Event 2

Level 23 (Blinds 10,000/20,000/3,00)
Total Entries: 513
Players Remaining: 17
Chip Average: 754,400

Malika Evans representing the ladies, deep here in Event 2.

We are down to our final 17 players here in Event 2 and the last woman standing is officially Malika Evans. Evans only has one recorded cash and it was right here at the Borgata when she finished 16th in the ladies event back in 2012 for $526. She is already guaranteed almost three times that amount, so we will definitely keep a close eye on her as we draw closer to the final table.

Here is a look at what the players are battling for.

1. $43,359
2. $24,382
3. $15,675
4. $12,453
5. $9,753
6. $8,012
7. $6,357
8. $4,964
9. $3,483
   10-12. $2,264
   13-15. $1,742
   16-18. $1,306

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Level 20 (5,000/10,000/500)
Total Entries: 513
Players Remaining: 33
Chip Average: 388,600

Tim Kelliher (Somerset, MA)

Yesterday we had blogged about Tim Kelliher gaining ground here in Event 2, and not much has changed since. Kelliher currently sits with one of the biggest stacks in the room and is showing no signs of slowing down.

As we walked by table 4 we noticed a big pot brewing between the table chip leader and Kelliher. The board read {Qh}{10c}{Jc}{3c} and Kelliher had a bet of 50,000 carved out in front of him. The big stack made the call and we were heads up to the river.

The dealer completed the board with the {3d} and Kelliher slid forward a tower of chips totaling 150,000. After a few moments his opponent called and Kelliher rolled over {10s}{10d} for tens full. His opponent knuckled the table and complimented him on the hand as he slid his cards into the muck.

With this pot Kelliher has now cracked the 800,000 chip mark as he currently sits with 860,000, making a run at being our first player to crack the 1,000,000 chip mark.

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Level 20 (5,000/10,000/500)
Total Entries: 513
Players Remaining: 47
Chip Average: 310,000

Chris Baublitz (York, PA)

As the Event 2 field starts to dwindle down, we are recognizing a few familiar faces that are still battling it out. One of those faces belongs to the very boisterous Chris Baublitz.

Baublitz has been cracking jokes with us since he told us his life story, which happened to be an identical story to another poker player, Phil Ivey.

“You know I used to come down here a lot, but I was always short on money. I’d lose what I had and end up sleeping in hotels or under the boardwalk.” He said trying to hold back a smile.

“I’m the white Phil Ivey!”

Baublitz may not have quite the same success as Ivey yet, but he is off to a good start here on Day 2 of Event 2. Baublitz came into the day in the middle of the pack with 214,000, but has been chipping up nicely as he now sits with a little over 300,000 with just 47 players remaining.

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Level 18 (3,000/6,000/500)
Total Entries: 513
Players Remaining: 54
Chip Average: 250,000

Dionissios Panagopoulos is leading the field as Event 2 is now in the money early in Day 2.

Mid-way through Level 18, we are officially in the money here in the Event 2 $100 Black Chip Bounty.

Players have all now locked up at least a $697 score, but many, including current chip leader Dionissios Panagopoulos, will have their sights set on the Final Table and the top payouts that come with it.

Panagopoulos, who is from Clinton, CT and usually plays at his home casino of Foxwoods, is making his first Borgata score here in Event 2, and will make his fifth career Final Table, as he has reached four over the last two years, all at Foxwoods.

Other notable players still in the field are Alyson Parker, Howard Wolper, Stuart Gold and Chris Kusha.

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Level 18 (3,000/6,000/500)
Total Entries: 513
Players Remaining: 59
Chip Average: 217,000

We are minutes away from the Day 2 restart of the $100 Black Chip Bounty Event and just a few eliminations away from the money.

We imagine that the money bubble will burst within the first level or so, with live updates coming up and through that moment.

This event generated a prize pool of close to $180,000 and 54 players will be getting paid.

A full payout structure is listed below:

1. $43,359
2. $24,382
3. $15,675
4. $12,453
5. $9,753
6. $8,012
7. $6,357
8. $4,964
9. $3,483
   10-12. $2,264
   13-15. $1,742
   16-18. $1,306
   19-27. $958
   28-36. $871
   37-45. $784
   46-54. $697

But, as this is a bounty tournament, many players have already recouped some or all of their buy-in fee, as each bounty is worth $100.

That dwarfs in comparison to the top few payouts though, so players will not try to let the “attraction” of a $100 chip deter them from their ultimate goal, the Event 2 championship.

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As the players begin to file in for the start of Event 4, the rest of the Event Center is being prepped for Day 2 of the $100 Black Chip Bounty, which will resume play at 12 PM, just five spots from the money.

A full list of the payout structure will be posted before play resumes, but in the meantime, a list of the 59 players that bagged up chips in Day 1 of this event, in alphabetical order, with their new Day 2 seating assignments is listed below.

