2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Event 15: $200,000 Guarantee Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry
Day: 1
Event Info

2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
$88,643
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$361,810
Entries
373
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
20,000 / 40,000
Ante
4,000

End Times

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante
Cotton Snuffer Has Been Buried Here at the Borgata
Cotton Snuffer Has Been Buried Here at the Borgata

The end times for Cotton Snuffer just arrived, and to hear him tell the tale he met a grisly demise.

Snuffer let us know that he went busto when his {Q-}{Q-} took on two short stacks who both held {a-}{10-}, with an ace in the window cutting the man known as Heisenberg's stack down to size.

He was eventually put down like a rabid dog when he lost a coin flip on the river, with his {10-}{10-} falling short to {a-}{j-} when a jack fell on fifth street.

Player Chips Progress
Cotton Snuffer
Cotton Snuffer
Busted

Tags: Cotton Snuffer

Updated Chip Counts

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 200 ante
Joey Couden Holds the Biggest Stack in Sight So Far at the Six-Max Event
Joey Couden Holds the Biggest Stack in Sight So Far at the Six-Max Event

Here is the latest round of chip counts from around the room.

Joey Couden has emerged as our likely chip leader with 94 players left, as he holds a stack of nearly 220,000 for more than three times the average at the moment.

Seniors event runner-up Natale Kuey also owns a big stack with 155,000, while Joe Mckeehen - who took down Event 3 here for a $69,808 score less than a week ago - holds about 145,000 to put himself in position for another deep run.

Player Chips Progress
Joey Couden us
Joey Couden
217,600
217,600
217,600
$25K Fantasy
WSOP 1X Winner
Alex Queen us
Alex Queen
173,900
-36,100
-36,100
Natale Kuey us
Natale Kuey
155,000
-11,000
-11,000
Joe Mckeehen us
Joe Mckeehen
145,800
79,800
79,800
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 3X Winner
Matt Affleck us
Matt Affleck
121,000
4,200
4,200
Zohair Karim
Zohair Karim
113,400
18,600
18,600
Amanda Musumeci us
Amanda Musumeci
85,400
21,900
21,900
Aaron Steury us
Aaron Steury
67,900
47,900
47,900
WSOP 1X Winner
Ravi Raghavan us
Ravi Raghavan
32,700
-6,900
-6,900
WPT 1X Winner
Cotton Snuffer
Cotton Snuffer
24,500
-25,000
-25,000

Tags: Joe MckeehenNatale KueyJoey Couden

Natale Kuey Lets Andy Hwang Get There

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Andy Hwang Has Already Final Tabled Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open
Andy Hwang Has Already Final Tabled Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open

We watched Andy Hwang reraise over the top of Natale Kuey's 6,000 bet before the flop, and when Kuey called the 14,700 bet we stuck around to see the fireworks firsthand.

The flop rolled out {3-Hearts}{a-Spades}{q-Hearts} and it appeared to be an action board, but both Hwang and Kuey checked down to take the {6-Clubs} on the turn.

Two taps of the table later and we were off to the river, which came {k-Diamonds} and prompted Kuey to check for a third time. Hwang was done with the soft stuff though, and he used two hands to move a bet of 7,400 into the middle. Kuey wasted little time in making the call, but he mucked even quicker when he saw Hwang table {k-Hearts}{k-Clubs} for a rivered set of kings.

The play in this hand is indicative of that exhibited by the rest of the field, for the most part, as the average stack sits at just about 67,000 big blinds at the 500-1,000-100 level of play.

Player Chips Progress
Natale Kuey us
Natale Kuey
166,000
-28,700
-28,700
Andy Hwang us
Andy Hwang
76,500
28,200
28,200

Tags: Natale KueyAndy Hwang

Oh to Be Queen for a Day

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Alex Queen is One of the Chip Leaders Late on Day 1 of Event 15 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry)
Alex Queen is One of the Chip Leaders Late on Day 1 of Event 15 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry)

There are now just 19 tables left in this six-handed tournament, meaning 114 players have a chip and a chair.

