2020 Borgata Winter Poker Open

$3,500 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship
Day: 3
Event Info

2020 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Event Info
Buy-in
$3,500
Prize Pool
$4,129,290
Entries
1,290
Players Left
6
Average Chip Stack
8,600,000
Total Chips
51,600,000
Next Payout
Place 6
$143,264
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
174
Players Left
24

Patrick Serda Retains Lead into Day 4 of $3,500 WPT BWPO Championship

Level 23 : 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Patrick Serda
Patrick Serda

The third day of Event #20: $3,500 WPT BWPO Championship has now come to an end after seven levels of play here at the Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa with 28 players remaining and it is Canada's Patrick Serda finishing atop the leaderboard once more with a monstrous stack of 6,260,000.

Serda is a Canadian pro that has amassed almost $1.8 million in live career earnings and already has a WPT title win under his belt after taking down the WPT $5,300 Main Event at the Playground Poker Room for his second-high career cash of $652,801.

The Manitoba, Canada, native has now finished the last two days of this event as the leader and the hand that catapulted him today happened during the last few hands of the night when Baitai Li attempted to bluff Serda with a river shove. Serda called him down with just the second-highest pair on the board and Li tabled six-high, sending a monster pot to Serda.

Closest on the totem pole behind Serda is fellow Canadian Veerab Zakarian who has a healthy 4,075,000 stack headed into the fourth day of this event. Zakarian found the vast majority of his chips in a single hand versus James Anderson who check-called on every street including a river shove. Zakarian tabled a rivered straight and Anderson mucked a pair of sailboats, sending one of the biggest pots of the day to Zakarian.

Top 5 Counts in WPT BWPO Championship

PlacePlayerCountryChip Count
1Patrick SerdaCanada6,260,000
2Veerab ZakarianCanada4,075,000
3Brian AltmanUnited States3,880,000
4Peter VitantonioUnited States3,550,000
5Stephen PressUnited States2,550,000

Rounding out the top five starts are two-time WPT Championship winner Brian Altman (3,880,000), Peter Vitantonio (3,550,000), and Stephen Press (2,550,000). Altman is cruising through this event and is sure to add to his WPT player of the year points total with another deep run here. The only person that reminds in the field that is even close is Donald Maloney who sits in fourth on this year's WPT POY race and will be starting the final day with 1,365,000.

The third day of this event started with 77 runners and after seven 90-minute levels of play, only 28 remain. The survivors will return tomorrow at noon play down until only six are left, moving onto the final table. All remaining players are guaranteed at least a cash of $19,886. But all players will be fighting for that top-six finish that will secure them a seat on the live-streamed final table that is held at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas at The Luxor on April 1, 2020.

That wraps it up for the PokerNews live coverage of Day 3 for this event but tune in tomorrow for all of the updates on Day 4.

Tags: Patrick Serda

Galazzo Sets the Trap, Lee Bites

Level 23 : 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Joey Galazzo
Joey Galazzo

Joseph Galazzo limped the small blind and Sungwon Lee moved all in for about 650,000 from the big blind. Galazzo snapped, putting Lee at risk as the two tabled their cards.

Sungwon Lee: {6-Spades}{6-Clubs}
Joseph Galazzo: {q-Hearts}{q-Diamonds}

The board ran out {a-Hearts}{q-Clubs}{5-Spades}{9-Clubs}{j-Spades} and Galazzo's flopped set of queens took down the pot, sending Lee out of the tournament in 33rd place.

Player Chips Progress
Joseph Galazzo us
Joseph Galazzo
1,585,000 865,000
Sungwon Lee us
Sungwon Lee
Busted

Tags: Joseph GalazzoSungwon Lee

Song Sends Kovac to the Payout Desk

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Fikret Kovac
Fikret Kovac

Stephen Song opened to 40,000, Fikret Kovac called on the button and Donald Maloney defended his big blind. The dealer fanned out {10-Diamonds}{9-Clubs}{4-Hearts} on the flop and all three players checked to the {3-Clubs} turn card.

