2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

As players continue to filter in, slowly filling out the tables one by one, many tables are being contested short-handed. Most tables seem to house about six runners, with some featuring three-handed battles for the currently-tiny blinds.

We witnessed the tail end of one of the first big pots of the tournament at a five-handed table in the middle of the room, when John Betancourt fired 6,300 from the button with the board reading . His opponent in the small blind called immediately, and Betancourt rolled over for two pair. His opponent mucked, and the Pittsburgh native has a leg up on the field early.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Betancourt	32,000	32,000

Tags: John Betancourt

Players continue to trickle through the doors here at the Borgata, and the tournament floor is slowly filling to capacity. Already the sights and sounds of serious poker tournament are on display, as players engage in friendly banter, not-so-friendly needling and exhaustive reviews of yesterday's bad beats.

Even at this early juncture - less than an hour after the tournament began - short stacks can be seen shoving for their tournament lives, while smiling players sit and stack the spoils of conquest.

With another major tournament series concluding yesterday, most of the game's brightest stars are en route at the moment, 40,000 feet above it all. That means today's field is largely comprised of amateurs and semi-professionals, but we expect the tournament floor to be invaded by big name pros in the days to come. Of course, PokerNews will be on hand throughout the entire Winter Poker Open series, so stay tuned to find out which stars show up to shine.

Blinds have already been raised to 50-100, as the relatively fast early structure of the tournament gets going. Levels will last just 30 minutes until Level 17, at which point they go for 40 minutes, then 50 minutes at level Level 21. Final table levels will be 60 minutes. We're scheduled to see 16 levels today, with a 60 minute dinner break.

An interesting wrinkle in the prize pool is payouts of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively for the top two stacks at the end of each of the three Day 1 heats.

We found a player being paid for a double-up by the dealer on a board of . Shaun Koester was the recipient of the chips, as he had flopped a wheel with . His opponent muttered about giving a gift as the dealer swept up his chips.

"I shoulda taken a picture of that one," he added as the cards were jumbled, erasing all evidence of the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Shaun Koester	39,500

Tags: Shaun Koester

Passing through the tournament floor during the initial stages of a large tournament like this can sometimes feel like déjà vu all over again, as players contest middling pots and the action remains inactive.

For John Fava, however, an opponent's impatience provided an early boost to his stack.

We heard a player offer a "nice job" in a resigned voice, and as he stood to depart the room it was clear his 20,000 starting stack had been claimed by another. In this case, it was Fava who did the deed, dispatching the fallen foe with on the board.

Fava's opponent held the and after finding a double gutshot straight draw on the turn, he decided to make a play at the pot with a raise to 3,100 on the turn. Unfortunately for him, Fava held trip aces with a strong kicker, and he shoved all-in to defend his holding.

When the other player called off needing to spike a deuce or a six, Fava found himself in a great spot, and a brick on the river gave him a double stack to start the day.

"I appreciate the gift sir..." Fava said in response to his opponent's lukewarm congratulation, and with that one of the bigger stacks in the room has already emerged.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Fava	43,500	43,500

Tags: John Fava

The blinds are up to 75 and 150, and the majority of the tables have gone up to nine-or-ten-handed play. The first break is approaching in fifteen minutes.