2011 Borgata Winter Poker Open Day 1a and 1b: Aron Leads Big Turnout in Atlantic City
The Aussie Millions and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure have wrapped up, but there’s still one more big event to end January and lead into February to keep the year going on the felt. This amazing year now includes a great turnout at the Borgata Winter Poker Open.
One year ago in Atlantic City, the $3,500 Championship Event was won by two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Jeff Madsen. He beat a field of 766 players to take the $625,066 first-place prize. This year the numbers are down slightly to 718 runners and the prize pool is less $158,400.
The Championship Event has the same buy-in this year and held two starting days. The first gathered 273 players while the second increased to 445. Although the field size may be smaller than last year, there’s still plenty of money to be won. The top 72 players will walk away with a cash of at least $6,665, with the eventual champion taking home $533,210.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $533,210 |
| 2 | $310,273 |
| 3 | $189,611 |
| 4 | $156,286 |
| 5 | $126,407 |
| 6 | $103,425 |
| 7 | $82,740 |
| 8 | $63,204 |
| 9 | $43,669 |
After both starting days concluded, 539 players returned to action on Tuesday to continue the quest for the title. Plenty of notable pros are still alive and well in the field including Craig Bergeron (122,400), David Paredes (103,500), Kyle Bowker (100,950), Gavin Smith (73,075), Chris Klodnicki (52,525) and Josh Brikis (51,850). Leading the pack is Michael Aron from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. He bagged 145,850 in chips, nearly 20,000 more than Joseph Couden, who enters Day 2 in second place.
Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Aron | 145,850 |
| 2 | Joseph Couden | 128,800 |
| 3 | Louis Russo | 124,275 |
| 4 | Craig Bergeron | 124,275 |
| 5 | Tom Hu | 116,975 |
| 6 | Eric Doerr | 107,750 |
| 7 | David Poulterer | 107,200 |
| 8 | David Paredes | 103,500 |
| 9 | Kyle Bowker | 100,950 |
| 10 | Trevor Savage | 99,950 |
The Championship Event concludes on Friday, February 4. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for daily recaps of the event.
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