2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Event 21: $100,000 Guarantee Deep Stack NLHE Re-Entry
Day: 1
Event Info

2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
44
Prize
$42,768
Event Info
Buy-in
$200
Entries
1,030
Level Info
Level
37
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
50,000

Welcome to Event 15: $100,000 Guarantee Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante
Event 21 of the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open is Set to Start at 11 a.m. Local Time
Event 21 of the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open is Set to Start at 11 a.m. Local Time

Event 21 of the Borgata Winter Poker Open is set to start at 11 a.m. local time, and the $230 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry tournament boasts a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool.

The series' first $100,000 guaranteed tournament was Event 5, and the tournament managed to build a $286,300 prize pool -the lion's share of which was won by Walter White lookalike Cotton Snuffer. We expect today's assurance to be met quite easily, especially with so many players sticking around after busting the WPT Main Event. There are several big name pros who failed to survive the Main Event, and with blizzard-like conditions creating a travel mess outdoors, many of the game's top players may still be on hand.

Amanda Musumeci is expected to be on hand, looking to close out a successful series - in which she registered a runner-up finish and two other deep runs - while also crossing the $1 million mark in live career earnings.

As has been the case throughout the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open, PokerNews will be on hand to provide coverage throughout the day, so check back regularly to see who will take down the next five-figure score of the series. Check back here for chip count updates, information on entries and prize pool amounts, and a continuous rundown of top pros who head over after busting the Main Event to blow off some steam.

Packed House

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante
Event 21 Has Kept the Registration Desk Busy Here at the Borgata
Event 21 Has Kept the Registration Desk Busy Here at the Borgata

The house is packed here at the Borgata and Event 21 ($230 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry) seems to have attracted plenty of players interested in the $100,000 guaranteed prize pool.

We'll be back shortly with a list of the players we spot on a walk around the room, so stay tuned to see who turned out for a chance at the five-figure payday waiting at the finish line of this grueling marathon of a one-day poker tournament.

Some Faces

Level 7 : 300/600, 75 ante
Lee Childs on Day 2 of the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event
Lee Childs on Day 2 of the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event

Some familiar faces we see in the field include Jeff Madsen, Matt Lin, Cotton Snuffer, Laurence Wolf, Corrie Wunstel, Luis Vazquez, KJ Jones, Lee Childs, Men Nguyen, and Amanda Musumeci.

Tags: Jeff MadsenCotton SnufferMatt LinLaurence WolfCorrie WunstelLuis VazquezKJ JonesLee ChildsMen NguyenAmanda Musumeci

The Lay of the Land

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Event 21 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 21 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Event 21 has just moved up to Level 11, and the blinds have clicked to 800-1,600 with a 200 ante.

With a total of 1,003 entries recorded over the first eight levels of the re-entry format event, the prize pool is estimated to near $200,000, and exact information will be posted here when it is made available.

A total of 2,006,000 million chips are in play, and the field has been whittled from 1,030 to just about 360, as 40 tournament tables are currently in play. The average stack at this point is just over 55,000 (good for 35 big blinds), so play is still relatively reserved at the moment.

Damon Ferrante Gets Good Pot

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Damon Ferrante and Burnie the Bear Have Been Blazing Through Event 21
Damon Ferrante and Burnie the Bear Have Been Blazing Through Event 21

Damon Ferrante first came to our attention way back in Event 1, when he took down a nice pot and celebrated like a man who knows its best to enjoy the good moments when they come.

After getting to know Ferrante a bit better during an interview for PokerNews' Local Spotlight series - which highlights the East Coast grinders and regulars who make the Borgata their home away from home - Ferrante took a break from the series, but he's back at it today.

Ferrante currently sits with about double the average stack at 105,000 or so, and we recently watched him pad that stack with the prettiest hand in poker. A player in middle position opened for 3,500 and Ferrante made the huge three-bet to 23,500. His opponent asked about the bet-sizing before folding his hand, and Ferrante rolled over his {a-Clubs}{a-Hearts} while telling the other player "that was a courtesy bet man."

