Event 1 (Day 1B)

Below is a list of all the players playing in Day 2, in chip count order. To find an alphabetized list of these players, along with table and seat number for each player, click HERE.

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Level 18 (Blinds 3,000/6,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 58

Darren Elias, Chester Rudisill, Romy Segal (Day 1B Chip Leaders)

58 players players have made it through Day 1B to join the 55 player who had already advanced from Day 1A. That puts the total number of players advancing to Day 2 of the Event 1 – $500 + $60 Big Stack NLH RE $2,000,000 Guaranteed tournament at 113.

There were multiple players with over 400,000 in chips, beating the 391,000 posted by Dan DiZenzo in yesterday’s Day 1A. Those players bagged heaps of chips, but no one has more than Darren Elias, who was leading throughout the day and finished Day 1B with 503,000. Right behind him were Chester Rudisill (475,000), also a frontrunner throughout and Romy Segal (437,000) who used a late surge to finish with a monster stack. Steve Scales (435,000) rounds out the “400 Club” and then there is a cluster of players just under 400,000 in chips, including, Wen Zhang, Kirk Kuykendoll, William Parker and Leo Walker.

The tournament average for Day 1B was 193,000 and the average for players advancing from both 1A and 1B is currently 188,000.

There is no rest for those who have yet to bag for Day 2 though, as Day 1C is currently running in the Event Center. There are also two more chances to qualify for Day 2, as Day 1D and 1E will run tomorrow at 10 AM and 5 PM respectfully.

All players that bagged chips tonight are again reminded that Event 1 is NOT a best stack forward tournament, and any player who bagged chips tonight will forfeit their stack if they enter any other Day 1 field.

A full list of players bagging from Day 1B and 1C will be posted tomorrow morning during the early levels of Day 1D.

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Level 18 (Blinds 3,000/6,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 70

Steve Scales (Red Bank, NJ)

Over the course of the last level, Steve Scales went from dominated with one foot out the door, to being one of the Day 1B chip leaders.

Scales first big hand came when he moved all-in for 78,000 over a pre-flop raise and a call. A player in late position flatted Scales’ all-in and the other two players with chips invested folded.

Scales would be at risk and behind holding {As}{Js} to the {Jc}{Jd} of the unknown player.

Scales would have his tournament saved with the flop of {Ac}{8c}{Kc}, but the sweat was on as the unknown player would be drawing to the flush.

It wouldn’t get there as Scales would improve with the {Ah} on the turn and the {3h} bricked on the river to complete the improbable double.

Then, a half level later, Scales would really make his move, this time holding the best of it.

Scales would make a large pre-flop three-bet and be called by an anonymous player on the button. The flop would come {6c}{3d}{9d} and Scales would lead out, only to be raised by the button player.

Scales would then ship all-in for 150,000 and get called, the button player holding {9c}{7c} for top pair. Scales held {10s}{10h} and needed it to hold.

The turn and river would fall {8d} {8c} and Scales would skyrocket to over 300,000 with 15 minutes remaining in the last level of Day 1B.

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Level 18 (Blinds 3,000/6,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 85

Sergio Vigano (Brazil)

When players are sitting with under 10 big blinds, they will take just about any increase to their chip stack.

Sergio Vigano (Brazil) didn’t just increase his stack by stealing the blinds or taking down a single pot, he just more than tripled up, and now sits just under 200,000.

Vigano moved all-in over top of the pre-flop raise and a call of two early position players.

Both players ended up calling his all-in, one for less and one that had them both barely covered.

The cards were turned up and Vigano held {9s}{9d} and was against two different big slick hands, {Ah}{kh} and {ad}{Kc}.

With those player’s having less outs to beat Vigano’s pocket pair, he looked in good shape to complete the triple.

The board ran out clean, {4h}{6s}{5s}{6d}{qd} and the man from Brazil was taking in his newly won chips, with just over a half hour to play.

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Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 90

Boris Kreiman (Russia)

Within a matter of two hands, Russia’s Boris Kreiman has gone from having a well below average stack, to having close to 200,000 and in the process, knocked out one of the tougher competitors in the Day 1B field.

Kreiman got it all-in with pocket {Ax}’s against the {Ah}{Qh} of an unknown short stack and the {Jc}{10c} of Chalie Hook.

Hook was drawing to a straight flush on the flop of {7c}{8c}{3d}, but could not get complete any of his draws on the turn or river.

Kreiman would complete the knock out of Hook, cripple the unknown player and double up himself.

