Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship Day 1b | 2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

04-22-2014 13:31 UTC-4

Settle Down

[user253757]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

The camera crews roving the room stopped to record a recent clash between well-known pros, so we headed over to do the same.

The final board and a pot of 18,000 or so was up for grabs. Dan Smith was first to act sitting in late position, and he studied the board for a long moment before betting 14,000 into Keven Stammen.

Stammen basically beat Smith into the pot with his calling chips, but he mucked even quicker when Smith tabled for turned set.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Smith	76,000	26,000
Keven Stammen	41,000	-9,000

Tags: Dan Smith Keven Stammen

04-22-2014 13:29 UTC-4

Guillaume Darcourt just got up out of his chair at Table 1 and exited the Signature Room here at Borgata. We noticed that Harrison Gimbel was scooping the pot, so we bugged him for the details and he was kind enough to retell the tale.

According to the 2010 PCA Main Event champ, Darcourt raised to 450 in late position and Gimbel called out of the small blind with . The dealer fanned a flop of with one club, both players checked, and the turn was the . Gimbel checked, Darcourt fired out 900, and Gimbel check-raised to 2,725. Darcourt called.

The river was the , and it ended up being a jackpot card for Gimbel. He shoved for effectively 10,000 or so, and Darcourt called with for a rivered flush. Gimbel of course had a full house, and shipped the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Harrison Gimbel	63,000	13,000
Guillaume Darcourt	Busted

Tags: Borgata Guillaume Darcourt Harrison Gimbel

04-22-2014 13:19 UTC-4

Dowling at the Moon

[user253757]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

Bart Dowling just tried to ride with the big hogs, but Ryan Riess pushed the big man off the pot

Bart Dowling opened for 450 from the hijack and Ryan Riess raised to 1,100 holding the button.

Dowling made the call to see a flop of , but he check-folded to the defending World Series of Poker Main Event champion's c-bet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Riess	56,000	6,000

Tags: Bart Dowling Ryan Riess

04-22-2014 13:16 UTC-4

What They Are Talking About?

[user272102]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

As we walk around the Borgata Signature Room, as you might expect there are a number of different conversations going on at the various tables. So what exactly do poker players talk about while playing in a $15,400 buy-in tournament?

Whether or not the tournament will hit the $5 million guarantee: A few tables were discussing this and the consensus was that it won't be hit. One player joked, "Next year, this will be a $3,500 with unlimited re-entries."
The difference in the fields between Day 1a and Day 1b.:"Yesterday was tough," Matt Glantz told Mike Matusow as he walked through the room, taking a look at who was playing. Glantz survived an incredibly tough Day 1a while Matusow is at a table where he "doesn't recognize anyone." Mohsin Charania said pretty much the same on Twitter, "World of difference between Day 1a and Day 1b at the Borgata."
Basketball and hockey playoffs
The upcoming World Series of Poker

Those were the main topics being discussed. Poker tournaments generally go in cycles when it comes to table talk. Early on, tables are full of friendly chatter. Later, as the money approaches, there is less conversation as players eye the prize.

04-22-2014 13:14 UTC-4

Zo a Little Restraint

[user253757]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

Making a straight flush in Texas hold'em is rare enough to merit mention, as evidenced by Zo Karim's recent tweet:

Zo Karim @PakmanMMA

Just lost str8 flush to bigger str8 flush. Just called a small raise otr tho #canNeverBeTooCarefulApril 22, 2014

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Follow @PakmanMMA

Losing with a straight flush is even rarer, though, so after reading Karim's postmortem we headed over to inquire about the details.

In his typically laid-back and casual style, Karim — who defines the latest poker buzzword "laxxed" by virtue of an unflappable demeanor both on and off the felt — told us that he held and saw a cheap flop from the small blind, with the dealer fanning the . The turn came the to give Karim the straight flush, and fourth street was checked through.

The river paired the board, and Karim then bet 1,500, only to see his opponent raise to 3,700. The pro knew the score, however, and he simply called rather than reraising, seeing the other player table a hand containing the for the winner.

