The Crowds Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open Are More Focused on Football Than Flops at the Moment
While most major poker tournaments like the Borgata Winter Poker Open are defined by intense concentration, as players stare silently ahead and say little more than "nice hand" or "so sick."
Today, however, the mood is different on the tournament floor, what with the National Football League's Conference Championship games being broadcast on massive projections screens in all corners of the room. The tournament staff has graciously allowed for the full sound to be turned up as well, drowning out the usual eclectic mix of radio-friendly tunes serenading us from above.
After the New England Patriots recent defeat at the hands of Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, the mood in the room is a bit somber at the moment, what with the region's residents largely aligning itself with their neighbors to the north. The NFC Championship game is set to start at any minute now, and we expect to hear cheers, shouts and catcalls throughout the next few hours that have nothing to do with the action on the felt.
After jumping out to a big lead early in the day, Darren Eiermann was just eliminated from the tournament in particularly ugly fashion.
The Long Islander came to the Borgata today proudly sporting his bright blue New York Rangers sweatshirt, and for a time it looked like he might recreate his favorite team's memorable accomplishment from the 1994 season: winning it all.
Instead, Eiermann fell short late on this Day 1A, having his cracked by - of all hands - . Every hockey fan knows that 99 was Wayne Gretzky's number, and although the Great One was the best of all-time on the ice, on the felt, 99 spelled doom for Eiermann.
The flop of seemed safe enough for Eiermann's cowboys, but Jason Mccauley was laying in wait with his flopped full house, and after the players both checked down to the river (), the stacks were suddenly shoved forward. Eiermann's premium hand was now second-best, and with that, he was headed out the door with a look of shock still written on his face.
A player in middle position raised to 4,000, and the cutoff made it 11,000. Frank Musso called from the small blind, and the big blind went all in for another 1,100. The cutoff asked if he could raise, but he could only call, and Musso called as well.
The flop came , and Musso and the cutoff seemed to mutually agree to push all in.
Musso:
Big blind:
Cutoff:
Musso had flopped a set, and the turn gave him a full house. Even better, the river gave him quads.
"Oh, four of a kid, I hate when that happens," he exclaimed, slapping the table.
![[user253757]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
), the stacks were suddenly shoved forward. Eiermann's premium hand was now second-best, and with that, he was headed out the door with a look of shock still written on his face.
, and Musso and the cutoff seemed to mutually agree to push all in.
turn gave him a full house. Even better, the 
river gave him quads.