Event 11
It was about 4am on Thanksgiving morning when the final trophy event of the 2018 Borgata Fall Poker Open came to an end and with it, the exciting November series was a wrap.
Wenhao Ying – 1st Place – 2018 BFPO Championship
Earlier on Wednesday, a relatively unknown 24-year-old grad student named Wenhao Ying went wire-to-wire on the live streamed final table to claim 1st place in the $1 Million Guaranteed Championship event, along with $200,000* and his first Borgata title. In fact, this is his first title on record, more than doubling his lifetime earnings, which have all come in the previous 27 months.
Ying faced down a final table that included three very experienced pros: Paul Volpe, Brian Altman, and Matt Wantman. Altman ran into a cooler early that sent him out in 6th place, but the other two were there at the end with Ying. They agreed on adjusted payouts based on their chip standings which brought the four-day Championship to a close.
Frank Lagodich – 1st Place – 2018 Fall Poker Open Kick-Off
The sixteen-day-long series was kicked off with the $500,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em event. The prize pool came close to $800,000 and another young player claimed that title as well. First place and $128,359* went to 22-year-old Ohioan Frank Lagodich on his first-ever trip to Borgata. After getting heads-up with Borgata regular and poker pro Joe Cappuccio, Lagodich took the chip lead and the final two negotiated an adjusted payout with an even split of the remaining prize pool.
It was a good series for some of the “old school” Borgata tournament grinders as well. After several near misses, Bob Camano finally claimed his first Borgata title in Omaha/Stud High/Low Mix event. Andrew Klein booked his sixth Borgata win in the Old School NLH event, moving him into fifth place on the Most Wins at Borgata list. Howard Wolper waited until the final night of the series to make the money in Event 20, notching his 117th lifetime cash at Borgata, extending a record that’s going to be hard to beat.
The Ladies were once again in the spotlight, with two regulars claiming titles and setting records. BorgataPoker.com sponsored pro Katie Stone made the final six of the Deepest Stack NLH event and negotiated an adjusted payout giving her 1st place and $19,337*. This was her third Borgata title, putting her in a tie for first on the ‘Most Wins at Borgata by a Woman’ list. Until this series, Patricia Barsanti-Chou held this record. Just four days later, Anna Antimony won the Almighty Stack, coming out on top of a field of 1,073 runners to take the top prize of $91,586. This was also her third Borgata title, putting her in a three-way tie with Stone and Barsanti-Chou.
If there was a ‘Grind Until You Get There’ award, it would go to Carlos Matos for this BFPO series. He finished 5th in Event 9, the Deepest Stack, for $19,337*, then followed that up with a 3rd place finish in Event 15, the Saturday Series Deep Stack, for $14,432*. He finally got there and capped the series with a win in Event 19, the Deeper Stack, for $14,000* and his first Borgata Open trophy.
In total, more than $3.4 million was paid out in prize money in these 20 main events alone, not including satellites and secondary events, and 18 Borgata Fall Poker Open trophies found new homes. A complete list of main event winners is below.
*Indicates Adjusted Payout
The daily tournament schedule has resumed in the Poker Room, with brief interruptions for Holiday Tournaments on Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. There is also a DeepStacks Challenge Series running December 26th – December 30th.
It’s never too early to make plans for the 2019 Winter Poker Open, which runs January 15th – February 1st, and returns to Borgata’s spacious Event Center venue. The series will be capped by the World Poker Tour Winter Poker Open Championship, January 27-31.
On behalf of Borgata Poker Staff and bloggers Tim Kelliher, Chris Murray, and myself, thank you to all the players who participated and make Borgata tournament poker great. And thank you to the staff for the best-run events on the East Coast.
Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the coming Holiday season!
@Kaelaine
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 18: Blinds 5,000/10,000 Limits 20,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 3
Eddie Espino
The final three players swapped pots for a bit and began to discuss a an adjusted payout deal. It didn’t take long for them to come to an agreement.
Eddie Espino who held the chip lead at the time of the deal will take home $4,204 and his first Borgata Fall Poker Open Trophy.
Larry O’Halloran earns $4,204 for his second place finish and Stephen Celeste earns $3,000 for third place.
Below is a full look at the final Event 11 Pot Limit Omaha results.
1. Eddie Espino- $4,204+Borgata Fall Poker Open Trophy
2. Larry O’Halloran- $4,204
3. Stephen Calcese- $3,000
4. Leonard August- $1,568
5. Calvin Huari- $1,287
(L to R) Stephen Calcese, Eddie Espino, Larry O’Halloran
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 18: Blinds 5,000/10,000 Limits 20,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 3
Leonard August
Leonard August got the last of chips all in holding 
against the 
of Eddie Espino.
