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

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

Table 2 Chip Counts

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

James Salmon (bb) and Peter Vitantonio jousted in a pot, getting to the river with a board of {10-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{6-Clubs}{a-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}, when Salmon checked. Vitantonio bet 70,000 and Salmon let it go.

Here's how the table stacks up after that hand.

Player Chips Progress
Bin Weng us
Bin Weng
WPT 2X Winner
1,850,000 1,426,000
Peter Vitantonio us
Peter Vitantonio
1,800,000 610,000
James Salmon us
James Salmon
910,000 190,000
Joseph Galazzo us
Joseph Galazzo
685,000 -7,000
Zachary Gruneberg us
Zachary Gruneberg
410,000 257,000
Anthony Cousineau us
Anthony Cousineau
350,000 220,000
Mark Wahba us
Mark Wahba
205,000 76,000

Pilossoph Pushes Cappello Off the Pot

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Billy Pilossoph
Billy Pilossoph

Billy Pilossoph (button) moved in for 348,000 on the turn with a board of {10-Spades}{9-Spades}{9-Diamonds}{6-Spades}. Joey "Bobo" Cappello (hijack) tanked, burning a couple of time chips, before opting to release his hand. Pilossoph took the pot without showdown.

Here are the chip counts for Table 5, where these two reside, after that hand:

Player Chips Progress
Brandon Hall us
Brandon Hall
1,350,000 747,000
Spencer Champlin us
Spencer Champlin
915,000 666,000
William Pilossoph us
William Pilossoph
700,000 560,000
Stephen Ma us
Stephen Ma
665,000 156,000
Joseph Cappello us
Joseph Cappello
395,000 191,000
Jorge Confesor us
Jorge Confesor
380,000 -36,000
Daniel Sewnig us
Daniel Sewnig
220,000 -32,000

Tags: Joseph CappelloWilliam Pilossoph

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

Chriss Drags Another Pot

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Neil Chriss
Neil Chriss

On the river with a board of {8-Diamonds}{6-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{5-Hearts} Neil Chriss jammed for 336,000 from the big blind. Adam Gerber was his lone opponent and after burning one of his Time extension chips, Gerber opted to let it go.

Chriss is stacking up nicely here about halfway through the level.

Player Chips Progress
Neil Chriss us
Neil Chriss
600,000 141,000
Adam Gerber us
Adam Gerber
580,000 -150,000

Tags: Adam GerberNeil Chriss

Chriss Wins One

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

Craig Varnell raised to 30,000 from the middle position and was called by Neil Chriss in the cutoff and Stephen Press in the big blind.

They all checked through the {6-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds}{8-Spades} flop to the {9-Hearts} on the turn. Press bet 43,000 and only Chriss made the call.

The river completed the board with the {3-Diamonds} and both players checked. Press tabled {k-Clubs}{10-Spades} for king-high for Chriss to pick up the pot with {q-Clubs}{9-Clubs} for the turned pair of nines.

Player Chips Progress
Craig Varnell us
Craig Varnell
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
1,169,000 421,000
Adam Gerber us
Adam Gerber
730,000 45,000
Stephen Press us
Stephen Press
700,000 -17,000
Patrick Quinn ca
Patrick Quinn
565,000 -69,000
Neil Chriss us
Neil Chriss
459,000 190,000
Thai Ha vn
Thai Ha
WSOP 1X Winner
424,000 224,000
Andrew Hanna us
Andrew Hanna
309,000 -41,000
Justin Zaki us
Justin Zaki
203,000 -47,000
Patrick Kelly us
Patrick Kelly
Busted
Jeffrey Yanchek us
Jeffrey Yanchek
Busted
Taylor von Kriegenbergh us
Taylor von Kriegenbergh
WPT 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: Craig VarnellNeil ChrissStephen Press

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

MGM Properties Join Forces to Launch MGM East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT)

Level 20 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
MGM East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT)
MGM East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT)

There’s a new poker tour in town as a trio of MGM properties – MGM National Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Borgata – have joined forces to establish the MGM East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT).

The tour will consist of the following stops:

  • Potomac Winter Poker Open at MGM National Harbor February 5-17
  • Borgata Spring Poker Open April 7-24
  • Borgata Summer Poker Open July 7-24
  • Potomac Summer Poker Open at MGM National Harbor July 22-August 3
  • The Armory Classic at MGM Springfield August 12-24

“MGM Resorts offers players the best poker product on the East Coast,” said Jorge Perez, Portfolio President. “Our East Coast Poker Tour is a great way for us to showcase three of our industry-leading properties while creating an exciting tournament series for our guests and poker enthusiasts.”

The Points Leaderboard

Linking the five events will be a leaderboard where players can earn points by participating in any qualifying events.

