Event 7
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 18 (25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 3,800,000
Barry Leventhal – Fall Poker Open Event 7 ’40 Big Blind Black Chip Bounty’ Champion
When this final table came together, Event 7 was not yet in the money and in one of the first hands off the deck, Barry Leventhal was more or less put to a decision for his entire stack against Christine Brewer. He eventually folded a massive flush draw and while he avoided running into Brewer’s flopped set, he was left somewhat short.
A few hands later, he got that short stack all-in against Kevin Chapman and was in big trouble, as he ran into another monster, as Chapman flopped top two pair. Leventhal turned a straight draw and while the early portions of this final table were a roller coaster ride for the Brooklynite, the rest of today’s Day 2 session was more or less a steady climb.
Leventhal stayed ahead of the chip average and then rocketed up the leaderboard four-handed, after dipping slightly during a series short handed final table lull. In the end, Leventhal used his experience and some well timed aggression to claim another Borgata Poker Open title, after winning his first earlier this year. That win came in the WPO ‘Seniors Event’ and while Leventhal bought into that event earlier today, potentially thinking that his start of final table short stack was not going to last long, when the chips were all piled up, they were in front of him for another BPO winner’s photo.
While he was making his run towards this title, he was eliminated from the ‘Seniors Event’ but Leventhal didn’t seem to worried about that after adding to his poker trophy case. That concludes our coverage of Event 7 and the FPO blog will now pick up the coverage of the three other main events currently running in the Signature and Poker Rooms.
Level 18 (25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 3,800,000
Sameer Batra returned for this Day 2 session with the chip lead and while he didn’t dominate this field like he did yesterday, when he picked up 11 bounties, he still made a deep run to finish in 2nd place.
After the elimination of Jerome Poznanski, the remaining two players played a few hands of Level 17 before taking a quick break before their heads up battle was about to begin. On one of the first hands back from that break, the chips all got in the middle and unfortunately for Sameer Batra, the river sent him home in 2nd place.
The action was picked up with Batra opening to 150,000 from the button and Barry Leventhal, who was in the big blind, called to see a {Kh}{10c}{6d} flop. Both players checked to see the {Qd} fall on the turn and after Leventhal check-called a 200,000 chip bet, that’s when the pot started to balloon.
The {2h} completed the board and Leventhal quickly cut out 325,000. After a moment of thought, Batra announced himself “all-in” and Leventhal pointed to the stack to see how much more he had to call. With a potential straight on board, Leventhal went into the tank and after close to a minute of working through the hand, he verbalized “call”, only to see Batra table {Qs}{10d}.
Heads up, two pair is usually a monster and that would have been the case had Leventhal not turned over {Kc}{2c}, for a superior, rivered, two pair. “That two is like the biggest blank ever.” Batra said, bemoaning his lack of luck and any other time, he would have been right.
This time, the river wasn’t a brick it was gin and it confirmed Batra’s place as the Event 7 runner-up. He’ll take home just over $7,000 for his efforts.
Level 17 (20,000/40,000/4,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 1,940,000
Jerome Poznanski (Bowie, MD)
After doubling up Barry Leventhal and eliminating Anatoly Zharnitsky, Jerome Poznanski was still the low man on the Event 7 leaderboard. After a few hands didn’t go his way, he was down below the 300,000 mark and even though he picked up a double up with {8h}{8s} to Leventhal’s {Kc}{4s}, he was still very short stacked.
That short stack got in a few hands later against Leventhal in a blind versus blind encounter. The hand was picked up with Leventhal completing the small blind and Poznanski checking his option in the big to see a {7c}{5h}{4s} flop. Leventhal checked and Poznanski bet 70,000, only to see Leventhal raise to 500,000.
That more or less was enough to put Poznanski all-in but just to make sure, the short stack verbalized “all-in” and Leventhal threw some more chips out for a call, looking to finally break this three-handed stalemate. The short stack turned over {5d}{3c} and Leventhal held {8d}{7h}, with both players holding a pair and a straight draw, while Poznanski’s straight outs were dead to his opponent’s.
