2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

Event 17: $230 Deep-Stack NLHE Reentry
Day: 1
Event Info

2014 Borgata Spring Poker Open

Final Results
Winner
Prize
$14,723
Event Info
Buy-in
$200
Entries
271
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
20,000

Sandler Sent Home by Drazner

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Mike Sandler
Mike Sandler

After losing a chunk of change to Ken Daneyko a few hands earlier, Mike Sandler made his stand out of the big blind, raising it up after Dana Drazner limped in to complete the small.

Drazner then set Sander all in holding {A-}{q-} and he called off with {7-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} and needed help to keep his hopes for two final tables in this series alive, but an ace flopped to kill that dream.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Dana Drazner
Dana Drazner
670,000
Profile photo of Mike Sandler
Mike Sandler
Busted

Tags: Mike SandlerKen DaneykoDana Drazner

Bodycheck

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante

Throughout his glorious career in the National Hockey League, legendary New Jersey Devils defenseman Ken Daneyko held the greatest trophy in all of sport above his head in 1995, 2000, and 2003. As a three-time Stanley Cup champion, Daneyko is no stranger to success in the realm of competition, but if he keeps it up here tonight, he'll have another trophy to add to his collection.

Daneyko just claimed a huge pot from Mike Sandler with an aggressive c-bet shove, after 145,000 from each player went into the pot before the flop.

The flop came down {7-Hearts}{3-Spades}{q-Clubs} and with the pot already swelled, Daneyko went for the kill, moving all in from under the gun and putting Sandler to the test. The power play worked wonders and Daneyko's forced the fold, building his stack well above the average.

"I played in the charity tournament put on by the WPT and PartyPoker," he told us during the recent break. "But after this grind, playing since 11 in the morning, I'd rather get smashed into the boards." If Daneyko keeps pushing his opponents around like he did Sandler, the night may over sooner than he thinks.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ken Daneyko
Ken Daneyko
740,000
310,000
310,000
Profile photo of Mike Sandler
Mike Sandler
175,000
-355,000
-355,000

Tags: Mike SandlerKen Daneyko

The Casualties and Their Cash

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante

We've learned the names of those players who made the money before going bust, so take a look at those who pocketed $473 to take to the pit:

27th - Daniel Goldberg
26th - Jesse Amendola
25th - Matthew Marini
24th - Eric Riley
23rd - Daniel Farber
22nd - John Bahia
21st - Allyn Marshall
20st- Carmen Dimaria
19th - Jonah Grandstorm

Level: 22

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 3,000

Final Two Tables

Level 21 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

A recent bustout just put the tournament on a brief pause, with the remaining 18 players redrawing for seats to form the final two tables.

A Round of Counts on Us

Level 21 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

We've found a few players willing to attach their names to a chip count, but for whatever reason several players declined to do so.

In an interesting turn of events it turns out Ken Daneyko - who won three Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils as a bruising brawler of a stay-at-home defenseman - is in the house, and he currently holds a solid stack with which to work.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mike Sandler
Mike Sandler
530,000
195,000
195,000
Profile photo of Danny Lickei
Danny Lickei
490,000
490,000
490,000
Profile photo of Ken Daneyko
Ken Daneyko
430,000
430,000
430,000

Paul Vacchio Wins a Flip

Level 21 : 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante

Paul Vacchio just took down a big pot and busted a player in the process, after his {4-Clubs}{4-Spades} held up over {a-Hearts}{q-Clubs}.

The final board ran out {9-Hearts}{j-Spades}{3-Spades}{6-Diamonds}{k-Hearts} and the pocket pair managed to dodge the overcards.

Vacchio now holds one of the largest stacks in play at the moment, with the final two tables one elimination away.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Paul Vacchio us
Paul Vacchio
580,000
580,000
580,000

Tags: Paul Vacchio

Level: 21

Blinds: 8,000/16,000

Ante: 2,000

The Invisible Bubble and the Man With Many Names

Level 19 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante
Phil Hellmuth is not here, but his doppelganger just went broke
Phil Hellmuth is not here, but his doppelganger just went broke

After being loudly directed by a man dubbing himself "Phil Hellmeth Jr." (his pronunciation, and yes, we know the real "Poker Brat" is actually a junior himself), we headed over to see what all the fuss was about.

Apparently, the "Long Island" boy (his white hair suggested boy was another unfortunate misnomer), we discovered a sight to behold: a player bragging up their one big blind stack.

Mr. Hellmeth loudly proclaimed himself to be the "Short Stack Ninja," telling us (and the entire room really) that he was "gonna win this tournament," while folding from the small blind.

During this exchange a collection was being taken to pay the eventual bubble boy, meaning whoever finished in 28th place would still take home a small profit (Bread+Butter here he comes).

True to his word, poker's newest legend in his own mind managed to grind back from just 2,000 to make the money, but his seat is now empty, meaning the bubble has officially burst. The remaining 24 runners are guaranteed to pocket $473 at the very least, but each of them has their eyes on the real prize waiting up top, with $14,723 waiting for the eventual winner.

Tags: Phil Hellmuth