Championship: Kettering Catches $5,000 Bonus

$3300 + $200 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship NLH

Mark Ketteringham

Chip Leader

Mark Ketteringham (Las Vegas, NV) goes from an above average stack to chip leader during the final five hands of play.

First he flops a flush to pick up 50k, then continues his hot streak on the last hand of the night. Ketteringham flops a set of 7s to crack pocket kings to pick up another 50k to end play with 194k and grab the $5,000 bonus.

"I've always heard about the great turnouts," says Ketteringham who is playing in his first Borgata tournament.  "They always have great numbers and I had to check it out."

Ketteringham edges Chris Barnes (Vancouver, Canada) who bags 190k and earns the $3,500 bonus as the second largest stack.

"I had chips all day," says Barnes, who wasn't focused on the bonuses. "I really didn't have any big hands or big stories."

While both players are happy with the extra money, each are more concerned about the bigger goal.

"I didn't come three thousand miles for $5,000," says Ketteringham, "I came for first place," as he eyes the $730,053 first place prize.

Barnes Bags Second Place Bonus