Event #17: $2,700 Championship Day 1c | 2019 Borgata Fall Poker Open

11-18-2019 14:46 UTC-4

Finding Success at Borgata

Kaelaine Minton

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

Since he won the 2017 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open Championship event and more than $789,000, we've seen a lot more of Guo Liang Chen in the tournaments here. He took third place in the 2018 Summer Poker Open Tournament of Champions Freeroll, earning another $8,000. That was a tough field — an invitational freeroll made up of former Open Series Champions.

Seated next to Chen is Valerie Novak, who we only get to see for the biggest events. She made the final table of this event back in 2016, finishing 9th for $23,717 (her best live cash).

The random seating process has landed these two next to each other and despite the big disparity in their poker histories, they've both found success at Borgata.

Tags: Guo Liang Chen Valerie Novak

11-18-2019 14:27 UTC-4

An Assortment of Chip Counts for Flight C

Kaelaine Minton

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

Players are back in action following the break. Here's how some of them are stacking:

Player	Chips	Progress
Ken Barkoff	80,000
Bruce Yamron	56,000
Joey Couden	50,000

Jamie Gold	44,000

Dan Walsh	42,000
Dean Schultz	42,000
Tam Nguyen	40,000
Alex Lin	35,000
Denise Pratt	35,000
Anthony Anastasi	34,000
Olivier Busquet	21,000 -47,000	-47,000

Jordan Ludwick	21,000
Mike Dentale	12,000 -28,000	-28,000

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 200

11-18-2019 14:10 UTC-4

Break Time

Kaelaine Minton

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Championship Flight C is taking their first break of the day. Players have 15 minutes to take care of business away from the felt.

11-18-2019 13:55 UTC-4

Marji Returns to Borgata

Kaelaine Minton

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Melad Marji is a former Champion that we don't see much of, except during these big events. He's turned up here today, playing for a return to the winner's circle.

It was 2012 during the Summer Poker Open that Marji bested a field of 305 entrants and then Borgata regular Michael Marder heads-up to win the $2,500 Championship NLH event and more than $198,000. Over the years he's accumulated more than $757,000 in tournament earnings, but has yet to claim another trophy.

Tags: Melad Marji Michael Marder

11-18-2019 13:34 UTC-4

Making Their 2019 BFPO Debuts

Kaelaine Minton

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Dean Schultz and Dan Walsh both arrived at Borgata last night ready to tackle this Championship event.

Schultz has two Borgata titles and his first was way back in 2004 when he won the Borgata Poker Open $2,500 NLH event for more than $302,000. Back then, the Championship was still a $10,000 entry, so the $2,500 was the final preliminary event before the big one.

Walsh also has two Borgata titles, the most recent of which was in the 2018 Spring Poker Open $450 Almighty Stack, which earned him $125,286 for first place.

Tags: Dean Schultz Dan Walsh

Level: 2

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

11-18-2019 12:45 UTC-4

Gold Discovered at Borgata

Kaelaine Minton

Level 1 : 100/100, 0 ante

Playing in today's flight is none other than 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event winner Jamie Gold. That victory was good for $12 million and remains the largest main event win after more than a decade.

He's playing in Flight C today, but there was a rumor he was seen in a previous flight, but didn't bag chips. Obviously he can afford to fire as many bullets as necessary to get to Day 2.

Tags: Jamie Gold

11-18-2019 12:41 UTC-4

Update Your Own Chip Count Using the PokerNews MyStack App!

Kaelaine Minton

Level 1 : 100/100, 0 ante

PokerNews has activated the MyStack App for this event, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting blog using your iPhone or Android phone.

You can download the app for iPhone or Android now to get started. Then, create a new PokerNews account or update your current one to start updating your status immediately. Your followers can see all the live action that you're involved in.

Click here to download the My Stack app for iPhone, or click here to download the My Stack app for Android.

11-18-2019 12:11 UTC-4

Borgata Fall Poker Open Defending Champion

Kaelaine Minton

Level 1 : 100/100, 0 ante

Play has begun here in the Poker Room and Flight C is underway!

Last year, the $1 Million Guaranteed BFPO Championship event saw 437 entrants for a prize pool of more than $1,059,725.

Wenhao Ying took first place, earning $200,000 in an adjusted payout agreement with some of the best in the game. Matt Wantman earned $172,449 for second place and Paul Volpe claimed third place and $150,000.

Who will claim the 2019 BFPO Championship trophy? We'll find out Thursday when the final table takes place!