Event 3: Sweet 16

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

 Table 2

 Seat 8: Yuebin Guo (white hat)

Seat 7: Jason Rivkin

Seat 6: Dave Cardenas

The 16 player redraw is complete.  Here's a look at the final two tables:

Table 1

Seat-Name

1 Al Navid
2 Chris Reslock
3 Magpuri Anglo
4 "Miami" John Cernuto
5 Tom Savitsky
6  Lance Brown
7 Vinny Basilicata
8 Bill "Bumpereno" Munley

Table 2

Seat-Name

1 Antonio Walker
2 Rich Rubinstein
3 Justin Finberg
4 Dan Barlin
5 Jeff Paitchell
6 Dave Cardenas
7 Jason Rivkin
8 Yuebin Guo

Bumpereno with a shout out to Gudie, who's following the blog from Spain!

Event 3: Five More Gone

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

The latest elimination is Jeff Jerome (Springfield, PA) who says he was crippled during the 7-card stud round when he didn't believe Lance Brown (Robbinsville, NJ) was holding a jack.  Jerome bet his two pairs, (kings up) on 4th street, but slowed down when Brown hit a second jack on 5th street.

Jerome says he called the rest of the way and dropped to 9k when Brown shows him trip jacks.  Jerome is eventually knocked out in 17th place after making the final table in this event during the Borgata Winter Poker Open.

Recent Eliminations:

Jeff Jerome (Springfield, PA)
Bo Toft (Yardley, PA)
Jonathan Bascom (Edison, NJ)
Elia Ahmadian (Chantilly, VA)
Anthony Casalnova (Gaklyn, NJ)

Event 4: Cherish The Moment

$400 + $50 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

It was bad enough that Cherish Andrews was down to five big blinds and was in the midst of Killer Corner, but John Allan Hinds makes it worse by hitting a one outer on the river.

Andrews moves all in for 2k with Q 7 and is called by Hinds and his pocket 7s.  Andrews hits a queen on the flop, but the case seven sends her to the re-entry line.

Hinds is now up to 40k and a new faces joins the table in WSOP bracelet holder Jeff Papola

Level 6 is underway, the last level to re-entry the tournament.

Event 3: 21 Gun Salute

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

Vinny Basilicata (Little Neck, NY) is now the chip leader with 125k, while Jeff Paitchell (Clifton, NJ) is up to second place with 110k as both players began the day in the top ten.

21 players remain with an average stack of 57k and 9 big bets as the the limits are 3k/6k.

Event 3: Busto

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

Early Eliminations:

Dennis Capriglione (Atlantic City, NJ)
Gregory Richard Weyer (Forked River, NJ)
Charles Wey (Hackensack, NJ)
Frank Rasile (Staten Island, NY)
Michael Drabot (Riverside, NJ)
William Handy (Laurel Springs, NJ)

Event 4: Killer Corner

$400 + $50 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

(L-R) Sykes, Hinds, Childs, Andrews & Siegel

Table 6 could easily be a final table as five Borgata regulars are in the killer corner of seats 6 through 10.  Mark Sykes, John Allan Hinds, Lee Childs, Cherish Andrews and Eric Siegel are all accomplished players who find themselves side-by-side.

Also at the table is Bob Haavind (Boston, MA) who says he's not ready to implement his "Mad Viking" strategy.  The maniacal style helped him become the first player to cash in the Borgata Spring Poker Open finish with his 100th place finish for $1,010.  

Level 5 (150/300/25 ante) is off and running with more than 250 players in the field as registration is open until 2:15 pm.

Event 3: Shorties Double

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

 Reslock Hangin' Around

Chris Reslock (Atlantic City, NJ) and Frank Rasile (Staten Island, NY) are still alive after the returning short stacks getting early double-ups.

Reslock (7,200) and Rasile (6,900) were 26th and 27th respectively of the 27 returning players.  Once three players bust the tournament will be down to 24 players on three tables.

Event 3: Horses Never Forget

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

Here's a reminder of what they're playing for and what the heck does HORSE stand for?

Payouts:

1st - $10,863
2nd - $5,893
3rd - $3, 725
4th - $2,794
5th - $2,173
6th - $1,862
7th - $1,552
8th - $1,242
9th - $931

H.O.R.S.E

H: Hold'em
O: Omaha 8B
R: Razz
S: Stud (High)
E: Eight or better, Seven-card stud (High/Low)

Event 3: HORSE of Course

$400 + $50 H.O.R.S.E.

No Doubting Tom

The remaining 27 HORSE players are back for their shot at the $10,863 first prize and the Borgata Spring Poker Open title.  Tom Savistky (Absecon, NJ) has 80k and a slim chip lead over the next five players.

Notables still in the field include WSOP bracelet holders "Miami" John Cernuto and Chris Reslock.  Also still alive: Bill Munley, Bo Toft and Frank Rasile.

Rasile and Reslock have some work to do as they return has the two short stacks.

