Event 1: $2 Million Guarantee Big Stack NLHE Re-Entry Day 2 | 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

01-17-2014 00:15 UTC-4

Event 1: Brooklyn Stand Up

[user253757]

Coleem Chestnut is Looking to Become One of Brooklyn's Finest

Coleem Chestnut is a proud native of the New York City borough known as Brooklyn, birthplace of hip-hop luminaries like Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. If Chestnut continues his torrid run here today, the BK just might have another hometown hero to call its own.

Chestnut has been the overwhelming chip leader throughout much of this Day 2, but a recent hand vaulted him far ahead of his closest competitors.

Chestnut opened for 150,000 holding , only to watch another player ship 2 million more into him for an all-in move. Running hotter than a Brooklyn sidewalk on a summer day, Chestnut easily made the call with his ladies, and he found himself out front once again facing .

A clean board ran out for Chestnut, and with the win he surged above the 6 million chip mark with just 60 players left between him and a $372,123 payday.

Biggie once said "Mo money, mo problems," and that may have proven true for the late legend, but Chestnut will cross that bridge when he gets there.

Player	Chips	Progress
Coleem Chestnut	6,200,000	2,200,000

Tags: Coleem Chestnut

01-17-2014 00:01 UTC-4

Borgata Winter Poker Open: Things To Do at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

[user253757]

The 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open is underway here in Atlantic City, New Jersey, kicking off with a $560 no-limit hold’em reentry event on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Taking place at one of the finest gaming destinations Atlantic City has to offer, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is a definite crowd pleaser featuring a luxurious spa, a variety of fine-dining restaurants, and a stylish nightlife to help get your mind off the bad beats taken at the poker tables.

There are a number of different dining options available inside the Borgata making it convenient to never require leaving the hotel. Whether you are looking for something quick and easy, or something a bit higher-end, the Borgata has a taste to satisfy and meet your needs.

Bread + Butter is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon bite serving up sandwiches and gourmet beverages. One perk is the breakfast menu left as an all-day selection, making it a great spot for those late-night craves. The classic grilled cheese is a patron favorite, or you can also try the Portobello and provolone griddled sandwich, both of which — along with most of the menu — are $10 or less and won’t break the bank.

As a man who has revolutionized the culinary industry, Wolfgang Puck has served up bold and innovative cooking for years and now offers contemporary American cuisine in an upscale setting at the Borgata, as part of his first East Coast venture. Enjoy truffled potato chips, spicy lamb chorizo pizza, or a prime burger from the tavern menu as a less-expensive dinner option. Or you can treat your taste buds and choose one of the many options from the main course on the fine dining menu.

Once you’ve had your fill of the action at the poker tables, take the time to sit back, relax and enjoy a glass or two of your favorite drink.

Gypsy Bar specializes in tequila but also offers an eclectic beer selection and compliments your drink with a roaring atmosphere of live music. The intimate space has seating at the bar, traditional pub tables, and comfortable armchairs for a lounge-type feel. Low lighting also helps to keep the mood mellow. Oh, and don’t be afraid to get a little crazy. Gypsy Bar comes complete with a dance floor allowing you to move your feet to the best sounds in town.

Never been to the Atlantic City or to the Borgata? Then MIXX is the first place to check out because it fully captivates what the Borgata is all about. As a performance-driven dance club, MIXX is home to some of the most renowned DJs and official concert after-parties. With its high ceilings, two levels, and plenty of VIP tables, MIXX has more of a mega club feel than its local counterparts. You will find trapeze artists swinging from the rafters, and celebrities passing through on any given night.

OK so maybe the club scene isn’t for you. Don't worry, because Borgata comes fully equipped with the most luxurious of spas on the east coast. Dedicated to undoing the effects of your day, Spa Toccare offers relaxing treatments guaranteed to exhilarate. It is definitely the place where tensions melt and knots disappear. Sounds like a typical effect from a 12-hour poker session. So emerge yourself into the comforts of their many services and elevate your well being, if even just for an hour or two.

Surely, whatever you choose to do while staying at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, you will be surprised to have a Las Vegas experience with an East Coast twist.

Our exclusive coverage of the Borgata Winter Poker Open kicks off when play begins on Jan. 14, so be sure to tune in for all of the live updates! And if you're participating in the series, don't forget that you can update your chip stack whenever you want using the PokerNews My Stack App.

For a full schedule and more information about the venue, visit theborgata.com.

Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook now!

***Article written by PokerNews' Pamela Maldonado, and originally published on January 13th.

01-17-2014 00:00 UTC-4

Event 1: Le Delivers Another KO

mnuwwarah

A player under the gun raised to 125,000, and Alynna Le three-bet to 375,000 from the small blind. The big blind pushed all in for 445,000, and the under-the-gun player asked for the floor to be called so it could be determined whether Le still had the option of raising. When the official informed the player under the gun that Le could still raise, he decided to fold.

