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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted |
Eric “alwaysliquid” Vanauken is a name you should know as he's become on of the most accomplished players on the partypoker US Network.
A couple of months ago, Vanauken accomplished the incredible feat of capturing back-to-back titles not once, but twice.
In the July 6-12 series, he topped a 134-entry field to win Event #4: $15,000 GTD NLH for nearly $7,500, and then the next night bested 144 runners to win Event #5: $,7500 GTD Green Chip Bounty for $3,145. Then, at the end of July, he won the $320 buy-in Event #3: $15,000 GTD PKO Bounty for $6,393 and a day later emerged victorious in the $215 buy-in Event #4: $12,000 GTD PKO Bounty Boost for $5.691.
PokerNews recently had the chance to chat with Vanauken about his recent successes.
For the 43-year-old Vanauken, who is married with three kids ages 7, 10, and 19, he’s never really had a nine-to-five job. Instead, he fancies himself a real estate broker engaging in flips and investments while playing poker on the side of course.
“I first learned playing $4/$8 limit at Foxwoods in early 2000 and now play now $20/$40 and $30/$60 when I can find a game, or settle on $1/$2 or $2/$5 NLH," he said. "I have played the WSOP Main Event two times with no luck busting on Day 2 both times.”
Additionally, Vanauken grinds a decent amount on the virtual tables under the screen name “alwaysliquid,” which stems from the movie Wall Street when Gordon Gekko tells Bud Fox about how money never sleeps and you need to always be liquid.
“Since New Jersey went legal I play on Borgata and WSOP. I used to play PokerStars but had an issue with them over a year ago and have since boycotted them. I do very well on Borgata. I even shipped the Mega Thursday [not long ago] on my phone from an Applebee’s parking lot as I had no WiFi at home due to power outage.”
As for his recent successes on partypoker US, Vanauken was pleased but wanted to remain humble.
“I am humbled to be able to compete with all of the great players in New Jersey,” he said. “I’m proud that all of my studying and grinding has been producing favorable results in the past few years, taking me from an average breakeven player to a profitable one. At the same time, I try to maintain being humble with this great game and what it has provided for me and my family.”
For Vanauken, the scores rank up there among his proudest poker accomplishments, which includes beating a poker legend.
“In 2013, I beat Joe McKeehen for the Borgata Limit Championship,” Vanauken said. “I think that was the last limit event held at Borgata.”
Other highlights on his poker résumé include finishing sixth in the 2018 WSOP Circuit at Canada’s Playground Poker Club and finishing runner-up in a pair of WSOP Circuit online events back in March.
“So close to a ring but the two cashes of $35k and $20k within a few days definitely eased the quarantine pain,” Vanauken said.
With the latest partypoker US Network Online Series happening now, only time will tell if Vanauken can keep his streak of winning back-to-back events alive.
In Level 21 with blinds at 5,000/10,000 (1,250 ante), action was heads-up with a 
board showing. "trevjzal" was all in for their last 108,848 from the button holding 
against "Redskin83" holding 
from the big blind.
"Redskin83" got a big blind special and spiked two-pair on the river to eliminate "trevjzal" on the money bubble.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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473,756 | |
|
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Busted |
In Level 20 with blinds at 4,000/8,000 (1,000 ante), "Robshield83" moved all in for their last 7,736 and Brian “TopCreature” Sherrier isolated from the big blind after "onoreally" limped-in from the small blind.
"Robshield83": 
Brian “TopCreature” Sherrier: 
"Robshield83" had Sherrier dominated until a king appeared in the window on the 
flop.
The 
turn didn't change a thing as "Robshield83" needed to spike an ace on the river to stay alive.
Unforturtley for "Robshield83", the 
completed the board and ended their tournament just before the money bubble.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
385,534 | 118,663 |
|
|
220,985 | 220,985 |
|
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Busted |
Last month, the World Poker Tour (WPT) announced its first U.S.-based online Main Tour event, the $3,500 WPT Online Poker Open Main Event, set for a late December running in New Jersey. That one will also carry a guarantee of $1 million.
The WPT Online Poker Open Main Event will be held Dec. 27-29 on partypoker US Network for players in New Jersey.
The ambitious $1 million guarantee signifies how serious the WPT and partypoker are about making this a premier poker tournament worthy of the WPT name.
“The WPT Online Poker Open brings the most prestigious prize in poker to New Jersey and the partypoker US Network,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska in a presser. “WPT’s continued pivot toward online will continue with another landmark for regulated online poker in the United States.”
