Monday, January 21, 2013

Event 10: Father & Son Duo

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Matt & His Father Jen Lin

Jen Lin (Freehold, NJ) is amongst the chip leaders after he takes down a 300,000 pot.

Opponent ships the flop holding a pair of sevens.  Meanwhile, Lin's hit his set of nines.

"My Dad I have came down together.  It's a great chance to bond.  He taught me how to play poker." said Matt who is sweating his Pop from the rail.

Jen's looking at just north of 300,000 after that monster double-up.

Event 10: Cool Cat With 9 Lives

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 



Ten, count em ten All-In's

The entire table couldn't believe it, AGAIN.  Robert Groves (New York, NY) has just survived his 10th tournament all in - literally.

This one adds more drama because we're three away from the bubble.

Groves ships his shorti with 88 up against Asher Conniff''s (Brooklyn, NY) A-Q.

Robert smashes the flop hitting the case 8 along with two tens for a full house.

Board: 8-10-10-4-4.

Some quotes that immediately flowed afterwards from players at the table:
"He's the greatest"
"No messing around with this guy"
"He has 9 lives"
"They keep doubling him up"

Robert said it's been a miracle night for him.  He has 78,000 but more importantly, he's still alive.

Event 10: Matrone In The Zone

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

Mike Matrone - 260,000

Mike Matrone (Morganville, NJ) has the chip lead at his table and so far for the tournament.

The lead at his table is impressive because directly seated to his left is Mike Prosinski (Endwell, NY) who currently has 200,000 and Nicholas Palma (Bronx, NY) who also has ~200,000.

Mike didn't have any major knock-out hands.  He credits his stack to taking down pots before the showdown.

48 Players left - Top 45 get the money.



Event 10: Custer's Last Hand

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

Cody Custer - 140,000

A player nicknamed "Cash" was down to one 100 black chip.  He chucks it in UTG without looking.  He also slides in his $100 bounty.

With $100 on the line, 5 players call the 3000 big blind.

Board read: 6-6-2-K-K

Cody Custer (Dover, DE) shows 6-3 and takes down the healthy side pot.  That leaves "Cash" beggin for a King.  He finally looks at his hand and reveals Q-7.
 

Event 10: Inside the Mind of a Mad Viking

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Bob Banking on New Knowldege

Bob Haavind (Boston, MA) has a few small Borgata cashes in his career, but is looking for his first big score.  To help his game, Haavind came to the Borgata Winter Poker Open one day early to learn from seasoned players at the Inside the Minds poker training 

"It was great," says Haavind who currently has an above average stack of 115k. "Just to talk to pros and have them answer questions like, how to play a big stack."

It's only been one week since the all day session, but Haavind, despite not cashing yet in the series, has already seen his play improve.

"They teach how critical position is and table image," he said after learning from pros Lee Childs, Jason Young, Ryan Eriquezzo and Amanda Musumeci.

Haavind picked up a nice 35k pot earlier in the day when he checked to his opponent who bluffed the river and Haavind snap called with A 10 for trip 10s.  "I wasn't greedy. I didn't have the nuts, but felt pretty good," he said while taking his stack to a high of 160k.

Haavind is a retired editor/publisher who was first featured in the Borgata blog for his "Mad Viking" playing style. And prior to taking the Inside the Minds class, he picked up tips from Childs last year when they played at the same table.

With 60 player remaining, Haavind is just 15 spots from the money. We'll see if that small investment helps lead him to that big payday as he's still in the running for the $38,081 top prize.

Even if he doesn't cash, Haavind is free rolling from the class after he won the Inside the Mind drawing for a $560 entry into Event 1.

The average stack is 88k (29 bb) as level 15 1,500/3k/400 ante is underway.

Event 10: Tweet Beats

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Players took a ten minute break and a few tweeted.


Shade under 70k at break 

Up to 153k goin to 1500-3k. 15 off the bubble. ZERO bounties. 

Aj-kk then jj-qq. Down to 13bbs. 15 away 

Like 90k on break. Going to 1500-3k. 

Upon their return, Level 15 is up and running.
1500 / 3000 blinds with 400 antes.

59 Players remain

Event 10: I Like Big Bounties And I Can Not Lie

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

 David Zeitlin - Zero Bounties

Would you rather have 150,000 chips and zero bounties or 8 bounties and a short stack?  David Zeitlin from Brooklyn was laughing because he's got a decent stack but hasn't knocked anybody out yet.

Mikey "Unbelievable" Dentale is in the bounty lead with 11.

Adam Lippert - 8 bounties
Collin Whyte (Brooklyn, NY) - 8 bounties
Larry Kolk (Levitttown, PA) - 6 bounties
Alex Cameron (Riverhead, NY) - 6 bounties
David Zeitlin (Brooklyn, NY) - 0 bounties

Event 10: Super Bowld'em

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

 Diaz & Hofmann

Marcus Diaz (Nutley, NJ) and Cullen H. Hofmann (Baltimore, MD) were both in this event, but busted well before the money.  Now that they're on the same side of the rail, they can debate opposite sides of Super Bowl XLVII.

"31-30 Ravens," said Hofmann who is from Baltimore, "it will be an entertaining game."

While Hofmann says he bleeds purple, Diaz is a long distance Niners fan after rooting for Joe Montana in the '80s.

"San Francisco is going to win 28-24," says Diaz who is looking forward to the Harbaugh brothers,  Jim and John, coaching against each other.

The big game is February 3rd just two days after the conclusion of the Borgata Winter Poker Open, which means Diaz and Hofmann have two weeks to support their teams and play poker while they wait.

