2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

Event 14: $15,400 $5 Million Guaranteed WPT World Championship
Day: 3
Event Info

2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a8
Prize
$1,350,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$15,000
Prize Pool
$4,852,400
Entries
328
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25

Justin Young Stackin' Chips

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Justin Young
Justin Young

Justin Young opened the pot for 17,000 from under the gun and Ray Qartomy, one to his left, re-raised to 45,000. It was folded to Jason Koon who asked Young how much he started the hand with. After getting an answer from Young, Koon announced a raise to 108,000.

The remaining players got out of the way and a cool, calm, and collected Young announced that he was all in. Qartomy didn't fold immediately. He thought about it for over a minute before tossing his cards away.

"I have three outs," Koon said, thinking that Young had Kings. "I have to call though."

Young didn't have Kings. He had better. {A-Clubs}{A-Spades}.

"I guess I could hit a straight," said Koon. "I haven't done that in a while."

There was no straight possibilities on the {J-Diamonds}{4-Spades}{2-Spades} flop but the {K-Clubs} on the turn caused Young to turn his head. Fortunately for him the river was not a Ten... it was the {5-Hearts}... and Young moves up to just shy of half a million in chips while Koon and Qartomy both finish the hand near the 400,000 chip mark.

Player Chips Progress
Justin Young us
Justin Young
475,000
235,000
235,000
WPT 1X Winner
Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
410,000
-210,000
-210,000
Ray Qartomy us
Ray Qartomy
395,000
-291,000
-291,000

Tags: Justin YoungRay QartomyJason Koon

When the Best Hans Hold Up

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Hans Winzeler
Hans Winzeler

After a min-raise and a call went into the pot (we missed the preflop action but saw those bets being dragged in), Jeff Madsen and Hans Winzeler checked the {j-Hearts}{9-Clubs}{a-Diamonds} flop to see the {5-Clubs} fall on fourth street.

Winzeler checked to Madsen again and flatted after the three-time WSOP bracelet winner bet out for 24,000.

On the {8-Hearts} river Winzeler bet about 45,000 and Madsen looked him up with {a-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}, only to knock the table in acknowledgement when Winzeler tabled the {A-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}.

Although both players had found top pair on the flop, the pot was played cautiously through the river, which is understandable with the money bubble looming.

Player Chips Progress
Hans Winzeler us
Hans Winzeler
617,000
194,000
194,000
Jeff Madsen us
Jeff Madsen
301,000
-19,000
-19,000
WSOP 4X Winner

Tags: Hans WinzelerJeff Madsen

The Bad Beats Still Hurt

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Tony Dunst
Tony Dunst

"I've been doing this every day for ten years," Scott Seiver told Cathy Dever. "Anyone who says that they don't hurt is lying."

Tony Dunst chimed in.

"Oh yeah," he agreed. "Just losing in general."

The adverse affects of losing with the best hand may diminish over time, but the pain remains real, and minutes after this conversation Dunst was dealt a bad hand.

It all started when David Grandieri moved all in for 79,000 in middle position. Athanasios Polychronopoulos called on his direct left, and the action folded to Dunst, who moved all in for 674,000 out of the big blind. Polychronopoulos folded.

Dunst: {k-Clubs}{k-Hearts}
Grandieri: {k-Spades}{j-Clubs}

Dunst was in great shape to eliminate Grandieri with his dominating pair of kings, and remained ahead after the flop ({q-Spades}{9-Hearts}{8-Hearts}), and the turn ({3-Spades}), but the river was the {10-Diamonds}.

Grandieri made a straight to the king, and we're only left to wonder whether or not that bad beat hurt.

Player Chips Progress
Athanasios Polychronopoulos us
Athanasios Polychronopoulos
595,000
-210,000
-210,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Tony Dunst us
Tony Dunst
378,000
-228,000
-228,000
WSOP 2X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
David Grandieri us
David Grandieri
250,000
171,000
171,000

Tags: Athanasios PolychronopoulosCathy DeverDavid GrandieriTony Dunst

Roland Israelashvili Eliminated

Level 17 : 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Roland Israelashvili
Roland Israelashvili

There are 43 players remaining after Roland Israelashvili was eliminated by Brock Parker. Israelashvili moved all in under the gun for his last 122,000 and it was folded to Parker who took a few moments, peeking back at his cards several times, before deciding to make the call. Israelashvili had {Q-Clubs}{9-Clubs} and Parker {A-Spades}{Q-Hearts}.

The board would run out {K-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{3-Spades} and Israelashvili was eliminated. "I was hoping for Queen-Nine, but wasn't expecting it," smiled Parker after the hand.

