Event #17: $3,125 Heads-Up NLH
Day 1 Completed
2020 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event #17: $3,125 Heads-Up NLH
Day: 1
8 Players Left in the 2020 BWPO Event #17: $3,125 Heads-Up
Event #17: $3,125 Heads-Up attracted 58 entries at the start of the day in the tournament that had a cap of 64 players. All those entries created a total prize pool of $168,780 with eight players cashing and the winner walking away with not only the trophy, but also with the first-place prize of $67,512!
The first round featured some tough matches like Frank Funaro vs Alex Rocha, Stephen Song vs Joe McKeehen, BorgataPoker.com sponsored pro Michael Gagliano vs Brock Wilson, and Shannon Shorr vs Olivier Busquet for example. Six players got a bye to the next round and out of those six, Matthew Emmel, Jeffrey Hong, and Michael Marder were the ones to make it another round further.
In the Round of 32, Joseph Couden beat Funaro, Will Failla took down Song, Wilson knocked James Anderson out, and Ari Engel eliminated Shorr. Failla, Wilson, Marder, Engel, Couden, Matthew Sabia, Steven Sarmiento, Brock Wilson, and David Paredes all busted in the Round of 16.
This means that the following quarter-finals are to take place on Day 2 with all of them guaranteed at least $8,439.
- Arian Stolt vs Matthew Emmel
- Christopher Abela vs Jeffrey Hong
- David Forbes vs Sandeep Pulusani
- Timothy Rutherford vs Qi Hu
The remaining players will return at noon local time on Sunday, January 26 for their first heads-up games. Level duration will remain at 15 minutes with an increase to 30 minutes once the final has been reached. Players start with 20,000 in chips for each heads-up match and need to win two out of three games to advance to the next round.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be there from the first shuffle up and deal until the final heads-up match is over, so follow along as the updates are flowing in from the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
Stolt and Hong Advance
After a lengthy heads-up battle, both Arian Stolt and Jeffrey Hong have advanced to Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
20,000 | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Two to Go
Arian Stolt vs Joseph Couden and Jeffrey Hong vs David Paredes are the final two matches of the night with both of them in the second game of their sets.
Hu Goes Through Too
Qi Hu has just won his heads-up match against Steven Sarmiento and will be playing Timothy Rutherford in the quarter-final on Day 2 on Sunday, January 26 at noon local time.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
Busted |
Abela Also Through to Day 2
Christopher Abela has just defeated Brock Wilson heads-up when he held 
and the latter had 
.
Abela makes it through to Day 2 and cashes while Wilson is sent away without cashing in this event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
Busted |
Rutherford Advances to the Quarter-Final
The board read 
when Matthew Sabia checked. Timothy Rutherford bet 4,500 which sent Sabia into the tank. After a while, Sabia made the call but mucked when Rutherford tabled 
for the rivered set of jacks.
Shortly after, Rutherford shoved and Sabia called for his last 1,900.
Matthew Sabia: 
Timothy Rutherford: 
The flop came 
for Sabia to hit top pair but for Rutherford to flop two pair.
The turn brought them the 
and the river completed the board with the 
to not change things. Sabia has been eliminated and Rutherford can come back on Sunday at noon to play his quarter-final against the winner of the match bewteen Qi Hu and Steven Sarmiento.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
Busted |
Paredes Makes the Round of 16
David Paredes has defeated Kevin Rabichow and is facing Jeffrey Hong in the Round of 16 match.
All Round of 16 matches are in progress now.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,000 | |
|
Busted |
Heads-Up Faces That Remain
Pulusani Makes Day 2
Sandeep Pulusani has just eliminated Ari Engel and will return at noon tomorrow for the quarter-finals and has already cashed for at least $8,439. He will match up against David Forbes when play resumes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,000 | |
|
Busted |