Event 23: Helloooo Mr. McCotter

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

McCotter Flops the McNuts

Gaelen McCotter (New York, NY) nails the flop while holding A♠ K♠ in a four way raised pot.

Flop: 4♠ 6♠ 9♠

McCotter bets 20k and one player reraises all in with A♣ 9♥ and sees he's in bad shape against the nut flush. McCotter wins the hand, taking his stack to 406k and is clearly one of the big stacks in the room.

Blinds and antes are starting to get serious as Level 18 (4k/8k/1k ante) is underway.

Event 23: AA = Triple Up

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

Aces Come Through for Colwell

Paul Colwell (Mountain Lakes, NJ) is all in for 96,500 with AA and is against two players, one holding KK, the other 99. The board runs clean and Colwell takes his stack to more than 300k with a true triple up.

The player with pocket kings wins the side pot and once they complete the math, both of Colwell's victims are left with roughly 6k each.

Level 17 (3k/6k/500 ante) is underway.

Event 23: Wolper & Dentale Gone

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

Since returning from dinner break Howard Wolper (Atlantic City, NJ) and Mike Dentale (Brooklyn, NY) are both on the rail.

Wolper says he shoved with A 2, was called by K 9 and his opponent hit a king. Dentale, who became a short stack just before dinner, is out just a few hands into play. The table says he busted with 8 9, his opponent had two pairs aces and tens.

63 players remain (121k avg. stack) as Level 16 (2.5k/5k/500 ante is underway).

Event 23: Dinner Time

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry) 

On the last hand of the level, a player moved all-in as the other players were scattering for dinner.  Mike Dentale called him down, showing QT.  His opponent was ahead with A3.  The board came J 7 3 8 6 and Mike was left with only 21k.

At the end of level 15, players took off for a 40-minute dinner break.

Play will resume at about 7:50 pm.

70 players remain.

Jeremy Schoenberger is in the lead with ~350k.

Ryan Chapman is second with ~298k.

Event 23: Dead Heat Atop Leaderboard

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

Alek Givotovsky is up to ~315k and has taken the chip lead from Ryan Chapman, but Ryan is right on his heels with about 300k.

Jane Gold has busted out.

Down to 75 players now.  Average stack is over 101k.

Event 23: 85 Players Remain

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

Down to 9 tables now, all in the tournament area in the back of the Poker Room.  85 players remain in the fight for the top prize of more than $19,000.

Big Stack Jeremy Schoenberger has landed at table 3 with Jay Johnson, Jane Gold, Mike Dentale, and Alex Torres. 

The ever-increasing blinds are now up to 1,500/3,000 with 400 antes for level 14.

Event 23: Devinsky Done

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

Play resumed after the break with level 13, blinds 1,200/2,400 with 300 antes.

Just ten tables remain with 91 players still in action.  Average stack is nearly 84k.

Mike Devinsky busted out before the break.  He got all his chips in holding pocket Kings on a flop of 8 4 3.  Unfortunately for Mike, his opponent had pocket Aces.

Event 23: Updated Leaderboard

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

Another three levels have ticked away and players have scattered for another break.

11 Tables remain with 110 or fewer players.  Average stack is approaching 70k.

Ryan Chapman

Ryan Chapman (Gaithersburg, MD) is the chip leader with ~235k.  Ryan finished 3rd in event 13 for over $5,000.

Alek Givotovsky is second with ~220k.

Jeremy Schoenberger (Glassboro, NJ) is third with ~210k.  Jeremy finished 3rd in the 2008 Borgata Summer Poker Open Main Event for over $143,000.

Event 23: One Tough Table

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)             

"Table change!" cried Pete Antenucci from the back of the tournament room.  I went to see what was up and discovered that table 1 has turned into a tough one:

 Pete Antenucci and Alek Givotovsky

Daniel Chan (3 cashes, one final table, during this series)
Pete 'Tucci007' Antenucci  (5th in event 22)
Alek Givotovsky  (won event 8)
Carl Restifo (one cash during series; over $400k lifetime)

Pete has already busted out before I got this posted.

Event 23: Payouts

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)            

Entries: 305
Total Buy-In: $76,250

Place  Payout
1        $19,969
2        $11,094
3          $6,878
4          $5,547
5          $4,290
6          $3,624
7          $2,922
8          $2,182
9          $1,479
10-12      $961
13-15      $739
16-18      $629
19-27      $555
28-36      $444

Event 23: Rosengarten Rousted

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)            

Jason Rosengarten (Long Island, NY) showed me his 6,500 chips and said "I'm gonna win this tournament". 

 Jason Rosengarten

And then he was busted before I even got his picture loaded.  Frank Reina has also busted out.

Meanwhile, one table over, Gali Davidi (Rutgers) is up to ~120k.

Event 23: Updated Leaderboard

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)           

Following the color-up, play resumed with level 10, blinds 600/1,200 with 200 antes.

 George Gillis

George Gillis (Baltimore, MD) has edged out Mike Dentale for the chip lead.  George is up to ~115k.

Mike is very close behind with ~113k.

17 tables remain.

Event 23: 305 Entries

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)          

Official number of entries is 305, making total buy-ins $76,250.  36 players will get a piece of the prize pool, which will be posted when available.

Down to 18 tables now with 180 or fewer players remaining.

Sheree Bykofsky got her chips in with pocket 9s, running into pocket Aces.  That was the end of her tournament.

Abe Korotki was all-in with pocket Jacks against a player holding JT.  The flop came 9 7 5, giving his opponent additional outs with a gushot, but the last two came Q Q and Abe doubled up to ~40k.

End of level 9 and time to color up the green 25 chips.  Players were rewarded with a 15 minute break.

Event 23: Reina's Creations

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)         

Some have described tournament poker as "hours of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror".

Players develop coping mechanisms for dealing with the boredom and one common way to pass the time is building things with their chips.

 Frank Reina and his Creations

Frank Reina created a tower with his chips and here he's using it to display his card protector, which he also built.  The little smiling guy says "Thank you very much!" when pressed and Frank uses it to thank his opponents when he collects a pot.

They're currently playing in level 9 with blinds of 500/1,000 with 100 antes.