That mean Leventhal just had to fade a few outs and he did, as the {Js} and {ks} completed the board and confirmed Poznanski’s elimination in 3rd place. He’ll make just over $4,500 for his Event 7 podium finish and when the dust settled, Barry Leventhal entered heads up play with 2,300,000 to Sameer Batra’s 1,500,000.
Level 16 (15,000/30,000/4,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 1,230,000
Anatoly Zharnitsky (North York, CAN)
After picking up back to back double ups, Anatoly Zharnitsky looked like he had gotten himself back in contention for this Event 7 title. Unfortunately, after those doubles, he went back to being more or less card dead and the high blinds and antes ground him back down to a ten big blind stack.
Zharnitsky worked that short stack well over the last level but in one of the last hands of Level 16, one of his shoves was called and he needed to hold to stay alive.
That’s because Zharnitsky held {Ad}{4h} and Jerome Poznanski, who called the short stack’s shove, in the big blind, held {Qs}{Jd}.
After the {Qc}{10h}{9s} flop, Zharnitsky was more or less drawing to just three outs and none of them came on the turn and river, confirming his elimination in 4th place. After valiantly fighting his short stack for the last few levels, Zharnitsky will make just under $3,500 for his final table run.
We are now three-handed for the Event 7 title, with the counts relatively close as all three players control over 1,000,000 chips.
Level 16 (15,000/30,000/4,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 4
Average Stack: 970,000
Barry Leventhal has worked a short stack perfectly over the last few levels and now, after two double ups, he’s playing the biggest stack at the Event 7 final table.
After the elimination of Kevin Chapman, the low stacks at this Event 7 final table were easily Barry Leventhal and Anatoly Zharnitsky. While Zharnitsky has been more or less uninvolved since his back to back doubles with ace-king, Leventhal has been at the center of the action.
First, he doubled through chip leader Jerome Poznanski and then after dropping slightly, with Poznanski regaining most of his lost ammunition, a massive, 1,000,000 chip pot played out to move Leventhal to the top of the Event 7 leaderboard. That hand was picked up with Leventhal check-raising all-in on a board of {Jd}{5h}{4c}, after Poznanski put out a continuation bet of 155,000.
Leventhal’s all-in amount weighed in at 535,000 and after some thought, Poznanski called, needing to hit to stay alive. He held {As}{9d}, while Leventhal held {Qh}{Jh} and after the turn and river came down without an ace, the double was confirmed.
When the dust settled, Leventhal was playing just over 1,300,000 and Poznanski, who’s controlled the chip lead for the better part of the last few levels, is now down to just over 750,000. Anatoly Zharnitsky is still the short stack, with just over ten big blinds and Sameer Batra is also a part of the Millionaire’s Club.
Play is still four-handed and with the blinds and antes set to go up again shortly, we should see some action over the next few orbits.
Level 15 (12,000/24,000/4,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 4
Average Stack: 970,000
Kevin Chapman (Princeton, NJ)
The first half of Level 15 played slowly like the last but two massive hands finally ran into each other pre flop, with Kevin Chapman being on the losing end of a final table cooler.
The hand was picked up with the active big stack, Jerome Poznanski, opening to 50,000 in early position and after some folds, Chapman moved all-in for just over 375,000 from the blinds.
Poznanski snap called and turned over {Ah}{As}, with Chapman saying, “This is the best hand I’ve seen in hours.” before he tabled {10d}{10c}. Chapman was in big trouble and in even worse shape after the {Ad}{Qc}{6d} flop, as he was left drawing to running flush and straight outs.
The {6h} came on the turn and ended any and all possibilities of Chapman going from behind, as he was officially drawing dead to Poznanski’s full house. Chapman will make just over $2,600 for his Event 7 run and it’s a rich get richer story for Poznanski, who is now playing just shy of 1,600,000.