Cards are in the air.

Borgata Leaderboard Update (4/6)

Borgata Winter Poker Open Leaderboard
By participating in any Borgata Spring Poker Open event (April 4-20, 2012), players earn points based upon the Borgata Poker Tournament Leaderboard Formula.

Below are the top scores for the 2012 Borgata Spring Poker Open Leaderboard*

(Final Results from events 1, 2, 22, 23, 24)

287.500 PTS:  BRIAN LEMKE (NORRISTOWN, PA)

206.375 PTS:  MANH NGUYEN (MUNHALL, PA)

201.250 PTS:  JOSEPH DADDARIO (HAUPPAUGE, NY)

175.375 PTS:  RATHE MILLER (PHILADELPHIA, PA)

167.125 PTS:  SEAN PERRY (COLUMBIA, MD)

156.413 PTS:  HENRY MICHAEL BOROVETZ (PITTSBURGH, PA)

150.000 PTS:  STEVEN MLENAK (BRANCHBURG, NJ)

143.750 PTS:  PHILIP SAM (SAN JOSE, CA)

136.675 PTS:  ROBERT KOERBER (WATERBURY, CT)

126.500 PTS:  JUSTIN SOUSA (SEABROOK NH, NH)

121.300 PTS:  ELGA VIEIRA (NORWICH, CT)

109.250 PTS:  JONG MAN KIM (SILVER SPRING, MD)

105.000 PTS:  JACK BATTAGLIA (STATEN ISLAND, NY)

103.750 PTS:  SEAN BARRINGER (SAUGERTIES, NY)

100.350 PTS:  JOSEPH CIOMBOR (CAMPBELL HALL, NY)

Event 4: Card Masters

$400 + $50 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

Callahan Monitoring the Green Jacket

While the Masters is being played in Georgia, Borgata players like Jerry Callahan (Oyster Bay, NY) are keeping track of the green jacket from the green felt.

Callahan's a big golf fan and attended the 2002 U.S. Open that was played in his Long Island backyard of Bethpage Black.  Today's early second round coverage doesn't have a lot of big names, but Callahan's keeping an eye on Rory McIlroy who's starting to climb the leaderboard.

As for Callahan's poker, he's a Borgata regular with multiple cashes including a 2nd place finish in the 2010 Borgata Poker Open Deep Stack Turbo ($16,000).

 Live Coverage

Event 4: Roll Call

$400 + $50 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

26 tables are up and running in the Signature Room.  The most common question so far today, "who won Event 1?"

WSOP bracelet holder Brian Lemke (Norristown, PA) takes down Event 1 earning himself $111,076 and the first trophy of the Borgata Spring Poker Open.

Lemke hopes to be back for the Championship Event (April 15-19), but in the meantime here's a look at those vying for the next NL title.

Familiar Faces

Dwyte Pilgrim
Lee Childs
John Allen Hinds
Julie Cornelius
Roman Valerstein
Tony Antonious
Sean Knitter
Rick Petroy
Jerry Maher
Jason Warriner
Howard Wolper
Mike Dentale
Paul Leon

Event 4: Good Morning!

$400 + $50 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

After two Borgata Spring Poker Open champions were crowned early this morning, the Signature and Poker rooms are buzzing with fresh faces and new hopes on winning a coveted trophy.

Players start with 15k in chips and starting levels are 30 minutes each (Level 11+/40 min.).

Re-entries are back in play as players look to fire multiple bullets in this 2-day event.  Unlimited entries are available to any player who busts during the first six levels.

Cards are in the air!

Friday, April 6

TODAY'S EVENTS (THE SIGNATURE ROOM & POKER ROOM)
REGISTER IN POKER ROOM


11AM: Event 4 - $400 + $50 Big Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• Players start with 15,000 in tournament chips 
• Levels 1-10: will last 30 minutes each | Levels 11+: will last 40 minutes each
• Players that bust within the first 6 Levels may Re-Enter (unlimited re-entries)
• 2-Day event

7 PM:  Event 25 - $200 + $30 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

• Players start with 12,000 in tournament chips 
• Levels will last 20 minutes each
• This is a Bounty tournament. Players must  have their Bounty Chip clearly displayed on the table in order to remain active in tournament.
• 1-Day event

Event 2 Recap

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Manh Nguyen (Munhall, PA) continued his winning ways in the first Bounty event of the 2012 Borgata Spring Poker Open. The converted tournament player made the switch from PLO cash games to multi-table tournaments two years ago and never looked back. The career move has served him well, as he takes home $30,159 and the engraved Borgata trophy for his latest triumph.

Nguyen outlasted a field of 329 entrants that included the likes of Will "the Thrill" Failla, Dwyte Pilgrim and Mike "Little Man" Sica. East Coast tournament regular, Mike Borovetz, put up a fight late in the day, but eventually fell victim to our newest Borgata Champion. Our 2nd place finisher spoke highly of his opponent as he commented, "he plays well, his image was good...he really earned it."