The average stack at this point in the proceedings stands at 65,400, and we've spotted a few big stacks floating around out there, including Alex Queen, a young tourney grinder who has already accumulated more than $1 million in live earnings.

Queen's biggest score to date came right here at the Borgata, when he took down top honors at the 2010 Spring Poker Open's $3,200 buy-in Main Event for a $355,535 payday. That six-figure score was no fluke either, as Queen went on to final table a $1,500 NLHE event at the 2011 World Series of Poker - finishing 6th for $111,341 - on his way to the coveted million dollar earning mark.

Tags: Alex Queen

Prize Pool Information and Payouts Announced

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
The Stakes Are High Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open's $250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max Event
The Stakes Are High Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open's $250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max Event

A total of 373 entries at $1,000 per bullet created a prize pool of $361,810, and below you will see how the big bucks will be divvied up.

PlacePayout
1$88,643
2$54,272
3$41,246
4$33,467
5$25,869
6$18,633
7$13,568
8$9,045
9$5,427
10-12$4,342
13-18$3,437
19-24$2,533
25-30$1,990
31-36$1,809

BREAKING: Christian Lusardi Arrested for Counterfeit Chips at Borgata

Level 9 : 400/800, 75 ante
Christian Lusardi
Christian Lusardi

On Friday, the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) announced that 2.7 million in counterfeit chips from Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa were discovered in a clogged sewer pipe at Harrah's Resort and Casino last weekend.

Prior to the blockage, the Borgata Winter Poker Open $2 Million Guarantee was suspended, and ultimately cancelled, after the staff discovered counterfeit chips.

An investigation revealed that Christian Lusardi, 42, was staying in the room where the pipes were clogged. Police say that Lusardi, who entered Day 2 of the event with the chip lead, introduced the counterfeits into the tournament multiple times. He was eliminated on Day 2, earning only "$6,814" according to The Press of Atlantic City.

"We are very pleased that the New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau has apprehended a suspect in connection with the counterfeit chip activity that compromised Event 1 of the Borgata Poker Open," Borgata senior vice president Joe Lupo told the Associated Press. "While this is a very positive development, the investigation by the (Division of Gaming Enforcement) and the state police is ongoing."

The DGE is unsure what will be done with the remaining 27 players and the unpaid prize pool.

"The division is committed to ensuring confidence and integrity in all gaming operations and will continue to work with Borgata and the New Jersey State Police until this case is closed," it said in a statement.

Lusardi left Harrah's last weekend and a warrant was issued, charging him with rigging a publicly exhibited contest, criminal attempt, and theft by deception. He was found at an undisclosed motel in Atlantic City on Friday, and was taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility. His bail is set at $300,000.

This isn't Lusardi's first run in with authorities. In 2008, in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, his house was raided in an illegal gambling bust. He was charged with gambling and illegal alcohol sales.

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***Article written by Rich Ryan and published on PokerNews.com January 24th, 2014***

Tags: Christian Lusardi

Problem Dog

Level 9 : 400/800, 75 ante
Cotton "Heisenberg" Snuffer Could Be a Problem Dog for Chip Leader Alex Queen, Sitting to His Left and Never Scared to Move His Chips
Cotton "Heisenberg" Snuffer Could Be a Problem Dog for Chip Leader Alex Queen, Sitting to His Left and Never Scared to Move His Chips

Cotton Snuffer has become notorious during this Borgata Winter Poker Open - what with his uncanny resemblance to Walter "Heisenberg" White of Breaking Bad infamy - but Snuffer is more than just a drug dealer's doppleganger.

Snuffer took down a $63,882 first-prize payout for winning Event 5 ($100,000 Guaranteed Big Stack NLHE Re-Entry), defeating veteran pro Chad Brown heads up to take the title, and with a couple of side event victories thrown in, he's one of the series' leading money winners to date.

His heater has cooled off a bit as of late, but Snuffer still has a stack to work with in Event 15 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry), a fact which makes him a man to be feared and respected - just like Heisenberg.

