$2,200 Mystery Bounty Event ($1,000,000 in Guaranteed Bounties) | The Return - A Borgata Championship Event

01-03-2023 21:08 UTC-4

Lonis Falls to Cho

Connor Richards

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

After losing most of his stack in a flush versus top pair confrontation with Michael Haberman, Jesse Lonis open-jammed a stack of 117,000 from under the gun and Nathan Cho called on the button with a bigger stack, according to those at the table.

Jesse Lonis:
Nathan Cho:

The king-high flop gave Lonis the lead but Cho had hope with a flush draw and over card. The river indeed brought an ace to give him the best hand and Lonis was eliminated.

It wasn't all bad news for Lonis as he had a half dozen bounties in front of him, more than anyone else in the tournament, and he headed to the bounty barrel.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nathan Cho	500,000 385,500	385,500
Jesse Lonis	Busted

Tags: Jesse Lonis Michael Haberman Nathan Cho

01-03-2023 20:52 UTC-4

Haberman Flops Flush and Gets Full Value

Jeff McMillan

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

From early position, Michael Haberman bet 30,000 on a flop of and was called by Jessie Lonis in the big blind.

The turn was the . Haberman fired 100,000 and Lonis check-called again.

The river came the . Haberman moved all in for what was counted out to be 208,000. Lonis went into the tank and after over a minute, he decided to call.

Haberman revealed the for the flopped flush. Lonis had the and had to surrender a large portion of his once large stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Haberman	685,000 637,100	637,100
Jesse Lonis	90,000 -560,000	-560,000

Tags: Jessie Lonis Michael Haberman

01-03-2023 20:34 UTC-4

Himmelbrand Busts to Palma After Doubling Nguyen

Connor Richards

Level 20 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

The cutoff opened and Greg Himmelbrand three-bet on the button before Albert Nguyen four-bet jammed a stack of 355,000 from the small blind. The cutoff folded what he later said was ace-queen and Himmelbrand called with a slightly bigger stack.

Albert Nguyen:
Greg Himmelbrand:

"Not like this, Greg!" said table mate and fellow New Yorker Nick Palma before the board ran out for Nguyen to hit his ace to double.

"How many aces are in this deck?" asked Anthony Zinno. "I genuinely want to know."

Himmelbrand pushed 355,000 over to Nguyen and joked that "if it's too much, give me my change; if it's not, too bad."

The next hand, Palma opened and Himmelbrand moved all in with just two big blinds. The big blind also called. The flop landed king-high and the big blind check-called a bet from Palma. Palma sized up on the turn and the big blind folded.

Palma revealed for top pair and began screaming when Himmelbrand turned over .

"Greg, you have king-king? What the f***?" said Palma, who started filming the hand and didn't realize he was far ahead.

"You realize I have king-jack, right?" replied Himmelbrand

"Oh," Palma said before a brick on the river sent Himmelbrand packing.

Player	Chips	Progress
Albert Nguyen	800,000 800,000	800,000
Nick Palma	450,000 127,000	127,000
Greg Himmelbrand	Busted

Tags: Albert Nguyen Anthony Zinno Greg Himmelbrand Nick Palma

01-03-2023 18:46 UTC-4

Kachittavong Cracks Queens to Bust Daily on Money Bubble

Connor Richards

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

On the stone money bubble, Day 1b chip leader Soukha Kachittavong opened to 28,000 from under the gun and Zachary Daily three-bet to 58,000 in the small blind. Kachittavong called.

Daily bet 60,000 on the flop of and Kachittavong called. Daily then moved all in for around 110,000 on the turn and Kachittavong called.

Zachary Daily:
Soukha Kachittavong:

Before the cards were flipped, Daily asked his opponent if he had a six. Kachittavong said yes and asked "queens," to which Daily replied with a glum "yep."

"You still have outs," Kachittavong. "A queen could come. Do you have the queen of clubs?"

"Nope," Daily replied after checking his cards.

The then bricked off on the river and a visibly flustered Daily hit the rail as the floor announced that the remaining players had reached the money.

From the next table over, Nick Palma lamented that the money bubble had burst so quickly.

"Y'all are lucky!" Palma told his table mates. "I was about to run a clinic on y'all during that bubble!"

