2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

The third level of play has begun here at the Borgata, and blinds are now 75-150.

Jack Hackbart checked a flop, only to see his opponent move all in for around 5,000. That move was exactly what Hackbart was waiting for, however, as he called with the for top two pair. His under-the-gun opponent showed , and he needed help. The turn brought none, and neither did the river.

"I'll take a rebuy," the player said, as Hackbart scooped up his chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jack Hackbart	43,000

Tags: Jack Hackbart

Not many notable faces are standing out amidst a mostly-anonymous field, much like yesterday's Day 1A. Hungry east coast grinders trying to make names for themselves with a big score comprise most of the field, and we'll soon see who can emerge as an early favorite by amassing a large stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Guagenti	26,500
Chris Tryba	20,000	20,000

Tags: Chris TrybaNick Guagenti

The tournament clock has turned over and the second level of play is now underway.

Blinds are now 50-100, and the slight increase in dead money may stimulate today's field to begin moving chips.

So far today on Day 1B, players have exercised caution despite the re-entry format, choosing to pick their spots wisely rather than make all-in moves.

We haven't heard a single call of "seat open," which is the traditional signal that a player's chips have been claimed by another.

Yesterday's Day 1A saw multiple bustouts occur mere minutes into the action, but today is decidedly different. We'll be sure to let you know when action ramps up and players begin heading for the cashier's cage to re-enter.

Unlike the trickling stream that slowly populated the room yesterday for Day 1A, Day 1B is off to a bustling start, with the vast majority of the players filling the room before the announcement to shuffle up and deal. Whereas many of the tables were contested three-or-four-handed in the early going yesterday, almost all tables appear to house at least six grinders. A tournament official estimated to us that 1,300 players are already racing to accumulate chips.

The tournament floor is now filled with the unmistakable sounds of poker being played. Chips are riffling, players are bantering, and decks are being shuffled.

The opening level of the tournament has blinds of 25-50, and lasts for thirty minutes. Each player began play with a 20,000 chip starting stack, and if they bust before the re-entry period concludes, they may purchase a new stack and start from scratch.

As the second day of the Borgata Winter Poker Open kicks off here in Atlantic City, tournament officials, players, dealers and reporters alike are preparing for a marathon session of poker. Today, Day 1B of the opening event ($500 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry) kicks off at 10 a.m. local time, and 16 thirty-minute levels will be played to completion. Directly following the bag and tag portion of the night, Day 1C will commence at 7 p.m. local time, and the action on the felt will continue well into the wee hours of the morning.

With a $2 million guaranteed prize pool up for grabs, the stakes will be high right from the start, and today we expect an influx of big name pros to arrive, bronzed and tan from the recently concluded PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. While yesterday’s Day 1A was dominated by local grinders taking their shot at glory, today should see the game’s elite mixing it up and making their presence known.

As an added bonus for players, the Borgata will also award $2,000 to the chip leader from each flight today, as well as $1,000 to the runner-up in the chip counts. Yesterday, it was Torrey Korsog who claimed pole position, as he amassed a stack of 372,000, while Johnson Nguyen and Roger Wellmann split the runner-up prize.

Stick with PokerNews throughout the day (and night) as we bring you continuous coverage live from the floor of the Borgata.