![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Joe Rodriguez was all in and at risk preflop with 
, but he was dominated by Rick Ruffman's 
.
Ruffman held up as the flop, turn, and river came 
, chipping up to 160,000, and Rodriguez, who also reached the final table of Event 12. hit the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
160,000 | |
|
Busted |
When we last saw Philip Neiman, the Queensbridge native was happily discussing the terms of a chop to win Event 1 of the Borgata Spring Poker Open. Neiman is here today looking to take down another title, with a recent double up putting him squarely among the average stacks.
After the hijack opened to 12,000, Neiman three-bet shoved for his last 65,500, with his opponent quickly making the call.
Neiman: 
Hijack: 
Both players held queens in the hole, but in fitting fashion, the board rolled out 
to give the proud Queens native queens up, and the double up to boot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
132,000 |
Papa Levy has made his presence known throughout the Borgata Spring Poker Open, with his signature cry of "Send it to Papa!" ringing throughout the room during a runner-up finish in the Seniors event.
After clashing with Miguel Borrero in a recent hand, Papa was sent to the rail. The two had previously engaged in bit of verbal jousting at the table directly in front of the PokerNews Live Reporting desk, with the brash Borrero giving it right back to the notoriously loud Levy.
Borrero opened to 13,500 from early position and the action folded around to Levy. With just 55,000 so to work with, Levy three-bet shoved and stood up to sweat the result.
Borerro quickly called with 
to find himself in a dominant position over Levy's . Levy was not worried though, and he told Borrero "It's OK, a queen is coming."
"Your last hand is coming," retorted Borrero. "King!"
The final board came down 
and Borrero celebrated in boisterous fashion, while Levy headed out with a parting shot to show he could care less about the result of one hand of Hold'em.
"It's OK buddy!," he told Borrero before walking away from the table. "I don't need it as much as you."
"Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" replied Borrero, adding Levy's chips to his stack as he got in the final word. "See ya!"
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
132,000
67,000
|
67,000 |
|
Busted |
Andrew Zhu limped in from early position, with the player next to act also committing just the minimum bet. The cutoff came along for the ride, and after action folded to him in the big blind, Emad Alabsi raised to 35,000.
Zhu quickly moved all in for 210,000 and the other two players in the hand folded without much hesitation.
Alabsi - who just won Event 8 ($450 Big Stack Pot-Limit Omaha) in his first crack at the variant - then went into the tank for about a minute.
"I'll show you this one..." said Alabsi, flipping his 
face up on the felt.
Zhu didn't say a word in response, but when he tossed his 
over for the table to see, the cards said it all.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
245,000 | |
|
232,000
62,000
|
62,000 |
A pot of 28,000 was up for grabs when the action folded around to an unidentified player in the small blind.
Holding just 27,000 to his name, that player made his stand and shoved all in, putting a bit of pressure on Philip Neiman in the big blind.
"I shouldn't even look..." said the native of New York's Queensbridge borough. "Should I even look?"
Finally, after asking his opponent if he wanted a call or a fold, Neiman slid the requisite calling chips forward, his hole cards still a mystery.
"You're good," said the other player with impatience in his voice. "Trust me."
"I'm good?" asked Neiman in response, no doubt happy to hear any cards he turned over would likely have a decent shot of winning. "Let's see."
The small blind showed his 
with a sullen expression, knowing his admission was indeed true.
Neiman then turned over the 
, before slowly squeezing his 
and saying "alright, you're live."
The flop came down 
with the six in the window and the straight draw adding a little more drama to an already extended display of friction on the felt. The bricked off on the turn though, and the river fell 
to send a small but meaningful pot to Neiman, who busted the player he had been acting as a verbal assassin to all tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
225,000
93,000
|
93,000 |
Just before the recent break we watched Elia Ahmadian double up to push his stack up above the 230,000 mark - but according to Ahmadian and his tablemate John Hall, he had recently risen from the dead.
Ahmadian had previously owned a big stack of about 360,000, but he was nailed to the cross when his 
was run down by 
when a ten hit the board.
That loss had sent Ahmadian to the brink with just 23,000 left to his name, but he then got the last of it in with 
and found no less than four callers. Facing yet again - in addition to a motley crew of competing hands - Ahmadian made two pair on the river after flopping an ace, with fifth street falling .
On the very next deal, sitting in the big blind, Ahmadian watched the action fold around to the small blind, and that player shove all in for 115,000 effective. With in the hole Ahmadian's decision was easy enough, and the final board rolled out 
to bring him all the way back from the dead on a day dedicated to the original master of that very same feat.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
234,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
Miguel Borrero found himself all in and at risk with preflop against an opponent's 
.
Things looked grim for Borrero on the flop (), but the 
on the turn gave him a gut-shot straight draw and a flush draw. The 
on the river completed his straight to the king, and he doubled to around 250,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
250,000
118,000
|
118,000 |
Adi Lip was all in and at risk with 
on a flop of 
, and according to the PokerNews Odds Calculator, he was basically flipping against James Boyle's .
Unfortunately for Lip, the turn (
) and river (
) were both bricks, and he was eliminated just shy of the money. Boyle is up to 920,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
920,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
Busted |
An unknown player was all in and at risk preflop for around 150,000 or so holding , and her opponent, Ivan Polanco, showed .
The wired pair of tens held up as the flop, turn, and river came , and the player was eliminated.
"Am I the bubble?" the player asked, laughing.
The other three tables completed their hands with no eliminations, so indeed, this player was the bubble girl.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
620,000 |
When we arrived at Table 1, Emad Alabsi was all in, Andrew Zhu had him at risk, and James Boyle was in the tank. He folded, and Alabsi and Zhu both waited to reveal their cards.
"He has two threes," Alabsi said, showing 
.
Sure enough, Zhu opened up 
, and Alabsi and his rail started celebrating as if he had already doubled up. The celebrations elevated when the dealer fanned , giving Alabsi a leading pair of queens, so much so that he and his friends started singing the Bob Marley classic "Jammin'."
They nearly finished the chorus as the turn and river came , respectively, and each word became louder and louder as the song continued.
Alabsi doubled through to 350,000 chips, while Zhu dropped down to 480,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
480,000
-120,000
|
-120,000 |
|
|
350,000
118,000
|
118,000 |