Borgata regular Nancy Martin (Washington Crossing, PA), was another victim of Nguyen. She earned the title of last lady standing after squeaking into the money with a 36th place finish for $670. Joe Liberta (Berlin, NJ) was poised for another deep run, but went "card dead" late in the day and busted in 18th place for $949. Both have posted stellar results at Borgata , but neither could fade the dominant play from the "Manh," the myth, the legend ... Mr Nguyen.

Nguyen follows up his September 2011 Borgata Poker Open victory by adding another piece of Borgata hardware to his trophy case. The up and coming poker star plans on playing as many events as possible during this Spring tournament series and to let the "run good" continue.

Final Table Results:

1. Manh Nguyen (Munhall, PA) - $30,158

2. Mike Borovetz (Pittsburgh, PA) - $16,754

3. Mike Ory (Hoboken, NJ) - $10,388

4. Thomas McCann (Allentown, PA) - $8,377

5. Bernard Liberati (Cherry Hill, NJ) - $6,478

6. Ryan Hemmel (Hoboken, NJ) - $5,473

7. Anthony Stopper (Williamsport, PA) - $4,412

8. Shane LaBounty (Wateford, NY) - $3,295

9. Joseph Lauro (E. Northport, NY) - $2,234

10. Giulio Cifelli (Hopewell, NJ) - $1,452

Event 2: 1st Place - Manh Nguyen

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

CHAMPION

Manh Nguyen (Munhall, PA)

$30,158

Manh Nguyen is back to his winning ways, the converted tournament player finds himself back in the Winners Circle after 20 hours of poker. He defeated a field of 329 players to capture the first place prize.

Two years ago, Nguyen was primarily a cash-game player, "usually I play PLO cash, tournaments still feel new to me" he tells us.

The Borgata regular should stick to tournament play, his success here has been unmatched. He follows up a 2011 Winter Open victory by adding another piece of Borgata hardware to his trophy case.

Event 2: 2nd Place - Mike Borovetz

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Michael Borovetz (Pittsburgh, PA)

$16,754

Borovetz played good enough to win, he was disappointed with his runner-up finish, but leaves happy with the state of his tournament poker game.

"I feel like I'm in the zone, my reads are sharp...I'm playing good right now".

The Pittsburgh native and die-hard Steelers fan tells us he's "putting in lots of volume during the Spring Open", we'll keep an eye out for Mike and his winning ways.

Event 2: Heads-Up

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

The first Heads-Up confrontation, a typical coinflip.

Michael Borovetz J♦7♦

vs

Manh Nguyen 5♦5♣

Borovetz flops the world with top pair and a flush draw, he scoops the pot and gives his favorite railbird a high-five.

Both players on break, play resumes in 10 minutes.

Event 2: 3rd Place - Mike Ory

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Mike Ory (Hoboken, NJ)

$10, 388

Manh nguyen continues to run good, the overwhelming Chipleader picked up K♣K♦ to send Mike Ory and his A♣J♣ to the rail.

During his exit interview, Mike labeled himself the "Ace/King magnet". After picking up Big Slick numerous times in the later levels, he said the hand just kept coming.

"I doubled up with it and tripled up with it...it was amazing how many times I looked down at AK".

Event 2: Three's Company

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Number of Entrants: 329
Players remaining: 3

Blinds: 25,000/50,000/5,000a

Michael Borovetz - 1,600,000
Mike Ory - 1,200,000
Manh Nguyen - 2,150,000

Event 2: 4th Place - Tom McCann

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Tom McCann (Allentown, PA)

$8,377

Tom McCann fought long and hard, but his day ended when he shoved Q♦9♦ into the K♣10♣ of Michael Borovetz. The "elder statesman" at the Final Table was impressive from start to finish.

Event 2: The End is Near

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Fatigue has officially set in.

Lots of yawns and plenty of requests for coffee (cream and sugar) as the remaining 4 players close in on 19 hours of play.

Tom McCann is nursing a short stack, while Manh Nguyen applies the pressure.

Event 2: Still Grinding

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

4 players, 1 railbird...

Chip-Counts:

Tom McCann - 415,000
Michael Borovetz - 1,400,000
Mike Ory - 1,325,000
Manh Nguyen - 1,505,000

Event 2: 5th Place - Bernard Liberati

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Bernard Liberati (Cherry Hill, NJ)

$6,478

"I was short, I shoved my last 250k with J7 and he had the only hand I didn't wanna' see...QJ had me crushed," said our 5th place finisher.

A solid showing and good day of poker from the New Jersey native.

Event 2: 6th Place - Ryan Hemmel

$350 + $50 + $100 Black Chip Bounty NLH

Ryan Hemmel (Hoboken, NJ)

$5,473

Ryan Hemmel was sent to the rail when his AK was outdrawn by Manh Nguyen holding 44. The flop went bet/call, then both players checked the turn before Nguyen found a lucky 4 on the river to eliminate Hemmel.