hand Number: 138
Ben Beahm (Bellmawr, NJ)
After losing a massive pot to Daniel Buzgon, Ben Beahm was left with just under 15 big blinds and was all-in and at risk a few hands later, when he moved all-in from the button and got called by Buzgon, after the big stack took a few moments to ponder his decision.
The two would be off to the races, with Beahm holding {5s}{5d} and Buzgon holding {Ac}{8c}.
The {7c}{3c}{3h} flop gave Buzgon outs to the flush, as well as his over cards, putting him in a near coin flip to win the pot and the title with two cards to come.
He’d only need one though, as the {10c} came on the turn and the rail began to cheer, as Dan Buzgon had hit his flush.
But, Buzgon quieted the crowd, as Beahm still had outs to make a full house and to keep this heads up battle alive.
But, the crowd couldn’t be contained as the {10s} completed the board and Buzgon’s flush would hold up, crowning him the Winter Poker Open $1,000,000 GTD Event 15 champion.
Beahm would be gracious in defeat, shaking Buzgon’s hand before exchanging phone numbers, as these two players both made the most memorable tournament runs of their careers here at this Final Table.
Beahm would make just over $125,000 for his runner up finish, not a bad pay day for someone making their first ever “rated” tournament score.
Level 40 (Blinds 500,000/1,000,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 2
Chip Average: 28,700,000
Hand Number: 135
Dan Buzgon now has a strangle hold on this $1,000,000 GTD Event 15 Final Table, with close to 80% of the total chips in play.
After a few hands of uneventful heads up play, Daniel Buzgon has doubled up and now holds a commanding chip lead, with over 40,000,000 of the 57,000,000 chips in play.
The action was picked up with Buzgon raising the button to 2,000,000 and Ben Beahm would call out of the big blind.
Beahm would check call the {5c}{9c}{Qd} flop, with Buzgon betting out 1,750,000.
Beahm would then lead the {6h} turn for 3,100,000 and Buzgon would just flat the bet.
The {9d} would complete the board and Beahm, like he has a few times during this Final Table, would announce “all-in” after a “scary” river card.
There was a moment of silence while Buzgon stood in his seat, picked up his cards almost to double check them and then say “call” as he slid {Qh}{9s} across the table, rivering a full house and locking up a massive double up that would make him the chip leader of this heads up battle.
Beahm picked the wrong river to bomb, as Buzgon has seemingly had nothing each time he’s done it in the past, but this time, had the goods.
After the counts were made, Buzgon would be sitting with close to 44,000,000 and Beahm would be cut down to just under 15,000,000 chips.
Level 40 (Blinds 500,000/1,000,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 2
Chip Average: 28,700,000
Hand Number: 135
We are now heads up for the Winter Poker Open $1,000,000 GTD Event 15 title.
The blinds and antes have gone up, meaning there are just under 60 total big blinds in play.
Daniel Buzgon has been in this situation before, most recently finishing as the runner up in the opening event of the WSOP Circuit at the Harrah’s AC stop.
But, Ben Beahm has never been at a Final Table of this magnitude, as this is his first “major” poker tournament and he’s already locked up just over $125,000 for his Event 15 efforts.
But, both players will have their eye on the $194,000 for first and the WPO trophy.
The chip counts are extremely close, with Buzgon trailing slightly, 25,850,000 to Beahm’s 31,850,000.
Follow all the action from this “live streaming” $1,000,000 GTD Final Table on a 30 minute delay HERE and stay live on the WPO blog as we bring you up to the minute updates as we continue to play down to a champion.
Level 39 (Blinds 400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 2
Chip Average: 28,700,000
Hand Number: 130
Leo Goldberger (Brooklyn, NY)
After an up and down level and nearly two hours since the last knockout, Leo Goldberger (Brooklyn, NY) has been eliminated in 3rd place.
Goldberger and Daniel Buzgon continued their battle, with Buzgon getting a huge chunk of Goldberger’s stack in the first hand and then finishing the job on the next hand to send this Event 15 Final Table to our final two players.
The first hand saw Goldberger shove all-in for his remaining chips and Buzgon would call for slightly less from the big blind.
Buzgon would table {Ah}{Qs} and Goldberger would be dominated holding {Ad}{Jc}.
Buzgon would chop Goldberger’s outs with the {10h}{7h}{2h} flop, as any heart would secure the double up.
The flush wouldn’t come, but more importantly the board ran out clean, with no Jack, and Buzgon would crippled Goldberger, leaving him with just over five big blinds.
Those five bigs would get in the middle on the next hand, as Buzgon shoved from the small blind and Goldberger called in the big blind, with Buzgon again holding an advantage {Qc}{7c} to {Jh}{4s}.
The hand would more or less be over on the flop, as it came down {Qh}{Qd}{8c}, although Goldberger did have some backdoor outs, as Buzgon clearly made known to his rail.
It was a small chance of survival, that was officially ruled out when the {2c} came on the turn, eliminating Leo Goldberger in 3rd place, for just over $80,000, easily the biggest score of his tournament career.
We are now heads up for the $1,000,000 GTD Event 15 title, with the players going on a quick break before resuming play with a few minutes remaining in Level 39.
