Sunday, January 23, 2011

Event 9: 10th Place - Emily Flax

$260 + $40 Ladies NL    

Emily Flax - 10th Place - $555

Emily finished 6th in this event at the 2010 Winter Poker Open and won it all in 2007!

Event 6: 6th - Ross

$1,000 + $90 NL

Joe Ross (Dunmore, PA)
$15,970

Joe Ross is all-in with K 5 vs the 8 8 of Jonathan Lessin. The eights hold and Ross is out in 6th place.

Event 8: Muffins Extends Lead

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL    

Break time again for this event.  They're down to 13 tables, 130 or fewer players.  Average stack is ~190k.

Matt 'muffins' Mazzeo is up to 500k and the first player to cross the half-million mark.

 Phil Pont

Phil Pont (Detroit, MI) said "I wear pastels well" when I commented about his Baltimore Ravens sweatshirt.  Well, it's purple, but not pastel.  Purple is my favorite color, but it takes guts to wear Ravens apparel in a room that is divided between Pittsburg Steelers and New York Jets fans.

Now that the game is over, the Jets fans are much quieter while the Steeler fans are much louder.

Event 6: 7th - Karidis

$1,000 + $90 NL

Ted Karidis (Norwalk, CT)
$12,874

Daniel Fischer's chip stack continues to grow, leaving carnage on the felt. Ted Karidis is all-in with 66 vs Fischer's J9.

The board is 4 10 10 Q Q, counterfeiting Karidis' pair to put him on the rail as Fischer's jack kicker takes the pot.

Event 9: Final Table

$260 + $40 Ladies NL    

The Ladies got it in gear and sent six to the rail in short order.  The final ten drew seats and moved to a single table, just a few minutes before the level ended.  Then they took a break.

Here's the lineup with approximate chip counts:

Seat - Player - Hometown - Chips
1 - Carmen 'Hunbunny' Huggins - 240k
2 - Candace Verrastro - Pt. Pleasant, NJ - 160k
3 - Mimi Castaldi - Washington DC - 49,200
4 - Karen Harris - Trumbull, CT - 67k
5 - Anna Dunn - Bronx, NY - 75k
6 - Emily Flax - Provincetown, MA - 48k
7 - Linda Vaughan - Montclaire, VA - 145k
8 - Li Zhang, Doylestown, PA - 65k
9 - Pam Constanzo - Vineland, NJ - 130k
10 - Renata Colache - Clayton, NJ - 37k

Event 6: 8th - Lazzinnaro

$1,000 + $90 NL
Louis Lazzinnaro (Lake Success, NY)
$9,615


Louis Lazzinnaro and Daniel Fischer lock horns in a pot that may very well decide the tournament.

There's a preflop raise to 45k, Lazzinnaro calls from the SB, and Fischer makes it 150k.
Original better folds, Lazzinarro calls.

Flop: 6 A♠ 3♠

Lazzinarro moves all-in, putting Fischer at risk for 725k
Fischer tanks for 5 minutes
Lazzinarro calls clock
Fischer calls

Lazzinarro: Q♠ 10♠ (flush draw)
Fischer: Ac♣ 9s (pair of aces)

Turn: 3♣
River: 7♣

Fischer wins the pot to take the chip lead with 1.8 million
Lazzinarro drops to 200k

Two hands later Lazzinarro (K Q) is out when Michael DeMartino beats him with 8 8♠.

Event 9: Heading Towards the Final Table

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

After sitting on 16 players for nearly an hour, the blinds are starting to catch up to the field and bust outs are coming in rapid fire succession.

Here are the first payouts:

18 Rhonda Bescript (Royersford, PA) $416
17 Allison Weisbrod (Montville, NJ) $416
16 Marguerite Spagnuolo (Staten Island, NY) $416
15 Kimberly Edwards (Toms River, NJ) $485
14 Rosa Klaneski (Farmington, CT) $485
13 Shalada Nix (Baltimore, MD) $485
12 Natalie Bereznyak (Red Bank, NJ) $555
11 Carol Neil (Provincetown, MA) $555

Event 8: Muffins Fades Lots of Outs

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL   

As players bust out and tables break, chips start to aggregate in to a handful of bigs stacks.  That phenomenon is happening now.  They're down to 15 tables, 150 players.

Matt 'muffins' Mazzeo is up to 400k after busting a 'kid' on his left.  They got into a pre-flop raising war with the player on his left until all the chips went in.  Matt had pocket Queens and was up against T9 of diamonds (I kid you not).  The flop was K 4 2 with one diamond.  Then the Jack of diamonds fell on the turn.  "I was sweatin' when that turn came"  Matt said.  He would be crippled if a diamond or a Queen came on the river.  It was an offsuit 4, though, and Matt pulled the pot, taking the chip lead.

 Dominic Telymonde (Atlantic City, NJ) is up to 346,500. 

John Sill and Francis Anderson

 Francis Anderson (Poughkeepsie, NY) is up to ~320k and John Sill (Pinehurst, NC) was not pleased to get moved into the seat to the right of the big stack. 

John's originally from Valdosta, Georgia (I can spot a southerner at 20 paces) and doesn't get to play as much as he used to because he's got a newborn baby back home. 

Event 6: 9th - Burleson

$1,000 + $90 NL

Jeremy Burleson (Stanley, NC)
$6,519

Event 9: Still Sixteen

$260 + $40 Ladies NL   

The Ladies seem to be stalled at 16.  No one has busted out in almost an hour.

"We're having such a good time, no one wants to leave" someone said.  The next player out will min-cash, earning the minimum payout of $416, but then the next three will earn a bump to $485.

Unfortuantely, the blinds are increasing every 40 minutes, so the longer they stall, the shorter their stacks get relative to the blinds.

Event 6: 10th - Medina

$1,000 + $90 NL

Wayne Medina (Westbury, NY)
$4,237

Event 8: Table to Watch

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL  

Frank Reina (Carteret, NJ) tells that that his table (table 3 ) is the "one to watch".   Big hands are getting cracked, lots of action, etc.  Brian Murray (Queens, NY) is at that table and seems to have been the recipient of some good fortune.  He's up to about 15k when the average stack is about 86K.

 Brian Murray

180 players are still in and either cruising, struggling, or something in-between.

They're wrapping up a level and taking a break before continuing.

Event 9: Sweet Sixteen

$260 + $40 Ladies NL  

Unfortunately, Toni Patterson busted out in 19th place, becoming the official bubble-player for this event.

Two more players have busted out and earned the min-cash of $416.

With 16 players left, Linda Vaughan is still the chip leader, but is down to ~170k.  Average stack is almost 69k.

They're on break now and will resume play shortly.

Event 6: Final Table

$1,000 + $90 NL

Seat-Name-Chip Count

1 Louis Lazzinnaro 900k
2 Daniel Fischer 540k
3 Wayne Medina 175k
4 Jeremy Burleson 471k
5 Ted Karidis 250k
6 Joe Ross 222k
7 Jonathan Lessin 950k
8 Michael DeMartino 450k
9 Niko Sears 865k
10 Jason Young 290k

Event 8: Tale of Two Players

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL  

Every poker player has a story to tell.  And they're all different, yet similar in some ways.

Brian Pagano (Hawley, PA) and Noel Damico (Oceanside, NY) are a couple of players currently sharing the same piece of felt.  They're similar in that they like to play tournaments, but beyond that, their stories are vastly different.

 Brian Pagano and Noel Damico

Brian is a residential home builder who only plays when business is slow and he can make the 3.5 hour trip -- and right now, the home-building business is slow.  Besides Hold'em, he likes to mix in a little Omaha, but strictly tournaments.  He's got an about-average stack.