Snuffer just showed Alex Queen, our clear chip leader as the dinner break approaches, that he's not afraid to tangle with the top dog in the game, pushing Queen off the pot with a well-timed turn bet. Snuffer called a 2,400 button raise from queen before the flop, along with one other player, and the dealer fanned the {k-Diamonds}{2-Hearts}{9-Clubs} across the felt. All three players checked down to take the {4-Diamonds} on the turn, which is where Snuffer took the pot with a pot-sized wager.

Although Queen currently holds more than 200,000 to give himself the top count in the room, having the dreaded Heisenberg seated to his left means he must do like the man once said... and tread lightly.

Player Chips Progress
Cotton Snuffer
Cotton Snuffer
49,500

Tags: Alex QueenCotton Snuffer

There's Still Time to Qualify for the $3,500 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship!

Level 9 : 400/800, 75 ante
The World Poker Tour Champions Cup
The World Poker Tour Champions Cup

The World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship is just two days away, and for the first time ever PokerNews will be providing live coverage of the tournament straight from the luxurious Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

The flagship event on the Borgata Winter Poker Open schedule will run from Jan. 26-31. The tournament features a buy-in of $3,500 with two starting flights and a $3 million guaranteed prize pool. Re-entry will be available on Day 1a for those who are eliminated before Level 6, and players eliminated on Day 1a may also re-enter on Day 1b.

For those on the fence about putting up $3,500 to play, there's still plenty of time to qualify via a satellite tournament. Borgata is hosting several live qualifiers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, offering players a chance to win a seat to the WPT event for a fraction of the buy-in.

Here's a look at the qualifier schedule this weekend:

DateTimeEventBuy-in
Jan. 247 p.m.NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry)$350 + $50 (1 in 10 get a seat)
Jan. 253 p.m.NLHE Championship Qualifier$700+50 (1 in 5 get a seat)
Jan. 257 p.m.NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry)$350+$50 (1 in 10 get a seat)
Jan. 2612 p.m.NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry)$350+$50 (1 in 10 get a seat)
Jan. 263 p.m.NLHE Championship Qualifier$700+50 (1 in 5 get a seat)
Jan. 267 p.m.NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry)$500+50 (1 in 7 get a seat)

All That and a Bag of Chips

Level 9 : 400/800, 75 ante
Alex Queen is One of the Chip Leaders Late on Day 1 of Event 15 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry)
Alex Queen is One of the Chip Leaders Late on Day 1 of Event 15 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry)

Some updated chip counts for the notables and big stacks in the field.

Alex Queen holds the biggest stack we've seen thus far with more than 210,000, continuing his run here at at the Borgata Winter Poker Open after reaching the Sweet Sixteen in yesterday's $1,650 Heads-Up tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Alex Queen us
Alex Queen
210,000
210,000
210,000
Zohair Karim
Zohair Karim
94,800
94,800
94,800
Eric Rappaport us
Eric Rappaport
93,800
93,800
93,800
Amanda Musumeci us
Amanda Musumeci
63,500
63,500
63,500
Andy Hwang us
Andy Hwang
48,300
8,550
8,550
Cotton Snuffer
Cotton Snuffer
42,000
22,000
22,000
Ravi Raghavan us
Ravi Raghavan
39,600
39,600
39,600
WPT 1X Winner
John Racener us
John Racener
22,800
2,800
2,800
$25K Fantasy
WSOP 1X Winner

Notable Counts From Around the Room

Natale Kuey is Among the Chip Leaders Here in Event 16 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry)
Natale Kuey is Among the Chip Leaders Here in Event 16 ($250,000 Guaranteed Six-Max NLHE Re-Entry)

Here are some of the big stacks and big names still alive in the Six-Max event.

Player Chips Progress
Natale Kuey us
Natale Kuey
194,700
146,250
146,250
Matt Affleck us
Matt Affleck
116,800
96,800
96,800
Joe Mckeehen us
Joe Mckeehen
66,000
46,000
46,000
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 3X Winner
Phil Collins us
Phil Collins
48,200
28,200
28,200
Andy Hwang us
Andy Hwang
39,750
19,750
19,750
Keven Stammen us
Keven Stammen
36,500
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
Chris Tryba us
Chris Tryba
17,400
-2,600
-2,600
WSOP 1X Winner