Russell Crane has quietly positioned himself as one of the best players in the game today, amassing more than $1.4 million in live tournament earnings in the last seven years.

A local boy from Howell, New Jersey, Crane recently made quite the splash on his home turf, taking down the $1 million guarantee championship event at last year's Borgata Fall Poker Open.

Crane is in the house here tonight, competing in this third flight of the Winter Poker Open's first event. Representing his home state in New Jersey's premier casino, Crane has ample motivation to add another seasonal Borgata Poker Open title to his résumé. We'll track his progress into the wee hours of the morning (or until he hits the rail), so check in regularly to root on a hometown hero.

Player	Chips	Progress
Russell Crane	27,500 27,500	27,500

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