Noel, on the other hand, likes to play lots of tournaments, but also spends time in the $5/$10 No Limit cash games.  When he's not playing poker, he's a stagehand on Broadway back in New York.  He's worked lots of big shows and met lots of famous people, including Madonna.  Noel's got about double the average stack right now.

204 players remain, so there is still a long way to go to reach the money (63 get paid).  We'll see whose story holds up .

Event 6: Bust, Bust, Bust

$1,000 + $90 NL

It takes less than one hour to reach the final table as three quick eliminations come after the dinner break.

13 Anthony Hill (Egg Harbor City, NJ) $3,259
12 Matt Kleckner (Coplay, PA) $4,237
11 Brian O'Donaghue (Bayside, NY) $4,237

The remaining 10 players are redrawing for their final table seats.

Event 9: Patterson Hoping for Payout

$260 + $40 Ladies NL 

The ladies are getting back to business with just two more to go to reach the money.  Among those hoping to cash is Toni Patterson (Queens, NY).  Toni played the ladies event here last year, but busted out before the dinner break.  This is only the second tournament she has ever played and she's within striking distance of her first tournament cash.

 Toni Patterson

She's already made it further than she did last year by surviving past dinner.  Her 20k stack is well below the 55k average and with blinds at 1,200/2,400 (300 antes) she needs to find some chips quickly.

Event 8: Kolari Looking to Get Lucky

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL 

Players have returned from dinner and play has resumed.

Among the returning players is Abe Kolari of Staten Island, NY.  He likes to come play tournaments when he can take time away from his commercial real estate business  He also has a concrete company overseas.  He won a tournament on a cruise he took, so he's got some skills.

Abe Kolari

When I asked about the competition at his table, he said "they're good players...you gotta get lucky".  Abe's stack is about average right now, so the next few levels are going to be key. 

Event 6: Back from Break

$1,000 + $90 NL

The 13 remaining players are back from break and preparing for the long grind for the nearly $88,000 first prize.

Cards are in the air with the continuation of Level 21 (6k/12k/2k ante).

Event 8: River Club

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Jason Twelves

While the players are on dinner break we caught up with Jason Twelves (Philadelphia, PA) who gave us the skinny on a hand from earlier in the day.

Twelves 3-bet with K
Q and gets one caller. On a board of 62 6 J♣, Twelves ships
46k and is called by 67 and is behind his opponent's trip sixes.

The river money card for Twelves is the A♣ giving him the flush and taking his stack to more than 100k, while his opponent is left with 20k.

"He asked me how I could ship it all-in on a draw," says Twelves, who now has 117k at the break. "I asked him how he could call a 3-bet with 6-7 off."

245 players remain with an average stack of 64k.



Event 6: Big Stacks

$1,000 + $90 NL

Jonathan Lessin continues to lead the way with 1.1 million chips, here's a look at the bigger stacks.

Jonathan Lessin 1.1 million
Michael DeMartino 700k
Niko Sears 639k
Matt Kleckner 400k

The average stack is 388k.

Event 8: Dinner Time

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

The 7:30 dinner bell has rung and the players have made for the exits to enjoy an hour away from the grind.

They'll get back to business at 8:30pm, with 29 tables still in action.

Event 6: 14th - Sweeney

$1,000 + $90 NL

Michael Sweeney (Scranton, PA) is out in 14th place ($3,259) as the remaining 13 players are on a one hour dinner break and resume play at 8:35 pm

Event 9: Vaughan Vanquishes Another

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Over on table two, they are calling her the "Assassin" because she keeps bumping off players.  As I watched, she sent another one packing with AK suited against pocket Queens.  The board came A A J 9 8 and another Lady hit the rail.

 Linda Vaughan

Her name is Linda Vaughan (Montclaire, VA) and she's up to about 180k.  With 20 ladies remaining, the average stack is 55k.

They are at the final two tables now.  Only 18 will get paid.

They've just left for a one-hour dinner break.  Play will resume at 8:30pm.

Event 6: 15th - Kresse

$1,000 + $90 NL

Lessin Adds More Chips

Mike Kresse (West Islip, NY) is the latest player to give chips to Jonathan Lessin (Oceanport, NJ), who's clearly the chip leader with ~1 million.

Kresse ships 130k with pocket 5s, but Lessin's pocket 8s hold to knock Kresse out in 15th place ($3,259).

Event 8: Edwards Leads the Field

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

Play resumed after a break with blinds of 800/1,600 and 200 antes.

28 tables remain -- That makes 280 players and an average stack of over 55k.

 Chris Edwards

The big stack in the room belongs to Chris Edwards.  He's got about 280k.  Chris is originally from London, but now lives in Little Silver, NJ.  He's a successful businessman by day, but enjoys playing tournaments when he has time.  A regular here at Borgata, he hangs with Team PPI player James Boyle.

'Little Joe' Wagner (Zebulon, NC) is in the field again today.  He says he's been up and down between 15k and 65k several times today.  For now, he's just surviving.

Event 6: 16th - Lianti

$1,000 + $90 NL

Santo Lisanti (Glenshaw, PA) is all-in for 98k with KQ vs the AJ of Jason Young. Lisanti doesn't improve and is on the rail in 16th place (2,770).

Event 8: Payouts

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

63 Players are getting a piece of the $247,600 total buy-ins.  Here's how it breaks down:

Place    Payout
1          $57,665
2          $32,423
3          $20,414
4          $16,572
5          $13,209
6          $10,928
7          $8,766
8          $6,605
9          $4,563
10-12   $3,122
13-15   $2,282
16-18   $1,681
19-27   $1,320
28-36   $1,177
37-45   $1,057
46-54   $937
55-63   $817

Event 9: Carmen Karma + Leader Updates

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Kim Leemaster (New Hope, PA) is up to 40,000 after flopping three sets with 6-6, 2-2, and J-J.
Fortunately for Kim she got paid off each time.

Carmen "Hunbunny" Huggins (Queens, NY) is second by 5,000 only to the chip-leader Linda Vaughan . Carmen has 85,000 after scooping a large pot holding Q-Q.
Hey, Hunbunny from Queens, just won with Queens - cool.

Good Karma for Carmen who has a tiny gold Buddha as a card protector.

Nancy Martin (Washington Crossing, PA) was as short as 3,000 then zoomed all the way up to 40,000 where she currently sits. Helps when you get pocket Aces twice in an hour.

Candace Verrastro (Point Pleasant, NJ) is the table chip-leader with 55,000 after sucking out on the river.

Event 9: Payouts

 $260 + $40 Ladies NL

Payouts awaiting the final 18 Ladies!

Entries: 110
Total Buy-In: $28,600

Place-Amount

1 $8,323
2 $4,577
3 $2,635
4 $2,219
5 $1,665
6 $1,387
7 $1,110
8 $833
9 $625
10-12 $555
13-15 $485
16-18 $416

Event 6: 18th - Kuchik, 17th - So

$1,000 + $90 NL

Alex Kuchik (Brooklyn, NY) is the first casualty at the final two tables when Louis Lazzinnaro (Lake Success, NY) spikes a 10 on the river for two pairs to beat Kuchick's pair of aces (A Q).

"I think even Tab (T.D. Tab Duchateau) threw up in his mouth," said Kuchick who's out in 18th place ($2,770).

A few hands later Jen So (Galloway, NJ) is on the rail in 17th ($2,770) after she went through a rough day of losing coin flips and seeing unkind river cards.

Event 9: Chick Chip Leader

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Your ladies chip leader with 35 players remaining is Linda Vaughan from Virginia who has 95,000.