Event 10: Have A Kolk And A Smile

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Larry Kolk & Jill Macpherson

Larry Kolk (Levittown, PA) was down to 5,000 right before dinner break.  I'm not sure what he ate but after dinner he took his stack up to 175,000 and tacked on 5 bounties.

Kolk owns an ice-cream shop in Levittown called McGinty's so he's used to scooping.

Good luck charm and friend Jill is faithfully rooting from the rail.  "He's been teaching me how to improve my game" said Jill who is still fairly new to the world of poker.

63 Players remain.


Event 10: Where We At

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

 With 439 entries and a Total Buy In of $153,650 Borgata surpassed their $100,000 guarantee.

Top 45 make a min cash of $745 and players are starting to keep track.  Gordon Eng counts 66 players left.  He's got 90,000 or 45 big blinds.

Adam Lippert tweeted he has 8 bounty chips, amongst the leaders in that category.

Level 14 just kicked in at 1200 / 2400 blinds and 300 antes.

Don't forget this is a two-day tournament so we'll bag and tag at 18 players or 2AM, whichever comes last.  Day 2 continues play at 1PM.

Average stack is 77,850

Event 10: New Chipleader

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Mike Prosinski - 200,000

Meet Mike Prosinski (Endwell, NY) a corrections officer for 27 years who now is shifting gears into playing poker.  So far so good as Mike is Event 10 chip leader with a stack right around 200,000.

"I'm running good right when other players also have big hands", said Mike who's getting paid off after flopping sets.

Mike just got a new zipcode as his old table broke up.  Can be a little intimidating for the chip leader to move in and stack at your table.  Not for the Villain to Mike's right who said, "I'm gonna take all your chips but do it gracefully".

Event 10: Bitondo Bites The Dust

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Attilio Bitondo Loves Borgata Poker

Attilio Bitondo (Long Island, NY) is living the good life.  He's retired so can play as much poker as he wants.  He'll be here through Sunday grinding a few more Events.

Didn't work out today as Bitondo exited out in 80th Place after his AK ran into AA.  As he forfeited his $100 bounty chip a player at the table told Attilio he played well today.  He's got the experience since he's been playing this game we all love since he was 17.

Attilio say's hi to his boys Ray & Steve.

Lucky Level 13 with blinds 1000 / 2000 and 300 antes.

Event 10: Hack-Attack

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Jack Hackbart Checks Heart Rate

Jack Hackbart (Holland, PA) spikes an ace on the river to stick around.  He shoved his last 28,200 into the middle with AK and was called by JJ.

Board fell 4-Q-5-8-A

"I need my coronary Doctor after that hand" joked Hackbart.

When asked if that was the first time he was all in, at risk all day he looked at me and simply laughed.  I took that as a hell to the no.

He does have 4 bounties under his belt.

81 players remain.  Ave. stack - 65,185.
 

Event 10: Welcome Back

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

 Kelly Back at Borgata

The field is back from break and one player who's particular happy is familiar face Kelly Petrucci-Holes (Uniontown, PA).  Not because she made it to dinner with 26k, but because she's simply at Borgata.

"I've been coming here for years, but not all the time," she says, "I'm a random regular."

Blinds are 800/1,600/200 ante.

Event 10: Numbers Game

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Number of Entries:  439
Players Remaining:  93
Chips in Play: 5.268

Big Stack:  183k (114 bb)
Average Stack:  57k (36 bb)

Next Blinds: 800/1,600/200 ante

Play Resumes: 8:15 pm

Total Buy-In: $153,650
First Prize:  $38,081
Places Paid: 45 ($745 min cash)

Event 10: Double Before Break

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Asher Conniff (Brooklyn, NY) is in the giving mood just before the dinner bell.

"How much is it," he asks after Dave Henry (Ocean City, NJ) is all in for 21k, "I don't think I can't not call," he says putting the grammar police to the test.

Translation: "call"

Henry flops two pairs against Conniff's flush draw, which misses, and Henry survives to get his dinner voucher.

Event 10: Big Stacks

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry)

Eddie Petrovski (Staten Island, NY), who earlier in the day got three bounties on one hand, is the chip leader with 183k (114 bb).

Also in the mix is Bob Haavind (Boston, MA) who's at 156k and Russell Green with 154k; both are on table 6.

Event 10: What The Duck?

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

Rubber Duckie, You're The One

Moments before his table broke up, Russell Green went from starting up his car to quadrupling up.

With Russell's bounty chip tossed into the middle, three other players at the table decided to go duck hunting.  Feather's starting flying as four players were all in pre-flop.  2/3rd's of the table stood up to watch this huge hand play out.

Board of 7-9-J-3-9 was checked down.  Green tabled 10-10 and it was best vs. 6-6, 2-2, and A-K.

Russel yelled out "Yahtzee".

Two players busted.  Russel didn't score those bounty chips, but he did quack up, I mean quad up to 150,000.

Event 10: Dinner Break

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 

The 93 remaining players are dinner break with an average stack of 57k (37 bb) with blinds moving up to 800/1,600/200 ante.

Play resumes at 8:15 pm

Event 10: Steady Eddie

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH (Re-Entry) 
 
Opponent flopped flush and gutterball draws, whiffed the river then jammed.  Eddie Petrovski (Staten Island, NY) tanks hard then comes the the right conclusion and calls.

Eddie up to 115,000 with another $100 bounty chip - now very glad he didn't fold. 

His celebration got my attention from Media Row.  Fortunately for Eddie, no excessive celebration penalties in The Event Center - this isn't the NFL.

Of course, the table wishes he would have snapped rather than the lengthy tank session.

Petrovski 9 9 vs. 9 10

Board: 2 7 644