Two official days (featuring four starting flights) are in the books at the 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open's debut event, the $560 buy-in NLHE Reentry, $1 Million Guarantee. After a grueling day on the felt yesterday only 18 players remain in contention for the title - and the $209,547 first prize payout. Leading the way is Philip Neiman, who accumulated 6.815 million chips by the time stacks were bagged up, but he will have a pair of close competitors in Adam Pace (6.385 million), and John Yanni (6.1 million).
Neiman came out on the right end of a huge, 5 million chip coin flip against Zbigniew Fido during the latter stages of play last night, and won another race on the final hand of the evening, eliminating Hieu Tran. A Flushing, New York native, Neiman can more than double his career live tournament earnings if he remains in pole position and wins the event.
Two women, Stephanie Hubbard and Kim Noun are among the final 18 players, as is Kenny Nguyen. Nguyen is very familiar with deep runs at Borgata – he finished sixth in the 2009 WPT Borgata Poker Open for $156212, and third in the 2013 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship for $108,682.
Play will resume on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST in the Signature Room, and conclude with a champion. Be sure to stay tuned for all of the live updates straight from the tournament floor.
On the first hand of the day, Tim Kelliher moved all in for 720,000 in the cutoff. Adam Foster re-shoved for just over a million on his direct left, and the rest of the players folded.
Kelliher:
Foster:
Foster remained ahead after the flop (), and the turn (), but the spiked on the felt to give Kelliher a winning pair of queens.
Kelliher doubled to 1.8 million chips, while Foster was left with just 300,000.
He was all in a few hands later with against Philip Neiman's . The board came , giving Neiman Broadway, and Foster was eliminated.
Sergei Rylkov was riding a short stack to begin the day, and soon enough he made his stand with an open-shove for a little over 1 million.
The action folded around to Carlos Alvarado, and when he woke up with in the hole, his decision to over-shove was an easy one. This pressure play folded the blinds and Alvarado's cowboys held up on the board.
Rylkov received $6,262 for his deep run, while Alvarado chipped up nicely to begin the day.
Kenny Nguyen raised in early position, Kim Noun called on his left, and Yevgeni Rapoport called in the big blind. The flop fell , Rapoport checked, and Nguyen continued for 325,000. Noun moved all in for around two million, and Rapoport just cold-called.
"Wow," Nguyen sighed. "I'm the only person in this room who can make this fold."
He tanked for nearly a minute before folding face up - the table was quite shocked - but he was right; Rapoport revealed for a set of nines.
Noun was in rough shape with for just top pair, and was eliminated when the turn and river bricked off , respectively.
Phil Nieman raised in early position, Tim Kelliher moved all in for what looked like 1.56 million from the big blind, and Nieman tank-called.
Nieman:
Kelliher:
The dealer fanned , giving Kelliher trip tens, and the turn and river bricked off , respectively. He doubled to over three million chips - remember, he started the day with less than a million - while Nieman fell under five million.
Michael Rea's tournament just came to an end, and shortly after dispatching Sergei Rylkov in 17th place, it was Carlos Alvarado who did the deed.
The flop read when we caught the action, and Rea had checked to Alvarado. The tap of the table prompted a bet of 480,000 from Alvarado, and soon afterward Rea announced himself all in for his last 1,400,000. Alvarado snapped him off and tabled , and when he saw Rea's for a pair and flush draw, he asked the dealer to "keep it clean one time."
The dealer did just that, producing the on the turn and the on the river.
Rea earned $9,032 for his deep run, while Alvarado notched his second knockout of the day to build his stack over the 5 million mark.
With one of the shorter stacks entering this final day of play, British-born Marcus Cohen made his stand from the small blind, shoving all in for his last 1.35 million after Mitchell Mantin opened to 330,000 from the button.
Mantin tanked long and hard while thinking things through, asking Cohen if he wanted a call or a fold.
"I want to double up man..." said Cohen with a smile. "I'm bleeding away here otherwise."
Eventually, after mentioning that he believed Cohen to hold a pair of sevens or something similar, Mantin called the bet and revealed his . Cohen could only muster the to find himself dominated, but in a flash the flop fell to give him top two pair.
With a fist bump to celebrate, Cohen watched as the turn () and river () kept him out in front, and with that he scored the desperately needed double.
Kevin Grabel opened to 365,000 from the button, and Yevgeni Rapoport flatted out of the big blind to see flop fall .
Both players tapped the table to see the turn card come . Rapoport then led out for 225,000 and Grabel casually flicked out his calling chips.
On the river Rapoport checked to Grabel, before calling a bet of 525,000. Grabel instantly announced "ace-king" while tabling his , and the pot was shipped his way when Rapoport mucked.
Adam Pace raised to 400,000 in the cutoff seat, Kenny Nguyen moved all in for around two million from the small blind, and Pace, thinking Carlos Alvarado had already surrendered his big blind, called and revealed .
After starting the day with the shortest stack, Tim Kelliher battled back, doubling twice. Unfortunately for the Massachusetts native, he fell short of the final table.
Kelliher open-shoved for 2.24 million from early position, and Philip Neiman re-shoved in the hijack seat. All of the rest of the players folded.
"Good luck," someone told Neiman before the cards were revealed.
"He's the one that needs it," Neiman announced, tabling .
Kelliher showed for an under pair, and his odds to survive decreased when the dealer fanned . The on the turn was all she wrote for Kelliher, and the completed the board.
He's off to collect $9,032 from the cage, and the remaining 12 players are on break.
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), and the turn (
), but the 
spiked on the felt to give Kelliher a winning pair of queens.
against Philip Neiman's 
. The board came 
, giving Neiman Broadway, and Foster was eliminated.
, Rapoport checked, and Nguyen continued for 325,000. Noun moved all in for around two million, and Rapoport just cold-called.
face up - the table was quite shocked - but he was right; Rapoport revealed 
for just top pair, and was eliminated when the turn and river bricked off 
, giving Kelliher trip tens, and the turn and river bricked off 
, 
respectively. He doubled to over three million chips - remember, he started the day with less than a million - while Nieman fell under five million.
when we caught the action, and Rea had checked to Alvarado. The tap of the table prompted a bet of 480,000 from Alvarado, and soon afterward Rea announced himself all in for his last 1,400,000. Alvarado snapped him off and tabled 
on the turn and the 
on the river.
. Cohen could only muster the 
to find himself dominated, but in a flash the flop fell 
) and river (
river Rapoport checked to Grabel, before calling a bet of 525,000. Grabel instantly announced "ace-king" while tabling his 
, and the pot was shipped his way when Rapoport mucked.
. The