Linda is crushing her table which is starting to look like a sit-n-go.

No other stacks are even close.

Level 11: Blinds 800 / 1600 with 200 antes.

Event 8: Thirty-Seven Tables Deep

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

From the 619 we started with, thirty-seven tables remain.

Every time the football score changes half the crowd cheers.

A lot of the players have their eye on dinner break which is scheduled for 8pm.

Level 10 Blinds next hand - 600 / 1200 with ante 200.

Purple Deck dealers...

Event 8: You Crack Me Up

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

Phil Neiman's 9-9 crack Zack Collado's AA in a back and forth battle where Neiman risked his tournament by shoving all-in pre-flop.

Phil's 9-9 picked up on flush draw on the flop (with one nine) while Collado smacked a third ace on the turn.

King of clubs on the river gave Neiman the needed chips. He's currently up to 90,000.

"It was smooth sailing ever since that hand" said Neiman.

Zack, who won a Caribbean Poker Open event this year was still steaming from the hand.

Event 6: Final 2 Table Seating

$1,000 + $90 NL

Table-Seat-Name


1-1 Anthony Hill
1-2 Jeremy Burleson
1-3 Joe Ross
1-4 Mike Kresse
1-5 Louis Lazzinnaro
1-6 Wayne Medina
1-7 Alex Kuchik
1-8 Jonathan Lessin
1-9 Matt Kleckner

2-1 Daniel Fischer
2-2 Niko Sears
2-3 Jason Young
2-4 Brian O'Donoghue
2-5 Michael Sweene y
2-6 Jen So
2-7 Ted Karidis
2-8 Santo Lisanti
2-9 Michael DeMartino

Event 6: 18 Left - Redraw

$1,000 + $90 NL

18 players remain and are redrawing for the final two tables:

Recent eliminations:

23 Omoro Colvin $2,444
22 Thomas Newman, Jr $2,444
21 Richard Bunting $2,444
20 Ramon Rivera $2,444
19 Terry Grimes $2,444

Event 9: Good Problem To Have

Event 9: $260 + $40 Ladies NL

Okay, so you're playing in a poker tournament and hear your name announced.
You have a half-hour to claim your slots drawing prize of $2500.

Which means you have to exit the tournament in the Event Center and go into Borgata Casino to track down your winnings.

Big Winner Alison Boris

This just happened to Alison Boris who was happy she won but not so happy about leaving the Ladies tournament and her 14,000 chips. "Can't they just deliver it to me" cried Alison.

After losing and partying last night Alison said, "Good, I'm not gonna go home depressed now."

The other ladies were encouraging her to go and collect her prize which Alison did.

This of course prompted me to announce: "Now you can steal her blinds." They looked at me like I was a creep and a thief.

The thought honestly never crossed their minds - women are so nice.

Level 10 600 / 1200 with 200 antes.

Down to 5 tables.

Event 8: Deep Stack Siesta

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

Deepstackers are on a fifteen minute break.

Some notably large stacks include:

Louis Dirirolamo with 100,000

Anna Dikker (Marlboro, NY) 70,000

Dominic Telymonde (Atlantic City, NJ) 108,000

When asked how Dominic obtained his stack he told me, "Just running good".

Payman Azizoghli (Freehold, NJ) 100,000

When we return Level 9: 500 / 1000

Event 8: Royal Orbit

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Louis Dirirolamo (Howell, NJ) is sitting on 100,000 at table 24 after the best orbit anyone could ask for.

Within five hands Louis had QQ, then KK, then, AA.

The story here: each hand held up and he got paid off.

Dirirolamo's stack is healthy and probably among the leaders.

Event 8: Rowe Update

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Nicole Rowe

Nicole Rowe is part of the Borgata family ever since her 2nd place finish in the 2009 Borgata Poker Open Ladies Event. It was a memorable story that picked up national attention, not only because of how she lost, but that she was preparing to undergo a double mastectomy.

You can read the full coverage here, and we're glad to report that Rowe is now a cancer survivor and glad to be back at Borgata. "I love it here," says Rowe, who's playing in the Deep Stack, skipping today's Ladies Event in the process.

Rowe had a rough go at the table when she lost half her stack with pocket queens and then busted when her A♣ J♠ missed every draw on a flop of K♣ Q♣ 9♣ to be knocked out by AK.

"That's part of poker," she says, "There are more important things in life."

Rowe is cancer free, has check-ups every three months and feels good, especially when she's at Borgata.

Event 8: Kiletto's Killer Call

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

Lily Kiletto (Kew Gardens, NY)

Lily Kiletto makes a killer call sending one of the boys to the rail.

Holding J-8 diamonds in the small blind on a board of 3-Q-Q-8-4, Lily adds to her growing stack.
Lily has fun joking with the guys at the table.
Like a beautiful siren swimming in the Atlantic, Lily will lull you in with her smile, then take all your chips.
So watch out for Kiletto when she starts to betto!

Level 8: 400 / 800 with 75 blinds.

Event 6: Not So Good

$1,000 + $90 NL

Jenny Before the Slide

Jenny So (Galloway, NJ) began the day 2nd in chips (293k) and took her stack to 460k, but has since hit a rough patch.

After losing 100k to double-up Michael DeMartino, she doubles up Ted Karidis (Norwalk, CT) who jams 150k with A 3. So debates before making the call and is ahead with pocket 8s, but loses the hand when an ace hits the board.

Karidis doubles to more than 300k, while the two hits drops So to 150k.

Event 9: Another River

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Another monster river in the ladies tournament.

Kim Edmonds (Toms River, NJ) had her Opponent covered when she called her all-in on the turn.

At the time she didn't know she was drawing to a one-outter.

The board was A-9-8-10, Kim tabled 9-10 and her Opponent felt good with the J-Q straight.

Then BAM, Kim hit her man (I mean woman) as the case 9 fell at the right time.

With that 36,000 she's now up to 50,000.

"I didn't put you on that" said Kim who admitted she got lucky and is playing for her daughter Ashley who wasn't able to join her today.

Event 6: Epic Comeback

$1,000 + $90 NL

Michael Moving to the Top

Michael DeMartino (Laurence Harbor, NJ) started the day not knowing if he'd even cash, now he's one of the chip leaders.

DeMartino returned as the shortest stack (26k) and needed a river suck out on the bubble to stay alive when his A2 suited hit a spade on the river vs AQ.

After making the money, DeMartino hangs around until he gets a big double-up through Jennifer So (Galloway, NJ). DeMartino hits an ace on the flop holding AK vs 99, doubling his stack to 200k.

DeMartino was moved to balance tables and is now one of the bigger stacks with 450k.

Event 8: Cheese-Heads-Up

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

Brian Noble Rooting Hard

Brian Noble from central Jersey was playing poker at a charity event in Atlanta last week when his Green Bay Packers won and advanced. It's tough for him to play well and watch football at the same time. Although last week was easier since the game was always in hand.

Today appears more nerve wracking.

"My Father was a Packers fan so I was raised as a Packers fan."

Brian admitted he will feel more comfortable at the poker table as the Packers 14-0 point lead increases. If they start to tank, I hope Noble's average stack doesn't tank as well.

Event 9: McLaughlin's Last Laugh

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Definitely some fun and excitement over with the ladies.

How about this hand?

Nancy McLaughlin (Broomhall, PA) is holding A♠ 9 and sees a flop of A♣ K A

Her Opponent hits a flush on the 3 turn and pushes the all-in action tabling J 7.

McLaughlin called, drawing to a four-outter, and thought she was a gonner.

Nancy, in dire need of a nine or an ace hits the miracle 9 and felts her female friend.

