WPT Borgata Poker Open Day 1b: Darelene Lee On Top as 425 of 826 Entries Advance
The World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open continued Monday as 826 entrants turned up for Day 1b, which brought the total field up to 1,226 entrants – the fourth largest WPT in history. A prize pool of $3,924,426 will be distributed to the top 120 players with the eventual winner taking home $843,744.
After eight levels of play, roughly 425 players advanced to Day 2 with Darlene Lee and her stack of 254,900 leading the way. That is quite a bit behind the 389,000 Day 1a chip leader Ben Bianco bagged up on Sunday.
Notable Day 1b Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darlene Lee | 254,900 |
| 2 | Julio Marrero | 208,300 |
| 3 | Mike Linster | 180,800 |
| 4 | Jean Max Gaspard | 179,000 |
| 5 | John Broderick | 166,500 |
| 6 | Keven Stammen | 145,600 |
| 7 | Erik Cajelais | 145,000 |
| 8 | John Racener | 140,000 |
| 9 | Ian O’Hara | 137,000 |
| 10 | Daniel Weinman | 126,000 |
According to the WPT live blog, Lee got many of her chips in a big seven-way pot in Level 7 (250/500/50). With a board reading K♠10♥6♣7♥, action checked to Lee in middle position and she fired out 15,000. The player in the hijack then jammed for 30,000, and Lee called after action folded back to her.
Lee: 9♠8♠
Hijack: K♣7♣
Lee held the nuts with a ten-high straight, but she needed to sweat the river as her opponent held two pair that had full house potential. The dealer burned one more time and put out the 5♣. Lee’s straight held and that pot put her up to nearly 200,000.
In Level 8 (300/600/75), Ebony Kenney opened for 1,300 only to have Daniel Buzgon three-bet all in for approximately 20,000. Kenney hit the tank before making the call, and she was glad she did as her J♠J♣ had the 10♦10♣ of Buzgon dominated. The board ran out a clean Q♣6♣3♦5♣A♥ and Kenney scored the elimination.
Others who found themselves on the rail on Day 1a were Dan Heimiller, Andy Frankenberger, Andrew Brown, Larry Greenberg, Jamie Armstrong, and Jordan Cristos.
Cristos, who won the 2013 WPT Legends of Poker for $613,355, fell in Level 8 when he called off his last 21,000 on an A♠8♥2♥ flop holding the 10♦10♥. It was the right call as his opponent only had the K♠J♥, and while the 7♦ turn was a safe card for Cristos, the J♦ river was not. Cristos’ opponent spiked a bigger pair and the former WPT champ saw his Borgata Poker Open come to an end.
While many fell, a slew of notables managed to survive the Day 1b foray including Andy Philachack (120,300), Byron Kaverman (89,500), Paul Volpe (84,000), Jonathan Little (76,000), Steve Dannenmann (66,000), and Jamie Kerstetter (63,700).
The survivors from both Day 1a and 1b will combine for Day 2 action at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday. PokerNews will have a recap upon completion of play and each day until a winner is determined.
*Photos and hands courtesy of WPT Live Blog.
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