Event #11: $400 Almighty Stack
Day 3 Completed
2019 Borgata Fall Poker Open
Event #11: $400 Almighty Stack
Day: 3
Ken Barkoff Takes First in 2019 BFPO Almighty Stack ($86,364)
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
The 2019 Borgata Fall Poker Open Event #11: $400 Almighty Stack NLH saw 1,490 entrants try their luck over four starting flights, but at the end, it was Ken Barkoff sitting behind a mountain of chips. The final three players came to an agreement and Barkoff took first place for $86,364 and his first Borgata Open trophy. Nicola Alessio claimed second and $65,648, while World Series of Poker bracelet winner Joey Couden finished third and took $55,227 in the deal.
Barkoff is from Manhattan and is in the real estate business, but after the workday is done and his wife is asleep, he spends hours studying the game of poker. It's paid off as he quadrupled his previous best live cash ($21,122) and more than doubled his total reported tournament earnings.
"I love coming to Borgata," he said of the two hour drive from his home.
Barkoff will return to New York to take care of his business but plans to return on Monday and play in Flight C of the BFPO $2,700 Championship event.
Almighty Stack Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ken Barkoff | $86,364* |
| 2 | Nicola Alessio | $65,648* |
| 3 | Joey Couden | $55,227* |
| 4 | Peter Walsworth | $32,881 |
| 5 | Prabhu Dyal | $27,316 |
| 6 | Arian Stolt | $22,156 |
| 7 | Sam Taylor | $17,062 |
| 8 | Adam Phillips | $12,444 |
| 9 | Kevin Johnson | $8,954 |
| 10 | Gary Brown | $5,919 |
*Denotes three-handed deal.
Day 3 Action
Couden was the chip leader at the start of Day 3 but surrendered the lead to Barkoff with eight players remaining. Barkoff caught fire while Couden cooled off. Then lessio won a flip to double through Couden and he was heating up as well. He pulled ahead of Couden with a double elimination when his ace-queen improved to top pair to felt Prabhu Dyal (pocket eights) and Peter Walsworth (ace-eight) in fifth and fourth places respectively.
2017 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship event winner Sam Taylor got coolered with pocket kings, running into Barkoff's pocket aces. Despite turning a king, he was still eliminated by the Barkoff buzzsaw when an ace appeared on the river.
The Almighty Stack tournament carried a $300,000 guarantee on total buy-ins and it was covered with ease, building a prize pool in excess of $505,000. The final 140 players earned a share. Some of the big names that cashed in this event were World Poker Tour Champions Club members Mike Linster (65th) and Victor Ramdin (102nd) along with two-time WSOP bracelet winner Shankar Pillai (88th).
This concludes PokerNews' coverage of Event #11, but there's still a week to go in the Fall Poker Open Click here to see what other tournaments are currently being covered.
Almighty Stack Ends with Three-Way Adjusted Payout Agreement
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Before a single hand was dealt after the break, the final three players agreed on a deal based on their chip counts.
As the chip leader, Ken Barkoff gets first place, the lion's share of the remaining prize pool, and also gets to take home the hefty Borgata Fall Poker Open trophy!
| Place | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ken Barkoff | $86,364 |
| 2 | Nicola Alessio | $65,648 |
| 3 | Joey Couden | $55,227 |
Break Time Chip Counts (full)
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
95,100,000 | 9,100,000 |
|
36,700,000 | -6,300,000 |
|
16,800,000 | -3,200,000 |
Final Three Taking a Break
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
End of Level 35 and the remaining three Almighty players are taking 15.
Tiptoeing Around the Big Stack
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Joey Couden opened on the button for 1.45 million, then Nicola Alessio (sb) made it 4.1 million to go.
Ken Barkoff four-bet-shoved and the other two folded. "I don't want to play with you," said Alessio.
Three-handed play continues.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
86,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
|
|
43,000,000 | 5,400,000 |
|
|
20,000,000 | -13,300,000 |
Dyal Eliminated in 5th ($27,316); Walsworth Eliminated in 4th ($32,881)
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Prabhu Dyal got his short-stack all-in against Peter Walsworth and Nicola Alessio.
Dyal: 
Walsworth: 
Alessio: 
Alessio had the biggest stack and when the flop came 
, he also had the best hand and it stayed that way. He felted both opponents, chipping up to 37.6 million.
Dyal had the shorter stack and finished fifth for $27,316. Walsworth finished in fourth place for $32,881.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
37,600,000 | 28,600,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Arian Stolt Eliminated in 6th Place ($22,156)
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
On the river with a board of 
, Arian Stolt got all-in against chip leader Ken Barkoff. His 
(nut flush) had been rivered by Barkoff's 
for the full house.
Barkoff keeps hitting river cards and dragging pots...and busting players. He's got more than half the total chips in play.
Arian Stolt finished in sixth place, earning $22,156.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
85,000,000 | 25,000,000 |
|
Busted |
Sam Taylor Eliminated in 7th Place ($17,062)
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Sam Taylor was all-in pre-flop holding 
and ran into the big stack and big hand of Ken Barkoff, holding 
.
The flop of 
changed nothing, but the 
on the turn gave Taylor a set and a presumed double-up.
Then the came on the river, giving Barkoff the set of aces and yet another pot. He's playing more than 60 million.
Sam Taylor was eliminated in seventh place, earning $17,062.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
60,000,000 | 14,000,000 |
|
Busted |
Barkoff Takes From Stolt
Level 35
: 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Arian Stolt opened for a min-raise of 1.2 million and got three-bet by Ken Barkoff, to 3.3 million. Stolt called to see the flop fall 
, and checked.
Barkoff bet 3 million and got called. Turn was the and both players checked. River brought the 
, pairing the board, and Stolt led out for 3.5 million. Barkoff called.
Stolt tabled 
to go with the nines on board. Barkoff had him beat with 
for a better two pair to take the pot. His lead continues to grow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
46,000,000 | 10,000,000 |
|
|
25,000,000 | 200,000 |