Event 1: $560 $1 Million Guaranteed Deep-Stack NLHE Reentry Day 1a | 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

04-08-2014 17:32 UTC-4

MyStack App Available for 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

[user101598]

Level 12 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

The PokerNews MyStack App is available for players here in the 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open, allowing players to directly update their chip count on the PokerNews Live Reporting page for their friends and family to see.

You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.

Be forewarned, however, any abuse of the app will result in account suspension or termination.

04-08-2014 18:01 UTC-4

Fives Alive

[user101598]

Level 12 : 1,000/2,000, 300 ante

A player raised to 4,000 in early position, Louis Delbrocco called on his direct left, and the action folded to a third player in the big blind, who moved all in for 24,800. The original raiser begrudgingly folded, actually grunting as his hand hit the muck, and Delbrocco went into the tank.

After he confirmed the count with the dealer, he pushed forward enough chips to make the call.

Delbrocco:
Opponent:

It was a classic race situation, and Delbrocco remained ahead after the flop (), and the turn (). The ten gave the player four extra outs to make Broadway, but the on the river was a brick, and the player was eliminated.

Delbrocco is up to around 90,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Louis Delbrocco	90,000 51,500	51,500

Tags: Louis Delbrocco

04-08-2014 18:21 UTC-4

Merdinger Finds a Triple

[user101598]

Level 13 : 1,200/2,400, 300 ante

After a few preflop raises, there was a three-way all in right near our reporting desk moments ago. Jane Stanton Hitchcock had both of her opponents covered and held the dominant hand with . Maureen Merdinger had the smallest stack and , while a third player was stuck in the middle and also well behind with .

Merdinger was resigned to her fate, gathering her things to leave, but Hitchcock told her she would hit. She was right - the dealer fanned a flop of .

The turn and river bricked off , respectively, and Merdinger tripled to around the starting stack of 25,000. Hitchcock won a small side pot, and now has around 65,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jane Stanton Hitchcock	65,000 41,000	41,000
Maureen Merdinger	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Jane Stanton Hitchcock Maureen Merdinger

04-08-2014 18:56 UTC-4

Gulino Over 200K

[user101598]

Level 14 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante

John Gulino just eliminated a player holding aces, and is also over 200,000 chips.

The cards were on their backs before the flop when we arrived at the table, and Gulino's dominated an opponent's . The board ran out , and the player was eliminated. Gulino now has around 235,000 chips, and is two spots to the left of Tommy Martone, who has around a quarter of a million.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Gulino	235,000 105,000	105,000

Tags: John Gulino Tommy Martone

04-08-2014 19:26 UTC-4

John 316K

[user253757]

Level 15 : 2,000/4,000, 400 ante

The final board read by the river and a pot chock full of baby blue T5000 chips was up for grabs.

Chip leader John Gulino was faced with a large bet of 34,000, and despite having enough to afford a call, he agonized over his decision for several minutes until a clock was finally called.

Compelled by the time ticking down, Gulino suddenly grabbed a heap of chips and made the call, waiting to see his opponent's hand. When he saw the hit the table, Gulino triumphantly revealed his to claim the massive pot. Gulino had flopped the nut flush draw with a straight flush possibility, and although he whiffed on the hearts, an ace on the river was good enough.

With the win Gulino soared above the 315,000 plateau, putting himself in position to bag the biggest stack in the room when play concludes in 15 minutes.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Gulino	316,000 81,000	81,000

Tags: John Gulino

04-08-2014 20:01 UTC-4

Tommy Martone Leads After Day 1

[user101598]

Level 15 : 2,000/4,000, 400 ante

The 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open is officially underway at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Tommy Martone is the chip leader after Day 1a of Event 1 with 366,500. John Gulino, who finished the day at Martone’s table, also finished with a large stack; 267,000.

Marton rocketed above 200,000 chips in the penultimate level of the evening, eliminating three players in a four-way all in. The last player to go all in committed the remainder of his stack with , and Marton showed . The other two players held and , and Marton extended his lead with a set of nines on the flop. He filled up on the turn, and after a brick completed the board, he was up to 260,000.

Gulino chipped up through the entire day, but he too secured a large knockout during the final hours of Day 1a. An opponent moved all in preflop for 30 big blinds or so holding , and Gulino had him crushed with . The black aces held up as the board rolled out , and Gulino found himself was over 200,000 chips. He added a few more pots during the final level of the evening, and bagged the largest stack in the room.

Registration for the first flight closed after Level 9, and the total number of entries was 359. Activity is expected to pick up later in the week, particularly on Thursday, when the property will host both Day 1c and Day 1d.

Other survivors of Day 1a include Jane Stanton Hitchcock, Joe McKeehen, and Chris Tryba. Tryba steadily climbed the ranks all day, and bagged 174,500 chips. Tryba has pledged to donate 10 percent of his potential winnings at Borgata to help his cousin Peter fight chronic kidney disease.

Several player were unable to survive the first flight, including Micah Raskin, Maureen Merdinger, Jim Boyd, Robert Hwang, and Meir Yedid.

Raskin had a turbulent day, making a flush and nearly doubling on one of the first hands he played only to bust his first bullet shortly thereafter. He later reentered and dipped below the starting stack of 25,000, then tripled up in a preflop, three-way all in. Raskin was at risk with against , and , and he flopped a pair of kings. The turn and river both produced blanks. With three hands remaining, Raskin was eliminated in a 180,000-chip, blind vs. blind pot with against . The flop produced a queen, and Raskin will have to reenter tomorrow.

Day 1b kicks off at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, and even players who bagged stacks will be allowed to reenter if they choose. PokerNews will be on hand to bring you live updates straight from the tournament floor.

Tags: Tommy Martone