Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day 5 Started
2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open
Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day: 5
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open
Buy-in
$15,000
Prize Pool
$4,852,400
Entries
328
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25
Keven Stammen Leads the Season XII WPT World Championship Final Table
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Good afternoon, and welcome back to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa for the exciting conclusion of the Season XII WPT World Championship!
Five days ago this $5 million guaranteed, superstar-filled event kicked off with 328 entries, and now only six players have a shot at the $1.35 million top prize. Leading the final table is Keven "Stammdogg" Stammen, who's amassed over $2.2 million in career live tournament earnings and over $5.5 million in earnings on the virtual felt. Stammen, who enters the final day with 5.65 million chips (over a third of the chips in play), tied the record for cashes in a single WPT season with six in this event.
Also with six cashes in Season XII is Byron Kaverman. Kaverman is second in chips with 4.07 million, but unfortunately for him, Stammen is on his direct left. We will see if Kaverman can overcome this discernible disadvantage and capture his first major title.
Sitting third in chips is 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open Champion Abraham Korotki. Korotki earned a quarter of a million dollars and his fourth trophy at Borgata a week ago, but there is a bit of controversy surrounding the local grinder. In 2009, he not only entered the Borgata Poker Open Ladies Event, - he won it.
Curt Kohlman, Ryan D'Angelo, and Tony Dunst are the three short stacks entering the final table, but have plenty of experience between them. Dunst, host of the WPT Raw Deal, became a member of the WPT Champions Club this season, winning in St. Maarten; D'Angelo bubbled the WPT Rolling Thunder final table; and Kohlman has three WPT final tables under his belt already.
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abraham Korotki | 2,560,000 |
| 2 | Byron Kaverman | 4,070,000 |
| 3 | Keven Stammen | 5,650,000 |
| 4 | Ryan D'Angelo | 1,220,000 |
| 5 | Tony Dunst | 1,330,000 |
| 6 | Curt Kohlberg | 1,580,000 |
The cards are scheduled to be in the air at 4 p.m. EST, and PokerNews will be bringing you hand-for-hand coverage of the entire final table, so be sure to stay tuned in as we march toward the finale of the Season XII WPT World Championship!
Seat 6: Curt Kohlberg (1,580,000)
The self-proclaimed "Psycho Ninja," Curt Kohlberg enters the final table with 1.58 million chips (around 31 big blinds). Kohlberg is no stranger to success on the World Poker Tour, reaching final tables in Seasons IV, VIII, and IX.
Kohlberg, who has $2,394,831 in career live tournament earnings, recorded his biggest score at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown in Season IX, finishing runner-up for $586,109. The Psycho Ninja also finished fifth at the Season VIII WPT World Poker Finals and the Season IV WPT Grand Prix de Paris.
A very experienced player, Kohlberg's Hendon Mob profile extends all the way back to 1997. In fact, he won three events before Chris Moneymaker incited the poker boom in 2003.
Kohlberg has a tough road ahead of him with both Byron Kaverman and Keven Stammen on his left, and will need to accumulate chips during the first few levels of play if he wants to take home the $1.35 million top prize.
Seat 5: Tony Dunst (1,330,000)
Sitting in Seat 5 with the second-shortest stack is the WPT Raw Deal host and Champions Club member Tony Dunst.
Dunst took down the WPT Caribbean in St. Maarten for $145,000, and now has slightly over $1 million in career live tournament earnings. Known as "Bond18" online, Dunst has another $1.8 million in earnings on the virtual felt.
Abraham Korotki may be the local player at the table, but the fan favorite is likely to be Dunst. Throughout the penultimate day, the majority of the railbirds were interested in Dunst's progress, and of course the WPT team would love to see one of their own take home the trophy.
With only 1.33 million chips, roughly 26 big blinds, Dunst will need to remain active early in order to chip up and make a legitimate run.
Seat 4: Ryan D'Angelo (1,220,000)
Ryan D'Angelo enters the final table of the Season XII WPT World Championship with the shortest stack (1.22 million and roughly 24 big blinds), but the saving grace is that if he is able to chip up early, he has position on both Keven Stammen and Byron Kaverman.
D'Angelo has $1,544,886 in career tournament earnings and four WPT cashes. He bubbled the final table of WPT Rolling thunder this season, earning $41,410 for his efforts. Before starting the penultimate day of play in that event, he joined the PokerNews Podcast to talk about his run and his dedication to juicing and healthy living.
The man known to some as "g0lfa" plans to donate a portion of his winnings to a charity based in South Africa. His largest career score came in 2010, when he finished fifth in the PCA Main Event for $700,000.
Seat 3: Keven Stammen (5,650,000)
Keven Stammen enters the final table as the chip leader with over a third of the chips in play. According to ICM calculations his stack is worth $813,214.02, so mathematically any finish other than first place would be a disappointment.
Stammen has accrued over $2.2 million in career live tournament earnings and over $5.5 million online. This is his ninth WPT cash and his sixth this season tying Season XI WPT Player of the Year Matt Salsberg, fellow finalist Byron Kaverman, and a host of others for the most cashes in a single season.
In 2009, Stammen took down a $2,500 buy-in event at the WSOP, earning over half a million dollars and the gold bracelet. His second-largest cash came in 2012, when he finished runner-up in a €10,000 buy-in event at EPT Sanremo for $123,043.
Stammen not only has the chip lead entering the final table, he also has direct position on Kaverman, who is second in chips.
Seat 2: Byron Kaverman (4,070,000)
Sitting in Seat 2, Byron Kaverman enters the final table second in chips with 4.07 million (around 81 big blinds). Unfortunately for Kaverman, he is seated to the direct right of chip leader Keven Stammen.
Kaverman has just under $2 million in career live tournament earnings, including 11 cashes on the WPT. He has cashed six times in Season XII, tying Keven Stammen, Season XI Player of the Year Matt Salsberg, and others for most cashes in a single season. This is Kaverman's third appearance at a WPT final table - in Season X he finished fourth in the WPT Grand Prix de Paris, and in Season XI he finished runner-up at the WPT Jacksonville bestbet Fall Series.
Kaverman's largest career score came in 2011, when he took down a $5,000 buy-in side event at the PCA for $320,840. He also made a deep run in the 2013 WSOP Main Event, ultimately finishing 34th for $229,281.
With the second-largest stack at the table, Kaverman has some leverage over his competitors, but he will have to find a way to combat the chip leader on his direct left.
Seat 1: Abraham Korotki (2,560,000)
The only local player at the table, Abraham Korotki is looking for back-to-back wins at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Just over a week ago, the New Jersey native took down the 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship, earning just over a quarter of a million dollars.
It was Korotki's fourth victory here at Borgata, and according to him, only Monster Poker Ambassador Will Failla (five) has more. Of course, one of Korotki's victories came in the 2009 Borgata Poker Open Ladies Event, which has irked several poker players and fans alike.
Korotki isn't afraid of the more well known players, however, and engaged in competitive banter with Keven Stammen especially during Day 4. At one point, Stammen was in the tank and Korotki tried to goad him into betting, telling him to "pull the goddamn trigger."
In 2006, Korotki won a WSOP Circuit Regional Championship for $433,008, and he can top that score today with a third-place finish or better.
PokerNews Impromptu: Ryan D'Angelo Discusses the WPT World Championship Final Table
The WPT World Championship final table is about to kick off here at Borgata, but before the cards went in the air we got a chance to talk with Ryan D'Angelo about his deep run, juicing, and more.
Delay of Game
There's a bit of a delay right now due to the television production crew. The cards should be in the air shortly.