Again, Day 2 of the $100 Black Chip Bounty Event 2 will be played in the Event Center and will begin at 12 PM. 

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Early this morning, the $2,000,000 GTD Event 1 field was finally narrowed down to it’s final ten players, making up a group that will be playing the biggest tournament of their careers on a “live stream” an addition to the Borgata Poker Open structure that was rolled out with much excitement and success during the last WPT stop in September.

That first live streamed Final Table had a few more familiar faces than this one, as nearly every player coming back in Event 1 will be making the biggest tournament scores of their career, regardless of hour they finish at the Final Table.

That’s the beauty of an event of this magnitude though and why the live stream was an ingenious idea put together by the not only the Borgata Poker team, but the marketing team as well.

It’s an amazing way to publicize the enormity of this event and also promote players that will be making a life changing score, with one player looking to put himself on the top of the poker world when it’s all said and done.

That live stream will start at 3 PM and we will be previewing the players and setting the stage for our “main main event” up until that time, but until then, it is going to be another busy day here in the Event Center, as three other “main” events will be running with the first starting in under an hour.

That is the two-day $560 Big Stack NLH Event 4, which will kick off at 11 AM.

Next on the docket, will be Day 2 of the $100 Black Chip Bounty event that ended last night in the Poker Room.

Updates from that event yesterday were few and far between, as the field was separated from the action in the Event Center, but with the field returning just a few spots from the money, live updates will be plentiful as we will be crowning a bounty champion here today.

Lastly, is the next “mix” event on the schedule, the first was won by David Thurston last night, is the $500 HORSE Event 5, starting at 1 PM.

This is also a two-day event, meaning that both Event 4 and 5 will not be crowning a champion today.

The Winter Poker Open blog will update you on all the action, so make sure you are following along so you don’t miss a beat of the action.

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We the attention focused on the later stages of Event 1, some may forget that there are two other events going on today, one of which will be awarding a trophy.  Event 2 ($350 + 50 + 100 Black Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em) attracted a total of 513 entries, and a prize pool of $174,164.  Here are the payouts for the tournament, which is being held in the main poker room at the moment:

Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 2 ($350 + 50 + 100 Black Chip Bounty NLH)
January 15, 2015

Number Of Entries: 513
Prize Fund: $174,164

Payouts:

1. $43,359
2. $24,382
3. $15,675
4. $12,453
5. $9,753
6. $8,012
7. $6,357
8. $4,964
9. $3,483

10-12. $2,264
13-15. $1,742
16-18. $1,306
19-27. $958
28-36. $871
37-45. $784
46-54. $697

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Level 29 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 4,179
Players Remaining: 27
Chip Average: 3,095,000

With Table 4 breaking, we are down to three tables in the Event Center.  The field just lost Dan Dizenzo (Sussex, NJ) in 27th place, as his pocket queens couldn’t hold against the pocket jacks of Michael Volfson.  Volfson flopped a set to take a commanding lead in the hand, and Dizenzo couldn’t find one of his two outs on the turn or river.  Here are the new lineups for the three tables, with a redraw coming when the field reaches (18) players:

Table 1:

1. Sergio Loureiro
2. Liam He
3. Elvir Muriqi
4. Patty Barsanti-Chou
5. Norman Michalek
6. Khang Luu
7. Michael Forca
8. Dritan Marku
9. Brian Wilson

Table 2:

1. Raul Fernandez
2. Matt Shafman
3. Michael Volfson
4. Byung Yoo
5. Ellen Lambeth
6. (Empty)
7. Edgar Flores
8. Mike Massey
9. Matt Stout

Table 3:

1. Kyle Carey
2. David Fried
3. John Rodriguez
4. Edouard Dubues
5. Kevin Campbell
6. Ryan Jones
7. Stanley Lee
8. David Hom
9. Kenny Levine

We will bring you updated chip counts form the field at the next break.

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Level 28 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 4,179
Players Remaining: 35
Chip Average: 2,388,000

Here are the lineups for the four remaining Event 1 tables:

Table 1:

1. Sergio Loureiro
2. Liam He
3. Elvir Muriqi
4. Patty Busanti-Chou
5. Don Yucius
6. Khang Luu
7. Christopher Horter
8. Dritan Marku
9. Edouard Dubues

Table 2:

1. Raul Fernandez
2. Roland Isrealashvili
3. Mike Volfson
4. Asher Conniff
5. Sonny Grimayeh
6. Dan Dizenzo
7. Anthony Imperial
8. Mike Massey
9. Matt Stout

Table 3:

1. Kyle Carey
2. David Fried
3. John Rodriguez
4. Pascuale Vella
5. Kevin Campbell
6. Ryan Jones
7. Joe Black
8. (Empty)
9. Kenny Levine

Table 4:

1. Ellen Lambeth
2. Byung Yoo
3. Stanley Lee
4. Matt Shafman
5. Brian Wilson
6. David Hom
7. Michael Farca
8. Norman Michalek
9. Edgar Flores

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