$3,500 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship Day 1a | 2020 Borgata Winter Poker Open

01-26-2020 14:04 UTC-4

Altman On a Roll

Kaelaine Minton

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Brian Altman is fresh off a win in the $3,500 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship where he beat a field of 843 entries to take first place and $482,636. He made history as the first WPT Champion to win the same event twice — he won the same event back in 2015.

Despite being from Massachusetts, Altman has yet to take home a Borgata title. His highest finish here was last November in the 2019 Fall Poker Open Purple Chip Bounty. He finished runner-up in that event for just under $11,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brian Altman	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Brian Altman

01-26-2020 14:11 UTC-4

Happy New Year!

Kaelaine Minton

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

End of Level 1 and Championship players are taking their first 15-minute break of the day.

Chinese New Year was Saturday and the Borgata was packed with players celebrating the New Year — the Year of the Rat.

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 200

01-26-2020 14:59 UTC-4

Championship Satellite Sunday (and Monday) at Borgata

Kaelaine Minton

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

Alongside the WPT BWPO Championship, two satellites will be running today for players to try to earn their seats into the big one.

Starting at 2 p.m. local time, Event #35: $350+$50 NLH Championship Qualifier kicks off. Players get 20,000 chips and levels are 25 minutes in duration. Approximately one out of every ten players will win a $3,500 entry to play in the WPT BWPO Championship.

Later today at 5 p.m., Event #36: $700+$50 NLH Championship Qualifier takes to the felt. Players get 20,000 chips and levels are 30 minutes long. Approximately one out of every five players will win a $3,500 entry to play in the WPT BWPO Championship.

There are also a couple of "Last Chance" Satellites on Monday, running alongside starting Flight B of the Championship. Event #37: $350+$50 NLH Turbo Survivor begins Monday morning at 10 a.m. Starting stacks are 20,000 and levels are 15 minutes long. Approximately one in every ten players will earn $3,500 in cash, precisely the amount needed to buy in to the Championship, but they can also chose to take the money and run!

The final, absolute, Last Chance Championship Qualifier is Event #38: $350+$50 NLH at 6 p.m. Monday evening. Players get 20,000 chips and 25 minute levels. Approximately one out of every ten players will win a $3,500 entry to play in the WPT BWPO Championship.

01-26-2020 15:20 UTC-4

Don't Miss Borgata's $10,000 Quarterback Challenge

Kaelaine Minton

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

Test your accuracy in this skill-based throwing challenge for a chance to win real cash!

$10,000 Guaranteed
$20 Buy-In + $5 Fee (Cash only)

Enter for your chance to win the $5,000 grand prize! Participants will have 1 minute to throw 10 Wilson NFL mini footballs at four different targets from ten yards. The top 16 scores will advance to the final round.

One re-entry is permitted for Round 1. Participants must have a M life® Rewards Card

Date: Saturday, February 1, 2020
Location: Signature Room
Buy-in Location: Borgata Poker Room from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Tournament Times: Round 1 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. / Final Round TBD

The top four from the final round will win a portion of the $10,000 GTD prize pool, which could grow based upon the number of entries.

Projected payouts are as follows:

Place	Percentage of Prize Pool	Minimum Payout
1	50%	$5,000
2	30%	$3,000
3	10%	$1,000
4th	10%	$1,000
5-16	$100 Bonus Slot Dollars or $100 Match Play

Click here for more information.

01-26-2020 15:21 UTC-4

Aces Hold for Eisenberg

Kaelaine Minton

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

Lara Eisenberg got her last 4,300 in from the small blind after Seat 2 (cutoff) opened and got called by Seat 3 (button). All she could do was stand and watch as the other two players looked at the flop of . The button bet and the cutoff folded, so the hands were tabled:

Eisenberg:
Button:

Eisenberg's pocket aces had survived the flop, but her opponent had a pair of sixes and back-door draws. The paired the board on the turn and the river was safe as well.

Eisenberg resumed her seat, collected her pot, and tripled up to ~15,000 (75 big blinds).

Player	Chips	Progress
Lara Eisenberg	15,000

Tags: Lara Eisenberg

Level: 4

Blinds: 200/300

Ante: 300

01-26-2020 15:31 UTC-4

Calixto Holds To Send One Out

Kaelaine Minton

Level 4 : 200/300, 300 ante

The player in Seat 8 (big blind) got his last chips in the middle holding against Clemenceau Calixto, (button) who had him dominated with .

The runout of gave Seat 8 lots of outs, all of which were missed and Calixto's kicker played. Seat 8 was felted.

Player	Chips	Progress
Clemenceau Calixto	69,000 69,000	69,000

Tags: Clemenceau Calixto

01-26-2020 15:58 UTC-4

Everybody's Favorite Runner-Up

Kaelaine Minton

Level 4 : 200/300, 300 ante

Steve Dannenmann finished second in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, earning $4.25 million. His self-deprecating demeanor made the accountant a fan favorite throughout the coverage on ESPN.

He's a regular here at Borgata and players always have a good time at his table. He just picked up a pot and is slightly above the starting stack in early action. Dannenmann cashed in the 2019 Borgata Summer Poker Open Championship, finishing 10th for $16,204, so he's got experience fighting his way through the local talent to make it to the final table.