2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Borgata Winter Poker Open Side Events

Event 3: Let's Take a Breather

Players at the final four tables in Event 3 have stood to stretch for a scheduled break, and play will resume in about five minutes.

After two more levels are in the books there will be an hour-long dinner break.

Event 3: Andy Hwang Forces the Fold

Andy Hwang on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Andy Hwang on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

The flop read {a-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{8-Clubs} when we passed by Andy Hwang's table, and although Hwang and his opponent checked it, we stuck around to take a look.

The turn card came {j-Clubs}, and Hwang responded to a second tap of the table by firing out a 34,000 bet. His opponent came along to see the river, which brought the {j-Spades} on board.

A third check to him inspired Hwang to continue betting, and his 82,000 wager was enough to win the hand.

Tags: Andy Hwang

Event 3: Barry the Beast

Barry Kruger is Krushing Here on Day 2
Barry Kruger is Krushing Here on Day 2

Barry Kruger may just be the first player in the tournament to eclipse the million-chip mark, and he currently sits with around 1.25 million in his stack.

With just four tables left, Kruger's commanding chip advantage should give him the inside track as the race to the final table continues.

Tags: Barry Kruger

Event 3: Captain Amer(ica)

James Woods Has Gone Bust on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
James Woods Has Gone Bust on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

After bagging up one of the largest stacks in the room last night, Abdul Amer just inched closer to the million-chip plateau by busting actor James Woods.

According to Amer, there was a min-raise to open the pot and Woods flatted, along with Amer and another player. After the flop fell {j-}{3-}{8-}, the action was checked around the table, bringing the {2-Diamonds} on board on the turn.

Woods decided to lead out this time, making it 55,000 to play, and only Amer came along for the ride. The river card was the {5-Spades}, and Woods jammed the rest of his chips into the middle for a power play. Amer tanked for a bit to assess the situation, before deciding to look Woods up.

Showdown:

Woods: {A-}{A-}
Amer: {J-Spades}{3-Spades}

Trying to get tricky with pocket rockets, Woods played his aces slow, and the move came back to haunt him in the end. Amer's speculative play with a marginal hand turned panned out, and with two pair on the flop, he busted Woods to bring us one step closer to the final table.

Tags: Abdul AmerJames Woods

Event 3: A Star-Studded Affair

With the field shrinking buy the minute, and under 40 players left in contention for the $69,808 first-prize payout, three very notable names are still vying for the title.

Andy Hwang is in the house, and after winning the 2013 World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Open Main Event for $730,053, the experienced pro likely feels right at home.

James Woods has been a mainstay at the 2014 edition of this series, playing in nearly every event and making a few deep runs already.

Erik Cajelais has nearly $3 million in live tournament earnings, and he will be looking to add another score to his already impressive poker résumé.

Andy Hwang on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker OpenErik Cajelais on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker OpenJames Woods on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Event 3: Stephan Cho Survives Super Tank to Force the Fold

Stevan Cho on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open
Stevan Cho on Day 2 of Event 3 at the 2014 Borgata Winter Poker Open

With the board reading {q-Spades}{2-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} by the turn, Stephan Cho had an all-in button in near his towering stacks, but the pressure was really on his opponent.

The woman who had checked to Cho moments before was now faced with a decision for her tournament life. With around 235,000 left to her name, the woman agonized over her options for at least five minutes, alternating between grabbing her stacks to slide them forward, and readying her cards for the muck.

Eventually, she asked Cho if he would show after she folded, but he didn't move a muscle in response. Finally, the woman verbally announced her fold, clearly still attached to her hand. The pot was pushed to Cho, while the losing player was left to commiserate with a friend on the rail.

Tags: Stevan Cho

Event 6: Notables

We wandered through the tournament area for Event 6: $500 H.O.R.S.E., and we took note of some well-known players trying to build early stacks.

Chris Reslock, 16,000
Chris Tryba, 23,700
Roland Israelashvili, 18,500
Yuebin Guo, 28,000
Mickey Appleman, 15,000
Men Nguyen, 21,200
Amnon Filippi, 22,000

Around 100 players have registered for the tourney thus far.

Tags: Amnon FilippiChris ReslockChris TrybaMen NguyenMickey ApplemanYuebin GuoRoland Israelashvili