Event 23: Don't Answer Your Phone At The Table!

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)         

No using your phone at the table means just that -- don't answer your phone when you are at the table.  Step away before answering.

One player is learning that lesson the hard way.  He was given a one-orbit penalty for using his phone at the table.  His blinds and antes will be posted and his hands will be mucked.

No warnings are given.  An announcement was made before the tournament started and that's the only warning players get.

Blinds are up to 400/800 with 75 antes for level 8.

Event 23: Straight-Flush for Torres

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)        

On a flop of Q♥5♦ 4♦ , seat 10 was all-in against Alex Torres.  They both had flush draws. 

Seat 10 had A♦ T♦ for the nut-flush-draw, while Alex had 8♦ 6♦ for an inferior flush draw, but with a gutshot straight and straight-flush draw. 

Neither player had a pair, so seat 10 was ahead with Ace-high, but all cards were live for pairs.

 Alex Torres

Then on the turn the 7♦ fell, giving Alex the straight-flush and the stone-cold-nuts.  His opponent was drawing dead and headed for the door.

Alex chipped up to ~70k.

Event 23: End of Re-Entry Period

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)       

At the end of six levels of play, it was time for another break.  Players got away from the felt and I got a chance to scope out the stacks.

Believe it or not, Mike 'unbelievable' Dentale is the chip leader with ~106k.

 Jimmy Purcell

Jimmy Purcell (Flushing, NY) is second in chips with ~98k.

Registration will officially close at the end of the break, then play will resume with level 7 and blinds of 300/600 with 75 antes. 

25 tables are still open, but once the re-entry period is over, they will start to break down quickly as players are eliminated.

Event 23: Last Level For Re-Entry

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)       

On the river with a board of K T 2 8 7, Alek Givotovksy (winner of event 8 and over $47k) tanked when his opponent bet ~8k.  The clock was eventually called.  Before his time expired, Alek called.  His opponent showed pocket 2s for the flopped set.  Alek mucked his hand.

Blinds are up to 200/400 with 50 antes for level 6.

This will be the last level for entries, so this will be the time for short-stacks to decide if they want to ship it light, trying to double-up or bust out so they can start over with a fresh 25k stack.

Several regulars have already busted out and re-entered, including Sheree Bykofsky and Tony Sinishtaj.

Event 23: Late Arrivals

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)      

These frequent players have appeared in the crowd, either as late arrivals or faces I missed on earlier passes:

Mirsad Kovaci
Elliott Zaydman
Daniel Chan

Jane Gold busted out and picked up a re-entry ticket so she can buy back in.

Larry Gold (no relation) shipped a double-up across the felt when his AK of spades failed to outrun pocket Kings on a flop of 7 6 3 with two spades.  He missed all 12 of his outs on the turn and river.

Event 23: Antes Up

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)     

Level 5: blinds 150/300 with 25 antes.

Many players consider the start of antes the start of the tournament.  At this point, players will have to commit chips to every pot.  The pots are bigger and worth trying to steal, plus if you don't pick up some pots, your stack will shrink until it disappears.

Mike Dentale (winner of event 1 and over $57k) has arrived and taken his seat at table 3 to the right of Alex Torres (2nd in event 6 for over $16k).

Event 23: 26 Tables Active

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)    

After the break, play resumed with level 4, blinds 100/200.

There are currently 26 tables in action, but with entry and re-entry possible through level 6, it will be a while before we get a final player count.

Event 23: Name Dropping

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)   

More familiar faces have appeared in today's field:

Gil Sacks
Abe Korotki
Alex Torres
John Zoldak
Nancy Martin
Mike Devinsky
Frank Reina
Mario Perez (3rd in event 1 for $20k)
Jane Gold (mother of 2006 WSOP main event winner Jamie Gold)

Level 3 came to an end and players are enjoying a ten minute break.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em (but only in designated smoking areas due to the New Jersey Clean Air act).

Event 23: Johnson Doubles

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)  

Blinds are up to 75/150 in level 3.

On the river with a board of A♠4♥3♥5♥Q♥, Jay Johnson showed down A♥8♥ to beat his opponent's J♥T♥ with flush over flush.

Jay has doubled his starting stack to about 50k.

Jay finished 6th in yesterday's $200 NL DeepStack Semi-Turbo ($2,239).

Event 23: Supportive Spouse

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry) 

Blinds are up to 50/100 for level 2.

Pierre Noel and Jasmine

Pierre J. Noel II (Westchester, NY) is playing today and his self-proclaimed 'manager' and wife Jasmine is here.  He's hoping for a deep run and she's determined to stand by her man (or sit behind, in this case) in a show of support.

Event 23: Familiar Poker Faces

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry) 

24 tables are in action today with many familiar faces.   Here are the ones I spotted on an early pass:

Larry Gold
John Sorscher
Robert Depasquale
Michael Buttacavoli
Alek Givotovsky
Demetrios Georgous
Bob Santilli
Howard Wolper
Jay Johnson
Tony Sinishtaj
Sheree Bykofsky

Event 23: Finale Underway

$250 + $30 Deep Stack NLH (1 Re-Entry)

The Main Event Finale of the Borgata Spring Poker Open is underway!

Cards are in the air for the final main event of this series.

Players began with 25,000 chips (Deep Stack) and blinds of 25/50.

Levels last 25 minutes and players who bust out during the first six levels (not four as printed on the structure sheet) may re-enter once.

Late registrations will also be accepted during the first six levels, rather than four.

Friday, April 29

Today's Events in the Poker Room

12PM: Event 23 - $250 + $30 Deep Stack No Limit Hold'em (1 Re-Entry)

• Players start with 25,000 in tournament chips
• Levels last 25 minutes each
• Players that are eliminated within the first four Levels may Re-Enter one more time
• 1-Day event

6PM: Event 53 - $150 + $30 No Limit Hold'em

• Players start with 10,000 in tournament chips
• Levels last 20 minutes each
• 1-Day event

Event 22 Recap

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

After a crazy final table that saw the chip lead shift back and forth between players numerous times, Brian Correro (Silver Spring, MD) and Neil Dever (Breezy Point, NY) finished 1-2 respectively in Event 22 of the Borgata Spring Poker Open.

