2019 Borgata Fall Poker Open

Event #11: $400 Almighty Stack
Day: 3
Event Info

2019 Borgata Fall Poker Open

Event Info
Buy-in
$400
Prize Pool
$505,855
Entries
1,490
Players Left
3
Average Chip Stack
49,666,667
Total Chips
149,000,000
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
18
Players Left
3

Event #11: $400 Almighty Stack

Day 3 Completed

Ken Barkoff Takes First in 2019 BFPO Almighty Stack ($86,364)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ken Barkoff
Ken Barkoff

The 2019 Borgata Fall Poker Open Event #11: $400 Almighty Stack NLH saw 1,490 entrants try their luck over four starting flights, but at the end, it was Ken Barkoff sitting behind a mountain of chips. The final three players came to an agreement and Barkoff took first place for $86,364 and his first Borgata Open trophy. Nicola Alessio claimed second and $65,648, while World Series of Poker bracelet winner Joey Couden finished third and took $55,227 in the deal.

Barkoff is from Manhattan and is in the real estate business, but after the workday is done and his wife is asleep, he spends hours studying the game of poker. It's paid off as he quadrupled his previous best live cash ($21,122) and more than doubled his total reported tournament earnings.

"I love coming to Borgata," he said of the two hour drive from his home.

Barkoff will return to New York to take care of his business but plans to return on Monday and play in Flight C of the BFPO $2,700 Championship event.

Almighty Stack Final Table Results

PlacePlayerPayout
1Ken Barkoff$86,364*
2Nicola Alessio$65,648*
3Joey Couden$55,227*
4Peter Walsworth$32,881
5Prabhu Dyal$27,316
6Arian Stolt$22,156
7Sam Taylor$17,062
8Adam Phillips$12,444
9Kevin Johnson$8,954
10Gary Brown$5,919

*Denotes three-handed deal.

Day 3 Action

Couden was the chip leader at the start of Day 3 but surrendered the lead to Barkoff with eight players remaining. Barkoff caught fire while Couden cooled off. Then lessio won a flip to double through Couden and he was heating up as well. He pulled ahead of Couden with a double elimination when his ace-queen improved to top pair to felt Prabhu Dyal (pocket eights) and Peter Walsworth (ace-eight) in fifth and fourth places respectively.

2017 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship event winner Sam Taylor got coolered with pocket kings, running into Barkoff's pocket aces. Despite turning a king, he was still eliminated by the Barkoff buzzsaw when an ace appeared on the river.

The Almighty Stack tournament carried a $300,000 guarantee on total buy-ins and it was covered with ease, building a prize pool in excess of $505,000. The final 140 players earned a share. Some of the big names that cashed in this event were World Poker Tour Champions Club members Mike Linster (65th) and Victor Ramdin (102nd) along with two-time WSOP bracelet winner Shankar Pillai (88th).

This concludes PokerNews' coverage of Event #11, but there's still a week to go in the Fall Poker Open Click here to see what other tournaments are currently being covered.

Tags: Ken Barkoff

Almighty Stack Ends with Three-Way Adjusted Payout Agreement

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ken Barkoff (seated) with Joey Couden & Nicola Alessio
Ken Barkoff (seated) with Joey Couden & Nicola Alessio

Before a single hand was dealt after the break, the final three players agreed on a deal based on their chip counts.

As the chip leader, Ken Barkoff gets first place, the lion's share of the remaining prize pool, and also gets to take home the hefty Borgata Fall Poker Open trophy!

PlacePlayerPayout
1Ken Barkoff$86,364
2Nicola Alessio$65,648
3Joey Couden$55,227

Tags: Joey CoudenKen BarkoffNicola Alessio

Tiptoeing Around the Big Stack

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ken Barkoff
Ken Barkoff

Joey Couden opened on the button for 1.45 million, then Nicola Alessio (sb) made it 4.1 million to go.

