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Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day 2 Completed
2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open
Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day: 2
Event Info
2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Buy-in
$15,000
Prize Pool
$4,852,400
Total Entries
328
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25
Players Left 1 / 328
Filter
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
After two starting flights attracted 328 entries and reentries, the day began with 199 players assembled in the Borgata's Signature Room, each one hoping to move in the right direction on every tournament's moving day. A total of six 90-minute levels were played on Day 2, and when it was all said and done just 68 survivors bagged and tagged a stack, with Eric Afriat putting on a bravura performance to end with an astounding 1,003,000 chips to his credit.
That number is staggering when one considers the mathematics, as the average stack sits at 241,176 to begin tomorrow's Day 3, and Afriat's closest competitor Athanasios Polychronopoulos put 592,500 in the bag. Sitting more than 400,000 clear of the pack, Afriat is poised to to make a run at back to back World Poker Tour titles, as he took down the 2014 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown for $1,081,184 just last week.
Afriat began his rampage through one of the toughest fields on the tournament circuit in style, claiming a huge pot against Harrison Gimbel by virtue of bullets in the hole. From there, Afriat played relentlessly and siphoned chips from accomplished pros like Loni Harwood, remaining unafraid to mix it up and play big pots.
Other big stacks to separate themselves from the rest include Tony "End Boss" Gregg (567,000), Scott Seiver (539,500), Ryan D'Angelo (519,500), Jason Koon (500,500) and Maurice Hawkins (433,500).
Those who fell short of their goal include Scotty Nguyen, Joe McKeehen, Christina Lindley, Matt Glantz, Joe Serock, Chris Klodnicki, Bryn Kenney, Layne Flack and a who's who of poker's elite players.
The remaining runners are no slouches themselves, so check back in with PokerNews tomorrow at 12 noon local time to follow all of the action live from the floor of the WPT World Championship. The money bubble will burst and the play will be intense right from the get go, so keep it here to see who weaves their way through the minefield on one of poker's grand stages.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
We saw Phil Hellmuth shoot out of his seat and begin a display on par with many of his best performances, as he hectored the table and defended the merit of his smallball style.
"This is just so tilting!," he began, directing his frustration at Maurice Hawkins and George Kelly, with the former's crime being criticism, and the latter's a curious choice to call. "I just hate it when I make a brilliant play and they call it stupid."
Hawkins piped up with a little needle, asking "Brilliant? Brilliant! Limping in with 10 bigs, folding your stack away? The Living Legend..."
"They don't even understand it..." Hellmuth continued aloud, more to himself than to Hawkins. "I mean, these players are so behind the curve it's unbelievable! But of course, three years later they'll all be making the same plays."
Hawkins continued to give it right back to Hellmuth, making mention of a hand in which the "Poker Brat" limped in to the pot with 
, only to let loose with an outburst after Kelly check-called through the river with 
on the 
board. According to Kelly, he was forced to "endure a 20-minute lecture on how bad I play," after that showdown.
Hellmuth grinded as he is wont to do though, doubling up with 
after flopping an ace and ending the day with a little over 50,000.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
The action folded to Tony Dunst, who raised to 11,000 out of the small blind. Jeff Madsen called in the big blind, and the flop fell 
. Dunst check-called a bet of 12,500, and the turn was the 
.
Dunst checked again, Madsen a little under Dunst's effective stack (47,000), and Dunst shrugged before doing the deed. Madsen called.
Dunst: 
Madsen: 
Dunst had a flush draw, but his ace-high was good enough to do the trick, and the 
bricked off on the river.
The host of the Raw Deal doubled to 141,000 chips, while Madsen dipped to 285,000.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Tournament Director Tab Duchateau has just announced that there will be four more hands before play concludes for the evening.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
When we arrived at Table 1, Jeremy Kottler had what appeared to be a four-bet of 100,000 sitting in front of him. Not to be outdone, his opponent Jason Koon had the all-in button in front of him, evidently five-betting all in for effectively 230,000.
Kottler tanked for close to three or four minutes before finally folding, and Koon dragged in the pot.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Loni Harwood opened to 9,000 from the hijack and Eric Afriat used his overwhelming chip lead to play the big stack bully. He popped the action to 23,000 with a three-bet from the button, and only Harwood came along.
The flop fell 
and Harwood checked to the aggressor, who played the part with a smallish wager of 14,000. Harwood flatted and fourth street brought the 
to the felt, and once again Harwood knuckled the felt. Afriat continued his line with a 25,000 bet, with Harwood calling quickly and the river falling 
.
A third tap of the table by Harwood prompted Afriat to cut out a bet 75,000 and place it forward, and Harwood wasted little time in looking him up, only to wince noticeably when Afriat tabled 
with the look of a man who hasn't lost a pot for the last week. After winning the 2014 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown for $1,081,184 just six days ago, Afriat is playing with confidence and swagger - a combination that his tablemates should rightly fear.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Matt Stout had just purchased a beer for his friend Christina Lindley. She took a sip, and moved all in for her last 69,500. It was folded around to Stout who called her all in. Everyone folded and Stout turned over 
.
"Wow," said Lindley, tapping the table twice as she turned over 
.
The board ran out 
to end Lindley's tournament.
"Good game hon," said Stout.
Some of the guys at the table gave Stout crap for knocking out Lindley and he retorted "what was I supposed to do, fold?"
Yes, said several of the guys, laughing.
Stout then reached across the table and grabbed the beer Lindley had left behind. "I'm not afraid of her germs," he said, taking a healthy swig.
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 500 ante
Blake Bohn came in for a raise to 10,000 in middle position, Amit Makhija three-bet to 25,000 in the hijack, and the action folded back to Bohn, who called.
The duo checked on a flop of , and the turn was the . Bohn led out for 20,000, Makhija called, and the river was the 
.
Bohn tossed out another 45,000, Makhija again called, and Bohn turned over 
for trip kings. Makhija mucked.