Correro was the last man standing in a field of 236 entries and takes home $12,820 for first place. "This is surreal," he says, "when you get knocked out of a tournament you have that buzz kill, but to stay up on this high feels pretty good."

Correro, who took some time off work and reinvested his recently received tax return into his poker game, was on a roller coaster that saw him suffer a couple of final table bad beats before he took control and knocked out the players in 2nd-5th places.

Dever, who took home $7,554 as runner-up, is the last victim, but was relieved that the 14 hour marathon was over. "I'm tired and disappointed," he said, "I pushed with good cards and had some luck along the way."

Two players at the final table improved on their finishes from Event 21, including Alan Cohen (Brooklyn, NY), who finished 3rd/$4,340 after a 20th place finish, on his 20th anniversary, the night before. Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) also moved up the pay sheet by finishing 5th/$2,747, better than his Event 21, 10th place finish.

Rounding out the final table were Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) 4th/$3,525, Jay Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) 6th/$2,289, Jordan McMahon (Montclair, NJ) 7th/$1,831, John Harvilla (Minersville, PA) 8th/$1,374, Nick Berglund (Stockholm, Sweden) 9th/$916 and Glenn Wilkins (Freehold, NJ) 10th/$595.

The day began with notables Larry Gold, James 'Suits' Salters, Mike Dentale and Steve Ryan making a run at the $47,200 total buy-in as 27 players cashed. Of the group, only Ryan, who finished 7th ($82,740) in the January Borgata Winter Poker Open, cashed as he finished 24th/$412.

Correro, who eventually grabbed all the 5.9 million chips in play, summed up his tournament like this. "My philosophy is to run good, play better," which is exactly why he took home the trophy.

Event 22 Champion - Correro

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Brian Correro (Silver Spring, MD)
$12,820

Event 22: 2nd Place - Dever

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Neil Dever (Breezy Point, NY)
$7,554

Event 22: 3rd Place - Cohen

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Alan Cohen (Brooklyn, NY)
$4,349

The man with 9 lives runs out of luck in third place, but it caps off a profitable 20th anniversary spent away from his wife. "She knew I was coming here," he says, "but we just got back from a great vacation."

Cohen's third place finish in this tournament, which began the day of his anniversary, April 28th, his followed by his 20th place finish ($547) in Event 21, which concluded on the same date. "I'm going to go and buy her a nice gift," he says.

Cohen was walking to the rail twice at the final table, but was saved by the river both times. The first time came 8-handed when he was dominated AK vs AJ, but the board double paired for a chopped pot. The second near elimination came 5 handed when he held A♦ K♦ against the 5♥ 5♠ of Neil Dever. Cohen hits the A♣ on the river to win the coin flip and eventually moves up two spots on the pay scale.

Cohen's tournament ends with 8 9 against Brian Correro who has 9 10 and turns a straight when a jack hits the board.

Event 22: 4th Place - Guinto

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ)

$3,525

Nick Guinto is crippled and eventually knocked out in 4th place by Brian Correro who continues to add to his chip lead.

On a board of 6♠ 7♥ 5♥ 8♣, Guinto checks, Correro bets 475k and Guinto calls.

River: 2♠

Guinto checks, Correro bets 700k and Guinto calls.

Correro: 9♣ A♦ (9 high straight)
Guinto: 10♠ 4♣ (8 high straight)

Correro wins the hand with the higher straight and leaves Guinto with only 70k in chips. Guinto manages to double-up twice and is eventually knocked out by Correro.

Event 22: 5th Place - Antenucci

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Pete 'Tucci007' Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY)

$2,747

Pete Antenucci, who at one point had the chip lead with 1.8 million, is out in 5th place after bleeding chips. A pivotal hand comes when he raised from the button and is called by Brian Correro in the big blind.

Both players check the flop of 3♠ Q♦ Q♥.

Turn: 9♥

Antenucci bets 150k, Correro calls

River: 4♥

Both players check

Correro: A♣ 9♥
Antenucci: 7♠ 7♣

Correro wins the hand with a pair of 9s, leaving Antenucci short stacked.

On the first hand of the new level 40k/80k/10k ante, Correro knocks out Antenucci, who improved on his 10th place finish ($1,292) from the night before in Event 21.

Event 22: 6th Place - Johnson

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Jay Johnson (Philadelphia, PA)

$2,289

Jay Johnson is crippled on a big hand and eventually knocked out in 6th place. Johnson, Alan Cohen and Brian Correro are three to a flop of J♥ 9♦ 3♣.

Cohen bets 150k, Correro calls and Johnson moves all in. Cohen goes in the tank and eventually folds.

Correro calls holding 3♥ 3♦ for a set of 3s. Johnson has K♥ K♦ and is drawing to a two outer. When Johnson misses the turn and river, he only has 95k and is out a few hands later.

Correro takes his stack to 1.7 million, while Cohen says he folded pocket 10s.

Event 22: Chip Counts

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

The orange (1k) chips are now out of play as blinds are up to 25k/50k/5k ante.

Seat-Name-Chip Count

2 Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) 695k
3 Neil Dever (Breezy Point, NY) 675k
4 Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) 2 million

6 Alan Cohen (Brooklyn, NY) 500k
7 Brian Correro (Silver Spring, MD) 770k

10 Jay Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) 1.1 million

Event 22: 7th Place - McMahon

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Jordan McMahon (Montclair, NJ)
$1,831

Jordan McMahon is all in for 300k with A 10 against the QQ of Jay Johnson. Johns rivers a set of queens and McMahon is out in 7th place.

Event 22: 8th Place - Harvilla

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

John Harvilla (Minersville, PA)

$1,374

John Harvilla is all in for the big blind of 30k. Nick Guinto calls from the button, Pete Antenucci checks his big blind option.

Guinto and Antenucci check down the flop of K Q 6 3 5. Guinto shows K♠ 9♦ for the winning hand, pair of kings. Harvilla is out in 8th place with 8♥ 8♣

Event 22: 9th Place - Berglund

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Nick Berglund (Stockholm, Sweden)

$916

Nick Berglund is all in for 40k from early position. Pete Antenucci raises from the cutoff to 90k (blinds 15k/30k/4k ante). Brian Correro calls from the big blind.

