Event 7
The 2018 Borgata Poker Open came to a close in the early morning hours of Saturday morning when the 21st BPO trophy found a new home.
Erkut ‘Eric’ Yilmaz
About eight hours earlier, Erkut Yilmaz took 1st place in the Championship event, along with $575,112 and both BPO and WPT Champions Cup trophies. Yilmaz took a huge lead into the final day of the Championship and held that lead until heads-up with poker pro Timothy ‘TK’ Miles. They proceeded to battle for more than two hours, with the lead changing several times, before Yilmaz finally collected all the chips and the title. Miles added another $383,399 to his career earnings, pushing the total past $3.2 million.
This series saw a lot of firsts. For the first time, the BPO was not held in the Event Center, but in a temporary Tournament Area between the Poker Room and Signature Room. This was a one-time occurence and this area will now he turned into the new Borgata Sports Book. The Winter Poker Open in January will be back in the Event Center as usual.
Another first was buy-in guarantees on the non-No Limit Hold’em events. The Omaha/Stud High/Low, HORSE, and PLO tournaments all had guarantees for the first time ever. There was also an “Old School” Freeze-out NLH tournament with no re-entries, and a Double Black Chip Bounty tournament added to this year’s schedule.
Justin Leeds (seated) took 1st in Event 1 in a 4-way adjusted payout.
Justin Leeds claimed the top spot in the $1 Million GTD Kick-Off event, which saw 3,106 entrants. The final four players all took home more than $170,000 for their efforts in the three-day event.
Altogether, the series had $7.6 million in guarantees and paid out more than $8.3 million in prize money in Main Events alone, not including secondary and satellite events. A complete list of Main Event winners and their winnings is below.
*Indicates Adjusted Payout
The next major tournament series is the Fall Poker Open, which runs November 6th through the 21st, so start making plans now. The tournament schedule has not yet been released. Follow @BorgataPoker on Twitter to catch the announcement when it is. Until then, Borgata’s regular schedule of Daily Tournaments will resume. For those of you in New Jersey, there’s alway another tournament coming up on BorgataPoker.com. October 14th – 21st, the Garden State Super Series (GSSS) will be running with more than $450,000 in guarantees.
For now, it’s farewell from the Borgata Blogging team of Tim Kelliher, Chris Murray, Al Rash, Brittany Paige, and myself. Hope to see you in November during the Fall Poker Open!
@Kaelaine
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
Level 22: Blinds 10000/20000/20000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 6
Average Chips: 263,000
A sequence of quick events changed the landscape of Seniors NLH event.
First, long the chip leader, Paul Tong lost a few pots, taking the shine off his lead. Then a big one against former tiny stack Larry Munz. Previously wanting a favorable adjusted payout, he now had no room to negotiate.
Bad spot: Tong calls a shove with sevens only to be shown an overpair.
The tournament looked set to go on into the night, but Howard Schuman cooled off Munz for a double, 
versus 
.
Final hand. The dealer pays out Howard’s double to the lead.
Instead of protracted play or negotiations, chip leader Schuman had different asperations: getting on the road for a long drive home. He wanted the trophy but let the group take even shares in a generous deal.
Howard Schuman (Brightwaters, NY) was dramatically up and down all tournament, it’s fitting he bounces across the finish line for first and $3,730. Congrats, Howard!
The rest of the final table each took $3,300
2. Steven Rinker (New Oxford, PA)
3. John Aquaro (Hemstead, NY)
4. Jerry Ferrantino
5. Lawrence Munz
6. Paul Tong
Well done, everyone!
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
Level 21: Blinds 8000/15000/15000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 6
Average Chips: 263,000
After mixing it up all day, Vinny Iorio got down to last seven blinds, but even premium hands couldn’t save his tournament.
First he got queens in against Larry Munz’ drowning stack, but the ace on the flop gave Munz the double to a few more blinds.
Munz, center, gathers in his double. Jerry Ferrantino, smiling, has been quietly gaining all final table, and now is second with 400,000.
Now the shortest stack on the table, Vinny woke up with the dream hand in the big, and even got a shove right into him by Rinker in the small.
It was a natural cooler that should have doubled Vinny up, Steve’s versus .
However, the flop brought two kings, leaving Vinny dead to one out.
Vinny finally has real reason to complain: AA going down to Rinker’s AK.
