2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

Event 1: $560 $1 Million Guaranteed Deep-Stack NLHE Reentry
Day: 1b
Event Info

2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

Final Results
Winner
Carlos Alvarado
Prize
$127,652
Event Info
Buy-in
$500
Entries
2,482
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
40,000

Woods Does "Everything Wrong" and Wins

Level 8 : 400/800, 75 ante
James Woods
James Woods

James Woods was faced with a bet of 14,000 on a board of {3-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{j-Clubs}{4-Diamonds}, and opted to move all in for an additional 10,150.

"You have kings?" Woods asked his opponent, who was in the tank. "How do they feel now?"

The player laughed, but when the chuckling subsided, he sat quietly in thought once again.

"Come on," Woods urged, grinning. "It's a rebuy."

"Oh I'm not rebuying," the player said.

"Well, if you call you're going to be playing the slots," Woods responded.

Finally, after around three full minutes in the tank, the player called with {7-Clubs}{7-Hearts} - far less than two kings. Woods was well ahead with {5-Hearts}{4-Hearts} for trip fours. The {q-Hearts} bricked off on the river, and Woods doubled to around 60,000. The player was left with a single small pile of assorted chips.

"I did everything wrong," Woods told our reporter. "I make bad calls and then make my opponents make even worse calls."

Player Chips Progress
James Woods us
James Woods
60,000
20,500
20,500

Tags: James Woods

Level: 8

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 75

Raskin Ravages the Rockets

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante
Micah Raskin just cracked aces with a fortuitous river card
Micah Raskin just cracked aces with a fortuitous river card

We passed by Micah Raskin's table recently just in time to see a massive pot being pushed his way.

After examining the scene of the carnage, it turned out Raskin's {8-Hearts}{9-Hearts} had toppled the {A-Hearts}{a-Clubs} held by an unfortunate opponent on the {2-Diamonds}{10-Hearts}{9-Clubs}{6-Clubs}{9-Diamonds} board.

According to Raskin's rundown of the action, the pot was played cautiously through fifth street, but when he made trip nines on the river the time to shove all in had arrived. The man wielding the strongest preflop hand in Hold'em called off, only to find his bullets were now second-best.

After firing a few bullets of his own at this reentry event yesterday, Raskin has built himself a stack with which to work, and with his experience and skill that spells bad news for the rest of his table.

Player Chips Progress
Micah Raskin us
Micah Raskin
76,500
49,500
49,500

Tags: Micah Raskin

Dags Out of the Building - For Now

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante
John D'Agostino
John D'Agostino

Well, that was quick.

John D'Agostino was all in and at risk with {3-Diamonds}{2-Hearts} on a board of {2-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}{j-}{6-}, and unfortunately for him, his two pair was crushed by Dee Seng's {5-Hearts}{4-Clubs}. The river was a blank, and D'Agostino hit the rail. He is now in line to reenter.

Seng is up to around 80,000 chips, while his tablemate Ben Soltz is up to 120,000.

Player Chips Progress
Ben Soltz
Ben Soltz
120,000
65,000
65,000
Dee Seng
Dee Seng
80,000
80,000
80,000
John D'Agostino us
John D'Agostino
25,000

Tags: Ben SoltzDee SengJohn D'Agostino

Sending Out an SOS(ler)

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante

Gerald Sosler found himself riding a short stack and when he looked down to find a pocket pair in the hole, he made his stand with an all-in move. One opponent elected to come along, risking his own short stack in the process.

Sosler's pair was the lowest possible though, as he held the {2-Clubs}{2-Hearts}, and even though his opponent held a weak ace with {A-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}, the two were still flipping a coin.

When the flop fell {j-Diamonds}{q-Hearts}{3-Hearts} Sosler's ducks had been hunted down, and the {a-Spades} on the turn only improved his opponent's holding.

River: {2-Spades}

Just like that Sosler's ugly ducklings had blossomed into a swan song for his opponent, as the deuce on the river gave Sosler a miraculous set - and the come-from-behind win.

Player Chips Progress
Gerald Sosler
Gerald Sosler
36,700
36,700
36,700

Tags: Gerald Sosler

Be Careful What You Wish For

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante

"I hit my card," were the words out of James Kaplan's mouth after Alexander Bernard had moved all in over the top of his 10,000 river bet. The cards in the middle of the table were {K-Clubs}{K-Spades}{J-Spades}{2-Diamonds}{Q-Spades} and Kaplan looked tortured as he tried to decide what to do. "I wish it was the Queen of hearts," he said, looking across the table at his younger counterpart. Bernard sat motionless, a vacant look on his face as he looked down at the felt. "You have Ace King," Kaplan probed, trying desperately to get anything off of Alexander. Nothing. "Blaaaaaahhhhh," groaned James as he tossed the call into the middle.

Bernard didn't have Ace King. No, he had even better... {K-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds} for a rivered full house. "Nice hand," muttered Kaplan as he turned over {10-Hearts}{9-Spades} for a worthless straight.

Player Chips Progress
Alexander Bernard us
Alexander Bernard
53,000
53,000
53,000
James Kaplan
James Kaplan
38,000
-25,000
-25,000

Dags in the Building

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante
John D'Agostino
John D'Agostino

High-stakes cash game pro and East Coast regular John D'Agostino just took his seat here on Day 1b of Event 1: $560 $1 Million Guaranteed Deep-Stack NLHE Reentry. D'Agostino has over $1.8 million in career live tournament earnings, including several large cashes here at Borgata.

In fact, D'Agostino reached the final table of back-to-back WPT events held at Borgata, finishing fourth for $349,685 in the Fall of 2005 and runner-up for $591,312 in the winter of 2006.

D'Agostino is currently grinding OFC on his iPad - yes, it's Pineapple - but we'll do our best to catch him in a hand or two throughout he day.

Player Chips Progress
John D'Agostino us
John D'Agostino
25,000
25,000
25,000

Tags: John D'Agostino

Kostolni Cashes in With Trip Aces

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante

The board read {7-Hearts}{a-Clubs}{8-Hearts}{a-Hearts} by fourth street and Jeff Kostolni had a bet of 3,500 in front. His lone opponent in the hand decided to see the river and he flatted, bringing the {4-Clubs} to the board.

Kostolni fired away with another wager, this time for 5,500, and his opponent simply called once again. Kostolni tabled the {A-Diamonds}{q-Spades} for trip aces and a strong kicker, causing his opponent to wince as he tossed his hand into the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Jeff Kostolni
Jeff Kostolni
43,600
43,600
43,600

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75