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$400 Atlantic City Championship
Day 1a Completed
2025 Bar Poker Open Atlantic City Championship
$400 Atlantic City Championship
Day: 1a
Event Info
2025 Bar Poker Open Atlantic City Championship
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
$400
Prize Pool
$146,000
Total Entries
464
Level
32
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
302
Players Left
31
Players Left 1 / 464
Filter
Level 19
: Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
The opening day of the Bar Poker Open $400 Atlantic City Championship produced more than 11 hours of exciting action, as Day 1a welcomed a total of 302 entries to the tables at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.
The remaining 31 players bagged up in the money, with Anton Saich of New York Free Poker riding a string of knockouts to the chip lead with 775,000.
Saich holds a sizeable chip lead after the first flight, sitting ahead of fellow league member Phillip Hoff (610,000). From there, the leaderboard shows another jump to find Dan Levy (530,000) of the Eastern Poker Tour in third position.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | League | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anton Saich | New York Free Poker | 775,000 |
| 2 | Phillip Hoff | New York Free Poker | 610,000 |
| 3 | Dan Levy | Eastern Poker Tour | 530,000 |
| 4 | Albert Croteau | Eastern Poker Tour | 522,000 |
| 5 | Peter Evans | No Limit New York | 499,000 |
| 6 | Patrick George | Eastern Poker Tour | 481,000 |
| 7 | Jewell McCann | BarPokerOpen.com | 477,000 |
| 8 | Ryan Keiser | Riverchasers | 437,000 |
| 9 | Lauris Murnieks | No Limit New York | 334,000 |
| 10 | Anthony LoBue | New York Free Poker | 334,000 |
Sitting just outside the top 10 after the opening day is Joseph Sheehan (307,000), who has earned a spot in the money for the third straight event this week. Sheehan took down the opening BPO trophy event on November 13, and followed that up with a third-place finish the very next night.
Also earning a bag for Monday’s finale was Miguel Medrano (127,000), who took down the 2024 Bar Poker Open Vegas World Championship for $100,000. Medrano doubled up with kings before the final break of the night, and held on from there to earn another BPO cash.
The survivor of the day was Peter Uschin (124,000) of No Limit New York, who faded at least nine all-in situations to earn a bag at the end of the night. Among those hands was a fortunate chop against Mathew McGuire (255,000), getting an inferior ace in before seeing the board produce a wheel.
The opening day came to an end when Alex Bungener flipped out Paul Cassella on the direct bubble, leaving the final 31 players to bag up for the night.
Another flight begins on Sunday, November 16, as players who participated in Day 1a are eligible to return for Day 1b. Players will once again start with 30,000 chips, playing 30-minute levels with breaks after every two hours of action.
The single reentry rule will be in effect again, and the top 10 percent of field will join tonight’s survivors on Day 2. Any players that find a bag on both opening flights will receive a $1,000 double bag bonus, with only the largest stack carrying forward to Monday’s final day.
The PokerNews team will continue live coverage in Atlantic City, so don’t miss any of the action on the way to crowning the newest Bar Poker Open champion.
Level 19
: Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
| Rank | Player | League | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anton Saich | New York Free Poker | 775,000 |
| 2 | Phillip Hoff | New York Free Poker | 610,000 |
| 3 | Dan Levy | Eastern Poker Tour | 530,000 |
| 4 | Albert Croteau | Eastern Poker Tour | 522,000 |
| 5 | Peter Evans | No Limit New York | 499,000 |
| 6 | Patrick George | Eastern Poker Tour | 481,000 |
| 7 | Jewell McCann | BarPokerOpen.com | 477,000 |
| 8 | Ryan Keiser | Riverchasers | 437,000 |
| 9 | Lauris Murnieks | No Limit New York | 334,000 |
| 10 | Anthony LoBue | New York Free Poker | 334,000 |
| 11 | Alex Bungener | BarPokerOpen.com | 334,000 |
| 12 | Kimberly Capriotti | No Limit Central Florida | 319,000 |
| 13 | Joseph Sheehan | Eastern Poker Tour | 307,000 |
| 14 | James Lemire | Eastern Poker Tour | 286,000 |
| 15 | Gregory Main | No Limit New York | 283,000 |
| 16 | Mathew McGuire | No Limit New York | 255,000 |
| 17 | Rustin Kreider | Riverchasers | 231,000 |
| 18 | Joseph Murray | Eastern Poker Tour | 229,000 |
| 19 | Sarah Kirby | Riverchasers | 222,000 |
| 20 | Michael Bennecoff | Riverchasers | 200,000 |
| 21 | Kathy Benischeck | Riverchasers | 194,000 |
| 22 | Phil Castelli | Eastern Poker Tour | 191,000 |
| 23 | Vangjel Haxhia | New York Free Poker | 180,000 |
| 24 | Marlena Coffey | No Limit New York | 161,000 |
| 25 | Jodee Distasio | Riverchasers | 128,000 |
| 26 | Miguel Medrano | New York Free Poker | 127,000 |
| 27 | Peter Uschin | No Limit New York | 124,000 |
| 28 | Merrill Eversman | Resort Poker League | 112,000 |
| 29 | Will Parisi | No Limit New York | 94,000 |
| 30 | Thomas Giglio | New York Free Poker | 59,000 |
| 31 | Vincent Ferrara | No Limit New York | 6,000 |
Level 19
: Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
The final 31 players have bagged up for the night, and will return in the money on Monday afternoon.
Stay tuned for full chip counts, and a recap of the opening day.
Level 19
: Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
On the first hand-for-hand action on the stone bubble, Alex Bungener opened in early position and called when Paul Cassella moved all in from the big blind.
Paul Cassella: A♣Q♣ 
Alex Bungener: 3♠3♣
Cassella was flipping for his tournament life, unable to connect on the 9♠6♥J♥10♠6♠ runout. Bungener put an end to the night, sending Cassella out on the bubble.
Level 19
: Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Rustin Kreider limped in middle position, and Phillip Hoff made the call in the small blind. Joseph Sheehan checked his big blind option, and the 9♦8♠K♠ flop was fanned out.
All three players checked to the 6♠ turn, where Hoff led out for 25,000. Sheehan called, while Kreider got out of the way.
Another pair of checks followed the 7♥ river, and Sheehan turned over A♦7♠ for a pair of sevens.
Hoff showed down Q♠8♥ for a pair of eights, good enough to add more chips to his stack.
Level 19
: Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Christopher White moved all in from early position, and was at risk when Anton Saich shoved his larger stack.
Christopher White: A♦Q♦
Anton Saich: 10♥10♦
White was flipping but could not catch any of the 8♦9♣7♠3♥K♥ runout, ending his night while Saich padded his stack.
Level: 19
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Peter Evans called a shove from Roberto Pena, and the hands were turned up.
Roberto Pena: A♥K♣
Peter Evans: 7♣7♦
Pena was flipping, but could not find help on the 5♥J♠8♣3♠5♦ runout. Evans raked in the pot, as Pena wished the table good luck on his way to the rail.
Level 18
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Heads-up action to the 6♦K♦2♥ flop saw Peter Uschin move all in from the small blind. Vincent Ferrara called in early position, and the cards were turned up.
Peter Uschin: A♣K♥
Vincent Ferrara: K♠10♠
Uschin dodged the 9♥ turn and 5♦ river to earn the double through Ferrara.
"How many is that, seven?" asked another player.
"Nine," answered Uschin indicating that he had been all in nine times and survived once more.