Maloney led out for 50,000, Song quickly raised to 225,000 and Kovac called on the button. Maloney folded and the dealer flipped over a {3-Hearts} as the river.

Song tapped to Kovac who moved all in for 175,000 and Song called. Kovac tabled {j-Clubs}{8-Clubs} for jack-high and Song smiled as he turned over {k-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds}, giving him king-high which was good enough to scoop the pot, sending Kovac to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Stephen Song us
Stephen Song
WSOP 1X Winner
2,735,000 485,000
Fikret Kovac ba
Fikret Kovac
Busted

Tags: Donald MaloneyFikret KovacStephen Song

Anderson Pulls In a Monster Through Kovac

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
James Anderson
James Anderson

Stephen Song opened to 45,000 from middle position, James Anderson called in the hijack and Fikret Kovac three-bet to 145,000 on the button.

Both of Kovac's opponents called to see the {k-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}{4-Spades} flop and action checked to Kovac, he moved all in, totaling around 1,100,000. Song folded and Anderson swiftly put in his remaining 675,000.

James Anderson: {7-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}
Fikret Kovac: {a-Clubs}{9-Hearts}

The {3-Clubs} landed on as a turn card, smashing Anderson with a straight and Kovac was then drawing dead to the {7-Clubs} river, sending over a stack of chips to Anderson.

Player Chips Progress
James Anderson us
James Anderson
WSOP 1X Winner
1,785,000 525,000
Stephen Song us
Stephen Song
WSOP 1X Winner
1,200,000 400,000
Fikret Kovac ba
Fikret Kovac
465,000 -785,000

Tags: James AndersonFikret KovacStephen Song

Altman Continues to Soar, Eliminates Cappello

Level 21 : 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante
Brian Altman
Brian Altman

Joseph Cappello moved all in, totaling 230,000 from the button and Brian Altman called in the big blind, putting Cappello at risk.

Joseph Cappello: {k-Diamonds}{j-Clubs}
Brian Alatman: {a-Spades}{a-Hearts}

The board came down {j-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}{5-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{8-Clubs} and Altman's bullets shipped the pot, eliminating Cappello from the tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Brian Altman us
Brian Altman
WPT 3X Winner
3,050,000 460,000
Joseph Cappello us
Joseph Cappello
Busted

Tags: Brian AltmanJoseph Cappello

Apter Falls to Wilson

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Brett Apter
Brett Apter

Brett Apter raised to 75,000 from the early position, keeping 2,000 behind. Brock Wilson three-bet to put Apter all-in for the rest of the table to fold which is what happened so action was back on Apter. He took his time and then called for the 77,000 in total that he had behind.

Brett Apter: {a-Spades}{10-Diamonds}
Brock Wilson: {a-Diamonds}{j-Clubs}

The flop came {j-Spades}{6-Clubs}{4-Hearts} for Wilson to hit top pair.

"Give him a queen to make it more exciting," Wilson commented.

The turn brought them the {q-Diamonds} indeed to give Apter a gutshot to a straight.

The river completed the board with the {8-Clubs} to keep Wilson ahead and eliminate Apter in 66th place for $9,734.

Player Chips Progress
Matthew Waxman us
Matthew Waxman
1,540,000 992,000
Ari Engel ca
Ari Engel
WSOP 2X Winner
1,250,000 520,000
Lawrence Abrams us
Lawrence Abrams
1,138,000 -162,000
Chun Li us
Chun Li
830,000 580,000
Theodore Lui us
Theodore Lui
584,000 9,000
Brock Wilson us
Brock Wilson
360,000 -30,000
Brett Apter us
Brett Apter
WSOP 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: Brett ApterBrock Wilson

Two Pots for Serda

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Patrick Serda
Patrick Serda

In the first hand, Patrick Serda raised to 25,000 from the button and Sandeep Pulusani defended his big blind. The flop came {k-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}{7-Spades}, Pulusani check-called the 45,000 continuation-bet of Serda. The turn brought them the {5-Diamonds}, Pulusani checked again and Serda now bet 160,000 which Pulusani called. The river completed the board with the {k-Diamonds}, Pulusani checked for the last time and now Serda shoved to put Pulusani at risk. He took some time but opted to fold in the end.

