Event 5 (Day 2)
The first weekend of the Winter Poker Open is in the books, with over half a dozen tournaments running simultaneously over both Saturday and Sunday.
In total, seven tournaments crowned champions, in nearly every “structure” of tournament imaginable.
First, we saw the two-day Event 4 Big Stack end after a long two Day 2 grind. It was worth the time for Matthew Wantman (Stoneham, MA) though, as he got took control of the chip lead before the Final Table and never gave it up, claiming his first ever “live” tournament victory and $50,000.
Next up, was another “never gave it up” run to a title, as Jean Gaspard (Las Vegas, NV) came back to Day 2 of the Event 5 HORSE Final Table with the chip lead and notched all but one knockout on the way to his first ever Borgata title. He’d make just over $12,000 and completed his steamroll of the Final Table in time to make his mid-afternoon flight home to Vegas to celebrate his birthday.
Saturday ended, as it usually does during Borgata Poker Opens, early Sunday morning as the $100,000 GTD Event 6 “Saturday Series” event spanned nearly twenty hours. It was a “weekend warrior” and “circuit warrior” left at the end, with Philip Mundy besting professional Ralph Massey for the title and $58,000, the biggest score of his career.
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 23 (Limits 20,000/40,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 1
Jean Gaspard (Las Vegas, NV) – Winter Poker Open Event 5 Champion
“A man’s destiny is his destiny and no other man can change that.”
Jean Gaspard (Las Vegas, NV) would say that when the heads up battle between he and Kenneth Aldridge started and to be fair, it wasn’t much of a battle.
Gaspard wouldn’t let Aldridge come between him and his “destiny” as he came in with a chip lead and would not surrender it, taking home the Event 5 HORSE title after coming back to Day 2 with the chip lead and taking it all the way to the finish.
Gaspard would also say, “I’ve never lost a HORSE tournament, I’ve won every one I’ve played other than the $50K Championship.”
We can’t confirm that he’s won “all” of them, but he has won a few, claiming HORSE titles from Las Vegas to Chicago and to now the Borgata.
Gaspard has close to $1,700,000 in live tournament earnings, with over 100 rated results to his name, on top of a dozen out right wins.
While this score is on the smaller side of things, the victory and championship will be an awesome early birthday present for Gaspard, who as we mentioned earlier, was on a tight schedule to catch a flight home to Las Vegas to celebrate with his friends.
They’ll now be partying with some added hardware, as Gaspard won his first ever Borgata Poker title, taking home just over $12,000 for his HORSE win.
Level 23 (Limits 20,000/40,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 1
Kenneth Aldridge (Pleasant Garden, NC)
It took a little longer than Jean Gaspard would have liked, but he eventually chipped down Kenneth Aldridge (Pleasant Garden, NC) and eliminated him on a Stud hand with all the chips in the middle pre-flop.
Gaspard would turn over {Ah}{7d}{7s} with Aldridge holding a pair himself, {5s}{5d}{10d}.
Gaspard seemed to lock up the title with the next card, as the {7c} gave him trips.
But, Aldridge would pick up outs as the {8d} and {2d} would give him a flush draw with two cards to come.
Gaspard would not improve, drawing the {9d} {Qc} and {6c} to complete his hand.
Aldridge got the {Jh}, brutally close to the suit he needed and would then peal the {Qs}, a complete brick on the river.
Aldridge, who is a WSOP Bracelet winner with just over $1,000,000 in live tournament earnings, looked like the only player capable of stopping Gaspard’s Final Table run, as he approached the chip leader with play five handed, but then could not pick up any ground when play got down to the final two.
Aldridge, who is also coming off a five figure score from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure just last week, will make just over $6,500 for his Event 5 efforts.
Level 22 (Limits 15,000/30,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 2
Behrooz Shahrzad
Behrooz Shahrzad was the shortest stack remaining at this Event 5 HORSE Final Table and managed to get one double up in the Hold’em portion of play through Jean Gaspard {Ah}{10h} over Gaspard’s {Jc}{8c} that they got all-in on the flop of {9h}{7d}{7s}.
The board would run out clean for Behrooz and his Ace high would secure him a vital double up.
He wouldn’t trend upwards for much longer, as on one of the very next Hold’em hands, Gaspard would take nearly all his chips.
The two would get four bets in on the {10c}{9d}{5c} flop and then check the {3d} turn.
The {2h} completed the board and Gaspard would bet out after getting checked to.
Behrooz would call, leaving himself just under a full bet behind, turning over {Ah}{9h}.
Gaspard’s Final Table run would continue as he would turn over {9c}{5d} good for a flopped two pair, which left Behrooz in shock.
Behrooz would then get knocked out on the very next hand, making $4,190 for his efforts, leaving Jean Gaspard and Kenneth Aldridge to battle it out for the Winter Poker Open Event 5 HORSE Championship.
Level 22 (Limits 15,000/30,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 3
Mark Wiliczek
“And then there were three.” Jean Gaspard would say, as Mark Wiliczek would be eliminated on the first hand after the break, when he could not find a double up in a Stud High hand.
The action was picked up with Mark moving all-in with three cards to come, one of which would give him a pair of Aces, which looked like enough to win the pot as Kenneth Aldridge was showing a pair of fives.
Aldridge would get dealt his final card face down, turning over the {7c} matching the {7h} that was face up, giving him two pair.