Antenucci and Correro check down the board of: K♦ 2♦ K♠ 4♦ 9♦.

Correro shows 8♦ 7♣ for the winning flush, while Atenuckki mucks. Berglund has A♣ Q♠ and is out in 9th place.

Correro is now up to 1.7 million chips and is rivaling Antenucci for the chip lead.

Event 22: 10th Place - Wilkins

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Glenn Wilkins (Freehold, NJ)
$595

Glenn Wilkins is all in for 116k with 7♥ 7♠ against the K♥ K♦ of Brian Correro. The board is no help and Wilkins is out in 10th place.

Event 22: Final Table

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Final Table

Seat-Name-Chip Count

1 John Harvilla (Minersville, PA) 280k
2 Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) 1.1 million
3 Neil Dever (Breezy Point, NY) 320k
4 Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) 1.6 million
5 Jordan McMahon (Montclair, NJ) 346k
6 Alan Cohen (Brooklyn, NY) 400k
7 Brian Correro (Silver Spring, MD) 660k
8 Glenn Wilkins (Freehold, NJ) 590k
9 Nick Berglund (Stockholm, Sweden) 110k
10 Jay Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) 470k

Event 22: 11th Place - Gross

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Jeffrey Gross (Wall, NJ) busts in 11th place for $595. The remaining 10 players are drawing for seats at the final table.

Event 22: Aces Again

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

For the second time in five eliminations, Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) uses pocket aces to eliminate a player.

Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) raises pre flop and gets a call from Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) and Dan "The Man" Muskowitz (Glen Head, NY).

The flop is A♦ K♠ 2♦, Muskowitz moves all in, Antenucci gets out of the way and Guinto calls.

Guinto: A♥ A♠
Muskowitz: A♣ 10♠

Muskowitz is drawing dead after the turn and is out in 12th place for $595.

Event 22: Doing Damage

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) is running over the table and eliminates his biggest threat in the process. Antenucci takes out Shervin Golbari (Roslyn Heights, NY), who was second in chips and now has 1.8 million in chips.

Golbari was trying to trap with pocket jacks, but when a third club hits the board on the turn Atenucci has the king high flush while holding K♣ 9♣. Atenucci takes down the 900k chip pot and knocks Golbari out in 13th place.

Payouts

Position - Name - Amount

13 Shervin Golbari (Roslyn Heights, NY) $504
14 Justin Burton (New York, NY) $504
15 Mark Mitchell (Fredrick, MD) $504

Event 22: Live Poker is Rigged

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

It happens too often, aces vs kings all in preflop, for players not to wonder if the little man in the shuffle machine isn't stacking the deck.

"How does he have aces there," says David Cammeyer (New York, NY). "I should be the chip leader and at the final table," he adds after losing a ton of chips when his AK was cracked by AQ a few hands earlier.

Cammeyer moves all in for 131k and tells Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) "I have a good hand," but Guinto doesn't say a word and turns over A A.

The board runs out J♦ 10♠ 10♥ J♥ J♠ as Guinto wins the hand with jacks full of aces, taking his stack to 560k, while Cammeyer is out in 16th place.

Payouts

Position - Name - Amount

16 David Cammeyer (New York, NY) $458
17 Benjamin Chan (New York, NY) $458
18 Greg Vanderlip (Haymarket, VA) $458

Event 22: Final 18 Redraw

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)



The remaining 18 players are redrawing for their seats at the final two tables. Coincidence has the two chip leaders side-by-side. Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) is the big stack, while Shervin Golbari (Roslyn, NY) is second in chips, but will have positional advantage as he's sitting to the left of Antenucci.

Level 21 (8k/16k/2k ante) is underway.

Antenucci (left) Keeping a Close Eye on Golbari's Chips

Event 22: Payouts 19-22

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Position - Name - Amount

19 Steven Moy (New York, NY) $412
20 Si Sdad (Secaucus, NJ) $412
21 Dennis McCartney (Paso Robles, CA) $412
22 Joseph Santoro (Franklin Square, NY) $412

Event 22: Color Up Break

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Players are on a 15 minute break as the purple (500) chips have been removed from play.

Big Stacks:

Pete Antenucci (Clifton Park, NY) 860k
Shervin Golbari (Roslyn, NY) 610k
Jay Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) 450k

Level 20 (6k/12k/2k ante) is underway.

Event 22: Payouts 23-27

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Position - Name - Amount

23 Demetrios Georgous (Little Falls, NJ) $412
24 Steve Ryan (New York, NY) $412
25 Jonathan Sorscher (Lynbrook, NY) $412
26 Gregg Miller (Morganville, NJ) $412
27 John Spagnuolo (Howard Beach, NY) $412

Event 22: Bubble Breaks

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

After a short time of hand-for-hand play, the bubble breaks when Neil Dever (Breezy Point, NY) moves all in and is called by a shorter stack with only 70k.

Dever has AK against his opponents JJ. The flop brings a king and it brings us to the money as 27 players remain.

Steve Ryan (New York, NY) has nursed his short stack to more than 100k and is guaranteed at least $412 for the min. cash. The field is now focused on the $12,820 top prize as we're now down to three tables.

Event 22: Slowing Down

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

The all out blitz has turned into a crawl as we've only seen three eliminations in the last 20 minutes. We're now on the bubble has 28 players remain and play is hand-for-hand.

To illustrate how slow play has been Larry Gold (Farmingville, NY), who busted earlier in the tournament, has been keeping an eye on the player who knocked him out. "He's a human rain delay,"says Gold. He adds that it took the guy 7 to 8 minutes to call his all-in bet while holding KK. Gold had AA and was frustrated that the player "binked" a king on the river.

Fast forward to the bubble and the same player bets 27,500 on a board of 3♠ 6♣ 6♦ 3♣ K♣. Justin Burton (New York, NY) moves all in for 95k total and the player goes in the tank again. He eventually says, "I have to pay you off," and tables A♣ 7♣ for the nut flush.