Player	Chips	Progress
Zo Karim	56,000	6,000

Tags: Zo Karim

04-22-2014 13:03 UTC-4

Various Counts

[user101598]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jason Koon	64,500	14,500
Kunal Patel	58,000	8,000
Larry Wright	56,000	56,000
Corrie Wunstel	55,000	5,000
Matt Giannetti	55,000	55,000
Lawrence Greenberg	52,000	52,000
Bryn Kenney	52,000	2,000
Eric Afrait	50,000
Jeremy Ausmus	49,500	49,500
Ronald Lee	47,000	47,000
Aaron Massey	46,000	-4,000
Ronit Chamani	45,000	-5,000
Ty Reiman	43,000	-7,000
Mike Gagliano	43,000	-7,000
Mike Dentale	43,000	-7,000
David Tuthill	37,000	37,000
Barry Hutter	37,000	-13,000
David Randall	35,000	-15,000

04-22-2014 12:52 UTC-4

Playing for Peter

[user253757]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

Chris Tryba's cousin Peter is in need of a kidney transplant

Chris Tryba is an experienced poker pro who has played on the game's biggest and brightest stages, as the gold bracelet he won during the 2012 World Series of Poker proves.

Despite playing for, and winning, prizes well over the six-figure mark, Tryba is here today playing for what may be the most important reason in anybody's life: family.

His cousin, Peter Tryba, a devoted husband and father, is in desperate need of a kidney transplant within the next three to six months. With organ donor lists notoriously long, Peter is in a race against time, and who better to have on his side than a man who wins races for a living.

Chris has decided to donate 10 percent of his potential winnings from the Borgata Spring Poker Open to help fund his cousin's cause, a truly admirable move in a game where selfishness is often lauded as a virtue.

Peter's wife, Rachel, explained the situation further on a Facebook group page dedicated to finding a solution:

My husband Peter Tryba has suffered from chronic kidney disease (CKD) for the past 13 years. The condition is a result of an autoimmune disease called IgA nephropathy. His condition has been managed with medications to lower his blood pressure and keep his kidney function stable. Unfortunately he is now at the end stage of the kidney disease (ESRD) where his kidneys are only functioning at 13%. He will need a kidney transplant from a donor with a matching blood type (He is A+). We will be going to Tufts to meet with the transplant specialists and get put on a list of people waiting for donors. This can potentially take years to find someone. In the meantime, Peter will need to be put on dialysis, 3 days a week, for 3 hours a session in order to help boost his kidneys in eliminating toxins from his body. Peter is otherwise a young, healthy person who has done everything to manage his condition, but now he needs help. He needs a donor. I am willing to donate my kidney to my husband, but we have a 3 1/2 year old daughter and so I feel that I need to be there to care for both of them during this difficult time. The best option is for someone to volunteer. We wanted to let everyone know that this is what we will be going through in the next few months and would appreciate any information, support, guidance, or advice as we embark upon this journey. Thank you,

Sincerely,
Rachel & Peter Tryba

Tryba also took to Twitter to let his followers know about the cause:

christopher tryba @christryba

Its go time inda @wpt @WPTlive 5 MILLY gtd @PokerNews 10% #formy @PeterTryba his dialysis started #hangtuffcuz http://t.co/n8PzU9dPkdApril 22, 2014

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Tags: Chris Tryba

04-22-2014 12:50 UTC-4

Out of Retirement, Again

[user101598]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

If Bari's restaurant fails, there's always money in the Banana Stand

Allen Bari is about 20 years younger, three feet shorter, and possesses one fewer Super Bowl ring than the legendary Brett Favre, but just like No. 4, Bari has once again "come out of retirement" for a shot at glory.

Bari, who has one more gold bracelet than Favre, winning Event #4: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2011 World Series of Poker, says that poker remains on the back burner as he focuses on other aspects of his life. He attended culinary school for four days before contracting a severe case of food poisoning, which ended up putting him in the hospital. It was during that time that he decided not to attend culinary school, resulting in him dropping out of culinary academics.

