The action continues downstairs in the Signature Room and the Borgata Poker Room, as Event 2 ($350 Buy-In, Re-Entry, with a $100 chip bounty for each elimination).
Currently, play is in Level 9, meaning blinds are at 400-800 with a 75 ante.
Approximately 300 players remain in contention, and when prize pool information is released we will make those figures public.
Players highlighted in our recent "Local Spotlight" series, Jerry Callahan and Luis Vazquez, are still alive and grinding in the money, though Callahan is sitting on a short stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
412,000
96,500
|
96,500 |
|
140,000
-7,000
|
-7,000 |
Steve Dannenmann fired a river bet after a king fell in a pot he'd raised and then checked down against one opponent.
"Well, I just found out you were second to Hachem, so I'm folding," the player said in reference to Dannenmann's runner-up finish at the 2005 Main Event. "You just look like an ordinary guy to me."
"Still am," Dannenmann said with a laugh.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
535,000
463,500
|
463,500 |
Coleem Chestnut has amassed one of the biggest stacks in the room, in large part due to a hand we recently witnessed.
An opponent pushed all in for more than the pot with the board reading 
. Chestnut would have to commit 336,000 to make the call, which he eventually elected to do.
Chestnut: 
Opponent: 
The river completed a flush, but it was the 
, not the flush Chestnut's opponent was drawing to. Chestnut became one of the first to crack six figures.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,087,000 |
After a lengthy delay to sort through extremely close chip stacks, the unfortunate bubble boy was determined to be Bob Romanowski.
His tournament life came to an end after Romanowski got his last 95,000 or so into the middle holding 
against two other opponents.
One of those players held 
, but Romanowski's tormentor proved to be a young man named Dylan G., who came to the party armed with 
.
With dozens of players crowding around the table hoping to see somebody eliminated in 451st place, the dealer fanned a flop of 
across the felt. Dylan G.'s pocket rockets were well out in front on the clean flop, but a on the turn provided Romanowksi with a glimmer of hope.
River: 
With that, Dylan G. just barely nipped Romanowski, having him covered by just 10,000 chips, or a single big blind. The player with queens had both opponents covered, and thus he remained alive, making Romanowski the first bubble boy of the 2014 Winter Poker Open.
For his part, Romanowski took the beat in stride, smiling all the while as hundreds of players applauded his elimination.
Just before the bubble, Michael Ortiz pushed all in against one opponent after a 
flop. The player went deep into the tank, thinking for so long that other players crowding around the table were demanding a clock. The tournament official at the table said that only a player at the table could call the clock, and finally, someone did.
Ortiz's opponent was down to his final 20 seconds or so when he opted to call off his remaining 170,000 or so.
Ortiz: 
Opponent: 
The ace-king was way good, and a turn left Ortiz drawing dead. An 
arrived on the river for good measure.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
316,000
-2,000
|
-2,000 |
As so common with all tournament play on the bubble, action has slowed considerably.
A series of six or seven hands has taken place during hand-for-hand play, meaning each deal of the cards takes at least 5-8 minutes to complete. Compounding matters, there were multiple three-way all-in situations involving very similarly sized stacks, so the tournament crew is having a difficult time identifying the last player eliminated before the bubble burst.
We've compiled a ton of compelling hands from the last half hour, and as soon as the bubble situation is sorted out by tournament officials, we will back to updating on our regular schedule.
With just 460 or so players left in the field, the dreaded money bubble has arrived.
We will be sure to update you as to who the unfortunate player ends up being, as well as the celebration which takes place with his or her elimination.
The prize pool for this $2 Million Guarantee Big Stack NLHE Re-Entry has been calculated, and the eventual winner will receive $372,123 for his or her efforts.
The runner-up will earn $241,899, while third place is good for a $163,984 payday.
Those players who slide into a min-cash will take home $1,082, but with the re-entry format of the event, any player who already fired multiple bullets will more than likely need to climb higher on the ladder to generate a profit.
It's not every day that the opening event of a tournament series attracts more than 4,800 entries, while awarding a total of five six-figure scores. It's safe to say that the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open is off to a tremendous start, having exceeded its guarantee by compiling a total prize pool of $2,325,835.