Nancy was so excited she couldn't wait to tell her Grandson Brandon all about it. Too late Nancy, we beat you too it.

Level 7: 300 / 600 with 75 antes.

Event 6: Slow and Steady

$1,000 + $90 NL

JY on the Rise

Cub reporter and honorary blogger Jason Young has been providing us with periodic updates since the start of the tournament. The WSOP bracelet winner is at 200k and says it's been "slow and steady" the entire way.

21 players are still in the field as Level 18 (3k/6k/500 ante) is underway.

Event 9: Fem Fetotals

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

The unofficial female field is 110 players.

Making the unofficial pay out spots to the top 18.

First place prize looks like approximately $8,000.

Event 8: Morning Joe

$400 + $50 Deep Stack NL

Joe Daddario from Ohio is steaming and isn't even playing that many hands. "The quality of play at this table is killing me" cried Daddario.

He hopes his table breaks up soon feeling there are "too many all in's here" for a Deep Stack tournament. Five in the recent couple of orbits.

Joe went deep in the BWO 1K and will be in the Championship Event next week.

Although Joe is currently frustrated he told me, "Borgata is the best place I've ever played poker at" and meant it.

Event 6: Fischer Reels'em In

$1,000 + $90 NL

Fischer Flops an Ace

Nobody has a monster stack, but Daniel Fischer is chipping up and appears to be the chip leader.

Fischer (A Q), calls the all-in bet of Russell Green (Syosset, NY) who's holding 99. An ace on the flop sends Green home in 24th place ($2,444).

Fischer is now up to 460k.

Event 8: Game On

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

The Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears game is on all four giant screens as a lot of Deep Stackers have one eye on football and one eye on poker.

I wonder if they purposely scheduled the Ladies event to coincide with a huge day of Playoff Football? Hmmmm.

Level 6: Blinds 200 / 400 with 50 antes.

Event 9: Nice Hand

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Nice Hand

Jennifer Sherwood (Newport News, VA) sporting some cool fingertip free gloves as she contemplates her cards and short stack.

I checked if I could buy into the Deep Stack but it's too late.

Event 8: Early Number

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

With unofficial DS starting field of 619 players...

63 will be in the cash with a total prize pool of $240,000.

Unofficial first place prize will be over $56,000.

Event 6: Lippy on the List

$1,000 + $90 NL

Adam "Lippy" Lippert adds to his bank account with a 31st place finish. Lippy is a Borgata regular who has career earnings of ~$780,000

31 Adam Lippert $1,956
30 Jenny Nguyen $1,956
29 Brandon Vargas $1,956
28 Luke Vrabel $1,956
27 Daniel Carpenter II $2,444
26 Shawn Yesko $2,444
25 Charles Furey $2,444

Event 8: Quick Quote From Patti

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Patti Haggerty is a face you'll recognize if you play a lot of Borgata Winter Open events.

Patti prefers playing in the DS over the Ladies tournament.

"I like playing in bigger fields" said Patti.

Must be more beneficial to her game to go up against the guys.

Event 9: Strategy

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Evelyn Mateo (Brooklyn, NY) has played her share of Borgata Poker Open events including the Borgata Poker Open Ladies/WPT event.

"It's a lot easier to fold to girls than to guys. You know when a girl has a big hand" said Evelyn.

When she's not playing poker against the boys she' beating the in handball.

Mateo told me you have to be patient to take down the Ladies event which turns into a long, long tournament.

Event 8: Cold Cash vs Super Loyalty

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Marzarella & Shurilla

NFL Championship Sunday means a lot of team jerseys are in the house, particularly the Jets and Steelers.

Unofficial poll question of the day: Guaranteed Super Bowl win vs. short stack at the final table?

The early returns:

Paul Marzarella (Union, NJ) - Super Bowl, "I've been a Jets fan for too long."

Tony Shurilla (Longswamp Twp. PA) - Short Stack, "No, wait. How about 11th place and the (Steelers) Super Bowl!"

Charlie Jones (Pittsburgh, PA) - Short Stack, "They (the players) are getting paid millions, my money comes first.

George Verdis (Whippany, NJ) - Super Bowl, "I'm 31 and have never seen them (Jets) win."

PPI Leaderboard Update

Again, Eric Siegel is busy at the tables. Here is the

PPI "Play for the Main" Leader Board update
(Main Events 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 7; Events 27-34):

PTS: PLAYER
45: JOSEPH CUTLER
45: ALBERT RICCOBONO
40: STEVEN DANNENMANN
40: RYAN ERIQUEZZO
40: LAURENCE GOLDSTEIN
35: JOSHUA BRIKIS
30: JAMES BOYLE
30: VINEET PAHUJA
25: ANTHONY CASAGRANDE
25: MICHAEL CASTALDO
25: MICHAEL DENTALE
25: MICHAEL SICA JR
20: CARLOS DELAFUENTE
20: DAVID INSELBERG
20: ADAM LIPPERT
20: JAMES SALTERS
20: JONATHAN WERZ
20: JASON YOUNG
15: GORDON ENG
15: CARL RESTIFO
10: ROSLYN QUARTO
10: CHRIS RESLOCK
10: JAMES STENELLA
10: EUGENE TODD
10: JEFFREY VANCHIRO
10: DAVID ZEITLIN
5: KELLY ARMENTROUT
5: ANTHONY CAMPAGNA
5: CARLOS COLON
5: ALEXANDER CUKAR
5: EMANUEL FAILLA
5: ADAM GERBER
5: ELIZABETH GREY-PARDO
5: ROBERT HWANG
5: CHARLES MARCHESE
5: LISA PICKELL
5: JONATHAN SORSCHER
5: KATHRYN DOUGHERTY


*Note to all PPI players - If you have participated or cashed in any events and do not see your name on the leader board, please contact Eric Siegel at eric@ppipoker.com

Event 8: Break

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Everyone is on a ten minute break.

For Craig Santoro (Annandale, NJ), the break isn't for food or to use the facilities but for a short winter's nap.

The felts were empty except for Craig who was hunched over, sleeping on his sweatshirt/pillow.
So of course I woke him up.

"The cards are so bad, I'm thinking about taking a 5 hour nap" joked Santoro whose stack hasn't moved from 31,000 for quite a while now.

Blinds are up as we begin Level 5 - 150 / 300 with 25 antes.

Event 6: Starting to Fall

$1,000 + $90 NL

After the bubble breaks, so does table 5. Play is now on 4 tables and the eliminations are
starting to pile up.

36 Michael Anderson $1,956
35 Hal Neeman $1,956
34 Benjamin Scholl $1,956
33 Jerry Atkins $1,956
32 Ariel Albilia $1,956

Event 9: Dress To Impress

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Julie Zelman (New York, NY)

Julie Zelman told me, "When I play with the men, I dress a lot sluttier...and it works".

The dressing-hot-card won't work today, but as a guy, I admit I fall for it every time.

Looks like ten tables left for the Ladies.

Level 4 with blinds 100 / 200.

Event 6: Bubble Breaks UK Hearts

$1,000 + $90 NL

Lee is Stunned by an Ace in the Window

Tony Lee is on "holiday" from the UK (Brighton) to specifically play in the Borgata Winter Poker Open, unfortunately his parting gift is a bad beat on the bubble.

"I'm very happy to lose the last 24 hours of my life to have the second best hand in poker get cracked by ace-jack," says Lee with a hint of sarcasm.

Lee pushes his last 24k all-in with KK and is called by Santo Lisanti (Glenshaw, PA) who has AJ. As the dealer spreads the flop, Lee lets out a painful "oh" as there's an ace in the window.

"I wanted a call, but what are you going to do?" he laments while heading to the rail.

