Taking a Tour of the Room
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Here are a few images to show you what players are experiencing here on Day 1A of Event 8.
2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 8: $250,000 Guarantee Deeper Stack NLHE Re-Entry
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Buy-in
$350
Entries
1,392
Level
39
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
100,000
Level: 9
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 75
Stacking
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
We noticed a pretty large stack among the masses, and after a bit of investigation it turned out the owner was Michael Zemlyansky, a New Yorker with more than $100,000 in live earnings to his credit.
Before we could stick around to catch Zemlyansky in a hand, however, we heard the usual commotion associated with an interesting hand happening behind us. Sure enough, a doozy of a deal was going down.
Dinesh Ramnauth found himself in a huge hand holding the 
on a 
board. When his opponent rolled over the 
, Ramnauth discovered he held six more outs than he likely anticipated having, as jacks and eights would also put him on top in addition to diamonds.
Turn: 
River: 
Although Ramnauth had missed the draw he went with, the river brought an eight on board, pairing Ramnauth and sending his opponent to the rail wondering why he ever played deuce-seven in the first place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
155,000
155,000
|
155,000 |
|
|
140,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
Tournament Director Q&A
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
We sat down for a few short questions with Tab Duchateau, who is the tournament director for the Borgata Winter Poker Open.
On his role and how the series has evolved:
"I've had the pleasure of running this tournament for the past 10 years. It has been really great to watch the series evolve and grow as Borgata Poker has grown. Now we have introduced the online qualifiers and we're qualifying people every day downstairs."
On adjusting to larger fields:
"Last year we had two starting days (Day 1A and Day 1B). This year, to better accommodate the large turnout we added a third entry day (Day 1C). We didn't have any issues. Our staff has done an excellent job of ensuring that everyone who wanted to play was able to and we are confident that everyone who wants to play tomorrow will have that opportunity."
On what brings players to Borgata:
"The Event Center is a great place to play. The players know there are going to be big fields with immense value in these fields. The structure coupled with all of the great non-gaming amenities (hotel, nightlife, dining, spa, etc) create the perfect poker experience."
What's Happening?
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Event 8 at the Borgata Winter Poker Open provides players with a chance to turn $400 into a possible six-figure score.
Today marks Day 1A of the event, and tomorrow will feature two more starting flights (Day 1B and Day 1C).
The survivors from the three flights will reconvene on Tuesday at noon local time to play down to a winner.
Erik Cajelais Spotted in the Field
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
There aren't many poker players on the planet with nearly $3 million in live tournament earnings to their credit, so when Erik Cajelais decides to play a tournament, we take notice.
Cajelais is here today for this $250,000 Guaranteed event, and needing to win $108,000 or so to cross the coveted $3 million dollar mark, a win here in this event could put him over the top.
Level: 8
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 75
Level: 7
Blinds: 250/500
Ante: 50
So Many Cards, So Little Time
We apologize for the lack of updates from Event 8 lately, but with Chris Tryba trying to take down the title in Event 6 ($500 H.O.R.S.E.), we've been focused intently on the going ons there.
April Fool's Comes Early
After the unfortunate incident involving suspected counterfeit chips which derailed Event 1 of the Borgata Winter Poker Open, it's only understandable that tournament officials would remain vigilant to prevent such scandals from ever occurring again.
Nonetheless, seeing play halted at a tournament table, and each player's stack being examined for forgeries or fugazis, is a bit unsettling.
After what must have been a hoax phone call just moments ago, the tournament staff was forced to sift through each stack on Table 1, examining the chips for signs of fakery. The delay was only momentary, and of course no malfeasance was detected, but with the entire poker world on high alert from here on out, incidents like this may become a necessary evil.