Indeed, the WPT has pivoted into a strong series of online offerings, however, all were offered to the dot-com partypoker player pool, a much larger bunch of customers than the prospective New Jersey pool. Drawing the necessary entries to meet the guarantee will require some effort, and the WPT already announced satellites will be available for as little as $5.
| Day | Date | Time (EST) | Tournament | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 12/27/20 | 5:00 PM | WPT ONLINE POKER OPEN MAIN EVENT: $1 MILLION GTD NLH | $3,500 |
| Monday | 12/28/20 | 7:00 PM | WPT ONLINE POKER OPEN MAIN EVENT: DAY 2 | |
| Tuesday | 12/29/20 | 7:00 PM | WPT ONLINE POKER OPEN MAIN EVENT: LIVE STREAMED FINAL TABLE | |
| Monday | 12/28/20 | 7:30 PM | Phase 1 into Phase 2 $40K GTD 8-Max NLH | $25.00 |
| Monday | 12/28/20 | 8:00 PM | WPT ONLINE POKER OPEN: $20K GTD 8-MAX NLH | $215 |
| Tuesday | 12/29/20 | 7:30 PM | Phase 1 into Phase 2 $40K GTD 8-Max NLH | $25.00 |
| Tuesday | 12/29/20 | 8:00 PM | WPT ONLINE POKER OPEN: $30K GTD 8-MAX NLH | $535 |
| Wednesday | 12/30/20 | 8:00 PM | WPT ONLINE POKER OPEN: Phase 2 $40K GTD 8-MAX NLH | $215 |
In Level 19 with blinds at 3,500/7,000 (875 ante), "redraider" raised to 15,400 from the cutoff and was called by "juansolo10" from the button before Derek "pompii" Sudell three-bet jammed for 109,645 from the small blind.
"redraider" called and then did the same after "juansolo10" went over the top for 247,287.
"redraider": 
"juansolo10": 
Derek "pompii" Sudell: 
"juansolo10" held the best made hand and nothing changed after the 
runout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
616,469 | 616,469 |
|
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206,161 | -264,640 |
|
Busted |
The remaining 45 players are on a five-minute break.
The start of Level 18 sees 55 players remaining from the 234 entry field and here are the players leading the pack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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695,663 | -11,810 |
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544,444 | 91,472 |
|
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524,451 | 129,698 |
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470,801 | |
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460,471 | 410,471 |
|
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398,362 | 133,570 |
|
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343,220 | |
|
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323,591 | 194,881 |
|
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306,490 | 17,486 |
|
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302,188 | 83,020 |
|
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278,191 | |
|
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277,726 | |
|
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266,871 | 216,611 |
In Level 17 with blinds at 2,000/5,000 (625 ante), "Believer111" raised to 10,000 from the hijack and was called by "Edsbo" from the cutoff, along with "franklove" from the small blind before John "Slapshot1085" Forlenza squeezed for 128,389 from the big blind.
Both "Believer111" and "Edsbo" folded while "franklove" called.
"franklove":
John "Slapshot1085" Forlenza: 
Forlenza was racing for his tournament life and took the lead after he paired his ace on the 
flop.
The turn gave Forlenza a broadway draw and the river secured his double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,528 | |
|
|
267,877 | -282,868 |
|
|
128,710 | |
|
|
52,019 |
You might recall that In early 2019, Daniel "leinad" Buzgon signed on as a BorgataPoker.com Sponsored Pro – one of three alongside Michael “Gags” Gagliano and Katie Stone.
“It took a little bit of time to get all the paperwork and stuff like that,” Buzgon previously told PokerNews of becoming sponsored. “It was in December when it started but wasn’t official until just before the Borgata Winter series. Duties include mainly playing a lot online, promoting the site, and trying to get new players on the site.”
According to HendonMob, Buzgon has more than $2.3 million in lifetime live tournament earnings since 2007. He’s a four-time World Series of Poker Circuit ring winner has played for big money before. In 2001, he finished third in the WPT Borgata Poker Open for $335,433, and last year he finished fifth in the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event for $202,942. He also finished fourth in the 2012 WPT bestbet Jacksonville for $94,624.
Additionally, Buzgon is a beast online where he’s amassed more than $3.1 million in earnings, of which $435,457 has come on BorgataPoker.com where he plays under the screen name “leinad.”
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
50,000 |