Player	Chips	Progress
Soukha Kachittavong	1,000,000 595,000	595,000
Zachary Daily	Busted

Tags: Soukha Kachittavong Zachary Daily

01-03-2023 17:32 UTC-4

Stout Dusts Off Dierkes

Jeff McMillan

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Otto Dierkes was spotted getting up and heading to the bounty pull station as his losing hand was discarded and his chips were headed over into the stack of Matt Stout.

Stout's winning hand of was showing on a board of as he added the boost to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Stout	235,000 75,000	75,000
Otto Dierkes	Busted

Tags: Matt Stout Otto Dierkes

01-03-2023 17:26 UTC-4

Haberman Pulls Final $100K Bounty

Connor Richards

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Michael Haberman pulled the second and final $100,000 bounty and erupted in celebration after opening the envelope.

"F*** yeah! F*** yeah!" he cheered.

"Freeroll of the week!" said a floor member.

A few big bounties still remain, including the single $250,000 bounty.

Tags: Michael Haberman

01-03-2023 16:40 UTC-4

Cicali Pulls $100K Bounty

Connor Richards

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Anthony Cicali is one of the early big winners of the day after the Borgata regular and online grinder pulled the $100,000 bounty during Level 16.

"I can't even call my girlfriend, she's in a massage appointment right now!" he laughed.

One $100,000 bounty still remains, as does the elusive $250,000 bounty.

01-03-2023 15:40 UTC-4

"Call the Press!" Lonis Scoops for Double KO

Connor Richards

Level 15 : Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante

PokerNews got to Table 7 just as a massive hand involving three players was underway. Action kicked off with Martin Mirkovic opening to 11,500 from under the gun and the next player to act calling before a middle position player three-bet jammed for around 65,000.

Action folded to Jesse Lonis in the small blind, who four-bet jammed a bigger stack. The big blind then also moved all in with around 70,000.

"Call the press!" Lonis yelled as the massive hand played out and he alerted his friend at another table who had a piece of his bounty.

"The press is here!" someone replied.

Mirkovic went deep in the tank and eventually folded, while the flat-caller also folded.

Middle Position:
Big Blind:
Jesse Lonis:

Lonis was in good shape but the big blind had two live outs and was screaming for a queen.

"Queen!" he yelled as the flop landed . "QUEEN!" he repeated before the turn. The opponent gave up asking for a queen before the bricked off on the river for Lonis to eliminate both opponents.

"Scoop!" he cheered.

After the hand, Mirkovic told the table that he folded ace-king.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jesse Lonis	400,000 196,700	196,700

Martin Mirkovic	115,000 -5,300	-5,300

Tags: Jesse Lonis Martin Mirkovic

01-03-2023 15:20 UTC-4

Conniff Above 500,000

Jeff McMillan

Level 15 : 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante

A player was all in preflop for close to 100,000. Asher Conniff and Nohad Teliani both called as big stacks.

The flop came . Conniff bet 50,000 and Teliani quickly folded. Conniff showed the which made Teliani express relief over having whiffed the flop while the all in player held the .

The turn was the to give the all in player trips but improve Conniff to a full house. The river was the and Conniff added a bounty to his haul as well as the big pot to move his stack north of 500,000 to put himself among the leaders.

Player	Chips	Progress
Asher Conniff	529,000 209,000	209,000

Nohad Teliani	378,000 -7,000	-7,000

Tags: Asher Conniff Nohad Teliani

01-03-2023 14:35 UTC-4

Giovanniello Eliminated by Frangias After Bounty Bubble

Connor Richards

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

On the bounty bubble, Dominick Giovanniello moved all in with a short stack and was called by Demetrios Frangias, who had him covered.

Dominick Giovanniello:
Demetrios Frangias:

Frangias was far ahead but waited anxiously for several minutes as hands at other tables played out.

"Can we see this hand?! I'm stressed out! I know it's gonna be three deuces on the flop!" Frangias said.

Despite Frangias' cynicism, the board ran out to give him the winner and for Giovanniello to go out on the bounty bubble.

His cynicism may have been warranted as he told PokerNews he started the day with 179,000 chips but lost heaps when he had aces cracked.

"But I'm still in it!" he said triumphantly.

As it turns out, the bubble had burst in a previous hand and Frangias was awarded the first bounty of the event. Frangias pulled a $500 bounty and the room erupted in cheer as they learned the coveted $250,000 bounty was still in play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Demetrios Frangias	80,000 -99,000	-99,000
Dominick Giovanniello	Busted

Tags: Demetrios Frangias Dominick Giovanniello