Burton shows 6♥ A♥ for the winning full house. After a careful count Burton doubles up and his opponent is left with 13k and busts a few hands later.

Level 19 (5k/10k/1k ante) is underway.

Event 22: All Out Blitz

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Since returning from dinner break, 15 players have busted as the field has gone from 46 to 31 players in less than 30 minutes.

Play resumed with just a few minutes left on Level 17, and we're now playing Level 18 (4k/8k/1k ante).

Steve Ryan (New York, NY), who finished 7th ($82,740) in the January Borgata Winter Poker Open is the player with best results remaining in the field, but has less than three big blinds and is down to 18k.

Event 22: Post-Dinner Play Underway

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)  

Players have returned from dinner and resumed play.  Still in level 17 with blinds of 3k/6k with 500 antes.

Event 22: Dinner Time Chip Leader

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry) 

At 7pm sharp, the tournament clock was stopped and players were rewarded with a 30-minute dinner break.  Play will resume at 7:30pm.

Former chip leader Peter Hsu is gone.

Former chip leader <anonymous> is gone.

As of the dinner break, it appears that Shervin Golbari is the chip leader with ~415k.

 Pete 'Tucci007' Antenucci

Pete 'Tucci007' Antenucci is a very close second with ~408k.

Former chip leader Jordan M has about 360k.

Event 22: Pipitone Doubles

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Sal Pipitone (Paramus, NJ) survived an all-in, but just barely and with great turmoil. On the turn with a board of A T 7 9, Sal was all-in holding QJ (open-ended straight-draw) against a player holding JT (pair of Tens).

This is where it gets weird:

The river was a Queen, giving Sal a pair of Queens and the best hand. Both players had tabled their hands. The dealer pushed the pot to seat 5 (not Sal) and Sal walked away from the table, believing he had lost the hand.

The next hand was dealt and play continued, but the other players at the table kept saying there was a problem. Another player busted out and left the table, leaving it short-handed and Jay Johnson was moved into Sal's empty seat to balance.

Then play was halted as the table finally got the attention of the floor and explained the problem. The dealer said he only saw Sal's Jack, but never saw the Queen. (Apparently Sal tabled the hand face-up, then turned it face down.) The player who had collected the pot said he never saw the river card and thought he had rightfully won the pot.

The floor reconstructed the size of the pot, (69,500) and took those chips out of seat 5's stack, moved Jay back to his previous table, restored Sal to his seat at table four and gave him the 69,500 in chips.

Then play resumed.

Blinds are up to 3k/6k with 500 antes for level 17.

Event 22: 9-Handed Tables

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

After the color-up break, play resumed with level 16, blinds 2,500/5,000 with 500 antes.

Before long, table 7 was broken and they were down to 60 players.

The final 6 tables went to 9-handed play as players busted out.

And then there were 54 players.

Event 22: Guinto Gets Chips

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Ed McCarthy made his last stand with pocket 6s, only to run into the pocket Kings of Nick Guinto.

 Nick Guinto

The Kings held up and Nick took the pot.  He's up to ~140k.  Of course he has to look across the table at the big stack of Peter Hsu because they're both on table two.

Ed hit the rail.

63 players remain at the end of level 15.  Players took a 15 minute break while the black 100 chips were colored up.

Event 22: Yet Another New Chip Leader

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry) 

On a flop of 9 7 3, Peter Hsu was all-in for 146,200 against the (former/anonymous) chip leader on table two.  Peter had pocket Aces and was crushing his opponent's T7 off (pair of 7s).

 Peter Hsu

The last two were 5 9 and Peter doubled up to nearly 420k, becoming the new chip leader.

Event 22: Goners

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Blinds increased to 2k/4k with 400 antes for level 15.

Noticeably absent:
Mike Dentale
Martin Belous
Ibra Ibraimovic
Kris Nunziata
Alex Torres
Alek Givotovsky
Saad Ghanam
Elliott Zaydman

Seven Tables remain with 70 players still hoping for a piece of the pie.

Only 27 will get paid, so there's still a long way to go.

Event 22: Another New Chip Leader

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Blinds are up to 1,500/3,000 with 400 antes for level 14.

Another player has amassed a big stack -- and wishes to remain anonymous.  He's got about 335k and is on table two with Jordan M, Ed McCarthy, and Sammy Elkassir.

Alan Cohen Doubled up a short-stack all-in with AQ.  Alan's AT caught a Ten on the flop, but a Queen came on the turn and the shorty survived.

75 players remain.  Average is ~78k.

Event 22: New Chip Leader

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Mike Devinsky moved in from the cutoff and got called by former chip leader Jordan M on the button.  Mike's K5 suited needed help to beat Jordan's pocket 8s.  The board bricked out and Mike was busted.

Steve Ryan had a short-stack all-in and dominated with AK versus AQ.  Then the board came A 4 3 T Q and the Queen on the river caused Steve to have to ship nearly 20k across the felt.

 Alan Cohen

Alan Cohen (Brooklyn, NY) is up to ~300k and the new chip leader. 

Event 22: Payouts

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)         

Entries: 236
Total Buy-In: $47,200
Place - Amount

1    $12,820
2      $7,554
3      $4,349
4      $3,525
5      $2,747
6      $2,289
7      $1,831
8      $1,374
9         $916
10-12  $595
13-15  $504
16-18  $458
19-27  $412

Event 22: 100 Players Remain

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)         

Down to 10 tables now with 100 players remaining.  Average stack is almost 59k.

A player on table 5, who wishes to remain anonymous, has taken the chip lead with ~170k in chips.

The all-ins keep coming.

Martin Belous was all-in holding Q8 suited against a player holding Q9 suited.  The board came J 6 6 A 3 and they chopped the pot.

A three-way pre-flop all-in had pocket Queens, AQ and AK vying for the pot and survival.  The board came A J 7 3 3 and the Queens were busted.  AK nearly tripled up, and AQ took a small side pot.

End of level 12 and time for another break.

Event 22: Tough Table

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)         

Big stack Jordan M has been moved to table two with Ed McCarthy, Mike Devinsky, and Sammy Elkassir and landed in the seat on Mike Devinsky's left.