Leaderboard prizes consist of the following: the top 90 finishers on the leaderboard will earn entry into Borgata Fall Poker Open/MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour $2,000,000 Guaranteed Championship on November 15-20, 2020 ($3,500 value) including complimentary overnight stays. Others can win $250 room credits, Cartier watch ($2,500 value) and $500 MGM Resorts promotional gift cards.

Players can earn points in a variety of ways including “Participation Points” for buying into tournaments, “Entry Points” based on field sizes, and “Placement Points” for making the final table. Click here for more details on the point system.

The leaderboard will be posted to MGMECPT.com and updated daily when qualifying events are occurring. Points for the leaderboard will be finalized on August 25, 2020.

Previewing the Potomac Winter Poker Open

The upcoming Potomac Winter Poker Open at MGM National Harbor, which runs from February 5-17, 2020, will offer over $1,000,000 in guarantees over 14 events. It marks the first time a winter edition of the PPO has been held to complement its annual late-summer series.

Highlights on the schedule include the $400 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed Opener and the $3,000 buy-in, $500,000 guarantee Main Event. What’s more, PokerNews is slated to be on-site to offer live updates from both of those events as well as the $400 Large Stack BB Ante from February 12-13.

Below is a look at the full schedule.

2020 Potomac Winter Poker Open Schedule

DateTimeEventBuy-inStarting Chips
Wednesday, February 55 p.m.NLH Opener $500K GTD 1a$40025K
Thursday, February 65 p.m.NLH Opener $500K GTD 1b$40025K
Friday, February 711 a.m.NLH Opener $500K GTD 1c$40025K
Friday, February 75 p.m.NLH Opener $500K GTD 1d$40025K
Saturday, February 811 a.m.NLH Opener $500K GTD 1e$40025K
Saturday, February 85 p.m.NLH Opener $500K GTD 1f$40025K
Sunday, February 9NoonOpener Day 2 Restart  
Sunday, February 9NoonEvent #2: NLH (One-Day) $50K GTD$40025K
Sunday, February 94 p.m.Event #3: PLO 5-Card High$40025K
Sunday, February 97 p.m.Main Event Super Satellite 3 seats GTD$200 w/ $100 re-entries8K
Monday, February 1011 a.m.Event #4: NLH (One-Day)$40025K
Monday, February 104 p.m.Event #5: 8-Game Mix$60030K
Monday, February 107 p.m.Main Event Super Satellite 3 seats GTD$200 w/ $100 re-entries8K
Tuesday, February 1111 a.m.Event #6: NLH Seniors (One-Day)$25020K
Tuesday, February 114 p.m.Event #7: PL 5-Card Omaha High/Big O$60030K
Tuesday, February 117 p.m.Main Event Super Satellite 3 seats GTD$200 w/ $100 re-entries8K
Wednesday, February 1211 a.m.Event #8: Large Stack BBA Day 1a $100K GTD$40040k
Wednesday, February 125 p.m.Event #8: Large Stack BBA Day 1b $100K GTD$40040k
Wednesday, February 127 p.m.Main Event Super Satellite 3 seats GTD$200 w/ $100 re-entries8K
Thursday, February 1311 a.m.Event #9: Multi-Flight NLH Day 1a $100K GTD$40025K
Thursday, February 134 p.m.Event #10: Heads-Up (64-Player Max)$60015/30K
Thursday, February 137 p.m.Main Event Super Satellite 3 seats GTD$200 w/ $100 re-entries8K
Friday, February 1410 a.m.Megasatellite 5 Seats GTD$60020K
Friday, February 1411 a.m.Main Event Day 1a $500K GTD$3,00050K
Friday, February 14NoonEvent #9: Multi-Flight NLH Day 1b $100K GTD$40025K
Friday, February 144 p.m.Main Event Super Satellite 5 seats GTD$200 w/ $100 re-entries8K
Friday, February 148 p.m.Megasatellite 5 Seats GTD$60020K
Saturday, February 1510 a.m.Megasatellite 5 Seats GTD$60020K
Saturday, February 1511 a.m.Main Event Day 1b $500K GTD$3,00050K
Saturday, February 15NoonEvent #9: Multi-Flight NLH Day 1b $100K GTD$40025K
Saturday, February 153 p.m.Last Chance Megasatellite 5 Seats GTD$60015K
Saturday, February 156 p.m.Main Event Day 1c $500K GTD$3,00050K
Sunday, February 1611 a.m.Event #9: Multi-Flight NLH Restart  
Sunday, February 16NoonEvent #12: NLH (One-Day) $50K GTD$40025K
Sunday, February 16NoonFlight C Main Event Restart (levels 10-13)  
Sunday, February 163 p.m.Day 2 Restart for Main Event  
Sunday, February 165 p.m.Event #13: 5-Card PLO Championship$1,20040K
Monday, February 1711 a.m.Event #14: NLH (One-Day)$40040K
Monday, February 171 p.m.Main Event Final Table