Mark would roll his eyes and peel his final card, hoping to find a match within this que of cards as well.
He would not as the meaningless {10c} meant he was being eliminated in 4th place, for just over $3,000.
Aldridge increased his stack to close to 450,000 and the focus will now be on the shortest stack remaining Behrooz Shahrzad, who is near 100,000.
Level 22 (Limits 15,000/30,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 4
Jean Gaspard came into this HORSE Final Table with the chip lead and has not given it up, increasing his advantage as he now sits with over 1,000,000 chips.
Jean Gaspard came into this Event 5 HORSE Final Table with the chip lead and has yet to give it up, leaving many players shaking their heads, including Behrooz Shahrzad who recently said, “I just can not beat you today.”
He has been running well and has steamrolled this Final Table so far, but there is a reason Gaspard might be in such a hurry, as he has a flight to catch at 7:30 PM and a limo picking him up at the Borgata at 5:30 PM.
Where’s he going? Las Vegas, where he currently lives to celebrate his birthday which is tomorrow.
That leaves him on a tight timeframe if he is going to finish this event before his ride gets here, but Gaspard says he can “wrap this up and get the trophy” within the hour.
A safe bet would be on him to do so, as he just moved over the 1,000,000 chip mark before the first break in this Final Table action, with the next closest competitor, Kenneth Aldridge, sitting with just under 400,000.
Players will return in 15 minutes and will resume play to crown an Event 5 HORSE Champion.
Level 21 (Limits 12,000/24,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 4
Bob Camano (Wall, NJ)
Almost immediately after “Bump” was eliminated in 6th place, Bob Camano (Wall, NJ) was being sent to the rail in 5th place.
The action was missed, but it was a Limit Hold’em hand that would be his last and it would be Kenneth Aldridge taking in the pot, as he now sits just behind Jean Gaspard on the HORSE leader board.
Camano will make the largest score of his tournament career, as his only other tournament result is from a 2010 Borgata Omaha H/L event, making just under $2,500 for his efforts here in Event 5.
We are now four handed for the WPO HORSE title with Jean Gaspard and Aldridge leading the charge, way out in front with 950,000 and 700,000 chips respectfully. Behrooz Shahrzad and Mark Wilczek are sitting with 150,000 and 70,000 respectfully and will need to chip up soon.
Level 20 (Limits 10,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 5
Bill “Bumpereno” Munley (Troop, PA)
After getting cut down previously in the round, Bill “Bumpereno” Munley was short stacked and got all of his chips into the middle on the final Stud H/L hand of the round after getting dealt {5s}{8s}{7s} and looking to make at least a low to chop the pot.
Despite a good starting hand, the rest of the deck would not cooperate, as he instead would make two pair, losing to the rivered full house of Mark Williczek.
“Bump” wouldn’t be complaining though, as he would make just over $2,000 for his deep Event 5 run and is now looking forward to heading over to the Atlantic City Billiards Hall to watch some of the best players in the world, including some poker players, play and prepare for a big upcoming tournament.
We are now just a few minutes away from our first break of the day here at the Event 5 Final Table, which will be welcomed by nearly all the remaining players.
Level 20 (Limits 10,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 6
Bill “Bumpereno” Munley makes another “mix” event Final Table at Borgata, where he is a two time BPO Champion.
“Can we all just get along?” Jean Gaspard would ask, as Bill “Bumpereno” Munley would stand up from the table after losing a sizable part of his stack to Behrooz Shahrzad in a Stud H/L hand.
“Bumpereno” might be short stacked at the moment, and a little ticked off, but he’s been the ring leader for the first hour or so of play at this Final Table, keeping the conversation lively with everyone at the table, the dealers, the tournament staff and, quiet frankly, anyone within earshot.
It’s no surprise that “Bump” knows nearly everyone at the Borgata, as he’s been a regular “mix” game player here since the beginning.
He’s also a Borgata Poker Champion, with two Stud tournament wins during Opens in 2011 and 2012, as well as numerous Final Table appearances in “mix” events.
But, even though he has close to $130,000 in live tournament earnings to his name, “Bump” is primarily a cash game player, running $20/$40 HORSE games in all three of his poker “home casinos”, Isle Casino in Florida, where he spends most of his winters, Pocono Downs, near his hometown of Troop, PA and the Borgata, where he’s been organizing games for over a decade.
Short stacked, but still lively, regardless of his finish here in Event 5, “Bump” will certainly be a player to meet during this Winter Poker Open, if for no other reason than to chat with one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet in a poker room.
Level 20 (Limits 10,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 80
Players Remaining: 6
Helen Ellis (New York, NY)
The action was picked up on a Stud High hand, with Helen Ellis raising Jean Gaspard’s bring in, leaving herself just 20,000 chips behind.
Kenneth Aldridge would just call.
Helen had an {Ad} showing and turned over numerous draw possibilities once she was all-in on fifth street, but Aldridge would turn over a pair and get another by his last card to scoop the pot and send our final female player to the rail in 7th place.
This is the first appearance from a female player at a Winter Poker Open Final Table and we certainly expect to see more deep run from female players, including Ellis, who has multiple cashes on her tournament resume from both “mix” and NLH events, including most recently a top 20 finish in the WPT BPO $1,000,000 GTD Event, held in September.
Ellis will make just over $1,700 for her HORSE efforts, moving her close to the $90,000 mark in terms of career tournament earnings.