Mike finished 3rd in the 2010 Summer Open $700 6-max event ($5,785).
Ed McCarthy has cashed twice already during this series. 
Sammy Elkassir finished 2nd in the $400 DeepStack in this series (over $27k)

Since tables are broken from high to low, this table won't break until time for the final table.

Sammy Elkassir just moved in from the small blind, over the top of a button raise.  After about a minute in the tank, his opponent surrendered.

Blinds are up to 1k/2k with 300 antes for level 12.

Event 22: 236 Entries

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)        

Final player/entry count is 236, creating total buy-ins of $47,200.

27 players will get paid.

Prize pool will be posted when available.

They're down to 13 tables already, making the average stack over 45k.

Anthony 'Tone' Luong is in the house and making his presence known.  He's short-stacked and working hard to hang on.

Event 22: Turbo Terminated

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)       

Players returned from break for level 10 with blinds of 800/1,600 with 200 antes.

This was the last 15 minute level and it ticked away quickly and ended the 'Semi-Turbo' portion of the tournament.

They're currently in level 11 with blinds of 800/1,600 with 200 antes.  Levels are now 30 minutes for the duration of the tournament.

Event 22: Big Stacks Emerge

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)       

At the end of 9 levels, players were sent on a break while the green 25 chips were colored up.

16 tables remain in action (160 players).

 Jordan M.

Jordan M. from Montclaire, NJ, has emerged as the chip leader.  He's up to about 160k.

Nick Guinto (Brigantine, NJ) is up to ~100k and possibly second in chips.

Event 22: Belous Busts Two

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)      

So much for an end to crazy play...

Eric Miller moved in for 7,400, then the player on his left moved in for 11,300.  Martin Belous (Brooklyn, NY) was in the cutoff and he called, then the button called, making it four to the flop.

The two players who still had chips checked down the board of K T 5 8 Q.  Eric held pocket Kings, the other all-in player held pocket Queens, and Martin held J9 offsuit.  He had rivered a straight. 

The fourth player mucked and Martin collected both the main and side pots.  Eric and the other all-in player were busted.  Martin is up to ~50k with that pot.

Event 22: Ever-Increasing Blinds Up

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)     

Level 8 blinds are 400/800 with 75 antes.

Those 25k starting stacks are starting to grow and several players have doubled up since play began.

No one has yet distanced themselves from the field, however.

Event 22: Late Arrivals

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)    

Mike Dentale, winner of event 1 of the Borgata Spring Poker Open, is a late arrival. 

Jay Johnson has also turned up.

Larry Gold busted out, but is back in. 

Registration is closed.

Event 22: Back To Business

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)    

Players have returned from break to level 7 with blinds of 300/600 and75 antes.

There are still about a half-dozen players waiting in line at registration and they will be allowed to enter/re-enter, but that's all.

About 20 tables are in action and unless these folks adjust their play, those tables will start breaking down quickly.

There are four more levels with 'semi-turbo' lengths of 15 minutes.

Event 22: Break Time!

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)    

End of level 6 and time for a break.

The end of this break will signal the end of the entry/re-entry period (and possibly the end of crazy play, but who knows?).

Players are taking ten and will return for level 7 and blinds of 300/600 with 75 antes.

Event 22: Crazy Action

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)    

Table 20 is now in action as more players arrive.

Currently in level 5 with blinds of 150/300 and 25 antes.

Some crazy action going on out there. 

One three-way pre-flop all-in had pocket 2s, pocket Jacks, and pocket Queens.  (One player folded AQ.)  The board came T 4 3 A 4 and the Queens tripled up, the Jacks picked up the side pot, and the 2s were left short-stacked, but no one was elminated.  If the player holding AQ had gotten involved, he would have won the pot and busted the other three players since he had them all covered.

Back on table 18, pocket Kings were all-in against pocket Aces and in danger of elimination.  Then the board came K T 3 J K and one King was enough to crack the Aces.  The quad King was just overkill.

Event 22: Out Of Entries

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)   

19 tables are in action now as late arrivals get seated.

There are also a handful of players at the re-entry window.

 William Perry & Larry Gold

One player that I know of (William Perry) has already busted out twice and is re-entering for his third and final time.  Coincidentally, his third entry seated him back at table 11 which is where he started the day.  This time he's immediately to Larry Gold's right.

They're currently playing in level 4 with blinds of 100/200.

More faces in the crowd:

Matthew J. Piccolo
James 'Suits' Salters
Ibra Ibraimovic
Leo Goldberger
Kris Nunziata
Alex Torres
Ed McCarthy
Abul Moborrod
Steve Ryan
Toni Patterson

Event 22: Blinds Up

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)  

OK, you get the point...blinds go up every 15 minutes for the first 2.5 hours of play.

Level 3 just started with blinds of 75/150.

During the previous level, one player was gambling it up.  He moved all-in blind several hands in a row.  After Larry Gold raised, he moved in again, blind, from the button. 

Larry had pocket Jacks and called, of course.

His opponent held 42 offsuit. 

The board came Q 6 3 K 5 and Larry's opponent made a straight to double up (to about 30k).  Larry's down below 10k.

Event 22: Blinds Up

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry) 

Level 2 just began with blinds of 50/100.

Several players have already busted out and hit the re-entry window.

16 tables are currently in action and I spotted these folks on my first pass through the field:

Elliot Zaydman
Mike Devinsky
Saad Ghanem
Larry Gold
Alek Givotovsky
Eric Miller
Sammy Elkassir

Event 22: Cards Are In The Air

$200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo NLH (2 Re-Entry)

Are you ready for some POKER?!?!

I hear the weather is bad outside -- Atlantic City is under a severe thunderstorm watch.

But the weather inside the Borgata Poker Room is just right.

To prove that fact, cards are currently flying for event 22.

Players began with 25,000 chips (hence the 'Deep Stack' moniker) and the first ten levels last 15 minutes, then increase to 30 minutes (hence the 'Semi-Turbo' label).

Level 1 blinds are 25/50.

Players who bust out during the first six levels may opt to re-enter again and again (2 re-entries).  Late registrations will also be accepted during the first six levels.