The final 36 players are guaranteed a minimum of $1,956 as they play for the top prize of nearly $88,000.

Event 8: 619 DS Unofficial

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Tab announced an unofficial field of 619 Winter Poker Open deepstackers vying for some serious prize-money.

Some notables I noticed and will note now include:

Steve Dannenmann
Eric Siegel
Eric 'clown fish' Doerr
Cathy Dever
Ted Geier
Rob Nugyen
Al Riccobono
Joanne Monteavaro
Nicole Rowe
...and the original Gorilla,
Jeff's Dad - Tony Shurilla.

Moving right along on Level 4 with 100 / 200 blinds.

Event 8: Small Blind Special

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Golan Mordechai (New York, NY) just fell into a small blind special for a surprise knock-out blow.

Nothing like flopping a full-house then letting your Opponent catch up with a set of fives on the turn.

K-6 on a flop of 6-6-K, yeah that will work for Deep Stack glory.

Golan grew his stack to 43,000 after scooping the 20,000 pot.

"Didn't think I'd get paid off that much", exlcaimed Mordechai.

Event 6: One Unlucky Camper

$1,000 + $90 NL

37 players returned for Day 2, but only 36 get paid.

Ramon Rivera (295,000) returns as the chip leader while Tony Lee (32,200), Charles Furey (27,400) and Michael Demartino (26,000) are the short stacks trying to hang on.

Blinds are 2k/4k/400 ante, with the average stack of 136k.

Here's what they're playing for:

Place-Amount

1 $87,998
2 $48,888
3 $30,311
4 $24,444
5 $18,903
6 $15,970
7 $12,874
8 $9,615
9 $6,519
10-12 $4,237
13-15 $3,259
16-18 $2,770
19-27 $2,444
28-36 $1,956

Event 9: Da Bears

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Christine Mizerak (Hamilton, NJ) is grinding it out on the felt but will have one eye on the TV monitors as her Chicago Bears go for glory on the gridiron.

"My husband Peter is a big Jets fan. He wanted to watch it at home so he could focus."

Football runs in the Mizerak family as Christine's father-in-law was a force in the NFL.

I asked Christine, if only one thing could occur today - she wins Event 9 Ladies tournament or the Bears win, which would she choose? Without hesitation she said, "Da Bears".

Level 2: Blinds are 50 / 100.

Event 8: Quads Quandary

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

During the break, right before the start of DS Level #3, got a couple quad reports coming in.

1) Mike Defrancesco strikes again. For those following my every word, I posted his quad-fortune in Event 4. This time a limp with pocket 4-4's turned into Deep Stack gold for Defrancesco.
Mike rivered quad 4's while his opponent turned a set of tens. Early Bust Out indeed.

Christine Nelson - 4 of a Kind

2) Then on table 62, Christine Nelson (Norristown, PA) took down a monster pot that kicked-off with eight players all with huge starting hands. The soccer phenom and poker tournament director was holding 3-3 and hit a flop of 2-3-4.

Of course her hand improved to quads. Chrissy's quads quickly added 70,000 to her stack.

And got the guys at the table like Leiby Goldberger (Brooklyn, NY) chirping.

Event 9: May in January

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Meikat "May" Siu Representing the Women

Meikat "May" Siu is a Borgata regular and had to decide this morning whether to play the Deep Stack or the Ladies Event.

She chose the Ladies event stating, "Usually it's a lot of fun and I look forward to it."

Others like Diva (the only name she'd give me) agree with May that larger fields would lead to larger pay-outs which is what all the ladies would like.

Event 8: NBC 30 Rock's Kevin Brown

$400 + $50 NL Deep Stack

Dot Com Going Deep

Just spoke with Kevin Brown who stars on the NBC situation comedy, 30 Rock as the character "Dot Com". He asked me how long the blind levels were and I asked him what a TV star was doing playing in our Deep Stack tournament?

Turns out when he's in town he always stays at Borgata. "That's my place. Love the Borgata" said Kevin. Brown is in town for Marshal Arts Hall of Fame awards ceremony and figured he'd play a little poker.

I tried to keep his cover, but another player got a tell off of me and asked, "Are you famous or something?". Guess this post isn't gonna keep things concealed either.

Brown's been playing poker all his life and so we'll keep track of how he fares throughout today and hopefully tomorrow.

And to answer your question Kevin, blinds last forty minutes.

Event 9: Underway

$260 + $40 Ladies NL

Event 9, the Ladies No Limit Hold-em two-day tournament has begun in the front of the Event Center.

Day 1 will end at 2am or 18 players, whichever comes first.

Ladies start with 10,000 chips with blinds beginning at 25-50.

The ladies tournament is always one we look forward to covering and players look forward to coming down and battling in.

Good luck girls!

Event 8: Celeb Siting Rumor?

$400 + $50 NL Deep Stack

So I bump into Chris Chatman (Stone Ridge, VA) who final tabled the $350 + $50 last night and is back at it for more poker.

He wanted to thank his wife Jenn, a big Borgata Blog fan, and the kids for letting him come down and play and he tells me he recognizes a fellow deep stack player from a character on a network TV show. Thanks for the tip Chris.

I'll do the research and be back later with more...

Level 2: Blinds 50 / 100.

Event 8: Deep Stack Lady

$400 + $50 NL Deep Stack

Martha Patella (Long Island, NY) has chosen to play in the Deep Stack rather than the ladies tournament that starts at noon. Ready to battle the boys as opposed to the girls.

Her strategy is a unique one. She wants to give the older men players more to drink so they'll fall asleep faster and wants the young kids to drink doubles so they're "focus" will be off.

Get that edge Martha any way you can.

As for the upcoming Winter Poker Open Senior tournament, Martha is lobbying to play with bigger printed cards so the old folks can more easily see. Hope this font is large enough for you!

Event 8: First Is The New Second

$400 + $50 NL Deep Stack

Mike Wilson (Mannassass, VA) took deepstack second place last fall in Borgata Poker Open so he figured he come back but this time is gunning for first.

Mike just took down a pot with some meat on it so we shall see.

Event 8: Has Begun

$400 + $50 Deep Stack

Going Deep

Event 8 has the Event Center packed with patient players who all start with 25,000 chips. This is a two day tournament with Day 2 starting Monday, Jan. 24th at 12PM.

Each level lasts 40 minutes but on Day 2 levels last 50 minutes.

Blinds kick off at 25 / 50.

You got a lot of chips so don't donk em off early - no rebuys!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 23

Today in the Event Center

11A - Event 8: $400 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold'em
  • 25,000 in starting chips
  • Day 1 Levels last 40 minutes Day 2 Levels last 50 minutes
  • 2-day event (Day 2 starts at 12P)

12P - Event 9: $260 + $40 Ladies No Limit Hold'em

  • 10,000 in starting chips
  • Levels 1-10: each last 30 minutes Levels 11+: each last 40 minutes
  • 2-day event (Day 2 starts at 1P)

3P - Event 35: $150 + $30 Turbo No Limit Hold'em

  • 10,000 in starting chips
  • Levels last 15 minutes
  • 1-day event

7P - Event 36: $150 + $30 No Limit Hold'em

  • 10,000 in starting chips
  • Levels last 20 minutes
  • 1-day event

Event 6 Chip Counts

Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 6: $1000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em
January 22-23, 2011