Player Chips Progress
Damon Ferrante us
Damon Ferrante
104,000 104,000

Tags: Damon Ferrante

Ladies Night

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Megan Milburn is One of the Ladies Taking a Shot in Event 21
Megan Milburn is One of the Ladies Taking a Shot in Event 21

On a recent search through the room, we noticed a few familiar faces from this series - all of whom happened to be successful women players.

Amanda Musumeci has had a great run her at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, registering a runner-up finish and two more deep runs draw extremely close to the coveted $1 million mark in career live earnings.

Megan Milburn also came close to taking down a title earlier in the series, finishing as the runner-up in Event 9 and pocketing $5,576 for her near-miss.

Alyson Parker is a beloved Borgata local who has been seen playing nearly event on the schedule, and she is here once again grinding away at her favorite casino.

Olga Petrovskaya was one hand earlier in the series to sweat her friend Ekaterina Rodkina, who finished in 14th place at the Ladies Event while falling to a Royal Flush of all things. Petrovskaya is a Brooklyn resident who mentors Rodkina on the felt, and she is an accomplished player in her own right.

All of these ladies still have chips to work with, and we'll see if they can make tonight theirs as Event 21 rolls on late into the early hours of the morning.

Player Chips Progress
Olga Petrovskaya
Olga Petrovskaya
46,000
Amanda Musumeci us
Amanda Musumeci
35,000
Alyson Parker
Alyson Parker
31,000
Megan Milburn us
Megan Milburn
20,000

Counts from Around the Room

Level 14 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Jeff Madsen at the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event
Jeff Madsen at the 2014 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event
Player Chips Progress
Jeff Madsen us
Jeff Madsen
WSOP 4X Winner
295,000 295,000
Luis Vazquez us
Luis Vazquez
200,000 200,000
Keven Stammen us
Keven Stammen
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
140,000 140,000
Manh Nguyen
Manh Nguyen
110,000 110,000
Caufman Talley us
Caufman Talley
110,000 110,000
Men Nguyen us
Men Nguyen
WSOP 7X Winner
100,000 100,000
Matt Lin
Matt Lin
93,000 93,000
James Woods us
James Woods
78,000 78,000
Michael Tauman
Michael Tauman
75,000 75,000
Lee Childs us
Lee Childs
55,000 55,000

Counts

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante
KJ Jones in Event #17 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
KJ Jones in Event #17 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Here are some chip counts as we wind down a little closer to the money.

Player Chips Progress
Shlome Gardi
Shlome Gardi
615,000
Johnny Escobalez
Johnny Escobalez
550,000
Jeff Madsen us
Jeff Madsen
WSOP 4X Winner
480,000 185,000
Vichien Siprajim
Vichien Siprajim
415,000
Michael Tauman
Michael Tauman
290,000 215,000
Clint Lilienthal us
Clint Lilienthal
217,000
Luis Vazquez us
Luis Vazquez
205,000 5,000
Keven Stammen us
Keven Stammen
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
200,000 60,000
KJ Jones
KJ Jones
175,000
Men Nguyen us
Men Nguyen
WSOP 7X Winner
130,000 30,000
Matt Lin
Matt Lin
112,000 19,000
James Woods us
James Woods
90,000 -29,800

Counts With Bubble Approaching

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Kyle Norton in Event #21 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Kyle Norton in Event #21 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Just seven players away from the money, here are some relevant counts.

Player Chips Progress
Kyle Norton
Kyle Norton
1,100,000
Cuong Phung
Cuong Phung
700,000
Thomas Rodgers
Thomas Rodgers
677,000
Johnny Escobalez
Johnny Escobalez
650,000 100,000
Michael Tauman
Michael Tauman
600,000 310,000
Lee Childs us
Lee Childs
300,000 245,000
Jeff Madsen us
Jeff Madsen
WSOP 4X Winner
205,000 -275,000
KJ Jones
KJ Jones
150,000 -25,000
Men Nguyen us
Men Nguyen
WSOP 7X Winner
145,000 15,000
Keven Stammen us
Keven Stammen
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
135,000 -65,000
Luis Vazquez us
Luis Vazquez
120,000 -85,000

Tags: Kyle Norton

Clinks in the Air

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante
Event #21 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event #21 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

The sound of chips being shuffled has once again filled the room after brief talk of a 100-way chop (yes, really).