Event 4
As mentioned earlier, the first week of the Fall Poker Open series is in the books and in total, ten FPO champions were crowned. Before we get into our Event 11 Almighty Stack coverage, we wanted to highlight and recap those events, starting with the opening $500,000 GTD event that played to completion on Friday.
Stephanie Hubbard returned for Day 3 of Event 1 with just a ten big blind stack and the old adage that it’s ‘not how you start, it’s how you finish’ certainly applied, as she caught heat at the final table en route to her first ever major tournament victory. Hubbard’s Event 1 win was also the first ever victory for a female player in any opening BPO event, coming after a few close calls during the last few September $2,000,000 GTD events.
While Hubbard was the opening event champion, the first trophy of this FPO series was technically won by Hermenegildo Trillo, who took down Event 2 Junkies Poker Open on Thursday. That win was good for Trillo’s best career tournament score, as he took home just over $14,500 for the victory.
A majority of the FPO schedule from the first week of the series was filled with No Limit Hold’em tournaments but the first mixed game event of the series was claimed by Giuseppe Pizzolato. Pizzolato won Event 3 ‘PLO High’ for just over $13,000 and his first career BPO title.
Event 4 ‘Black Chip Bounty’ is always one of the more well attended events throughout the series and is always a long, long grind. That grind was worth it for Kenneth Roberts, who took home the title and a nearly $23,000 score. Roberts claimed the first weekend trophy and the next few were claimed by some of the bigger names we’ve seen in the winner’s circle throughout this FPO series.
Mark ‘dipthrong’ Herm proved that nothing’s changed en route to his Event 6 $100,000 GTD ‘Saturday Series’ win, good for $50,000, and Barry Leventhal put Brooklyn on his back during his run to a second BPO title in the Event 7 ’40 Big Blinds Black Chip Bounty’. Leventhal’s win was good for a $13,000 score and adds to his trophy case, which includes a BPO ‘Seniors Event’ title.
That Event 8 ‘Seniors NLH’ trophy now belongs with David Hollenberg, who outlasted a tough field to take home his first major tournament title and now joins his son, Michael, as a Borgata Poker champion. While we’d have to consult with the BPO Historians, we imagine that has to be one of, if not the only, case of a father/son pairing each owning BPO trophies.
After Hollenberg took down Event 8, two more trophy winners were crowned before the weekend came to an end. First, Daniel Conway won Event 9 ‘Deep Stack’ for $13,000 and then, Juliette Maestre booked a win with her first career live cash, taking down Event 10 ‘Ladies NLH’.
We imagine that the rest of the Fall Poker Open series will provide even more great storylines and champions to follow and the FPO blog will be here to follow all the action, starting with today’s Day 1A Almighty Stack flight. For a complete list of results from the respective events, click the links above and for a complete recap of the action from each event, click the categorical tabs under the post’s title.
Level 32: Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Kenneth Roberts (Mays Landing, NJ)
Kenneth Roberts came into Day 2 with a below average chip stack. He didn’t let that deter him as he battled his way through the returning 21 players to reach the final table. He was still in the middle of the pack, but patience and discipline payed off with a win and $22,530.
He began the heads-up match with the chip lead, but saw that lead melt away after Bob Hwang flopped two pair to double up. He still kept fighting, chosing his spots and picking up the pots when he needed to. When the key hand arrived, Kenneth was back in the chip lead and sealed his victory.
“I never read a [poker] book,” the self-taught amateur player admitted “I watched poker on TV”. “I started out playing the small tournaments,” he added, which gave him the confidence to move up to bigger buy-in events. He’s had a few smaller cashes, totaling more than $16,000, but this is his first five-figure score.
Kenneth has to get back to his job working for a large cable company, but plans to take the time off to play the “Almighty Stack” $300 GTD event on Monday. The Championship event is a little steeper that the usual events he plays, but he’s considering playing the $2,500 + $200 NLH event if his game stays strong and his good run continues.
Level 32: Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Bob Hwang (Barnegat, NJ)
Kenneth Roberts picked off a couple of river bluffs and showed down the best hand when he needed it to pull ahead of Bob Hwang in the chip counts.
On a flop of {9c}{8d}{5s} Kenneth checked, Bob fired 200,000 and Kenneth called. Turn was the {ks} and both checked. River was the {Js} and Kenneth checked. Bob bet 250,000 and Kenneth called.
Bob showed {Jd}{7s} for a pair of Jacks, but Kenneth had {Kd}{6d} for a pair of Kings to take the pot. He increased his lead to about 3.9 million, leaving Bob with about 2 million.
Soon after that hand, all the chips went in pre-flop and it was a classic race. Bob had {ad}{ks} against Kenneth’s {7h}{7c}. The board came {ts}{6d}{2h}{9c}{4d} and brought no help for Bob.
