Event 18 (Day 2)
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 14: Blinds 1,500/3,000/3,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 216
Average Chips: 190,000
Bruce Collado
On the turn with a board of 
, Bruce Collado bet 26,500 into two opponents. Michael Haberman (hijack) tanked for a bit before calling. Seat 7 opted out.
The river was the scary 
and Bruce tossed in a bet of 31,000. Michael again spent a couple minutes in the tank, before deciding to fold. He managed to cajole Bruce into showing his hand: 
(top/top on the flop, top two on the river).
Bruce chipped up to about 430,000. Michael was left with only about 110,000.
Michael Haberman
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 14: Blinds 1,500/3,000/3,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 220
Average Chips: 195,500
“The General”, aka BluffyMcLiarPants
The Borgata regular known only as “The General” is doing well, stacking up to ~450,000 as they approach the dinner break.
His shirt might be a tell, however, since it reads “BluffyMcLiarPants”. Perhaps it is a reverse tell, leading opponents to believe he’s bluffing when he’s not. Or perhaps it is a reverse-reverse tell, and he wants players to think it’s a reverse-tell.
This can be a very convoluted mind game when it comes down to it.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 14: Blinds 1,500/3,000/3,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 230
Average Chips: 187,000
Anthony Maio
The Marc Sandy was short-stacked and got all-in a couple of times with no action, but this round Anthony Maio looked him up.
Marc had 
and was ahead, but basically even-money against Anthony’s 
. The run was clean until the river, when an Ace sent the pot to Anthony.
The final board read [
, so Marc picked up a gutshot on the flop, but got no help anywhere else. He reported to the rail.
Anthony chipped up to ~200,000.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 14: Blinds 1,500/3,000/3,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 257
Average Chips: 167,500
Tony Tran
As they move into Level 14, the chip lead appears to belong to Tony Tran, who’s playing about 690,000.
He’s sharing the felt on 25 with another big stack belonging to John Richards. He’s playing ~555,000.
John Richards
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 13: Blinds 1,500/2,500/2,500 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 288
Average Chips: 149,500
Soheb Porbandarwala
Soheb Porbandarwala and Shannon Shorr (button) checked it down on the river with the board reading 
. Soheb (hjack) tabled pocket 9s and Shannon mucked his hand. With that pot, Soheb chipped up to about 200,000. Shannon was still in good shape, playing ~ 275,000.
One of nine players to win his entry in this event playing satellites on BorgataPoker.com, Soheb is well on his way to parlaying that inexpensive entry into a bigger payday.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 13: Blinds 1,500/2,500/2,500 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 297
Average Chips: 145,000
Matthew Radcliffe stands as he and Scott Efron await their fate.
Three players got all their chips in the middle pre-flop on table 4. Seat 2 (utg) was ahead with 
and had everyone covered with 105,500. Matthew Radcliffe (button) had 
and 16,500; and Scott Efron (sb) had 
and ~77,000. They were both at risk for their tournament lives, and behind the pocket pair.
The board ran out 
and missed everyone until the river, when the Jack paired both Matthew and Scott.
Matthew had the better kicker, but the shorter stack. He tripled up, Scott survived with the side pot, and seat 2 was left short-stacked as well.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 13: Blinds 1,500/2,500/2,500 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Remaining: 306
Average Chips: 140,500
Players are back from their break with two 75-minute levels between them and their dinner break.
As they’re settling in, lets take a look at what they’re playing for. The final 135 players will get paid as shown below. The winner will also receive a BPO trophy, a WPT Champions cup replica trophy, and an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas for the WPT Season XVII Tournament of Champions. $15,000 will be withheld from 1st-place prize money for the TOC entry.
| Place | Payout |
| 1st | $575,112 |
| 2nd | $383,399 |
| 3rd | $283,341 |
| 4th | $211,562 |
| 5th | $159,616 |
| 6th | $121,697 |
| 7th | $93,776 |
| 8th | $73,040 |
| 9th-10th | $57,510 |
| 11th-12th | $45,781 |
| 13th-14th | $36,850 |
| 15th-16th | $29,996 |
| 17th-20th | $24,695 |
| 21st-24th | $20,565 |
| 25th-32nd | $17,326 |
| 33rd-40th | $14,769 |
| 41st-48th | $12,740 |
| 49th-56th | $11,123 |
| 57th-64th | $9,830 |
| 65th-72nd | $8,794 |
| 73rd-80th | $7,967 |
| 81st-89th | $7,309 |
| 90th-98th | $6,792 |
| 99th-116th | $6,393 |
| 117th-135th | $6,097 |
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
End of Level 12: 1000/2,o00/2,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1075
Remaining: 315
Average Chips: 136,508
On 15, Paul Volpe bet the 
from LP into Jerry Maher, getting a call.
On the turn, which might pair a raiser but now was a very dangerous car, the killer checked back sagely. However, another interesting card came out, the , which Jerry chose to lead, always a dangerous move into a talented player. Nevertheless, Jerry got the fold, and Volpe returned to leaning over, hidden by his hat.
Maher steels himself in the small blind for Volpe. James Coyne, left, counts down his stack, awaiting his opportunity.
Pigeons 1, Beast 0.
Meanwhile, another interesting lead developed on 11 between Alfred Caban, an early big stack, and Ryan Paul, now up to 300,000 and looking sharp.
From the button, Caban had opened and now saw the 
. Caban bet into Paul for 12,000 and got a call.
The , just like the Volpe hand, went check check but on a far less dangerous card, mainly helping the gutter and perhaps 
.
Caban and Paul about to battle, BU vs SB. Lambrakis hesitated and folded the big, now at about 120,000.
The river was the , which might bail out the raiser Caban. Surprisingly, Paul now led for 15,000, a curious card to bluff. The question might be what sort of value, and Caban decided he had enough to find out.
Ryan Paul turned over the 
, and Caban mucked. Paul is over 300,000 and a big stack now.
Back on 15, Volpe found himself in another predicament. The Beast had led turn out of position on the 
12,000 and now faced a fairly meaty 36,000 raise.
James Coyne, looking sharp and ready for the FT.
Coyne had about 70,000 back, so the decision would likely have to be made now. Could Coyne really be taking a shot at Volpe?
Volpe ponders the aggression from Coyne.
The Beast paused, and counted combos or dreamed about more baseball caps or whatever it is the dangerous Volpe does, and decided to ship it for a bet/three bet all-in.
James sighed and released.
Pigeons 1, Beast 1.
Elsewhere, Maritato has fallen off his peak and is back in the 400,000 zone.
We are on break.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
End of Level 11: 1000/1,500/1,500 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1075
Remaining: 396
Average Chips: 108,586
Maritato and his chips rise.
Already at 500,000, Patrick Maritato just picked off a tournament life.
Facing a shove on a paired, drawing board, Maritato rose, got the count, and flipped in a chip for the call, trying to keep the drawing players in the field in the hand.
They fold, and the shortstack turns over on 
. A fair draw for sure, but drawing dead to Patrick’s turned deuces full.
Maritato is above 530,000.
Meanwhile, back in the Signature Room, Liam He has over 350,000.
Maxime Heroux is holding at about 360,000.
Ben Diebold, having a strong BPO, puts in the three bet against a short stack on table 1.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure
Level 11: 1000/1,500/1,500 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1075
Remaining: 450
Average Chips: 95,556
Maxime Heroux glances at The Master.
Heroux, on 42 in the Signature Room, has cracked 400,000 for the Level 11 lead.
Stanley Lee, deep in the corner of the TTA on table 30, has over 250,000, here stacking a small pot, 1010 over 88. Michael Rossitto, left, is a little under 70,000.