Ken Barkoff four-bet-shoved and the other two folded. "I don't want to play with you," said Alessio.

Three-handed play continues.

Player Chips Progress
Ken Barkoff us
Ken Barkoff
86,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
Nicola Alessio us
Nicola Alessio
43,000,000
5,400,000
5,400,000
Joey Couden us
Joey Couden
20,000,000
-13,300,000
-13,300,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Joey CoudenKen BarkoffNicola Alessio

Dyal Eliminated in 5th ($27,316); Walsworth Eliminated in 4th ($32,881)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Prabhu Dyal & Peter Walsworth
Prabhu Dyal & Peter Walsworth

Prabhu Dyal got his short-stack all-in against Peter Walsworth and Nicola Alessio.

Dyal: {8-}{8-}
Walsworth: {a-}{8-}
Alessio: {a-Diamonds}{q-Hearts}

Alessio had the biggest stack and when the flop came {a-}{k-}{2-}, he also had the best hand and it stayed that way. He felted both opponents, chipping up to 37.6 million.

Dyal had the shorter stack and finished fifth for $27,316. Walsworth finished in fourth place for $32,881.

Player Chips Progress
Nicola Alessio us
Nicola Alessio
37,600,000
28,600,000
28,600,000
Prabhu Dyal us
Prabhu Dyal
Busted
Peter Walsworth us
Peter Walsworth
Busted

Tags: Nicola AlessioPrabhu Dyal

Arian Stolt Eliminated in 6th Place ($22,156)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Arian Stolt
Arian Stolt

On the river with a board of {8-Hearts}{8-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{6-Hearts}, Arian Stolt got all-in against chip leader Ken Barkoff. His {a-Hearts}{9-Hearts} (nut flush) had been rivered by Barkoff's {6-Spades}{6-Diamonds} for the full house.

Barkoff keeps hitting river cards and dragging pots...and busting players. He's got more than half the total chips in play.

Arian Stolt finished in sixth place, earning $22,156.

Player Chips Progress
Ken Barkoff us
Ken Barkoff
85,000,000
25,000,000
25,000,000
Arian Stolt us
Arian Stolt
Busted

Tags: Arian StoltKen Barkoff

Sam Taylor Eliminated in 7th Place ($17,062)

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Sam Taylor
Sam Taylor

Sam Taylor was all-in pre-flop holding {k-Spades}{k-Diamonds} and ran into the big stack and big hand of Ken Barkoff, holding {a-Spades}{a-Hearts}.

The flop of {10-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{3-Hearts} changed nothing, but the {k-Hearts} on the turn gave Taylor a set and a presumed double-up.

Then the {a-Diamonds} came on the river, giving Barkoff the set of aces and yet another pot. He's playing more than 60 million.

Sam Taylor was eliminated in seventh place, earning $17,062.

Player Chips Progress
Ken Barkoff us
Ken Barkoff
60,000,000
14,000,000
14,000,000
Sam Taylor us
Sam Taylor
Busted

Tags: Ken Barkoff

Barkoff Takes From Stolt

Level 35 : 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ken Barkoff
Ken Barkoff

Arian Stolt opened for a min-raise of 1.2 million and got three-bet by Ken Barkoff, to 3.3 million. Stolt called to see the flop fall {9-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}{3-Hearts}, and checked.

Barkoff bet 3 million and got called. Turn was the {3-Clubs} and both players checked. River brought the {9-Spades}, pairing the board, and Stolt led out for 3.5 million. Barkoff called.

Stolt tabled {4-Hearts}{4-Clubs} to go with the nines on board. Barkoff had him beat with {j-Hearts}{j-Diamonds} for a better two pair to take the pot. His lead continues to grow.

Player Chips Progress
Ken Barkoff us
Ken Barkoff
46,000,000
10,000,000
10,000,000
Arian Stolt us
Arian Stolt
25,000,000
200,000
200,000

Tags: Arian StoltKen Barkoff