Thursday, April 28

Today's Events in the Poker Room

12PM: Event 22 - $200 + $30 Deep Stack Semi-Turbo No Limit Hold'em (2 Re-Entry)

• Players start with 25,000 in tournament chips
• Levels 1-10 last 15 minutes each | Levels 11+ last 30 minutes each
• Players that are eliminated within the first six Levels may Re-Enter two more times
• 1-Day event

6PM: Event 52 - $150 + $30 No Limit Hold'em

• Players start with 10,000 in tournament chips
• Levels last 20 minutes each
• 1-Day event

Event 21 Recap

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

A long heads up match capped off a grueling 18 hours of poker, but when the dust settled Tod Liang (Brooklyn, NY) beat Dave Grandieri (Danbury, CT) to win the title and the $23,874 first prize.

On the final hand Liang has A♥ A♠ against Grandier's A♦ 9♥, and when the board ran clean Liang won the first live tournament he's ever entered. "With the internet (poker) being down, I was itching to play," says Liang after an hour and-a-half of heads up play. "It (Borgata) was easy to get to and I knew I had to play."

When heads up play began Liang was down 8 to 1 in chips but doubled up on the 4th hand when he hit trip 6s with Q6 which was initially dominated by AQ. "We were both tired, but I just hung in there."

"Forget disappointed. I want to run my head through a wall," said Grandier, who can't believe he gave up 8 million chips. "What just happened?"

Grandieri, who had his first final table with a 7th place finish during a $500 event in January's Borgata Winter Open, surged to the chip lead with 40 players left. The key hand came when he knocked out Chris Wilson (Vineland, NJ) in a 525k pot, as his pair of 10s dodged Wilson's flush draw.

On the flip side Liang was never above 30 big blinds after only a few hours into the tournament and had to grind his way to the title.

The final table featured WSOP Bracelet holder Shawn Busse (Long Island, NY) who finished 7th/$3,629. He was eliminated just after Borgata regular Leanne Rosenblatt (Brigantine, NJ)
8th/$2,734 and Alex Grace (Fairfax, VA) 9th/$1,889.

The 9-handed final table also included Joel Cartun (Livingston, NJ) 3rd/$8,541, Sudhish "Sunny" Suryawansi (Manassas, VA) 4th/$6,861, Ali George (Staten Island, NY) 5th/$5,469 and Rene Battiston (Clifton, NJ) 6th/$4,524.

The field featured several players who busted early on Day 3 of the Championship Event and included Mike Dentale (Brooklyn, NY), Dmitri Sokolov (Red Bank, NJ) and Mark Wahba (Cleveland, OH), who at one point held the chip lead after knocking out Joe Simmons (Philadelphia, PA)

Other notables of the 603 entries chasing the $102,510 total buy-in included Eric Siegel (Melville, NY), Larry Gold (Farmingville, NY) and Lisa Pickell (Bricktown, NJ).

In the end it was Liang who found a way to overcome a short stack and take home the title.

Event 21 Champion - Liang

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Tod Liang (Brooklyn, NY)

$23,874

Tod Liang overcomes an 8 to 1 chip deficit to defeat Dave Grandieri heads up to win the title. On the final hand Liang has A♥ A♠ against Grandier's A♦ 9♥, and when the board ran clean Liang won the first live tournament he's ever entered.

Event 21: 2nd Place - Grandieri

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Dave Grandieri (Danbury, CT)
$13,423

Event 21: 3rd Place - Cartun

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Joel Cartun (Livingston, NJ)
$8,451

Event 21: 4th Place - Suryawansi

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Sudhish "Sunny" Suryawansi (Manassas, VA)
$6,861

Event 21: 5th Place - George

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Ali George (Staten Island, NY)
$5,469

Event 21: 6th Place - Battiston

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Rene Battiston (Clifton, NJ)
$4,524

Battiston puts his last 500k all in with A9 against the pocket 4s of Dave Grandieri. 4s hold and Battiston is out in 6th place.

Event 21: 7th Place - Busse

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Shawn Busse (Long Island, NY)
$3,629

WSOP Bracelet holder (2010/$1k buy-in) Shawn Busse is all in for 600k with Q♦ 6♦ vs the pocket jacks of Tod Liang. The jacks hold and Busse is out in 7th place.

Event 21: 8th Place - Rosenblatt

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Leanne Rosenblatt (Brigantine, NJ)

$2,734

Dave Grandieri raises 205k UTG
Leanne Rosenblatt moves all in for 380k more
Grandieri calls with A♣ Q♦
Rosenblatt tables 9♣ 9♥
Grandieri flops a queen and Rosenblatt is out in 8th place

Event 21: 9th Place - Grace

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Alex Grace (Fairfax, VA)

$1,889

Alex Grace ships 350k all in with Q♣ J♠ and is called by Tod Liang who has A♠ 9♥. The board four flushes and Liang wins the hand with an ace high flush.

Event 21: Final Table

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)


Seat-Name-Chip Count

1 Ali George (Staten Island, NY) 500k
2 Shawn Busse (Long Island, NY) 800k
3 Leanne Rosenblatt (Brigantine, NJ) 600k
4 Tod Liang (Brooklyn, NY) 900k
5 Sudhish "Sunny" Suryawansi (Manassas, VA) 1.8 million
6 Dave Grandieri (Danbury, CT) 900k
7 Rene Battiston (Clifton, NJ) 800k
8 Alex Grace (Fairfax, VA) 350k
9 Joel Cartun (Livingston, NJ) 2.4 million

Event 21: Final Table of 9

$170 + $30 Big Stack NL (2 Re-Entry)

Peter Antenucci (Clifford Park, NJ) has 6 9 against the A Q of Rene Battiston, but doesn't get any help from the board. Antenucci is out in 10th place ($1,292) sending the two remaining 5-handed tables down to one final table of 9.

Event 18 Recap

$2500 + $200 Double Play NL Championship

Solid play over three days and a pivotal hand at the final table is how Russell Crane (Howell, NJ) won the Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship. Crane outlasted the other 24 players who returned for the Day 3 finale and navigated his way through a final table that featured 7 full time professional players.

