Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day 1b Started
2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open
Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day: 1b
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
Second Verse, Same as the First
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Good morning, and welcome back to the Season XII WPT World Championship here at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa!
After eight levels of play on Day 1a, Paul Volpe emerged as the chip leader with 215,300, and he was followed closely by Jerry Wong (198,000), Brandon Steven (195,500), Scott Seiver (192,500), and Tony Gregg (190,600). The first flight attracted 105 players - 62 advanced - and in order to reach the $5 million guarantee, the Day 1b field will have to be double in size.
Players who were eliminated on Day 1a may reenter today for an additional $15,400, but players joining the tournament for the first time today may only fire one single bullet.
Since Season IV, this event has always been won by a professional player, and the final table has always been stacked. In Season XI, Chino Rheem defeated Erick Lindgren heads-up to earn $1,150,279 and the title. Here's a look at all of the players who have ever won this event:
WPT World Champions
| Season | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| I | Alan Goehring | $1,011,866 |
| II | Martin De Knijff | $2,728,356 |
| III | Tuan Le | $2,856,150 |
| IV | Joe Bartholdi | $3,760,165 |
| V | Carlos Mortensen | $3,970,415 |
| VI | David Chiu | $3,389,140 |
| VII | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | $2,149,960 |
| VIII | David Williams | $1,530,537 |
| IX | Scott Seiver | $1,618,344 |
| X | Marvin Rettenmaier | $1,196,858 |
| XI | Chino Rheem | $1,150,279 |
The cards will be in the air at 11 a.m. EST, and PokerNews will be bringing you live updates straight from the tournament floor. See you then!
Almost Time
Mike Sexton is greeting players as they enter the room trying to pump them up for an exciting day of poker. The players probably don't need much motivation as the stakes are high. Cards will be in the air soon and we'll be here from start to finish to bring you all the action.
Level: 1
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 25
The On-Time Arrivals
Level 1
: 75/150, 25 ante
There will be more to be added but here's some of the players we took notice of in our first go around.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
More Names...
Level 1
: 75/150, 25 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | |
|
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 |
Aristedes and the Black Sea
Level 1
: 75/150, 25 ante
The first few orbits of an elite event like today's WPT World Championship are usually much ado about nothing, with the world's best players feeling one another out while contesting small pots of minor consequence.
Sometimes the deck has other ideas though, distributing premium pocket pairs early in the day to light the fuse and begin the firework show early. Unfortunately for Aristedes Santana, he came out on the wrong end of a brutal cooler, with his 
falling to the 
held by Joseph Wertz on only the second deal of the day.
We missed the action firsthand, but according to a joint rundown provided by the ever helpful floorwoman Kellie and Wertz himself, a general idea of the action has been developed.
As told by Wertz, the action began with an open to 350 before Santana made it 850 to play. Wertz then four-bet to something like 2,100 and Santana went for the gusto by five-betting to 11,500. Wertz then six-bet shoved for the rest of his 50,000 starting stack, and after a very brief moment of deliberation, Santana called off with his cowboys.
The final board rolled out with a diamond four-flush, but neither player held a fifth and the huge pot was awarded to the owner of aces in the hole. Wertz is obviously the early chip leader, and judging by yesterday's end-of-day counts he already has about half of the amount needed to chase down Paul Volpe to top the Day 2 counts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000 | |
|
Busted |
A Few More Names
Level 1
: 75/150, 25 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | |
|
50,000 | 50,000 |
|
50,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
Jeff Madsen is Full of Heart(s)
Level 2
: 100/200, 25 ante
With the board showing 
, Jeff Madsen bet 1,250 after it was checked to him. His lone opponent in the hand made the call.
The turn was the 
and the action went check, Madsen bet of 3,100, call.
The river was the 
and after his opponent checked yet again, Madsen bet yet again, this time for 7,950. His opponent tossed out two 5,000 chips indicating a call and Madsen turned over 
for the nut flush. His opponent held his cards up high, and slammed them with moderate disgust down on to the felt.
Madsen recently won the 6-Max Event here, with his three biggest pots being won on heart flushes. Opponent's might want to be wary if there are some hearts on board and Madsen is in the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
63,000 | 13,000 |