For his effort today and a fun, active run, Iorio takes 7th for $1,149.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
End of Level 20: Blinds 6000/12000/12000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 7
Average Chips: 225,000
Howard Schuman lay in the weeds, flatting aces preflop, inducing the shove from Carl Copeland holding 
.
Carl Copeland is bust.
A good blocker hand to rip in, but a poor match up against the Birds. Carl takes $920 for strong run to 8th, while Schuman, down to just a few bigs this level, shot back back above average at 250,000.
Can’t hold: Howard pounds the stack of owed chips for the dealer to push to Rinker.
However, Schuman can’t keep his hands on his stack. He gets cooled off by the constantly doubling Rinker, who hits the nut flush draw on the flop, outdrawing flopped bottom two. Steve had fallen to 130,000 but now is above average.
Schuman is back to critical, as we take a short break.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
End of Level 19: Blinds 5000/10000/10000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 8
Average Chips: 197,000
A third double in a row for once short stack Steve Rinker has left former big stack Howard Schuman crippled.
Howard had raised for value pre, but let in Rinker with 
. He hit another set and gets paid in full by Schuman.
“I should have shoved,” Howard lamented, a classic poker line.
In the next hand, quiet chip leader Tong opened, and Howard jammed his last six bigs. Always present Vinny now woke up with it, jamming all in to isolate Howard.
However, the aces went down in flames, as Schuman’s desperation 
binked as second pair on the turn.
Howard gets off life support through Vinny. “First time I had aces, I lose,” Vinny complained – another song many poker players know.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
Level 19: Blinds 5000/10000/10000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 8
Average Chips: 197,000
Steve Rinker just felted Rene Oliveras, who takes home $690.
However, he didn’t stop there, next doubling through Vinny Iorio with a rivered set. Vinny is constantly in the mix of action, this level taking it a bit on the chin.
Vinny sourly pays off a satisfied Steve Rinker, who still has under 150,000. Aquaro looks on.
Vinny has the chips to take the heat, but the pressure is mounting. John Aquaro on his left just three bet Vinny, got his call, then jammed the 
flop.
Iorio had to fold. He still has over 200,000. The more sedate Paul Tong remains chip leader.
Aquaro dumps it all in on the flop.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
Level 18: Blinds 4000/8000/8000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 9
Average Chips: 143,000
Table two finally loses a man after a long stretch before and after break at eleven players, but it only takes one hand of the unofficial final table to burst the bubble.
First Vinny knocks one out with 33 to get us to one table…
Mark Amabile got all the chips in good against Vinny Iorio, against 
. Unfortunately, Vinny crushed the seven on the turn and pumped his fist in celebration, sending Amabile home with some consolation cash from the amiable seniors.
…then sends Mark Amabile, above, home with dominated hand…
More action immediately followed, this time when Carl Copeland and Iorio each got in against each other. However, Carl’s 
ended up mattering, hitting the flush draw and turning a 5% chance of winning outright into 100% on the turn.
…but finally his streak ends with an unlikely loss to Carl.
Vinny lamented his luck but Steve Rinker quickly reminded Vinny about that seven a few minutes earlier. Iorio returned to good humor, and we play on, in the money.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
Level 17: Blinds 3000/6000/6000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 11
Average Chips: 143,000
Carl Copeland in action on 1, here against Howard Schuman.
Steve Rinker on 2 has just doubled up again, this time with the .
We’re two away from the money and watching for the Bubble.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
End of Level 16: Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 11
Average Chips: 143,000
John Aquaro on table 1 checks his cards, about to take a small one from Howard, foreground. After winning, Aquaro had 195,000; Howard, a little less.
However, it didn’t last. A few hands later from the blinds, John flops trips but shortstack John Ferrantino, cdener, flushes on the turn for a double to 140,000, pulling Aquaro out of the table lead.
We now take the dinner break, and return at 7:50 pm.
$300+$40+$10 Donation Mike Sica Memorial Seniors NLH
Structure
Level 16: Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 79
Remaining: 12
Average Chips: 131,000
Wounded by Rinker, Larry O’Halloran got all the money in against Paul Tong on table 2, 
against 
for the Spring champ.
A jack in the window and no help for fives left Larry short of the cash.
Tong climbs higher, now at 270,000 and the lead. Vinny on his left is the other biggest stack, with 160,000.