Player Chips Progress
Brock Parker us
Brock Parker
750,000
183,000
183,000
Roland Israelashvili us
Roland Israelashvili
Busted

Tags: Brock ParkerRoland Israelashvili

Level: 18

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 1,000

Full Counts (full)

Level 18 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Brock Parker us
Brock Parker
777,000
27,000
27,000
Ryan D'Angelo us
Ryan D'Angelo
708,000
-152,000
-152,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Scott Seiver us
Scott Seiver
700,000
163,000
163,000
WSOP 4X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
Yuval Harosh
Yuval Harosh
668,000
178,000
178,000
Hans Winzeler us
Hans Winzeler
644,000
27,000
27,000
Eric Afriat ca
Eric Afriat
625,000
-275,000
-275,000
WPT 3X Winner
Athanasios Polychronopoulos us
Athanasios Polychronopoulos
596,000
1,000
1,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Jonathan Tamayo us
Jonathan Tamayo
585,000
75,000
75,000
Byron Kaverman us
Byron Kaverman
575,000
15,000
15,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Tony Gregg us
Tony Gregg
565,000
245,000
245,000
Glenn Lafaye us
Glenn Lafaye
560,000
-14,000
-14,000
Jordan Cristos us
Jordan Cristos
554,000
20,000
20,000
WPT 1X Winner
Curt Kohlberg us
Curt Kohlberg
521,000
-79,000
-79,000
Nick Schulman us
Nick Schulman
514,000
-51,000
-51,000
WSOP 4X Winner
WPT 2X Winner
Justin Young us
Justin Young
502,000
27,000
27,000
WPT 1X Winner
Jesse Sylvia us
Jesse Sylvia
479,000
129,000
129,000
WPT 1X Winner
Brian Yoon us
Brian Yoon
476,000
44,000
44,000
WSOP 5X Winner
Tony Dunst us
Tony Dunst
430,000
52,000
52,000
WSOP 2X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
Jason Koon us
Jason Koon
430,000
20,000
20,000
Michael Lavoie
Michael Lavoie
412,000
177,000
177,000
Maurice Hawkins us
Maurice Hawkins
390,000
121,000
121,000
Ray Qartomy us
Ray Qartomy
373,000
-22,000
-22,000
Jeff Madsen us
Jeff Madsen
319,000
18,000
18,000
WSOP 4X Winner
Alex Condon us
Alex Condon
313,000
131,000
131,000
Matt Stout us
Matt Stout
290,000
96,000
96,000

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Blake Bohn -vs- Athanasios Polychronopoulos

Level 18 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

We get to the table with 300,000 in the pot and a board of {A-}{5-}{6-}{8-}{J-}. The action is on Athanasios Polychronopoulos who tanks for a while before checking. Blake Bohn checks behind and Polychronopoulos shows {7-}{7-} for a pair of sevens that missed a straight draw. Bohn takes the pot with {A-}{Q-} and has nearly doubled up since the last break.

Player Chips Progress
Blake Bohn us
Blake Bohn
585,000
302,000
302,000
Athanasios Polychronopoulos us
Athanasios Polychronopoulos
405,000
-191,000
-191,000
WSOP 2X Winner

The Summer of George Ends

Level 18 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
George Kelly - Eliminated
George Kelly - Eliminated

After Loni Harwood opened for the standard amount holding the button, George Kelly made his stand with a three-bet shove for right around 130,000.

With {a-Spades}{a-Clubs} in the hole Harwood's decision was already made and she snapped the bet off while tabling her bullets with a flourish.

Kelly was in bad shape with his {a-Hearts}{7-Diamonds} but he found a lifeline when the flop fell {7-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}. Needing another seven to rain down at some point, Kelly watched the turn and river deliver no further help. He hit the rail just short of the money, while Harwood chipped up to just over the average stack as the money bubble approaches.

Player Chips Progress
Loni Harwood us
Loni Harwood
376,000
181,000
181,000
WSOP 2X Winner
George Kelly us
George Kelly
Busted

Tags: George KellyLoni Harwood

"You're Terrific"

Level 18 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Eric Afriat becoming unhappy
Eric Afriat becoming unhappy

Eric Afriat put in a raise on the button, Byron Kaverman defended his big blind, and the flop fell {8-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{2-Hearts}. Kaverman check-called a bet of 25,000, and the duo checked on both the turn ({8-Clubs}), and the river ({10-Clubs}).

Kaverman silently revealed {j-Clubs}{7-Hearts} for a pair of sevens, and Afriat shook his head and flashed {a-Spades}{k-Clubs}.

"You're terrific," Afriat jabbed. "Calling out of position with jack-seven."

Evidently Afriat, whose chips are shrinking as his temper is rising, was berating Kaverman during the break as well, because Kaverman was tanking for too long in a previous hand.

Player Chips Progress
Eric Afriat ca
Eric Afriat
660,000
-30,000
-30,000
WPT 3X Winner
Byron Kaverman us
Byron Kaverman
610,000
35,000
35,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Byron KavermanEric Afriat