Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)
Matt Milliken (Madison, WI)
As players return from break, many new fashionably late notables take their seats for the first time today. Matt Milliken (Madison, WI) is one of those players, a primarily cash game player who frequents the higher value tournaments when available. Matt (better known as “Warlock” from his online days) has just under $100,000 in career tournament earnings, with his last recorded cash coming in this event during last year’s Borgata Poker Open (235th place – $1,442). Here are some other names to be spotted for the first time around the break:
Joe Black Mike Azzaro
DJ MacKinnon Chris Leong
Jake Perry
Andrew Zhu
Asher Conniff
Ahmed Mohamed
Dan Walsh
Rabbit Everson
Tim Little
Julie Anna Cornelius
Level 3 (Blinds 75/150)
Joe Wertz (Montoursville, PA)
Rewind three months to Day 1A of Event 1 of the Borgata Summer Poker Open and it was Joe Wertz (Montoursville, PA) bossing the Day 1A field and bagging the most chips.
Wertz would take a top five chip stack into Day 2 and turn that into a 48th place cash, good for just over $1,300, and he is hoping to start the Borgata Poker Open the same way, as he is in today’s $2 million guaranteed field.
Since then, Joe has had two live rated cashes, one in the Parx Big Stax 300 for just under $1,000 and a 377th place finish in the WSOP Monster Stack event for just over $5,000.
Wertz has had his fair share of success at the Borgata and while Septembers have not been as good as the other months of the year, Joe is hoping to regain some of his 2011 form, when he finished 2nd in the $400 + $50 NLH RE tournament, good for $87,989.
Joe is currently sitting with around his starting stack. Players have over 15 levels to run up a baggable stack before the end of Day 1A.
Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)
Players have just headed on their first (10) minute break of the day, with some clearing the room altogether, while others take advantage of the food court for the first time. When those players do return to their seats, they will be posting new blinds of 100/200, the last pre-ante level of the day.
Level 3 (Blinds 75/150)
Things are moving along as players enter their third level of the day, now posting blinds of 100/200 in Level 3. In a great move to further overall player experience, a new and improved players lounge has opened it’s doors along with the Event Center. Located to the right of the Registration Desk in Studio 2, the lounge offers free wi-fi, computers to play on BorgataPoker.com, televisions for viewing, and the all important stations to charge phones. The doors are open twelve hours a day throughout the series (11:00am-11:00pm), so make sure to check it out and let us know what you think:
#BPO Lounge open 11a-11p with FREE wifi! Charge phones, watch tv and play https://t.co/hP0eGWBhhQ! pic.twitter.com/g3srdcQ7bE
— BorgataPoker (@BorgataPoker) September 2, 2014
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Joe McKeehen (North Wales, PA)
Joe McKeehen (North Wales, PA) is making his first appearance at Borgata since the Borgata Spring Poker Open, now a household name in the poker community (if he wasn’t already before). McKeehen left for Las Vegas with just under $900,000 in career tournament earnings, and returned with a number double that amount.
McKeehen’s summer started with a six-digit score right off the bat, as he won the $2,100 No Limit Hold’em (Event #26) event at Venetian during the DeepStack Extravaganza III. The first place finish would earn him just over $101,000, but that wasn’t even close to the highlight of his summer.
Last year it was the Millionaire Maker that took the WSOP by storm, attracting an enormous field. This year it was the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Monster Stack that would make waves, boasting a field totaling 7,862 entries, and a prize pool of $10,613,000. Joe managed to navigate the field over a span of a few days, reaching the final table and getting heads up with Hugo Pingray (Matigmy, France). First place was over $1,300,000, and although McKeehen fell short of his first ever WSOP bracelet, he did earn himself a life changing score of $820,863 for his runner-up finish. Joe took his seat in the field just moments ago, and currently sits with the starting stack.
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
The first level of the day is in the books, and players are now posting blinds of 50/100 in Level 2. As the players continue to file into the Event Center, they will recognize some differences from series prior. There are two new projection television screens hanging from the ceiling for players viewing pleasure, just in time for the start of the 2014 NFL season. Media row has also been shifted towards the back of the Event Center, only to make room for the live stream set. Located next to the food court, the area consists of a stand alone table (the eventual final table), as well as seating for players friends and family.