Entries: 336
Total Buy-In: $336,000

END OF DAY 1 CHIP COUNT LEADERS
1. RAMON RIVERA (BREATWOOD, NY): 295,000
2. JENNIFER SO (GALLOWAY, NJ): 292,700
3. DANIEL FISCHER (BRIGANTINE, NJ): 240,700
4. TERRY GRIMES (NEW ROCHELLE, NY): 239,500
5. MICHAEL KRESSE (WEST ISLIP, NY): 236,600
6. JOSEPH ROSS (DUNMORE, PA): 236,300
7. MATTHEW KLECKNER (COPLAY, PA): 235,400
8. JASON YOUNG (SUFFERN, NY): 195,000
9. ADAM LIPPERT (BROOKLYN, NY): 193,700
10. LOUIS LAZZINNARO (LAKE SUCCESS, NY): 188,300
11. ARIEL ALBILIA (SYOSSET, NY): 183,400
12. BRIAN ODONOGHUE (BAYSIDE, NY): 178,000
13. RICHARD BUNTING (CHARLES CITY, VA): 177,750
14. OMORO COLVIN (NIAGRA FALLS, NY): 174,100
15. SHAWN YESKO (TOMS RIVER, NJ): 147,500
16. JEREMY BURLESON (STANLEY, NC): 145,400
17. JERRY ATKINS (NEW YORK, NY): 137,400
18. RUSSELL GREEN (SYOSSET, NY): 126,200
19. JONATHAN LESSIN (OCEANPORT, NJ): 121,100
20. THOMAS NEWMAN JR. (YORKTOWN HTS, NY): 120,600
21. WAYNE MEDINA (WESTBURY, NY): 108,500
22. MICHAEL SWEENEY (SCRANTON, PA): 104,700
23. JENNY NGUYEN (GARDEN CITY, NY): 96,500
24. THEODOROS KARIDIS (NORWALK, CT): 95,600
25. MICHAEL ANDERSON (CHESAPEAKE, VA): 94,800
26. SANTO LISANTI (GLENSHAW, PA): 90,500
27. ALEX KUCHIK (BROOKLYN, NY): 82,300
28. ANTHONY HILL (EGG HBR CITY, NJ): 78,800
29. BRANDON VARGAS (MALVERNE, NY): 67,100
30. HAL NEEMAN (CHERRY HILL, NJ): 63,300
31. BENJAMIN SCHOLL (PHILADELPHIA, PA): 59,600
32. DANIEL CARPENTER II (NEWPORT NEWS, VA): 55,900
33. NIKOLAI SEARS (DAVISBURG, MI): 47,000
34. LUKE VRABEL (W HARTFORD, CT): 45,000
35. TONY ACE LEE (BRIGHTON, ENG): 32,200
36. CHARLES FUREY (BRIDGEWATER, NJ): 27,400
37. MICHAEL DEMARTINO (LAURENCE HBR, NJ): 26,000

Event 7 Final Results

Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 7: $350 + $50 No Limit Hold'em
January 22, 2011

Entries: 338
Total Buy-In: $118,300

FINAL RESULTS
1. VINCENT BASILICATA (LITTLE NECK, NY): $30,982
2. AHMET KOSE (N BRUNSWICK, NJ): $17,212
3. CHRISTOPHER WALKER (ELKRIDGE, MD): $10,671
4. ROMEO MONTANO (EATONTOWN, NJ): $8,605
5. JEFFREY MORRIS (WOOLRICH TWP, NJ): $6,655
6. CHRISTOPHER CHATMAN (STONE RIDGE, VA): $5,622
7. RALPH VILLELA (VALLEY STREAM, NY): $4,532
8. CHRISTOPHER WEST (FLORISSANT, CO): $3,385
9. ILYA NUDELMAN (OWINGS MILLS BA, MD): $2,295
10. MICHAEL HUCKER (GUTTENBERG, NJ): $1,491
11. PAUL VOGEL (MERRICK, NY): $1,491
12. KERRY SMALL (VENTNOR CITY, NJ): $1,491
13. SIMON POTENS (NERATAL, GER): $1,148
14. LAURENCE GOLDSTEIN (MEDFORD, NY): $1,148
15. CHRIS LEON (VLY STREAM, NY): $1,148
16. CHRISTOPHER MARCONI (MASSAPEQUA PK, NY): $975
17. MICHAEL MARUCCI (ORANGE, NJ): $975
18. MICHAEL WOLL (MANAHAWKIN, NJ): $975
19. JAY SLADE (OLD BRIDGE, NJ): $861
20. IVONNE HERNANDEZ (HOLBROOK, NY): $861
21. MOHAMMAD REANGBER (ANNANDALE, VA): $861
22. EDWIN LAU (PHILADELPHIA, PA): $861
23. STEVEN KIM (JERSEY CITY, NJ): $861
24. OLIVER EHLERS (NORDHORN, GER): $861
25. WILLIAM DEFEO (EMMAUS, PA): $861
26. RAFAL PASCIAK (MONSEY, NY): $861
27. GIANNI ARCURI (STATEN ISLAND, NY): $861
28. KENNETH CEDEL (STATEN ISLAND, NY): $689
29. JOHN BAE (EDGEWATER, MD): $689
30. FRANCIS ANDERSON (POUGHKEEPSIE, NY): $689
31. DENNIS MATARANGAS (ROSLYN HTS, NY): $689
32. JEREMY STEIN (WASHINGTON, DC): $689
33. NICHOLAS COOK (WOODBURY, NJ): $689
34. DARYL BOATWRIGHT (SICKLERVILLE, NJ): $689
35. STEVEN MONDADORI (RUTHERFORD, NJ): $689
36. TROY PARKINS (STERLING, VA): $689

Event 5 Final Results

Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 5: $400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B
January 21-22, 2011

Entries: 160
Total Buy-In: $64,000

FINAL RESULTS
1. TIMOTHY DALESSANDRO (WEST CHESTER, PA): $18,624
2. BRENT KELLER (HORSHAM, PA): $10,243
3. LEONARDO PALERMO (ORTLEY BEACH, NJ): $5,898
4. STEVE SCHLESINGER (LAUREL HALLOW, NY): $4,966
5. PETER CHUNG (NEW YORK, NY): $3,725
6. EUNICE CHANG (NEW YORK, NY): $3,104
7. BARRY LEVY (BROOKLYN, NY): $2,483
8. JOHN HUNTER (BRONX, NY): $1,863
9. NICHOLAS GOEDERT (SILVER SPRING, MD): $1,397
10. GARY FRIEDMAN (BEACHWOOD, OH): $1,242
11. JOHN DIDIO (VENTOR, NJ): $1,242
12. ALFRED ANNUNZIATA (BAYONNE, NJ): $1,242
13. JOHN ANTHONY CERNUTO (LAS VEGAS, NV): $1,086
14. MICHAEL PADULA (TOTOWA, NJ): $1,086
15. COLIN MANEVAL (NEWTON, MA): $1,086
16. RICHARD PILCHMAN (BRICK, NJ): $931
17. MICHAEL GARAVUSO (GLENDALE, NY): $931
18. ILYA DYMENT (BROOKLYN, NY): $931

Event 4 Final Results

Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 4: $500 + $60 No Limit Hold'em
January 21-22, 2011

