$3 Million Guaranteed WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship Day 1b | 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

01-27-2014 16:26 UTC-4

Ship It Holley Ballas

[user253757]

Level 4 : 100/200, 0 ante

Dennis Phillips Made the Right Laydown, but the Deck Waylaid Him Because Poker is Poker

John Holley's first bullet of the day just missed the target, after the circuit grinder went for a spectacular preflop bluff, only to run a weak ace into a pair of them.

We saw six players with bets of 600 in front of them, and Holley's last 14,000 pushed forward for the three-bet jam. The player to Holley's left paused for a beat before heaping a stack of baby blue T5000 chips forward for a huge four-bet.

Dennis Phillips was not pleased with this development, and he checked his cards a few times while lamenting the sudden increase in action that would prevent him from seeing the flop.

"Dang it!," he cried, joking as he folded his cards. "I wanted to play those too..."

The table quickly folded around and Holley asked if the reraiser held an ace, only to see the tabled in response. Holley could only muster the for a mistimed move, and the board ran out to end his first try here in the second starting flight.

"Queen-jack of spades..." said Phillips, using both fingers to point to the flop. "Queen-jack of spades... dang it!"

With two all-in moves made before him, Phillips wisely opted to fold the worst hand, but when the deck delivered the nut straight on the flop Phillips immediately regretted his disciplined decision.

"I'm the worst in the world," he told us with a wry grin. "I can't call there, but I could've called there too. Why not? I can play like the biggest donkey ever as good as anybody!"

Player	Chips	Progress
John Holley	Busted

Tags: Dennis Phillips John Holley

01-27-2014 16:08 UTC-4

Living Up to His Word

[user253757]

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

Ryan Eriquezzo is Brimming With Confidence at the Moment, Having Climbed to Half His Goal Midway Through the Day

Earlier in the day Ryan Eriquezzo took to Twitter to vent, after a loose opponent used the deuce-four offsuit to take a few of his chips.

Eriquezzo didn't go so far as to make a guarantee, but he confidently announced that a 100,000 chip count was his expectation for the end of today's play. Tripling (and then some) one's starting stack is always a good way to end a starting flight, so Eriquezzo wasn't out of line by any means, and he is obviously skilled enough to set a high bar for himself.

We've been wondering how Eriquezzo has been doing thus far in his effort to build a six-figure stack, so we checked his favorite outlet for on the felt updates to see how he's doing. Here's what we found out:

Ryan Eriquezzo @RyanEriquezzo

Cooler the shit out of @JeffMadsenobv a8>a6 on a86a3. 65k at 100 #skillgameJanuary 27, 2014

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Ryan Eriquezzo @RyanEriquezzo

22k cause I'm pretty much the worstJanuary 27, 2014

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Ryan Eriquezzo @RyanEriquezzo

Back to 60k now. And an image where I should prob have it from now onJanuary 27, 2014

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Apparently Eriquezzo victimized his friend and fellow pro Jeff Madsen when both players flopped two pair and filled up on the turn. That pot pushed him over 60,000, but the swings set in and he fell back to 22,000 during Level 3, only to rebound recently as Level 4 is set to begin.

Halfway home, Eriquezzo looks to be well on his way to the 100,000 mark he assured the world he would meet. It's poker though, so we won't book his seat in Day 2 just yet... even if Eriquezzo himself already has.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Eriquezzo	60,000 28,000	28,000

Tags: Jeff Madsen Ryan Eriquezzo

01-27-2014 15:51 UTC-4

Selbst M.I.A.

[user253757]

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

Vanessa Selbst Was Here on Day 1a, but She Hasn't Arrived to Day 1b of the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open WPT Main Event

Vanessa Selbst is always conspicuous in her absence from a Main Event field, and today is no different.

After firing at least one $3,500 bullet yesterday and failing to bag up a stack by the end of Day 1a, we expected to see Selbst back at it here on Day 1b to take another shot.