Le:
Big blind:

The board came down , and Le continues to chip up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alynna Le	2,275,000	475,000

Tags: Alynna Le

01-16-2014 23:51 UTC-4

Event 1: St. Nick

[user253757]

Nick Guagenti (Seen Here in Another Tournament Series) is Among the Leaders Late on Day 2

Nick Guagenti is one of the more experienced players left in today's shrinking field, as the tournament pro has booked more than $470,000 in lifetime earnings.

Despite plummeting to just under 225,000 less than an hour ago, making him one of the shortest stacks in the room, Guagenti showed the perseverance that separates the professionals from the rest of the pack.

Guagenti patiently grinded his small stack back to the realm of respectability, simply surviving until a momentous clash of premium hands catapulted him to near the top of the leaderboard.

According to an obviously facetious Guagenti, he "played the hand like an expert," having woke up with while two players shoved with and respectively. The rockets held up over big slick and cowboys, pushing Guagenti over the 3 million chip plateau late on this Day 2.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Guagenti	3,150,000	1,700,000

Tags: Nick Guagenti

01-16-2014 23:37 UTC-4

Event 2: Crane, Filippi, Panitch Still Alive

mnuwwarah

A few notable names remain in the $350 Black Chip Bounty: Russell Crane (3,500), Amnon Filippi (43,000) and Bob Panitch (310,000). Sixty-nine players remain, so the money bubble is fast approaching, and the blinds are currently sitting at 2,000-4,000 with a 400 ante.

Update: Crane busted out in the time it took to write this post.

Tags: Amnon Filippi Robert Panitch Russell Crane

01-16-2014 23:29 UTC-4

Event 1: Catching Lightner in a Bottle

[user253757]

Every tournament ever played has produced a chip-and-a-chair story, as a short-stacked player suddenly rises from the ashes like the mythical phoenix, breathing fire down on their opponents after being left for dead.

Today's comeback kid is none other Maurice "Reece" Lightner, who found himself down to 80,000 - or just two big blinds - mere moments ago. Currently, Lightner holds around 800,000, having experienced a truly stunning reversal of fortune.

First, immediately after receiving the beat that decimated his chip stack, Lightner was moved to a new table, where he was sat between the blinds. After sitting out two hands to let the button pass, as is standard in such situations, Lightner looked down to find . He managed to quadruple up with the cowboys, but before any momentum could be generated at his new table, Lightner was ushered off to a new seat once again.

The say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but for Lightner, this maxim does not apply. In one of his first hands after arriving, Lightner woke up with , and like a flash he found himself all in once more, trying to fade the deck against .

When the flop fell , Lightner's lead in the hand was lengthened, as he now held a four-flush to nullify some of his opponent's outs. Of course, the arrived on the turn to make things interesting, giving Lightner's opponent a gutshot straight draw, but the on the river was a safe card, and the man known by his friends on the rail as "Reece" was resurrected.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maurice Lightner	840,000	-360,000

Tags: Maurice Lightner

01-16-2014 23:28 UTC-4

Event 1: Power Poker for Guagenti

mnuwwarah

A player in early position raised, a middle-position player called and Nick Guagenti raised to 290,000 from the button. Both of his opponents called, and the flop came . Everyone checked to the preflop power, and Guagenti jammed for about 760,000. Both players folded without much consideration.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nick Guagenti	1,450,000	450,000

Tags: Nick Guagenti

01-16-2014 23:08 UTC-4

Event 1: The Lay of the Land

[user253757]

Currently there are 10 tournament tables remaining, with 89 players still vying for the crown and the cash.

The average stack is approximately 1.1 million chips, and with blinds currently at 20,000-40,000 with a 4,000 ante, most players are sitting with around 27.5 big blinds.

01-16-2014 23:05 UTC-4

Event 1: Chestnut Sends Another Out

mnuwwarah

Action folded to Coleem Chestnut, who raised to 145,000 from the small blind. The big blind made the call, and the flop came . Chestnut tossed out 300,000, effectively putting his opponent all in. The player thought for awhile before moving all in for about 400,000.

"I hope you don't have a pair, man," Chestnut said, calling.

His hope was granted.

Chestnut:
Big blind:

The turn brought a , giving the big blind an additional crop of outs if a seven hit the board. The river was the though, and Chestnut claimed yet another victim.

Player	Chips	Progress
Coleem Chestnut	4,000,000	50,000

Tags: Coleem Chestnut

01-16-2014 22:53 UTC-4

Event 1: Le, Guagenti Double

mnuwwarah

We found Alynna Le with all of her chips in the middle and an opponent tanking on a board of . Le's opponent finally called, and Le turned over for a flopped boat. Her opponent was in a world of hurt with , and the and left him second best.

The next hand, a short stack pushed all in for a little more than 200,000 under the gun. Nick Guagenti immediately moved in behind him, noting that he was all in against his friend. The two friends then watched action fold around to Le, who went all in as well. Nobody behind her called.

Le:
Guagenti:
Under the gun:

The flop gave Guagenti a flush draw, and the turn gave him the best pair. A completed the board, and Guagenti sent his friend to the rail while nearly tripling up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alynna Le	1,800,000	700,000
Nick Guagenti	1,000,000	650,000

Tags: Alynna Le Nick Guagenti