Event 4 (Day 1)
Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 47
Chip Average: 163,000
Richard Devivo unbags his chips at the “feature table”. He’s currently playing an average stack and will look to make his first WPO score of the series.
The players who bagged up chips late last night are now back as Event 4 will play down to a champion here today.
First, we need to get through the money as there are 47 players coming back for Day 2, with just 36 of those players guaranteed a minimum score of $1,149.
With over $190,000 in the prize pool, this looks like it will be one of the biggest and most exciting “non-guaranteed” events of the series.
A full list of the Event 4 payouts are listed below:
- $50,016
- $27,791
- $17,286
- $13,895
- $10,931
- $8,986
- $7,226
- $5,465
- $3,705
10-12. $2,409
13-15. $1,992
16-18. $1,584
19-27. $1,297
28-36. $1,149
Live updates will cover the action into the money bubble and beyond as we will award another piece of Winter Poker Open hardware today in Event 4.
Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 47
Chip Average: 163,000
The Event 4 Big Stack event will still be resuming play at 12 PM with six tables coming back to play for close to $200,000 in prize money.
47 players will return, with the chip average sitting at 163,000 and just over ten eliminations away from the money.
That payout structure will be reposted before play begins.
For now, here are the Day 2 table draws and chip count for all returning players:
| TABLE | SEAT | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | CITY | ST | CHIP COUNT |
| 1 | 1 | SALVATORE | BUSACCA | COLTS NECK | NJ | 152,500 |
| 1 | 2 | RAYMOND | RICKER | ROCKVILLE | MD | 80,000 |
| 1 | 3 | THOMAS | FERRIS | E PALESTINE | OH | 142,000 |
| 1 | 4 | TONY | SINISHTAJ | ENGLEWOOD | NJ | 81,000 |
| 1 | 5 | RICHARD | DEVIVO | PHOENIXVILLE | PA | 169,500 |
| 1 | 6 | BRENDAN | WILEY | SAN DIEGO | CA | 181,000 |
| 1 | 7 | GREGG | SMALLOWITZ | NEW YORK | NY | 154,000 |
| 1 | 8 | |||||
| 2 | 1 | PHILIP | FEWSTER | ELLICOTT CITY | MD | 292,500 |
| 2 | 2 | RACHEL | KRANZ | NEW YORK | NY | 114,000 |
| 2 | 3 | WILLIAM | SOTIROPOULOS | 93,500 | ||
| 2 | 4 | DEONARINE | ITWARU | S OZONE PARK | NY | 85,000 |
| 2 | 5 | ALEXANDER | HARIS | NEW YORK | NY | 69,000 |
| 2 | 6 | DAVID | PATTERSON | 149,000 | ||
| 2 | 7 | DANIEL | DACONTI | MOUNT LAUREL | NJ | 183,500 |
| 2 | 8 | CHARLES | NOCERA | MARTINSVILLE | NJ | 163,500 |
| 3 | 1 | JE | OH | FRESH MEADOWS | NY | 207,000 |
| 3 | 2 | PAUL | GARRETT | BARBERTON | OH | 422,000 |
| 3 | 3 | RYAN | HOHNER | SO PLAINFIELD | NJ | 65,000 |
| 3 | 4 | DAVID | GUTFREUND | CHICAGO | IL | 412,500 |
| 3 | 5 | LEONARDO | PALERMO | TOMS RIVER | NJ | 102,000 |
| 3 | 6 | JESSE | LETCHWORTH | COLONIAL | VA | 28,000 |
| 3 | 7 | ANTHONY | CARDWELL | NEWARK | NJ | 142,000 |
| 3 | 8 | ANDREW | CARNEVALE | FT WASHINGTON | PA | 53,500 |
| 4 | 1 | YAROOB | KASKORKIS | 155,000 | ||
| 4 | 2 | IOANNIS | ALAFOGIANNIS | 202,500 | ||
| 4 | 3 | EDGAR | KELLEY | CINCINNATI | OH | 151,500 |
| 4 | 4 | STEPHEN | FOUTTY JR | SANTA ROSA | CA | 207,500 |
| 4 | 5 | MATTHEW | WANTMAN | STONEHAM | MA | 201,500 |
| 4 | 6 | GREGORY | JOSLYN | MILFORD | PA | 77,000 |
| 4 | 7 | JAMES | PROCACCINI | TRUMBULL | CT | 167,500 |
| 4 | 8 | JAMES | ROSS | NEW CASTLE | PA | 34,500 |
| 5 | 1 | JOSE | REYES | WEST PALM BCH | FL | 80,500 |
| 5 | 2 | BRIAN | BALAMUCKI | BRANCHBURG | NJ | 107,000 |
| 5 | 3 | BRIAN | EDMONDS | MANALAPAN | NJ | 47,500 |
| 5 | 4 | KELLY | MINKIN | PHOENIX | AZ | 301,000 |
| 5 | 5 | AMBER | ALDRIDGE | DREXEL HILL | PA | 92,000 |
| 5 | 6 | TYLER | PATTERSON | EVERETT | WA | 540,500 |
| 5 | 7 | MICHAEL | MELKERSEN | HARRISONBURG | VA | 88,500 |
| 5 | 8 | JONATHAN | LEWIS | HOPKINTON | MA | 100,000 |
| 6 | 1 | ALLAN | VROOMAN | GREENVILLE | NC | 50,500 |
| 6 | 2 | BRUCE | SECOR | CORAM | NY | 125,000 |
| 6 | 3 | DAVID | STRATTON | JERSEY CITY | NJ | 121,500 |
| 6 | 4 | SCOTT | BLUMSTEIN | MORRISTOWN | NJ | 329,000 |