So far though, Selbst hasn't been seen, although a recent tweet indicates she'll be here shortly.

I'm sure the rest of the field is really happy to hear that...

Vanessa Selbst @VanessaSelbst

Anyone know when the end of late reg is today? @BorgataPokerJanuary 27, 2014

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Tags: Vanessa Selbst

01-27-2014 15:22 UTC-4

Victoria's Secret

[user253757]

Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

Victoria Larkin on Day 1b of the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship

After a player opened for 625 in late position, Victoria Larkin flatted from the cutoff, as did a third player in the small blind.

On the flop the opener slowed down with a check, and Larkin pounced on the pot by betting 1,200. Both opponents quickly mucked to Larkin's move, and she pushed closer to a 40,000 stack in the still early stages of this Borgata Winter Poker Open WPT Main Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Victoria Larkin	37,900 37,900	37,900

01-27-2014 15:05 UTC-4

Four-Figure Entry Mark Passed

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Level 3 : 75/150, 0 ante

More Than a Thousand Entries and Re-Entries Have Been Recorded to Meet the $3 Million Guaranteed Prize Pool

An announcement from the tournament staff just revealed that 590 entries and re-entries have been recorded for Day 1b, which combined with yesterday's count of 422 puts us at 1,012 for the tournament.

With a $3 million guaranteed prize pool offered by the World Poker Tour and the Borgata, meeting the 1,000-entry milestone was an important moment, as the guarantee has now officially been met. From here on out the $3,300 re-entry fees tallied up will be creating overlay, and we'll let you know what the final prize pool amounts to.

01-27-2014 14:53 UTC-4

Tough Table

mnuwwarah

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

Josh Brikis on Day 1b of the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship

We've taken note of a handful of notables gathered at Table 32. Headlining the lineup are Matt Stout ($2,256,767 in live cashes), Josh Brikis ($1,499,510), and Anthony Zinno ($1,366,820).

Those million-dollar cashers can't sleep on some other names that might not jump out at you, but will certainly provide some stiff resistance to any efforts to accumulate their chips. Natale Kuey final tabled the seniors event and booked a second-place finish here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, and he sports $173,282 in live cashes. Jason Rosenberg, who has $44,482 in live cashes, has already notched two final tables in the past couple of weeks, both in Pot-Limit Omaha events. He's showcasing his No-Limit Hold'em competence today, as he seems to have found an early groove despite his tough table draw.

This is a table we'll definitely be keeping our eyes on.

Player	Seat
Seat 3	Natale Kuey
Seat 4	Anthony Zinno
Seat 5	Matt Stout
Seat 6	Jason Rosenberg
Seat 8	Josh Brikis

Player	Chips	Progress
Jason Rosenberg	77,000
Natale Kuey	45,000 15,000	15,000
Matt Stout	35,000 5,000	5,000
Anthony Zinno	27,000 -3,000	-3,000

Josh Brikis	22,000

Tags: Anthony Zinno Josh Brikis Matt Stout Natale Kuey Jason Rosenberg

01-27-2014 14:51 UTC-4

Pay That Man His Money

[user253757]

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

Andrew Kelsall Already Made a Deep Run at the Borgata Winter Poker Open. Today He's Looking to Make Another in the WPT Main Event Championship

In the last hand before the break, we watched Andrew Kelsall get extreme value from an opponent who tried to trap him on the turn.

Here's what went down. The board read by the river and a pot containing more than 10,000 was already waiting to be claimed. Kelsall - who led the counts heading into the Day 2 of the Six-Max event earlier this week - led out with bet of 11,500 and his lone opponent went deep into the tank to figure things out.

With the rest of the table long gone and headed for the break, Kelsall calmly waited for his opponent to make a choice, and when that choice turned out to be a call he tabled for a rivered full house. The other player told Kelsall he held for Broadway by the turn, but he tried to trap and allowed Kelsall to get there.