"It hasn't hit me yet," says Crane, the six year poker pro who takes home a career best $276,949 for first place. "It felt great to have a lot of people from my home state supporting me."

It only took two hands of heads-up play for Crane to defeat Adam Cook (Glen Burnie, MD) for the title when Crane's Q♣ Q♦ bested Cook's 9♣ 9♥. "I didn't want to play a huge pot," says Cook who took home $159,866 and began the hand at a 2 to 1 chip deficit, "but two 9s heads-up is a good hand and I just got it in."

Cook trailed in chips heads up, 9.3 million to 4.1 million, because Crane won a 6.5 million chip pot against Jason Deutsch (Staten Island, NY) 5 handed. Deutsch moved all in with a pair of 7s and a flush draw and Crane called the final 2 million chip bet on the turn with 10♦ 10♠. When Cook missed the river Crane's pair of 10s was enough to take a commanding chip lead.

Deutsch was crippled and knocked out a few hands later in 5th place ($61,787), which set the stage for Crane's final push for the title. Crane made quick work of David Stefanski (East Lyme, CT) 4th/$78,588 and Alex Bolotin (Brooklyn, NY) 3rd/$97,558 to set the stage for one last quick elimination.

When the day began Ryan Eriquezzo (Danbury, CT) was the leader with nearly one million chips, but in less than two hours was knocked out 24th when he ran pocket 9s into the pocket kings of Matt Matros (Brooklyn, NY). Matros, a pro with $1.5 million in career earnings, used the chips to make the final table and wound up 9th/$31,435.

Other notable pros who cashed on Day 3 included Billy Gazes (Miami Beach, FL) 19th/$6,721 and Matt Glantz (Lafayette Hill, PA) 11th/$14,092.

When the final table returned from dinner break, players were eliminated on three of the first four hands including Salah Siraj (New York, NY) 8th/$31,435, Matt Matros, and Aaron Overton (Philadelphia, PA) 10th/$14,092.

Joining Siraj at the final table as the only amateurs were Adam Levitan (Philadelphia, PA) 6th/$51,489 and Bart Dowling (New York, NY) 7th/$41,191, as the top six spots all went to the pros.

The tournament began with 447 entries chasing the total buy-in of $1,117,500, which was more than double the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. The field featured the recognizable names of Kathy Liebert, Maria Ho, Josh Brikis, Jason Young, Lee Childs and "Hollywood" Dave Stann.

Defending champion Alex Queen (Bethlehem, PA) was in the mix to cash again, but was knocked out in 47th place, two from the money. Notables who did cash included Eric Siegel, May Siu, Joanne Monteavaro, Mike Dentale and Will Jaffe.

But in the end it's Russell Crane who took home the top prize, his 2nd win of 2011, and pushed his career earnings in live tournament play to $650,00. He's a Borgata regular who finished 3rd in a Deep Stack event in 2008 ($65k).

"I love playing at Borgata, it's where I feel the most comfortable." he said while clutching the championship trophy

Event 18 Champion - Crane

$2500 + $200 Double Play NL Championship

Russell Crane (Howell, NJ)
$276,949

It only takes two hands of heads up play for Russell Crane to beat Adam Cook to win the Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship. Cook began the final hand with a 2 to 1 chip deficit (9.3 mil to 4.1 mil) when he opened from the button for 180k.

Crane 3-bets to 480k, Cook moves all-in, Crane calls.

Crane: Q♣ Q♦
Cook: 9♣ 9♥

Flop: 2♥ J♣ K♣

Turn: 5♦

River 5♠

Cook doesn't hit his two-outer and Crane's pair of queens wins him the title. "It hasn't hit me yet," says Crane, the six year poker pro. "It felt great to have a lot of people from my home state supporting me. I love playing at Borgata, it's where I feel the most comfortable.

This is Crane's 2nd first place finish in 2011 and this cash gives him more than $650,00 in career earnings in live tournament play. He's a Borgata regular who finished 3rd in a Deep Stack event in 2008 ($65k).

Event 18: 2nd Place - Cook

$2500 + $200 Double Play NL Championship

Adam Cook (Glen Burnie, MD)
$159,886

Adam Cook is the runner-up after losing with pocket 9s to Russell Crane's pocket queens on the final hand. "I didn't want to play a huge pot, but two 9s heads-up is a good hand and I just got it in."

It was only the second hand of heads-up play as Cook was a 2 to 1 chip underdog.

"I ran pretty well and didn't have to show down a lot of hands," Cook says, citing this as his best career accomplishment. "But usually I had it. I feel a played great."

This is Cook's 6th career live tournament cash, which began during the 2010 Summer Borgata Poker Open when he finished 4th in a $200 event ($6,700).

Event 18: 3rd Place - Bolotin

$2500 + $200 Double Play NL Championship

Alex Bolotin (Brooklyn, NY)
$97,558

Alex Bolotin is in a coin flip for his tournament life with pocket jacks against the AK of Russell Crane. After the flop brings two spades, Crane gets a king on the turn and an ace on the river for two pairs to win the hand.

"Given I was a short stack with 5 players left," says Bolotin, "I'm happy to finish third."

Bolotin has been a poker pro for 8 years and this cash gives him more than $2 million in career live tournament earnings. This is his second biggest score after winning a $500 event ($102k) in the 2008 Borgata Winter Poker Open.

Bolotin adds that his greatest poker accomplishment, "hasn't happened yet," and that he has the "best family and friends in the world."

Event 18: 4th Place - Stefanski

$2500 + $200 Double Play NL Championship

David Stefanski (East Lyme, CT)

$78,588

Just back from break David Stefanski is all in for 2 million chips with A♥ Q♥ against
Russell Crane who has A♠ K♣.

Flop: K♦ Q♠ 7♠ (Crane - pair of kings, Stefanski pair of queens)

Turn: 7♣

River: 6♣

Stefanski is behind the whole way and finishes in 4th place. "I busted on the first hand of my birthday," says the pro who turned 27 years-old when the clock struck midnight. "All the players at the final table were solid. Once we got down to 6 or 7 players the hands pretty much played themselves out."

This is Stefanski's biggest pay day and continues a nice run that includes a final table in an NAPT event earlier this month.