Entries: 343
Total Buy-In: $171,500

FINAL RESULTS
1. DEAN SCHULTZ (STOW, OH): $44,915
2. JOHN MEINWIESER (BASKING RIDGE, NJ): $24,952
3. MICHAEL GREEN (LORIS, SC): $15,471
4. HECTOR JIMENEZ (PASSAIC, NJ): $12,476
5. RICHARD RICE (HAYMARKET, VA): $9,648
6. KAM CHIN (BROOKLYN, NY): $8,151
7. THOMAS MCGARRY (HAZLET, NJ): $6,571
8. PAUL LAM (REGO PARK, NY): $4,907
9. CHARLES GEIER (SUNNYSIDE, NY): $3,327
10. JONATHAN MAKAROWITZ (EAST WINDSOR, NJ): $2,163
11. JEFFREY PAPOLA (NEW YORK, NY): $2,163
12. JOE WAGNER (ZEBULON, NC): $2,163
13. THOMAS SCHAFER (CALIFON, NJ): $1,664
14. KEVIN CARROLL (BENSALEM, PA): $1,664
15. RYAN BLANK (OWINGS MILLS, MD): $1,664
16. NATHAN ROSS (WAYNE, PA): $1,414
17. JOSEPH OPIE (FAIR HAVEN, NJ): $1,414
18. AARON AXEL (NEW YORK, NY): $1,414
19. ALBERT RICCOBONO (OSSINING, NY): $1,248
20. EDWARD JORDAN (BELLE MEAD, NJ): $1,248
21. JOANNE MONTEAVARO (BRONX, NY): $1,248
22. GEOFFREY CREAGH (PHILADELPHIA, PA): $1,248
23. ADINA WINSTON (NEW YORK, NY): $1,248
24. JOHN ALFERA (ARNOLD, PA): $1,248
25. TOMASZ GLINIECKI (JACKSON, NJ): $1,248
26. ADAM LIPPERT (BROOKLYN, NY): $1,248
27. ARKADI KILMAN (MOSCOW, RUS): $1,248
28. CHARLES COATES (RALEIGH, NC): $998
29. DEAN TRAN (NEW ALBANY, OH): $998
30. JUSTIN DALEY (ALIQUIPPA, PA): $998
31. KEITH CROWDER (ELKINS PARK, PA): $998
32. RYAN ERIQUEZZO (DANBURY, CT): $998
33. JAVIER FERNANDEZ (NEW YORK, NY): $998
34. THOMAS RENAULT (ARLINGTON, MA): $998
35. ALAN DWORETSKY (WOODMERE, NY): $998
36. JOSEPH BAJEK (YARDVILLE, NJ): $998

Event 7 Recap

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

The $350 + $50 No Limit Hold'em (1 re-entry) event was supposed to be a one day event.  As it turned out, it took 20 hours over two calendar days for the event to play out.

There were 338 entries, generating total buy-ins of $118,300.  The final 36 players each got a piece of the pie, with the eventual winner taking home $30,982.  That honor went to Vincent Basilicata of Queens, NY.

Runner-up was Ahmet Kose of North Brunswick, NJ.  He collected $17,212 for this accomplishment.

Ivonne Hernandez was the only woman who cashed in this event.  She finished in 20th place, good for $861.

Event 7: Champion - Vincent Basilicata

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry        

A few hands later, it was all over.  Ahmet Kose shoved holding T9 off and ran smack into the pocket Kings of 'Young Vince' Basilicata.  Ahmet got no help from the board and it was, finally, OVER!

Vincent Basilicata finished in first place, earning $30,982.

 Vincent Basilicata

Ahmet Kose had to settle for second place and $17,212.

 Ahmet Kose

Event 7: 3rd Place - Chris Walker

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

Play resumed with blinds of 20k/40k with 4k antes.

They continued to move blinds and antes around the table for a while, then Vincent Basilicata (sb) and Chris Walker (bb) got into another confrontation. 

 Chris Walker

Vincent opened for 100k pre-flop and Chris called.  The flop was Q 6 2.  Vincent bet and Chris called.  Turn was a Jack and both checked.  River was a 4 and they got all the chips in the middle.  Chris held 64 for two pair, but Vincent had pocket Queens for the flopped set.

Chris Walker finished in 3rd place, taking home $10,671.

Event 7: Chip Counts

Believe it or not, another level has concluded.  As the players take a break, here's an update on their stacks:

Vincent Basilicata - 1.79 million
Chris Walker - 985k
Ahmet Kose - 653k

Event 7: Walker Doubles

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry        

Vincent Basilicata had Chris Walker on the ropes -- all-in pre-flop, Vincent was ahead with pocket 8s.  Chris held KJ.  The board came K T 6 T 9 and Chris doubled up with Kings-up.  He's back over 800k.

Three-handed play continues...

Event 7: Basilicata Bluffs

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

On a flop of 5 5 3 with two diamonds, Ahmet Kose (sb) bet 250k.  Vincent Basilicata (bb) moved all-in.  Ahmet tanked for a couple of minutes, then folded (later saying he folded Jacks).  Vincent showed Q4 of hearts (Queen-high!)

Event 7: Kose Doubles Again

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

In a battle of the blinds, Chris Walker (sb) and Ahmet Kose (bb) joust to the river where the board read K 9 8 6 T.  Ahmet shoved and Chris called.  Ahmet showed K8 for two pair.  Chris mucked his hand.  Ahmet doubled up to ~735k, moving up to second in chips.  Chris was left with ~630k.

Event 7: Kose Doubles

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

This time it was Ahmet Kose who got all-in against Vincent Basilicata.  Ahmet was trailing with A6 to Vincent's AQ, but he caught lucky when the board came 7 6 6 2 2.  Ahmet doubled up to almost 600k.

The hit to Vincent's stack was not at all noticeable.

Event 7: 4th Place - Romie Montano

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry        

Play resumed after the break with blinds of 12k/24k with 3k antes.

Chris Walker got all-in holding KQ offsuit and Romie Montano looked him up with A7 of clubs.  The flop was a mixed bag:  K 8 2 with two clubs.  Chris took the lead with top pair, but Romie picked up a flush draw.  The turn was an offsuit 7, which gave Romie more outs.  The river was not one of them, however.  It was an offsuit 8 and Chris doubled up to over 1 million.  Romie was left short.

 Romie Montano

He got his chips in good with pocket Queens.  Vincent Basilica made the call with AT offsuit.  Romie couldn't catch a break, however, as the board came T T 9 2 K and Vincent took the pot with trip Tens.

Romie Montano finished in 3rd, taking home $8,605.  The amazing thing is that Romie was the short stack on the money bubble and on the verge of busting out in 37th place, but managed to come back and hold on all the way to 4th place.

Event 7: Chip Counts

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

Another couple of levels have burned off the clock and the final four are enjoying ten minutes away from the table.  Here are their chip counts:

Vincent Basilicata - 1.8 million
Romie Montano - 795k
Chris Walker - 465k
Ahmet Kose - 365k

Event 7: 5th Place - Jeff Morris

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

 Jeff Morris

After action folded to Ahmet Kose in the small blind, he announced he was all in.  Jeff Morris had the big blind and was covered.  He seemed frustrated, then threw his hands up and said "call".  Ahmet held T7 off.  Jeff had K4 off and was actually ahead, but the board came T T 8 9 2 and Ahmet took the pot with trip Tens.

Jeff Morris took 5th place and $6,655.

Event 7: Big Stack Gets Bigger

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

Blinds have increased to 10k/20k with 3k antes.

Vincent Basilicata raised to 42k, then Chris Walker 3-bet another 100k on top.  Vincent made the call.  Both players checked down the 9-high board.  Chris showed AK and Vincent took the pot with pocket 8s.  His massive stack continues to grow.

Event 7: Clash of the Titans

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

The two big stacks got involved in a hand and on the turn, Vincent Basilicata (bb) checked, Jeff Morris (button) bet 200k, and Vincent announced he was all in. 

The board read T 5 2 3 with two hearts.  After some time in the tank, Jeff let it go.

With that pot, Vincent chipped up to over 1.7 million.  Jeff was left with ~400k.

Event 7: Chip Counts

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry      

Play resumed after the break with blinds of 8k/16k and 1k antes.