| 6 | 5 | HAROLD | WEIDENFELD | E BRUNSWICK | NJ | 276,500 |
| 6 | 6 | MICHAEL | WANG | LIVINGSTON | NJ | 188,500 |
| 6 | 7 | MARVIN | ROSEN | WOODBURY | NY | 234,000 |
| 6 | 8 | MANH | NGUYEN | MUNHALL | PA | 191,500 |
Live updates will pick up the action from the onset, when play begins in just over a half hour here in the Event Center.
Weekends are always busy here at the Borgata, but during Poker Opens, weekends are even busier as many “weekend” warriors come to the preeminent East Coast poker destination for a chance to make a big score, while playing around their busy work or family schedules.
The first weekend of the Winter Poker Open is no different, as there is a huge slate of tournaments, offering a little bit of everything for players, with the Event 6 $100,000 GTD “Saturday Series” taking center stage.
This guaranteed one day tournament usually lasts into the early morning hours of Sunday, but for players making it that deep, it’s well worth the lack of sleep as a simple $400 buy-in can be turned into a massive score.
This is always one of the most well attended tournaments regardless of whether it’s a Borgata Poker Open month or not, with the $100,000 Guaranteed prize pool rarely lasting longer than a few levels and usually doubling in size.
The other tournament starting today in the Event Center is the third “mix” event of the series as the Event 7 $560 PLO/ NLH Six Max tournament will kick off at 4 PM.
This is another tournament that always draws well, as it gives players a chance to play two of the most high action games in poker over the course of a two-day structure.
Rounding out an already busy day are the two tournaments resuming play at 12 PM.
As both the remaining Event 4 Big Stack NLH field and the Event 5 HORSE field are coming back to crown a champion here today.
Event 4 will return with ten eliminations separating that field from the money and the HORSE event will return with a Final Table of nine players, all of which have already locked up a score.
We will be awarding three Winter Poker Open trophies here today, so don’t miss a second of the action by following along with the WPO blog as we will bring you live updates from every event from start to finish.
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 47
Chip Average: 163,000
It seemed like just moments ago that the Event Center was buzzing, with tournaments going on in every corner, and the live stream drawing a lot of attention. The cameras are now off over by the Event 1 final table, the H.O.R.S.E’s have left the stable, and players are slowly leaving the Event 4 field as their chip counts are verified by the floor. There are (47) players that have successfully made it to Day 2, returning tomorrow afternoon to Level 17 and blinds of 2,500/5,000/400. Much to her dismay, Kim Findura was not one of those to reach the final hand, as her lucky double up ened up just keeping her around for an extended period of time. She was seen leaving the tournament area only a few hands before the night ended, but we’re sure she’ll be back for the Ladies Event this series.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have Tyler Patterson (Everett, WA), who goes into Day 2 as the chip leader. Patterson used a torrid over the final three levels of the day to bag 548,000…almost 100,000 more than his nearst competitor. Action will resume tomorrow at 12:00pm, but until then, here are some of the top stacks (along with notables) to end the night:
Tyler Patterson – 548,000
Paul Garrett- 421,000
David Gutfreund – 412,000
Scott BLumstein – 317,000
Kelly Minkin – 301,000
Hal Weidenfeld – 272,000
Stephen Foutty – 206,000
Matt Shafman – 201,000
Michael Wang – 189,000
Richard DeVivo – 170,000
Just a reminder once more, action will pick back up tomorrow at 12:00pm for Day 2 players of this event. The Day 2 chip counts and seating assignments will be availble in the morning, a few hours before play begins.