“For what I plan on doing, I don’t need to be a chef,” Bari told PokerNews last summer. “So I went to restaurant management instead. I attended French Culinary Institute and just graduated in May."

Bari plans on opening his own restaurant, but still spends time grinding in mixed cash games in both Atlantic City and Pennsylvania. The bracelet winner still believes he is one of the best ring players in the world.

“I still think I’m good, but now I just think that everyone else has gotten really good,” said Bari. “I think no-limit hold’em tournaments are really tough and the style people play has increased the variance. I think I am probably one of the top 10 cash-game players in the world, but it doesn’t really matter in tournaments. Now, you have to run good. Playing good poker can only get you so far; you need luck.”

Will Bari run it up here on Day 1b and make a push at his second major title, or will he simply throw a late interception to Tracy Porter and fade into the ether? Only time will tell.

Tags: Allen Bari

04-22-2014 12:47 UTC-4

Roll Call!

[user272102]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ray Qartomy	50,000	50,000
Bryn Kenney	50,000	50,000
Brian Yoon	50,000	50,000
Shawn Busse	50,000	50,000
Sean Winter	50,000	50,000
Masato Yokosawa	50,000	50,000
Mohsin Charania	50,000	50,000
Mike Dentale	50,000	50,000
Jonathan Jaffe	50,000	50,000
Kevin Eyster	50,000	50,000
Athanasios Polychronopoulos	50,000	50,000
Bobby Oboodi (Bahbak Oboodi)	50,000	50,000
Jason Koon	50,000
Gregory Marcus	50,000	50,000
Derrick Rosenbarger	50,000	50,000
Dave Inselberg	50,000	50,000
Jeff Papola	50,000	50,000
Eric Afrait	50,000	50,000
Amir Babakhani	50,000	50,000
Jake Toole	50,000	50,000
Hans Winzeler	50,000	50,000
Glenn Lafaye	50,000	50,000

04-22-2014 12:39 UTC-4

Hawk Soars

[user253757]

Level 2 : 100/200, 25 ante

Maurice Hawkins has soared to the top of the chip counts after making Broadway to crack a set of jacks

Maurice Hawkins has made a name for himself on the tournament circuit as a true grinder, jumping from the Florida sit-n-go scene to some of poker's largest events in short order.

Hawkins just jumped to the top of the chip counts, too, after making Broadway on the river to snatch a massive pot from Tom Thomas. We saw Hawkins dancing to the beat while circling the table, and while that would be an expected sight no matter his chip count, a scan of the board showed the score.

With the sitting between them, Hawkins and Thomas each had their 75,000 pushed forward, with the pro's sitting near a soon-to-be-doubled stack. Thomas was the owner of a cracked set with the , but despite the bad beat he was still smiling, although in the rueful fashion we see so often on the tournament floor.

According to the ever ebullient Hawkins, he three-bet to 1,175 holding the button after Thomas opened to 525 from the hijack. The local recreational player flatted and the flop fell to give him top set, while the pro found a gutshot draw to the nuts.

Thomas led out for 700 and Hawkins raised to 1,500 on the come. When the came down on the turn, both players tapped the table, unknowingly setting the stage for a tournament-changing river card. The arrived on fifth street to complete Hawkins' straight, and after Thomas fired out a bet of 4,000, Hawkins popped it to 11,000. With a set on a seemingly innocent board, Thomas made it 20,000 to play, and Hawkins shoved all in for about 75,000 total. Thomas made the call to essentially risk his tournament life, and when he saw Hawkins table the winner before beginning his dance, all he could do was shake his head and smile.

Hawkins, for his part, kept the celebration to his side of the table, and after winning a World Series of Poker Circuit ring (and $183,498) this February, the former sit-n-go grinder will be looking to make his second splash of the year here today.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maurice Hawkins	155,000	105,000
Tom Thomas	2,500	2,500

Tags: Maurice Hawkins Tom Thomas