Here are the chip counts as of the break:

Vincent Basilicata - 1.119 million
Jeff Morris - 1.063 million
Romie Montano - 495k
Chris Walker - 375k
Ahmet Kose - 373k

Event 7: 6th Place - Chris Chatman

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry      

After a bit of quiet time and pushing blinds and antes around the table, Chris Chatman (sb) got tangled up in a hand with Vincent Basilicata.  On the flop of 9 7 6, Chris was all-in.  After a little time in the tank, Vincent made the call, tabling pocket Queens.

 Chris Chatman

Chris had 83 suited and had flopped an open-ended draw.  The last two were blanks, however, and Vincent took the pot.

Chris Chatman finished in 6th place, earning $5,622.

Another level done and the final four are taking ten.

Event 7: 7th Place - Ralph Villela

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry      

 Ralph Villela

Jeff Morris decided to sit one out and let someone else do the heavy lifting.  Chris Walker did the job of busting Ralph Villela in 7th place.  Ralph and his reflective safety jacket earned $4,532 and a good night's sleep.

Event 7: 8th Place - Christopher West

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry      

Christopher West

 Christopher West got his last chips in with A9, but was up against the big stack of Jeff Morris, who had Big Slick.  The board changed nothing and it was goodnight for Christopher in 8th place.  He earned $3,385 for his work today.

Event 7: 10th - Hucker; 9th - Nudelman

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

Just a few hands after forming the final table, there was a three way all-in between Michael Hucker, who was the short-stack, holding AJ; Ilya Nudelman, who was second in chips and held A9; and big stack Jeff Morris, who held pocket 8s. 

 Michael Hucker and Ilya Nudelman

Michael was all-in pre-flop.  The other two got their chips in on the flop of A 9 8.  Everyone got a peice of that, but Jeff's flopped set was boss.  The last two were 5 7 and changed nothing.  Jeff got the double knock-out.

Since Michael started the hand with fewer chips, he gets the 10th place finish ($1,491).  Ilya finished in 9th place, earning $2,295.

Event 7: Final Table Lineup

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry       

After Jeff Morris' AT drew out on his opponent's pocket Queens, they were down to ten players, who drew seats and moved to a single table.  Here's the lineup:

Seat - Player - Hometown
1 - Ahmet Kose - N Brunswick, NJ
2 - Chris Chatman - Stone Ridge, VA
3 - Jeff Morris - Pedricktown NJ
4 - Christopher West - Florissant, CO
5 - Romie Montano - Eatontown, NJ
6 - Vincent Basilicata - Queens, NY
7 - Ilya Nudelman - Owings Mill, MD
8 - Chris Walker - Elkridge, MD
9 - Ralph Villela - Valley Stream, NY
10 - Michael Hucker - Guttenberg, NJ

Event 7: Chip Leaders

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry      

The final fourteen players are taking a break at the end of another level and will get back to business shortly.

The top four in chips are:
Vincent Basilicata - 515k
Jeff Morris - 492k
Chris Chatman - 390
Chris Walker - 330k.

The average stack is over 241k.

Event 6 Recap

$1,000 + $90 NL       

336 players entered the $1,000 + $90 No Limit Hold'em event, generating total buy-ins of $336,000.  The final 36 players will get a share of the prize pool with the eventual winner taking home $87,998.

Fifteen hours after they began, there were still 37 players remaining when they called it a night.  This means day two, which begins at 1pm Sunday, will commence with hand-for-hand play until one player busts on the money bubble.

The chip leader at the end of day one is Ramon Rivera, (Breatwood, NY) who finished up with 295,000 chips.  Jennifer So (Brigantine, NJ) is second in chips with 292,700.  Jennifer is one of only two ladies remaining in this event.

WSOP bracelet holder Jason Young ended the day with 195,000, well above the average of 136,000.

Mike 'Little Man' Sica, who also owns a WSOP bracelet, played this event but did not survive the day one action.

Event 6: Day One is Done

$1,000 + $90 NL      

The clock ran out and they called it a day with 37 players remaining.  Yes, that's the money bubble.  They will return at 1pm Sunday to hand-for-hand play until the money bubble bursts.

With 37 players remaining, the average stack is just over 136,000.

The top three in chips returning for day two are:
Ramon Rivera - 295,000
Jennifer So - 292,700
Daniel Fischer - 240,700

Some other chip counts for returning players, in no particular order:
Jason Young - 195,000
Jenny Nguyen - 96,500
Adam Lippert - 193,700

The full list of chip counts will be posted when available.

Event 7: 20 Players

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry     

With 20 players, the redrew seats and moved to two tables.

Play continued with blinds of 3k/6k and 500 antes.

Average stack is 169k.

Event 6: Six From the Money

$1,000 + $90 NL     

Tom Newman (Westchester, NY) was all in holding pocket Queens and racing against the AK of Charles Furey (Bridgewater, NJ).   The board ran dry and Tom doubled up.  Charles was left with less than 30k.

42 players are still in the hunt and only 36 of them will get paid.  Average stack is 120k. 

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

Event 7: Good Friends are Hard to Find

$350 + $50 NL Re-Entry     

Given the late hour, it is unusual to see many railbirds, unless they have a stake in a player.  Nevertheless, Helene Strafford (Long Island, NY) is still here supporting her friend Ivonne Hernandez.  "I played this event, but busted out earlier"  she said.

Usually the action picks up after the money bubble bursts, but the opposite seems true in this event.  There are still 26 players remaining after twelve hours of play. 

This is a one-day event, so they must play until one player has all the chips, no matter how long that takes.

Event 6: So Shines

$1,000 + $90 NL    

Kim Schinco has busted out, leaving three ladies among the men. 

 Jennifer So

The lone female on table two is Jennifer So of Brigantine, NJ.  She's a college graduate who plays mostly cash games, but today she is schooling the guys at her table.  She's amassed a stack of about 230k.

With 49 players remaining, the average is ~103k.

Event 5 Recap

$400 + $50 Omaha H/L 8B

After 2 3/4 hours of heads-up play Tim D'Alessandro takes down the Omaha H/L 8B tournament by defeating Brent Keller (Horsham, PA) to win the $18,624 first prize.

D'Alessandro began the marathon with a 1.2 million to 300k chip lead, but skill and structure allowed both players to battle with Keller flipping the tables before D'Alessandro rallied to win the final hand with 5 7 J♠ Q♠.

"This is great," says D'Alessandro, "this is the first big tournament where I was heads up and win outright, it feels good to finally take one down."

On the winning hand D'Alessandro hits a flush on the turn to end the tournament.

"Of course I'm disappointed," said Keller who cashed for $10, 243, "it's hard work."

Keller was one of several players in the 160 player field with impressive credentials. Keller has two Omaha WSOP circuit rings, while 'Miami' John Cernuto (Las Vegas, NV - 3 bracelets) and Chris Reslock (Atlantic City, NJ - 1 bracelet) were also in the field. Cernuto finished 13th ($1,086), while Reslock didn't survive past Day 1.

36 players returned for Day 2 to take their crack at the $64,000 total buy-in as 18 players cashed. The most impressive run came from Leonardo Palermo who finished third ($5,898) which, coupled with his 4th place finish in Event 1, gives him nearly $54,000 in the two events.

"Sleep can wait," said Palermo, who's played 52 hours of poker against 12 hours of sleep during the last three days. "I really wanted to win this," says the Jersey Shore restaurant owner. "But I'm not disappointed, I was blessed to make two final tables and played the best I could play."

In the end it was solid play that led to the long heads-up battle and was gratifying for D'Alessandro, who's prior best Borgata finish was second place ($28,812) in the Limit tournament during the 2006 Winter Open.