Level 14 (10,000/20,000/3,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 5
Average Stack: 776,000
Anatoly Zharnitsky (North York, CAN)
In back to back hands, Anatoly Zharnitsky, who was the shortest stack at the Event 7 final table after the elimination of Brad St. Vincent, scored two much needed double ups. The first got him out of the danger zone and the second moved himself up and over the chip average for the first time in recent memory but both involved Zharnitsky holding ace-king.
The first hand was picked up pre flop with big stack Jerome Poznanski opening to 58,000 and, next to act, Zharnitsky three-bet shoved for just over 150,000. Poznanski was priced in and called, only to see he was dominated, as the short stack held {Ac}{Ks} to {As}{7s}.
The hand was more or less over after the {Kh}{Kd}{Qh} flop and after the turn fell, Zharnitsky’s double was confirmed. That moved him up and over the 300,000 chip mark and in the very next hand, he limped in early position. Kevin Chapman limped the button and Barry Leventhal put in a raise to 140,000 from the small blind.
The big blind folded and after some thought, Zharnitsky three-bet shoved again, for just over 200,000 more. Chapman got out of the way and with close to 500,000 left in his stack, Leventhal thought for close to two minutes before he eventually called.
The shorter stack held the same hand, literally, but his {Ac}{Ks} was still at risk against Leventhal’s {4h}{3c}. After the {Kd}{8d}{2h} flop, Leventhal was more or less drawing dead and even though he paired up on the river, it wasn’t enough and he was sending a decent portion of his stack across the table.
When the dust settled, Level 14 was coming to an end, with the only real action from that level coming in the last few minutes. The five-handed stalemate has pushed the players to request a short break, so they’ll be going on that now and returning in 10 minutes to continue to play down to a winner.
Level 13 (8,000/16,000/3,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 5
Average Stack: 776,000
Brad St. Vincent just saw his pocket jacks get rivered to the rail against Sameer Batra’s ace-king, in the biggest pot of this ’40 Big Blind’ tournament. Batra is now playing the chip lead with 1,100,000 and ‘BSV’ bows out in 6th place.
Brad St. Vincent returned from the last break as the shortest stack and while he was able to pick up some chips since play resumed, midway through Level 13, he was sent to the rail. That hand was picked up with Sameer Batra opening the button to 45,000 and after some thought, St. Vincent announced himself “all-in”.
The big blind folded and Batra didn’t ask for a count, simply throwing in a single chip for the call. St. Vincent turned over {Jc}{Js} and Batra held {As}{Kc}, meaning they were flipping for more than 900,000 chip pot. That flip looked like it was going to go St. Vincent’s way, as the {8d}{7h}{6s} flop faded Batra’s over cards and the pocket pair stayed in the lead after the {4h} fell on the turn.
The {Ah} spiked on the river to send St. Vincent to the rail in 6th place, meaning he’ll take home just under $2,300 for his Event 7 run. When the dust settled, Batra was playing just shy over 1,100,000, regaining his spot atop the leaderboard.
Level 13 (8,000/16,000/3,000)
Total Entries: 97
Players Remaining: 6
Average Stack: 646,000
Barry Leventhal played some big pots earlier at this final table and he’s now third in chips, while also working a stack in the Event 8 ‘Seniors’, and event he won earlier this year.
The remaining six players have just returned from their first Day 2 break and will now resume play with Level 13. Jerome Poznanski still controls the chip lead but after an up and down last few levels, Barry Leventhal looks like he’s controlling the third biggest stack at this final table. During the break, while everyone else actually got a break, Leventhal moved to the Poker Room to take his seat for the Event 8 ‘Seniors’, a tournament he won earlier this year.
He won’t be multi-tabling but his Event 8 stack will be blinded down over the next few levels and we don’t think he’s going to mind losing a few blinds every level if he’s able to continue his Event 7 run today.
He’s in a position to make a run, with a complete list of the remaining player’s counts provided below:
- Sameer Batra – 660,000
- Brad St. Vincent – 410,000
- Kevin Champman – 675,000
- Barry Leventhal – 650,000
- Jerome Poznanski – 920,000
- Anatoly Zharnitsky – 450,000