Event 19: Steven Freifeld - 8th Place

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Steven Freifeld - 8th Place - $2,584

Short stack small blind Steven Freifeld saw a flop of 10-6-4 holding top pair with 10-8.

He gets it all in only to discover his Opponent had pocket aces. "That's why they call it poker" said Freifeld who took the blow pretty well.

Event 19: Robert Rudovic - 9th Place

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Robert Rudovic - 9th Place - $1,752

Rudovic held A-10 up against A-Q.

The Queen kicker was good enough to rob Rudovic our of his tournament life.

Event 19: Laurence Wolf - 10th Place

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Laurence Wolf - 10th Place - $1,138

Early on with his tournament life at stake, Wolf got extremely lucky sucking out with A-10 vs. AK vs. AK and on another occasion with AQ vs. AK.

But this final table race from behind wasn't meant to be as A-9 fell to A-Q on a flop of A-Q-K.

"The blinds and antes were so much I had to make a move." said Wolf who won the 2007 Borgata Winter Poker Open $500 Event 13 and has three final tables this week already.

Event 19: Final Table - Names & Chip Counts

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Seat - Name - Chips

1. Steven Freifeld 104,000
2. Tom Pomponio 659,000
3. Laurence Wolf 91,000
4. Thomas Calvo 679,000
5. Joe Nichols 290,000
6. Matt Mazzeo 215,000
7. Robert Rudovic 86,000
8. Andrew Interdonato 120,000
9. Matt Damon 158,000
10. Vin Pizaro 500,000

Event 15 Recap

$2000 + $150 HEADS UP No Limit Hold'em

The last man into the tournament is the last man standing as Brandon Zaucha (Chicago, IL) wins the Heads Up title. Zaucha defeated Tim Tuveson (Philadelphia) to take the title and the $34,920 first prize.

"It feels good to finally cash in a live tournament," says the Arizona State student, who was playing at Borgata for the first time. A snow storm delayed the start of the tournament, which gave Zaucha just enough time to be the last player to register, 15 minutes before his opening match.

After blitzing through his first 6 matches, Zaucha lost to Tuveson, who was the sole survivor of the losers bracket, in an epic 4 hour match. Zaucha's only loss meant a rematch for the championship, which he quickly won.

"He was a really good player, who didn't have any weakness," said Tuveson, who earned $21,825 for second place. "His game was solid and he knew what he was doing."

Tuveson reached the championship match by exacting revenge on Lior Barlev in the losers bracket championship after Barlev defeated Tuveson in the winners bracket semifinals. Barlev finished 3rd taking home $13,095.

Two former Borgata Heads Up Champions were in the field including defending champ Jeremy McLaughlin who lost early in the tournament but battled back to barely make the money when he was eliminated by Tuveson. McLaughlin was joined by Charlie Hook (2009 Summer Open Champ) who failed to cash.

The other players who cashed included Sirous Jamshidi and McLaughlin who each earned $4,365 for finishing tied for 5th and 6th place by losing in the same round of the tournament. Marc Davis finished 4th, good for $8,730.

The field also included a pair of Borgata Main Event Champions in Dwyte Pilgrim (Sept. 2010 Poker Open Champ) and Billy O'Neil (2010 Summer Open Champ). They were joined by notables Jason Young, Josh Brikis, Matt Affleck, Bill Blanda, Will "The Thrill Failla" and Matt Glantz.

Zauch went 7-1 in the tournament, while Tuveson finished 7-2.

Event 15: Champion - Brandon Zaucha

$2000 +$150 Heads Up Double Elimination NL

Brandon Zaucha (Chicago, IL)
$34,920

Brandon Zaucha bounced back from his only loss of the tournament to defeat Tim Tuveson to win the Heads Up title. Zaucha was literally the last person to register for the field as he signed up just 15 minutes before Thursday's first round began.

Zaucha had weather related travel problems from Illinois and was running so late his bags are still at the airport.

"It feels good to finally cash in a live tournament," says the poker playing student who's finishing his Arizona State Liberal Arts degree on-line. "We played the same," Zaucha says about Tuveson. "Controlled agression, we both played pretty well."

Zaucha ends the tournament with a 7-1 record.

Event 15: 2nd Place - Tim Tuveson

$2000 +$150 Heads Up Double Elimination NL

Tim Tuveson (Philadelphia, PA)
$21,825

Tim Tuveson rallied from the loser's bracket to defeat Brandon Zaucha, but in the end he came up short in the "rematch." He's a University of Pennsylvania student who's closing in on a degree in Criminology.

Tuveson has spent a lot of time playing heads up on-line and thinks the Borgata Winter Poker Open double elimination format is fantastic and so was his opponent.

"He was a really good player, who didn't have any weakness. His game was solid and he knew what he was doing. Tuveson says it's "to be determined" if he'll pursue poker professionally.

Tuveson ends the tournament with a 7-2 record.

Event 18: Chip Count Leaders - End Of Day

$1850 + $150 No Limit Hold'em

Jake Schindler - Chip Leader - 328,000

1. Jake Schindler 328,000
2. Steven Barshak 218,000
3. Aaron Steury 190,000
4. Donald boivin 184,900
5. Michel bittan 170,800
6. Josh Hillock 164,700
7. Richard Kirsch 152,000

Jake Schindler is the big chip leader with 328,000. Jake is not over-confident with his lead but shared a couple insights as to how he amassed so many chips.

He spent the first few levels studying the table then in the mid levels switched gears and trusted his reads. One key hand paid huge dividends, 1) in chips and 2) in establishing a crazy table image to be feared.