The hand after, Serda bet 25,000 from the cutoff and Alex Visbisky defended his big blind. The flop came {j-Clubs}{k-Hearts}{5-Hearts}, Visbisky check-called the 45,000 bet of Serda. The turn brought them the {9-Clubs} and Visbisky check-called again, this time for 160,000. The river completed the board with the {2-Hearts} and both players checked. Visbisky tabled {7-Clubs}{5-Clubs} for the pair of fives. Serda showed {a-}{k-} for the pair of kings to scoop the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Patrick Serda ca
Patrick Serda
Day 3 Chip Leader
WPT 1X Winner
1,765,000 771,000
Veerab Zakarian ca
Veerab Zakarian
WPT 1X Winner
1,148,000 681,000
Nathan Russler us
Nathan Russler
1,120,000 206,000
Olivier Busquet us
Olivier Busquet
WPT 1X Winner
872,000 761,000
Alex Visbisky us
Alex Visbisky
575,000 -60,000
Sandeep Pulusani us
Sandeep Pulusani
WSOP 2X Winner
446,000 -141,000
Dong Ji us
Dong Ji
375,000 202,000
Mark Scacewater us
Mark Scacewater
Busted

Tags: Alex VisbiskyPatrick SerdaSandeep Pulusani

Elias Eliminated by Lui

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Darren Elias
Darren Elias

On a flop of {a-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds}{4-Spades}, Darren Elias put his last chip in against Theodore Lui. Elias' {10-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} was drawing to a gutshot and flush against the {q-Hearts}{j-Hearts} (middle pair) of Lui.

The board completed with a couple of bricks: {3-Hearts}{5-Hearts}, and Elias was busted in 73rd place ($8,735).

Player Chips Progress
Theodore Lui us
Theodore Lui
575,000 410,000
Darren Elias us
Darren Elias
Busted

Tags: Theodore LuiDarren Elias

Another Deep Run for Eriquezzo; Glantz Also Gone

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Ryan Eriquezzo
Ryan Eriquezzo

Ryan Eriquezzo went deep in Event #14: $1,090 SixMax NLH, finishing fourth for $34,364. Another strong effort in this event ended with his chips in with pocket sixes against the pocket queens of Craig Varnell. The queens held and Eriquezzo finished in 76th place, earning $8,735.

Matt Glantz was also eliminated shortly after the level began. He ran his {q-Hearts}{j-Hearts} into the pocket kings of LJ Sande. Glantz finished 75th and will also collect $8,735.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan Eriquezzo us
Ryan Eriquezzo
WSOP 3X Winner
Busted
Matt Glantz us
Matt Glantz
Busted

Tags: Matt GlantzRyan Eriquezzo

No More McKeehen

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Joe McKeehen
Joe McKeehen

Joe McKeehen raised to 23,000 from under the gun and Michael Morton called from the small blind when the action was folded to him. Brian Altman three-bet to 120,000 in the big blind for McKeehen to respond with a four-bet shove for around 550,000. Morton quickly folded but Altman called.

Joe McKeehen: {j-Spades}{j-Clubs}
Brian Altman: {a-Hearts}{k-Hearts}

The board ran out {5-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}{k-Clubs}{a-Spades} for Altman to turn the higher pair of kings and improve to two pair on the river to send the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion to the payout desk to collect $8,735 for finishing in 77th place.

Player Chips Progress
Brian Altman us
Brian Altman
WPT 3X Winner
1,950,000 450,000
Joe McKeehen us
Joe McKeehen
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 3X Winner
Busted

Tags: Brian AltmanJoe McKeehenMichael Morton