Kenneth Roberts earned $22,530 and his first Borgata Open trophy for the win!
‘Action’ Bob Hwang finished in 2nd place, earning $13,276. His one and only Borgata title was won ten years ago during the 2005 Borgata Poker Open. Since then he’s had three runner-up finishes, so he’s been within striking distance of another trophy, but came up short. He has many more final tables contributing to his more than $1.3 million in career earnings. We’ll be seeing more of Bob during the rest of the Fall Poker Open.
Level 31: Blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 2,460,000 (25 big blinds)
Bob Hwang limped and Kenneth Roberts checked his option. The flop came {kh}{9c}{7c} and Kenned fired 200,000. Bob called. The turn brought the {9s} and Kenneth fired 250,000. Bob called.
The river was the {ah} and Kenneth checked. Bob thought about it, then said “I don’t think you’ll fold,” and checked behind.
Kenneth tabled {kd}{2c} for a pair of Kings and Bob mucked his hand.
Kenneth pulled up to about 2.8 million, leaving Bob with ~3.1 million.
Level 31: Blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 2,460,000 (25 big blinds)
Bob Hwang open-shoved from the button and Kenneth Roberts called all-in.
Kenneth: {ad}{4c}
Bob: {ks}{qh}
Board: {ah}{qc}{7h}{5d}{th}
Kenneth had exactly 1 million, so his pair of Aces was good for a double-up to 2.04 million (with the antes).
That left Bob with 3.885 million.
The heads-up battle continues.
Level 30: Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 2,460,000 (25 big blinds)
Bob Hwang (Barnegat, NJ)
On a flop of A 9 5, Bob Hwang got all-in and looked up by Kenneth Roberts. Bob’s A5 had flopped Aces-up against Kenneth’s suited AT. The last two bricked out and Bob doubled up, taking the chip lead.
He continued to grind away at Kenneth’s stack and climbed up to more than 4 million chips. Kenneth was down to about 1.3 million.
Then Kenneth got all-in for his last 855,000 on the river with a board showing 3 3 3 8 2. Bob called to see Kenneth’s 63 offsuit for Quadzilla. Kenneth doubled up to ~2.6 million, leaving Bob with ~3.3 million.
Kenneth Roberts (Mays Landing, NJ)
Level 30: Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 2,460,000 (25 big blinds)
Eugene Kotlyarevskiy (Brooklyn, NY)
On a flop of {qc}{9c}{2c} Kenneth Roberts (sb) and Eugene Kotlyarevskiy got all the chips in the middle. Kenneth’s {Qd}{jd} had Eugene’s {Qs}{th} out-kicked. Neither player had a club, so the flush draw was not an issue.
The last two cards brought running Jacks, giving Kenneth Jacks-full and he had Eugene covered.
Eugene Kotlyarevskiy finished in 3rd place, earning $7,644.
Heads-up play began with Kenneth holding 4,325,000 to Bob Hwang’s 1,600,000 (2.7:1 chip lead).
Level 30: Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 1,975,000 (20 big blinds)
The final three are back from a short break. The stacks are so close this could still be anyone’s tournament to win:
Bob Hwang – 2,100,000
Kenneth Roberts – 1,950,000
Eugene Kotlyarevskiy – 1,855,000
The chips have been flying around so much, each of these players has done time as both the chip leader and the short stack at some point during this final table action.
Level 29: Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 1,975,000 (25 big blinds)
Eugene Kotlyarevskiy opened for 200,000 on the button, then Kenneth Roberts shoved for 1,060,000 from the small blind. Eugene called, tabling {ah}{jd}. Kenneth had him dominated with {ac}{qs}.
The board ran out {ad}{3d}{3c}{4s}{2c} and Kenneth’s kicker played. He doubled up to 2,220,000.
Eugene’s stack dropped to 1,950,000.
That leaves Bob Hwang with 1,755,000.
Level 29: Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000 ante
Total Entries: 237
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 1,975,000 (25 big blinds)
Tony Sinishtaj (Flushing, NY)
Eugene Kotlyarevskiy opened for 160,000, then Tony Sinishtaj jammed from the button for 990,000 total. Eugene gave it some thought, then called.
Eugene: {qh}{jc}
Tony: {Ah}{9c}
Board: {ks}{qd}{3h}{8s}{jd}
Although Tony was ahead pre-flop, QJ had turned into the killer hand at this final table. By the river, Eugene had two pair and all of Tony’s chips. He’s now up to ~2.9 million.
Tony Sinishtaj finished in 4th place, earning $6,196.
Bob Hwang is second in chips with ~1.8 million.
Kenneth Roberts has about 1.1 million.