Espino improved to a flush to score the knockout and August was eliminated in 4th place earning $1,568. Espino is now holding a massive chip lead with 600,000 of the 900,000 chips in play and just three players remaining.
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 18: Blinds 5,000/10,000 Limits 20,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 4
Eddie Espino
Three players saw a flop of 
and it checked to Eddie Espino who bet 36,000. Both players called and the dealer burned and turned the 
.
It checked to Larry O’Halloran who bet 60,000 and Espino called. Both players checked the 
river and Espino announced “I have a flush” tabling his 
. O’Halloran mucked and Espino took the pot.
Eddie Espino- 475,000
Larry O’Halloran- 110,000
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 16: Blinds 3,000/6,000 Limits 12,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 4
Calvin Huari
A short stacked Calvin Huari was eliminated by Larry O’Halloran just after the bubble burst. Huari will take home $1,287 for his 5th place Event 11 finish.
Larry O’Halloran- 340,000
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 16: Blinds 3,000/6,000 Limits 12,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 5
Stephen Calcese
Leonard August limped in and Stephen Calcese raised to 30,000. Norman Ford was all in for his last 6,000 from the small blind and with the action back on August he slid out a stack of chips covering Calces who quickly called all in for about 60,000.
Stephen Calcese: 
Leonard August: 
Norman Ford: 
The board ran out 
and Calcese improved to the nut flush to double up and send Ford to the rail. The final five players are now all in the money and guaranteed at least $1,287 for their efforts.
Stephen Calcese- 130,000
Leonard August- 225,000
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 16: Blinds 3,000/6,000 Limits 12,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 7
Leonard August
Larry O’Halloran raised to 18,000 from the cutoff and Leonard August re-raised to 60,000 from the small blind. O’Halloran called and they went heads up to the flop.
August fired out a bet of 125,000 and O’Halloran quickly released his hand. August showed his 
as he dragged in the pot,
We are now just two eliminations away from the money and August has moved into the chip lead.
Leonard August- 275,000
Larry O’Halloran- 225,000
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 15: Blinds 2,500/5,000 Limits 10,000
Total Entries: 49
Players Remaining: 9
Larry O’Halloran
The Event 11 PLO players are inching closer to the money. There are just nine players remaining and it’s Larry O’Halloran leading the way with 170,000.
The final five players will all make the money and be guarantee a minimum of $1,283. One lucky Event 11 winner will take home $5,704 along with the Borgata Fall Poker Open trophy.
The players are now on a 15 minute break and we will get back to the action when play resumes.
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 12: Blinds 1000/2000
Entries: 45
Remaining: 14
Average: 70,000
On the second table, 54, a key pot just developed three way. Bob Camano opened, got pressure from Eric Eller, and a cold call behind from Larry O’Halloran.
Bob made the call, and then unusual action ensued. Bob led the 
flop for pot, an extremely aggressive maneuver with top set in Eric’s or Larry’s range. Eric, perturbed, by this action, found a fold with probably decent equity, while Larry immediately got it in, holding a monster two pair and flush draw.
Bob flipped up the very light 
which had flopped lightning. However, the peel would prove costly to Bob, as the turn filled up Larry, leaving Camano drawing to an out which did not come.
Silent Bob, foreground, takes on Eric and Larry, who shoots up to 150,000.
Meanwhile, the immovable object, Leonard August, continues to run the table in the non-hold’em games, here with the chip lead and the massage pad. Fiorito looks on.
$300+$40 Pot Limit Omaha
Structure Sheet
Level 10: Blinds 600/1200
Entries: 45
Remaining: 16
Average: 61,500
We’re quickly within sight of the money with sequence of bust outs. The floor pauses the action late in level 9, and the tournament is at two tables.
Among the causalities are a late-registering Sean Barringer, who picked up aces and was ready for a glass of red from Bobby Flay and a run to the final table. Unfortunately the deck had other plans, as Norman Ford flopped quads. Now it’s just the glass of red, unfortunately, for Sean.
Michael Fiorito laughs after a knockout while Eric Eller rhapsodizes over the donation to him with a light hand.
Cash game player Eric Eller is playing in his first live PLO tournament, and he is responsible for crippling Nick Devenezia , valuebetting top set three streets, with Nick only escaping on the end with a pair of slowplayed aces.
Nick’s out now too, as well as Eric’s “buddy” in the nine hole, who falls to Michael Fiorito, drawing thin on the flop against middle set.
HORSE reprise: Leonard August, gambles with Gary, and Kosakowski, foreground right, comes up short. August rises above 120,000.