2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Borgata Winter Poker Open Side Events

Welcome Back to the Borgata for the 2014 Winter Poker Open

Welcome to the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Welcome to the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Today a full day of poker action is scheduled to do down, as the 2014 Winter Poker Open rolls onward. Today's first tournament of the day is Event 5 ($400 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry), and the Borgata has guaranteed a $100,000 prize pool.

At noon local time, Day 2 of Event 3 ($560 Deep Stack No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry) is set to resume, with 89 players returning to compete for a $69,808 payaday. Alan Dworetsky leads the way with 478,600, while Abdul Amer is in a distant second with 403,300. Other large stacks include Edgardo Rosario (394,800), Tony Sinishtas (316,500), Stephen Knoble (278,700) and Sung Kim (275,300). Notable players who bagged up include Andy Hwang (261,000), Coleem Chestnut (165,300), Erik Cajelais (156,800), Dan Buzgon (155,400), James Woods (110,900) and Amnon Filippi (46,400).

Finally, Day 1 of Event 6 ($500 H.O.R.S.E) is set to kick off at 1 p.m. local time, so stay tuned throughout the day asPokerNews brings you continuous coverage of all three events live from the floor of the Borgata.

Event 3: Sprint to the Finish Line

Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

The 89 players who survived yesterday's Day 1 of Event 3 ($560 Deep Stack NLHE Re-Entry) have reassembled, and cards are in the air.

We expect to play down to a winner this evening, so stay tuned throughout the day to find out who will take home the big bucks.

An Announcement Regarding Event 1 From the Borgata

2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

We have been handed a press release from the Borgata staff regarding Event 1 ($560 NLHE Re-Entry, $2 Million Guarantee), which was suspended yesterday pending an investigation into the suspected use of counterfeit T5000 chips. Below is the text from that announcement:

Borgata announced today that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has ordered the cancellation of the first event of the Borgata Winter Poker Open due to a pending investigation.

Thus far, investigators have found that one or more tournament entrants improperly introduced a significant number of counterfeit chips into the tournament, gaining an unfair advantage and compromising the integrity of play for the event.

Tom Ballance, President and Chief Operating Officer of Borgata, said "It is extremely unfortunate that the criminal actions of these individuals can have a detrimental impact on more than 4,000 other entrants. We fully understand and regret the disappointment this cancellation causes our valued customers, and we will work diligently with DGE investigators to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. The integrity of our games and the confidence of our players is of the utmost importance to us."

"We thoroughly verified all remaining chips in our inventory, and are confident in moving forward with our tournament schedule as planned and approved by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement."

Event 3: On the Money Bubble

The Stakes Are High Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open
The Stakes Are High Here at the Borgata Winter Poker Open

With just 55 players still in contention in Event 3, the money bubble has officially arrived. The next player eliminated will be the bubble boy (or girl), while everyone still alive after that will earn at least $1,121 for their deep run.

Event 3: James Woods the Action Hero

James Woods on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
James Woods on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Actor and poker enthusiast James Woods just let us know about a big hand he was involved in recently, and according to Woods, his read on an opponent helped him make a tough call.

The flop read {k-}{10-}{4-} when Woods' opponent shoved all-in for around 80,000, and the man who stole Sharon Stone away from DeNiro in the classic film Casino saw a chance to steal a pot.

Woods said he put his man on {A-}{Q-}, and he called his man down with {7-}{7-} to find out his read on the hand was spot on. After dodging jacks, queens and aces on the turn and river, Woods notched the knockout and padded his stack in the process.

Tags: James Woods

Event 3: Stephan Cho Survives Super Tank to Force the Fold

Stevan Cho on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Stevan Cho on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

With the board reading {q-Spades}{2-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} by the turn, Stephan Cho had an all-in button in near his towering stacks, but the pressure was really on his opponent.

The woman who had checked to Cho moments before was now faced with a decision for her tournament life. With around 235,000 left to her name, the woman agonized over her options for at least five minutes, alternating between grabbing her stacks to slide them forward, and readying her cards for the muck.

Eventually, she asked Cho if he would show after she folded, but he didn't move a muscle in response. Finally, the woman verbally announced her fold, clearly still attached to her hand. The pot was pushed to Cho, while the losing player was left to commiserate with a friend on the rail.

Tags: Stevan Cho

Event 3: Captain Amer(ica)

James Woods Has Gone Bust on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
James Woods Has Gone Bust on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

After bagging up one of the largest stacks in the room last night, Abdul Amer just inched closer to the million-chip plateau by busting actor James Woods.

According to Amer, there was a min-raise to open the pot and Woods flatted, along with Amer and another player. After the flop fell {j-}{3-}{8-}, the action was checked around the table, bringing the {2-Diamonds} on board on the turn.

Woods decided to lead out this time, making it 55,000 to play, and only Amer came along for the ride. The river card was the {5-Spades}, and Woods jammed the rest of his chips into the middle for a power play. Amer tanked for a bit to assess the situation, before deciding to look Woods up.

Showdown:

Woods: {A-}{A-}
Amer: {J-Spades}{3-Spades}

Trying to get tricky with pocket rockets, Woods played his aces slow, and the move came back to haunt him in the end. Amer's speculative play with a marginal hand turned panned out, and with two pair on the flop, he busted Woods to bring us one step closer to the final table.

Tags: Abdul AmerJames Woods

Event 3: Barry the Beast

Barry Kruger is Krushing Here on Day 2
Barry Kruger is Krushing Here on Day 2

Barry Kruger may just be the first player in the tournament to eclipse the million-chip mark, and he currently sits with around 1.25 million in his stack.

With just four tables left, Kruger's commanding chip advantage should give him the inside track as the race to the final table continues.

Tags: Barry Kruger