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 51
Chip Average: 150,000
The last time that we took note of Tyler Patterson (Everett, WA), it was about three levels ago, when he was sitting with a stack of 48,000. He just sat with his head down, watching the Event 1 live stream on his phone, pretty lax for a player that had a stack that was getting shallower by the moment. As we took our last lap around the field, it was pretty shocking to see piles in front of him, amounting to over 330,000…the chip leading count of those that remain. “A faded a few outs and got a big double,” Patterson said when we inquired about the path to that stack.
Also trending steadily upward since last check was Patterson’s neighbor to his direct left, Michael Wang (Livingston, NJ). Wang has also eclipsed the 300,000 mark, and was raking in a pot as we stood there. Other players to see success over the past hour or so include:
Paul Garrett – 290,000
Greg Smallowitz – 250,000
Richard DeVivo – 225,000
Michael Melkersen – 220,000
Level 15 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 55
Kim Findura is no stranger to poker tournaments, with two Borgata Poker Ladies Event troppies to her name, totaling over $30,000 in prize money. Just after collecting chip counts from the field, we noticed Kim standing up and collecting her belongings. It’s the oldest trick in the book, also known as the “Rob Brown Walkaway,” for those that know the New England poker pro. Findura was in bad shape for her remaining 50,000 in chips, as her {ks} {js} walk dominated by the {as} {kh} of Brian Edmonds.
The dealer placed down a flop of {qc} {6d} {6s}, and Findura was already taking steps awat from the table. The {3s} on the turn was only the beginning of the magic, as the {9s} fell from the dealer’s hand and on to the table, completing a runner flush for Findura. She toko her seat with a big smile, stacking up a new stack of just over 104,000. It’s still below the average of 130,000, but it’s also well over 30 big blinds, so she’s is no rush to get herself in the same position again.
Level 13 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 76
Kelly Minkin (Tucson, AZ)
It didn’t take long to find the leading stack amongst the field once we entered the tournament area, as Kelly Minkin (Tucson, AZ) sits with just over 280,000. Minkin may be relatively unknown here on the East Coast, but she has over $172,000 in career tournament earnings, including a second place finish in the Arizona State Poker Championship for $151,983. She headlines a list of notables counts collected moments ago:
Mike McGuiness – 220,000
Stephen Foutty – 200,000
Jose Reyes – 200,000
Richard DeVivo – 180,000
Scott Blumstein – 175,000
Jesse Letchworth – 160,000
Michael Wang – 140,000
Tyler Patterson – 52,000
Tony Sinishtaj – 40,000
Sam Taylor – 38,000
Level 13 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 95
The Event 4 field is taking a (10) minute break, and will be returning to Level 13 and blinds of 1,000/2,000/300. There are some larger stacks beginning to emerge across the tournament area, with many notables still alive for the trophy and potential $50,016 first place prize.
As the players were exiting, we were able to spot some recognizable faces, the likes of Richard Devivo, Leonardo Palermo, Scott Blumstein, Tom Dobrilovic, and Michael Melkersen. Once players return to their seats, we will take a lap around the field to collect some updated chip counts.
Level 11 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 126
Hal Weidenfeld (East Brunswick, NJ)
Just as we approached the Event 4 field, we’d walk right into a sizable pot unfolding in the center of the room. Three players would be on a flop that read {9h} {10d} {jc}, with the small blind all-in for 14,000. An unknown flatted the player’s all-in bet, and Hal Weidenfeld re-shoved for over 140,000.
The player that hat just called the small blind’s all-in was deep in the tank, but eventually decided to release his hand:
Weidenfeld: {kh} {qh}
Player X: {7c} {8h}
Turn: {2s}
River: {3c}
“I’ve never in my life won with the bottom end of the straight,” the at risk player said aloud as the cards were tabled. His losing streak would continue after the turn couldn’t bring chop outs, and Weidenfeld would win the pot, chipping up to 180,000 in the process. He is currently one of the larger stacks in the field, with an updated chip count post coming soon.
Level 11 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 382
Players Remaining: 126
Players have returned from dinner, and the cards are once again in the air for Event 4 of the 2015 Borgata Winter Poker Open. The day is scheduled to end at 2:00am (or) when 18 players remain, whichever occurs first…but the field is still interested in knowing what they are playing for. Here are the official payouts for the event:
Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 4 ($500 No Limit Hold’em Big Stack Re-Entry)
January 16-17, 2015
Total Entries: 382
Total Prize Fund: $185,270
Payouts:
- $50,016
- $27,791
- $17,286
- $13,895
- $10,931
- $8,986
- $7,226
- $5,465
- $3,705
10-12. $2,409
13-15. $1,992
16-18. $1,584
19-27. $1,297
28-36. $1,149