In the very next hand, Kreiman would three-bet a pre-flop raise from Darren Elias and take down the almost 60,000 chip pot after all-in jamming the flop of {3h}{6d}{4h}.

He is now sitting with almost double the chip average with just under 50 minutes left to play in Day 1B.

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Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 95

Robin Farley (Akron, OH)

With just over an hour left to play in today’s session, Day 1B is down to it’s final four women.

Nancy Martin, Stephanie Hubbard and May Chin are all sitting either at, or just above the current chip average of 112,000.

But, it is Robin Farley (Akron, OH) who is currently the top female with close to 250,000.

Robin’s last rated cash is from the 2013 Borgata Poker Open, but many of her cashes, including her biggest, a 2nd place finish in 2007 for $27,440 have come on the WSOP Circuit, at various locations across the country.

Alyson Parker was the only women who managed to bag chips during yesterday’s Day 1A session, albeit a 10 big blind stack to start Day 2, and these four women are setting themselves up to do that and more as Day 1B heads towards completion.

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Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 100

Players are now on a 15 minute color up break, and will return to Level 17 and then play two more 40 minute levels to end Day 1B.

Last night, the eliminations were fast and furious coming back from this break, so we could see some Event 1 deja vu as the current chip average is just over 110,000. Many shorter stacked players will be put to the test as the blinds go up and they must decide if their stack is “baggable” or not.

Last night, 55 players bagged chips with the average stack size sitting at just over 180,000. The biggest stack bagged last night belonged to Dan DiZenzo who finished Day 1A with 391,000.

Players are reminded that Event 1 is NOT a best stack forward tournament, so any chips you bag will be forfeited if you enter another of the Day 1 sessions.

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Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 100

Andrew Klein (Ocean, NJ)

The Day 1B field has been condensed to it’s final ten tables, and there are four players who are now over the 300,000 chip mark, with close to two and a half levels left to play in the day.

Daniel Elias is the top stack in the room with 345,000, with Andrew Klein and Anthony Garofalo close behind with 315,000 and 310,000 respectfully. Chester Rubisill is also just over the 300,000 chip mark.

Klein is a newcomer to the Day 1B leader board, but don’t for a second think that that means he is a newcomer to the Borgata Poker Room, or Event Center for that matter.

Klein, who is the self proclaimed “best poker athlete” on the planet, has ten live rated cashes at the Borgata since January and the biggest cash of his career came in the 2011 Summer Poker Open Championship event, when he finished 4th, good for just under $60,000.

Klein is looking to keep his hot streak at the Borgata going, and a good finish during Day 1B will be just the start this “poker athlete” is looking for.

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Level 15 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 120

Anthony Garofalo (Philadelphia, PA)

With just under four levels remaining in Day 1B, short stacks are being put to the test, and many of them have been sent to the rail at the hands of the new chip leader, Anthony Garofalo (Philadelphia, PA).

His most recent elimination came in a pre-flop race between his {Ks}{Qs} and an unknown opponent’s {Jh}{Jd}.

Garofalo only needed the flop of {5d}{Qh}{2s} for the win, but improved on the river as the {Kh} fell, giving him top two.

Garofalo took in the 50,000 chip pot and began stacking up his mountain of chips, which currently sits at just under 400,000, already eclipsing Dan DiZenzo’s 391,000, which was the club house leader from Day 1A.

Despite having close to $35,000 in live tournament earnings, Garofalo has never cashed at The Borgata. But, if he continues the way he has during Day 1B of Event 1, he very well may be on his way to his first Borgata score.

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Level 13 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1B Entries: 562
Players Remaining: 180

Steve Scales (Red Bank, NJ)

The action was picked up with the cards exposed and the dealer counting Steve Scales chips. While a finalized number was being confirmed, a quick look at the board told a pretty simple story, Steve Scales had laid the perfect trap.

Scales had {As}{Ah} in front of him, while his opponent held {Ac}{Qc}.

The board read {Qs}{Ad}{9h}{Kc}{7h} and Nancy Martin, who watched it all go down as a bystander at the table, said, “The old limp under-the-gun with aces trick.” Scales had then led out, been raised by his opponent and then moved all-in, his opponent would call, and see the flopped set.

The dealer would figure out that Scales all-in flop three-bet had come to a total of close to 70,000 and his opponent was left cutting out nearly 75% of his stack and sending it Steve’s way.

Scales is now up to over 150,000 in chips and is in a very familiar place, as Scales was one of the early Day 1 leaders of Event 1 of the Summer Poker Open, in which he would finish 4th, good for $31,689.

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