Level 39 (Blinds 400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 3
Chip Average: 19,300,000
Hand Number: 124
Daniel Buzgon has had an up and down last few hands, peaking to chip leader, before losing two all-ins and folding to concede a big pot after Ben Beahm moved all-in on the river. Buzgon is now the shortest stack at this Final Table.
The last three hands have seen Leo Goldberger and Daniel Buzgon get all-in pre-flop with Buzgon winning the first encounter to take control of the chip lead, but Goldberger winning the next two to get back to a workout above 10 big blind stack.
The first saw Buzgon make the correct call after Goldberger shoved from the button holding {Kd}{8d}, with Buzgon holding {Ac}{8c} in the big blind.
The board would run out clean and Buzgon would move into the chip lead, just for one hand, with 26,000,000.
Goldberger was left with just under 4,000,000 and would call the all-in shove from Buzgon on the very next hand, as Daniel moved in from the small blind with {jh}{2h}.
Burgeon held {Ah}{10h} and would get out drawn on a board of {9h}{5d}{Qd}{Js}{6h}.
A small loss, but one that would swing the momentum back to Goldberger.
Because, on the very next hand, Goldberger would move all-in again, for just over ten big blinds and Buzgon, hoping to finally dispatch Goldberger would call from the big blind.
Burgeon would need to hit to get this Event 15 Final Table to it’s final two players, but would be unable to win the pot as his {8s}{7d} could not find a pair against the {Qd}{5h} of Goldberger on a run out of {Jd}{3d}{5s}{4c}{10c}.
After the dust had settled, Buzgon and Goldberger were sitting close in chips, with both players having just under 14,000,000 chips.
But, Buzgon just lost a sizable pot after Ben Beahm bombed another river, forcing Buzgon to fold and knocking him to the shortest stack at this Final Table.
Beahm controls a sizable chip lead with close to 35,000,000 chips, nearly 75% of the total chips in play.
Level 39 (Blinds 400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 3
Chip Average: 19,300,000
Hand Number: 116
Ben Beahm (Bellmawr, NJ)
Ben Beahm has made a few big moves on the turn over the last hour of play and has gotten caught a few times, but in a recent hand with Leo Goldberger, he was dying for a call and got one to complete a full double up and take control of the Event 15 chip lead.
The action was picked up on the turn with the board showing {3d}{As}{7d}{4h} with Goldberger leading out for 2,000,000 and Beahm, like he has a few times three-handed, move all-in, for just over 11,000,000 total.
Goldberger would think for a second and eventually slide a stack of chips forward for a call, only to see Beahm quickly and emphatically table {7s}{7c} for a flopped set.
Golberger would table {Ah}{5d}, with his top pair not mattering, he’d be left searching for a straight on the river.
The tournament announcer would say, “Leo needs a deuce for a straight to win the pot.” but the rail would, in unison, say, “And a six!” as Goldberger held an open ended draw.
Neither the deuce or the six would come, as the {Kc} would brick out on the river and Beahm would be completing the double up.
Leo would be left shaking his head, as he thought’d he’d caught Beahm in another “turn” bluff, but, this time Beahm had “it” and we imagine that his previous plays got him paid in that massively important hand.
Level 39 (Blinds 400,000/800,000/100,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 3
Chip Average: 19,300,000
Hand Number: 112
The blinds and antes have just gone up, with the ante increasing to 100,000, continuing to force the action as the stacks are getting shallower and shallower with every orbit.
The three handed chip counts are listed below:
- Benjamin Beahm – 15,050,000 (19 BB)
- Daniel Buzgon – 13,475,000 (17 BB)
- Leo Goldberger – 28,400,000 (35 BB)
Both Beahm and Buzgon are both sitting with under 20 big blind stacks with each orbit “costing” players 1,500,000 which is a sizable portion of each players stacks.
Level 38 (Blinds 300,000/600,000/50,000)
Total Entries: 2,882
Players Remaining: 3
Chip Average: 19,300,000
Hand Number: 105
Ben Beahm has tried to get this Event 15 Final Table heads up with flush draws twice, each with one card to come, but he’s yet to hit and the last river whiff has seen him get crippled and has moved Daniel Buzgon up and over the chip average.
The action was picked up pre-flop as Beahm limped the small blind and Buzgon checked his option in the big blind.
Buzgon would then check the {7d}{3c}{6d} flop, with Beahm betting out 850,000.
Buzgon would call and then lead the {9h} turn for 3,000,000.
Beahm would take a few moments to think before pushing his entire stack over the line, indicating himself all-in.
Buzgon would slowly grab a stack of black 250,000 value chips placing them across the line for a call.
Beahm would table {Qd}{5d} for a flush draw, as well as an open ended straight draw, leaving himself close to 35% equity to win the pot.
Buzgon would have to fade the river and would, although the {5h} momentarily had everyone double checking the board, as the red card seemed to scare everyone.
Buzgon would complete the double though and is now up and close to the 25,000,000 mark with just a few minutes remaining in Level 38.
Players will not be taking a break, as we are now going on break after every two levels of play.