The Return - A Borgata Championship Event

$5,300 The Return ($3,000,000 Guaranteed)
Day: 1a
Event Info

The Return - A Borgata Championship Event

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
$1,206,097
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$5,538,700
Entries
1,142
Level Info
Level
34
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
562
Players Left
156

Failla Doubles Ostapchenko as He Makes Peace With Bianco

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Emanuel "Will the Thrill" Failla
Emanuel "Will the Thrill" Failla

Emanuel "Will the Thrill" Failla was in a heads-up pot against Andrew Ostapchenko and called a turn bet of 4,000 on the board of {2-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}{q-Spades}{5-Spades}.

"I think you're bluffing," said Failla.

The river brought the {4-Diamonds} and Ostapchenko moved all in. Failla quickly called. Ostapchenko showed {a-Diamonds}{a-Clubs} for an overpair and Failla showed {9-Clubs}{9-Diamonds} before mucking.

"I don't think you're bluffing anymore," he said.

As the hand played out, Failla had a friendly conversation with fellow New Yorker Benedetto Bianco. The two were less friendly yesterday when Bianco delivered a brutal suck-out to Failla deep in the $2,200 Mystery Bounty Event, leading Failla to proclaim to Bianco and another player at the table that "my watch is worth more than both of your lives."

"Is that watch worth a million?" asked Bianco.

"It's not a mil anymore. It went down about 25%," said Failla.

Player Chips Progress
Andrew Ostapchenko us
Andrew Ostapchenko
47,000 47,000
Emanuel Failla us
Emanuel Failla
WPT 1X Winner
17,000 17,000

Tags: Andrew OstapchenkoEmanuel Failla

The Bunny vs. The Foxen

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Paulina "PokerBunny" Loeliger opened in middle position and Kristen Foxen three-bet to 3,500 from the hijack. Loeliger four-bet to 8,500 and Foxen called.

Loeliger bet 3,500 on the flop of {9-Spades}{4-Spades}{a-Spades} and Foxen called. Loeliger then checked on the {2-Spades} turn and Foxen checked back. Loeliger checked again on the {7-Hearts} river and Foxen also checked. Loeliger showed {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds} for top pair and Foxen mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Paulina Loeliger at
Paulina Loeliger
75,000 40,000
Kristen Foxen ca
Kristen Foxen
WSOP 4X Winner
33,000 -2,000

Tags: Kristen FoxenPaulina Loeliger

Level: 4

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 400

Three-Bets from Boyden and Weissman

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Joey Weissman opened to 800 from under the gun and two players called, including Jesse Lonis in the cutoff. Thomas Boyden then three-bet to 4,000 on the button and all of his opponents folded.

The next hand, Lonis opened to 700 from the hijack and Ren Lin called in the small blind. It was Weissman's turn to three-bet and he did so to 3,800. Lonis folded and Lin also folded, slamming down {8-Hearts}{5-Diamonds} face-up.

"Tight fold, tight fold," Boyden playfully remarked.

"I'm bluffing too much," Lin said.

Player Chips Progress
Joey Weissman us
Joey Weissman
WSOP 1X Winner
57,000 24,000
Thomas Boyden us
Thomas Boyden
35,000 35,000
Jesse Lonis us
Jesse Lonis
WSOP 2X Winner
32,000 32,000
Ren Lin cn
Ren Lin
30,000 -6,000

Tags: Jesse LonisJoey WeissmanRen LinThomas Boyden

Lazrus Cracks Aces With a Set

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Daniel Lazrus opened to 1,000 in middle position and the cutoff three-bet to 2,500. Lazrus called.

Lazrus checked on the flop of {q-Clubs}{2-Clubs}{5-Spades} and the cutoff continued with a bet of 5,000. Lazrus check-raised to 13,000 and the opponent then three-bet shoved, which was met with a snap-call from Lazrus.

Daniel Lazrus: {5-Hearts}{5-Diamonds}
Cutoff: {a-Spades}{a-Diamonds}

Lazrus had flopped a set and was able to crack aces to double up as the board finished out {10-Spades}{3-Clubs}.

Player Chips Progress
Daniel Lazrus us
Daniel Lazrus
WSOP 1X Winner
47,000 12,000

Tags: Daniel Lazrus

Another Main Event Champ Present

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

There are now two World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champions in the $5,300 The Return and both are Philadelphia Eagles fans.

Joining 2013 champ Ryan Riess is 2015 WSOP winner Joe McKeehen, who will look for his next big score as he sits down with a starting stack of 35,000.

Player Chips Progress
Joe McKeehen us
Joe McKeehen
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 3X Winner
35,000

Tags: Ryan RiessJoe McKeehen

Level: 3

Blinds: 200/300

Ante: 300

Lin Bets Lady Gaga River

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Ren Lin
Ren Lin

In a battle between the blinds, Ren Lin bet 1,000 from the small blind on the board of {10-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}{k-Spades} and 2022 BetMGM Poker Championship winner Joey Weissman called in the big blind.

The river brought the {q-Clubs}, and anyone who knows Lin knows that a queen is his favorite card to see.

"Lady Gaga! Oh, you in trouble!" he told Weissman before betting 5,600 as Weissman laid it down.

"Ay, ya ya," Lin said as he raked in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Ren Lin cn
Ren Lin
36,000 36,000
Joey Weissman us
Joey Weissman
WSOP 1X Winner
33,000 33,000

Tags: Joey WeissmanRen Lin