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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.
| Place | Payout |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Level: 10
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
The six-handed action is back in swing and cards are in the air at the Borgata Winter Poker Open.
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***
The field is still out on its dinner break and play will resume in a few minutes.
The field is streaming toward the exit in search of sustenance, as we enter a 60-minute dinner break.
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 
across the felt. All three players checked down to take the 
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
|
49,500 |
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:
| Date | Time | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 24 | 7 p.m. | NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry) | $350 + $50 (1 in 10 get a seat) |
| Jan. 25 | 3 p.m. | NLHE Championship Qualifier | $700+50 (1 in 5 get a seat) |
| Jan. 25 | 7 p.m. | NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry) | $350+$50 (1 in 10 get a seat) |
| Jan. 26 | 12 p.m. | NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry) | $350+$50 (1 in 10 get a seat) |
| Jan. 26 | 3 p.m. | NLHE Championship Qualifier | $700+50 (1 in 5 get a seat) |
| Jan. 26 | 7 p.m. | NLHE Championship Qualifier (Re-entry) | $500+50 (1 in 7 get a seat) |
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
210,000 | 210,000 |
|
94,800 | 94,800 |
|
93,800 | 93,800 |
|
63,500 | 63,500 |
|
48,300 | 8,550 |
|
|
42,000 | 22,000 |
|
39,600 | 39,600 |
|
22,800 | 2,800 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 75