For his part, Kelsall let us know he was ready to roll for it all on the turn, what with his two pair and four-flush hand. After getting paid off on the river, Kelsall went into the break riding a newly replenished chip stack, and after finishing in 12th place just days ago, he'll be looking to go even further here in the WPT Main Event Championship.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Kelsall	48,900 18,900	18,900

Tags: Andrew Kelsall

01-27-2014 14:23 UTC-4

Stay Golden

[user253757]

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

Theodore Goldbergh on Day 1b of the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event

When we last saw Theodore Goldbergh - or Ted as we came to know him - the Manhattan-based litigator was suffering a brutal bead to end his run the series' first event.

In hindsight, with that event being suspended the following day, and cancelled one day after that, Goldbergh's elimination proved to be a blessing in disguise. Freed from the hassle of dealing with one of the more remarkable bad beats suffered by players like Nick Guagenti and Allard Broedelet - each of whom built big stacks only to fall into limbo with the cancellation - Goldbergh is able to focus fully on taking a shot in today's WPT Main Event Championship.

We covered Goldbergh's history here at the Borgata in a recent entry to our ongoing Local Spotlight series, but after winning the first tournament held in the Borgata's poker room back in 2006, he knows his way around the felt here to be sure.

Goldbergh is currently sitting comfortably with a little more than the starting stack, and we'll let you know if he starts to make a push toward his second Day 2 appearance of the series.

Player	Chips	Progress
Theodore Goldbergh	32,400 32,400	32,400

Tags: Theodore Goldbergh

01-27-2014 14:23 UTC-4

"That's What You Get When You Call a Raise With the Eight-Nine Off"

mnuwwarah

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

Cliff Josephy dispensed words of wisdom.

Mike Murphy held on a board with a jack and two eights, and he got a shorter-stacked opponent all in with against his top full house. The player got up as soon as he saw Murphy's hand, and he didn't hit his one-outer.

"I didn't want to tell him he was drawing dead because I had an eight in my hand," Cliff "JohnnyBax" Josephy said. "That's what you get when you call a raise with the eight-nine off."

Words of wisdom from a legend of the game.

Also, here are some more stacks of late registering notables.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Murphy	40,700 40,700	40,700
Erik Cajelais	30,000 30,000	30,000

Cotton Snuffer	30,000 12,500	12,500
Zo Karim	30,000 4,800	4,800
Jon Aguiar	28,000 28,000	28,000

Tags: Cliff Josephy

01-27-2014 14:06 UTC-4

Holley Jolly

[user253757]

Level 2 : 50/100, 0 ante

John Holley Told it Like it Was... Maybe.

Longtime circuit grinder John Holley just table talked his way through a long tank by fellow Florida Gator Gary Sanders, and while he won the 9,000 already in the pot, Holley seemed to be begging for a call.

The board read by the river and Holley fired 3,500 into the middle, forcing one player to fold relatively quickly. Sanders was reluctant to surrender so easily, and he began talking his way through the decision.

"I have a king you know..." Sanders said to Holley, letting him know he had a potential calling hand. "You have a king too maybe... what's your kicker?"

Holley, for his part, did not engage in the usual poker face routine, and rather than stare straight ahead in silence he gabbed it up with the tanking Sanders.

"Might be a four," he told Sanders, insinuating he held trips. "Could be the four..."

"A flush maybe?" Sanders continued. "Hearts out there..."

"Is there are flush out there?" asked Holley, feigning ignorance while craning his neck to study the board. "Ah, there is a flush out there... huh?"

Eventually, Sanders decided to release his hand, showing the to confirm he was not wasting everybody's time.

"If I had ace-king, I call you," he told Holley, who was busy dragging the pot.

"I guess I wish you had ace-king then..." Holley replied, ending the dialogue with a subtle dig to leave Sanders wondering where he really stood all along.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Holley	38,500 8,500	8,500

Tags: John Holley