On the wall directly across from both the food court and live stream, players will notice the #BorgataPokerOpen live Twitter feed. Players Tweets scroll across the screen, offering up to the minute updates, hand histories, and chip counts throughout the day. The only way to be seen is to use the #BorgataPokerOpen or #BorgataPoker included somewhere in the Tweet:
The twitter wall is back! Use #BorgataPokerOpen and you might see your updates in the feed!
— BorgataPoker (@BorgataPoker) September 2, 2014
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
The last time a seasonal series ran, it was the Borgata Summer Poker Open in June, with many of the tournament regulars in Las Vegas for the WSOP. Their minds are now set solely on the Borgata, and we are seeing many faces for the first time since April (Borgata Spring Poker Open)…mixed in with those who seem to always make it regardless of the series:
Jimmy Lillis
Aaron Freese
Stephanie Hubbard
Ilya Ekshtut
James Kaplan
Frank Ingaurdia
Paul Shedaker
James Governa
Eric Rappaport
Gordon Eng
Jonathan Kramer
Christine Brewer
Michael Marder
Alyson Parker
Andrew Lydon
Jennifer So
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Tournament Director Tab Duchateau has just made the rules announcement for players already seated at their tables, and the cards are now in the air for the 2014 Borgata Poker Open.
It could be today (or the next few that follow), but someone in this field is going to turn a $500 buy-in into a six-digit tournament score. The sound of chips being shuffled currently echoes through the Event Center, and as players being to get settled, a list of notable “early birds” will be posted shortly.
There are only a handful of events that poker players circle on their calendar each year as a “can’t miss” tournament. Event 1 of September’s Borgata Poker Open is just that, and the cards will be in the air in less than (30) minutes. This year’s opening event carries a $2,000,000 guarantee, offering unbelievable value for a $500 buy-in tournament. The numbers for the opening event of this series over the past few years have been staggering, as 3,705 total entries made up the tournament in 2012 ($1,852,500 prize pool), and a record shattering 4,482 walked through the doors last year ($2,241,000).
Walking into the Event Center for the first time each year is similar to entering the hallways of school for the first day, as the rows of tables seem to last forever and familiar faces greet each other after time apart. Those sitting down before the “shuffle up and deal” announcement is made will be getting comfortable with a starting stack of 20,000 (as will those entering late or re-entering). Levels 1-16 will last (30) minutes, with Levels 17-25 transitioning to (40) minutes, and Levels 26+ lasting (50) minutes in length. Today is the first starting flight of five for this event, with Day 1A action wrapping up at the conclusion of Level 18.
While there is a long way between now and Saturday (which is Day 3), let’s not forget to mention that the final table for this event will be streamed live!!! The finishing touches are still being put on the set, but the area where the final table will take place is available for all to see, located next to the players food court in the Event Center.
The doors have just opened for the first time and players are filing in to find their respective table number and seat. While Event 1 gets a lot of attention, there is another event that will take place today, as Event 2 ($350 Omaha/Stud 8B) will get underway at 4:00pm. Action for both events (as well as all main events throughout the series) will be covered live on the blog, so make sure to save this URL and keep up with all the action over the next two weeks!!
We’re gearing up here at Borgata to make the Borgata Poker Open in September the best it’s ever been. We’re adding live streaming, new and exciting tournament structures, and two charity tournaments to our line up! This time around, if you’re looking for any additional information, we have a microsite specifically for the Borgata Poker Open: borgatapokeropen.theborgata.com . You can register for an event, enter into our Sweepstakes (to win a seat into the WPT Championship), or tune into our live streamed events on September 6 & 12.
Some notable tournaments to highlight:
Event 1: $500 + $60 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (RE) $2 MILLION GUARANTEED
*The final table of the opening event will be live streamed on September 6 in the Event Center.
Event 10: $350 + $50 Deep Sack No Limit Hold’em (RE) $1 MILLION GUARANTEED
*The final table of the opening event will be live streamed on September 12 in the Event Center.
Event 8: $500 + $60 Borgata Ladies Championship No Limit Hold’em $25,000 GUARANTEED
Event 14: $300 + $40 + $10 Inaugural Mike Sica Memorial Seniors (50+) No Limit Hold’em (RE)
Event 19: $130+ $40 + $130 Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) Tournament
* More information: charityseriesofpoker.org
Event 20: $3300 + $200 Borgata Poker Open WPT Championship No Limit Hold’em (RE) $3 MILLION GUARANTEED
To view our complete schedule, please click here.