Jonathan Little on Day 1a of the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open WPT Main Event
We watched a player open from under the gun, raising to 450, while both Andy Hwang (hijack) and Jonathan Little (big blind) flatted to see the flop.
After the was spread, Little checked to the preflop raiser, who bet out for 900.
Hwang flatted that bet and with the action back on him, Little announced a raise to 3,200 while tossing in a single baby blue T5000 chip. The preflop raiser mucked his cards rather quickly, and after the standard thirty-second tank in a hand played between professionals, Hwang did the same.
Both Hwang and Little are still under the starting stack at the moment, but as both players are more than capable of running up a big stack in a single level, we don't expect them to stay short for very long.
Anytime we notice a pot with a few of the baby blue T5000 chips already up for grabs at this stage in the proceedings, it pays to stick around and see what happens.
In this case, a tank-fold wasn't the most exciting occasion to observe, but Micah Raskin is probably pleased with the result nonetheless.
Raskin bet 10,000 into a pot with about 18,000, with the final board reading . Vanessa Selbst quickly folded to leave Raskin fading one more fold to take the pot. His opponent tanked for a solid three minutes, but as is usually the case when they wait that long, the cards were eventually slid into the muck.
"Show the bluff..." begged another player at the table, prodding Raskin to make the rookie mistake of showing his hand. "One time!"
Raskin just smiled in response though, content to chip up while confounding his tablemates at the same time.
Greg Merson in Day 1a of the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event
Former Main Event champion Greg Merson bet 1,200 when an opponent checked to him on a board of . Merson's opponent made the call, and the river was the . After another check, Merson upped the heat considerably with 4,800. His opponent looked at him suspiciously, thought for about a minute, and tossed a light blue T5000 chip into the middle. Merson quickly rolled over for trip fours, and he's wasted no time building a sizable early stack.
Shannon Shorr fired 2,350 on the end after his opponent checked to him on a board of . Shorr's opponent check-raised to 5,200, and Shorr thought briefly before laying his hand down.
"I probably had the best hand," the player who won the pot said. He showed for quad nines. Shorr smiled and patted himself on the back.
The Tournament Has Halted as a Moving Tribute to the late Mike "Little Man" Sica is Delivered by His Friends and Fellow Players
The flops have stopped at the moment, but a few tears are falling in their place.
The tournament halted for about ten minutes, as a moment of silence was observed for Borgata regular and local legend of the East Coast poker scene Mike "Little Man" Sica. You can learn more about Sica's life and times here, but judging by the genuine emotion just displayed by typically grim poker players, the man made a powerful impact both on and off the felt.
A group of Sica's longtime opponents at the table took turns euologizing their friend and fellow grinder - who passed away November 13th, 2013 at the age of 69, succumbing from lung cancer. Allen Kessler, Mike Dentale, Anthony Zinno, Will Failla, Michael Borovetz and Lee Childs each addressed their peers in the poker world to remember their friend.
Borovetz spoke about Sica's contribution to his own poker development, mentioning how the "Little Man" provided him with backing during the infancy of a career that now includes more than $500,000 in live earnings.
Dentale fondly remembered a Sica story in true poker player fashion - recalling the details of a bad beat suffered by Sica to the tee - and his message about Sica's boundless compassion and warmth, even after losing with pocket aces, appeared to hit home for many of the younger players in the room.
Zinno became emotional when remembering his poker mentor, before offering blue memorial bracelets for any player in the room who would like to commemorate Sica's life while playing.
All in all, the scene was a touching one, showing that every poker room is more than just a group of strangers trying to take each other's stack. Here at the Borgata - and throughout Atlantic City and the East Coast - wherever Mike Sica sat down for a game of cards, he found his family waiting for him.
Tony Dunst on Day1a of the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship
On a board of , Jacob Bazeley fired out 8,500 from the small blind. Darryll Fish, who was in middle position, thought for a bit before making the call. Bazeley showed him for a set, and Fish forcefully mucked his hand.
Also, we've spotted Seth Berger and Tony Dunst in the field.
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was spread, Little checked to the preflop raiser, who bet out for 900.
board. His opponent shoved all in for about 17,000, and Hernandez called.
river preserved his win. He's definitely sitting with one of the room's top stacks.
. Vanessa Selbst quickly folded to leave Raskin fading one more fold to take the pot. His opponent tanked for a solid three minutes, but as is usually the case when they wait that long, the cards were eventually slid into the muck.
. Merson's opponent made the call, and the river was the 
. After another check, Merson upped the heat considerably with 4,800. His opponent looked at him suspiciously, thought for about a minute, and tossed a light blue T5000 chip into the middle. Merson quickly rolled over 
for trip fours, and he's wasted no time building a sizable early stack.
. Shorr's opponent check-raised to 5,200, and Shorr thought briefly before laying his hand down.
for quad nines. Shorr smiled and patted himself on the back.
, Jacob Bazeley fired out 8,500 from the small blind. Darryll Fish, who was in middle position, thought for a bit before making the call. Bazeley showed him 