Opponent kept coming after Schindler's big blind so he defended with J-9 off. After missing the K-8-3 flop his Opponent bet 10,000. Jake noticed the vein in his Opponent's neck pulsating so he re-popped it to 21,500. Opponent folded and Schindler tabled the slop. "After that no one played back at me" said Jake.

In the last hour of play, Jake used his big stack to push others around and accumulate even more chips. He's currently more than 100,000 chips over second in chips with 218,000 - Steven Barshak.

Approximately 50 players will return tomorrow at 1Pm to continue Event 18 down to a Champion who will pocket $113,556.

Event 19: Curtis' Fun Ride Over

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Curtis Tatum is out in 18th place for $745.

"I played good and am happy" said Curtis.

A-Q of spades was the hand that weakened Tatum's stack, then he put the rest of his chips in the middle with Q-10 up against K-J.

Curtis didn't connect on the board and was knocked out.

Tatum told me he felt worn out after such a long day of grinding poker.

Event 15: Marathon Men - Rematch Set

$2000 +$150 Heads Up Double Elimination NL

Tim Tuveson finally puts away Brandon Zaucha in the Championship Bracket and now both players have one loss. The two will rematch for the title after a grueling 4 hour match.

Tuveson holds A♠ J♣ against Zaucha's A♦ 4♦. The board holds for Tuveson who gets the last of Zaucha's 12k while blinds are 500/1000.

Event 19: Thomas Calvo Salivating

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Thomas Calvo - 440,000

Talk about a run. How about three, count em, three key double-ups. Thomas Calvo (Staten Island, NY) was down to 80,000 then he struck gold thrice.

First he scores a full-house against two pair.
Then he has the higher end of a straight against Opponent's lower end.
Then he wakes up to three sevens.

Calvo takes care of his kids, ages 5 and 2, when he's not on the felt.

Event 15: Sick Call

$2000 +$150 Heads Up Double Elimination NL

Brandon Zaucha (6-0) vs Tim Tuveson (6-1)

Blinds 400/800

Zaucha (27k)
Tuveson (23k)

Board: 5♣ 10♠ K♠ 6♦ 2♣

Zaucha bets 5k into a 7k pot on the river.
Tuveson tanks and eventually makes the call

Zaucha: Q♠ J♦ (queen high)
Tuveson 5d♦ 7 (pair of 5s)

Tuveson wins the pot and regains the chip lead 31k to 19k.

********* Post Match Quotes **********

Tuveson: "Either he has a king or missed a lot of draws. It was a tough decision, but once I thought it through I felt I was good. Even if I'm wrong I still would have had enough chips to keep playing.

Zaucha: "It was a good call. I didn't feel it affected my momentum, but chip wise it was a big hand."

Event 18: 50 Players

$1850 + $150 No Limit Hold'em

Down to 6 tables.

Bagging and tagging chips at 2am.

Average chip stack is 90,400.

Not sure if we'll make the bubble or first payout tonight.

19th place - 27th place pays $3,650.

Currently at 50 players.

Event 19: Two Tables

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Down to two tables of ten.

Woops already lost one player who slo-played Aces and got caught by a donk hand.

Blinds are 4000 / 8000 with 500 antes.

We are finishing this baby tonight and the blog will be here to the end.

Giddy Up!

Event 18: Tuveson Off the Ropes

$1850 + $150 No Limit Hold'em


Brandon Zaucha (6-0) vs Tim Tuveson (6-1)

Blinds 400/800

All-in preflop

Zaucha (36k) K♠ K♥
Tuveson (14k) Ac 4♥

Flop: 3♠ 6♣ 5♣ (Zaucha leads with pair of kings/Tuveson gut shot straight draw)
Turn: 2♠ (Tuveson, Zaucha is dead to a chop and needs a 4 for a straight on board)
River: J♥

Tuveson wins the hand and has a slim chip lead 26k to 24k.

Event 19: Bold Prediction

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Amir Genzel - "I'm gonna win it!"

Amir Genzel has 90,000 in chips and is confident the tournament trophy will be his.

Blinds 3000 / 6000 with 500 antes.

Event 15: Big Hand

$2000 +$150 Heads Up Double Elimination NL

Brandon Zaucha (6-0) vs Tim Tuveson (6-1)

Blinds: 400/800 (2nd hand of the level)

All-in preflop

Zaucha (20k) K♣ Q♠
Tuveson (30k) A♥ 10♣

Zaucha flops an ace to secure the hand and double up to take the chip lead 40k to 10k

Event 19: Three Tables - 25 Players

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Down to three tables.

Looks like Matt "Muffins" Mazzeo is going deep again.

He just knocked out player #26.

"I had A-K, he had 8-8. Flop was A-J-2 and that's all she wrote" succinctly said Mazzeo.

Matt is stacking 130,000 but admits he still has a way to go.

Event 18: Last Women Standing - Tara Forte

$1850 + $150 No Limit Hold'em

Tara Forte - Event 18's Last Woman Standing

Tara currently has 110,000 chips and is looking to make some moves.



Tara's nine year old son Justin made her this bracelet which to Tara is better and way more special than any WSOP bracelet could ever be.

Event 19: Last Women Standing - Vicki Renfrow

$300 + $50 No Limit Hold'em

Vicki Renfrow is Event 19's Last Women Standing.

She's played fairly solid and is having fun.

"I did bust pocket Queens twice...once with AA and once with K-10", said Vicki.

She was short stack and tired of folding so shipped it in with K-10 and spiked a King on the river.

"He was a nice guy, but thank-you" joked Renfrow.