Event 18
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
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
End of Level 22: Blinds 8000/15000/15000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 2
Average: $710,000
Brock jams over a raise for his last 500,000 and puts Dan to thinking, eventually folding 
.
“Damn it,” he mutters as Brock shows him the 
.
Then, more chips for Brock when he check calls turn on a dynamic board with a weak showdown hand and is good. Walsh found a protection bet on the turn, but it was too weak at showdown after all. He pitches the 
in disappointment, as Brock shows 
on 
.
This pot gives Brock the lead back.
Then, the tournament could be over. They get it in on 
, and Dan is flummoxed. He has 
but Brock has . His tournament is saved, however, by the eight pairing and forcing a chop.
Dan gets in a min check raise in an interesting spot where Brock is unlikely to have much on 
– and gets a fold, but it might not be what he wanted, especially considering the ornate checking motion he gave before letting Brock bet.
Then, Dan has a huge double up opportunity, versus 
, but an ace on the river gives the preflop action all to Brock. Dan is crippled.
He fades his first all in, and manages surviving another hand.
Then, Brock shoves , and Dan calls it off with a suited connector.
The flop brings both pairs, but Brock leaves Dan dead to a gutter, turning trips. The river fills Wilson up, and it’s over, 
over 
on 
.
Dan Walsh, Boynton Beach, FL, 2nd – $13,085
Dan played big, bounty taking pots and made a great run to heads-up.
Brock Wilson, Trenton, MI, 1st – $24,105
Very strong run for Brock. The heads-up call with third pair on the understanding Dan likely had far too many bluffs was especially impressive, and part of what make him a worthy Bounty champ.
Congrats to both players!
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 21: Blinds 6000/12000/12000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 2
Average: $710,000
Brock chipped up over the first few hands, bringing the distance to about 850,000 to 550,000, when a cooler seemed to change everything.
On 
, Dan bet 45,000 from the button and eventually was check raised by Brock.
Wilson counts out the raise.
Walsh looked surprised, then jammed his remaining 519,000. Wilson snap called, turning over for turned top trips.
Dan yelled “F—!” in surprise, as he flipped up 
for the next pip down.
Blank on the river, and Dan is on the ropes with about 300,000.
They get it in immediately, with Brock drawing a good hand for the knock out, , but somehow Dan has the panacea for a cooler – the .
He doubles after fading a turned draw for Brock, and now we resume play.
Estimated chips:
Brock Wilson 740,000
Dan Walsh 680,000
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 20: Blinds 5000/10000/10000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 2
Average: $710,000 (note Bravo total chips count incorrect)
Three handed: Lytle in the 1, Wilson in between, and Walsh. The Championship plays hand for hand in the background, on the bubble.
As level 20 winds down, the stacks evened and small pots were exchanged.
Then killer action. Dan raises to 25,000 on the button, and John makes 75,000. Walsh clicks it back, and John pauses but calls.
The flop is 
, and in an aggressive maneuver, Lytle lead jams into 300,000 or so his remaining 250,000.
Walsh snaps him with , and all Lytle has is a bluff with 
. Drawing to two outs that don’t come, the two amicable players shake hands.
John Lytle, 3rd for $8264
We move to heads up, Dan with the lead.
Estimated count
Brock Wilson 400,000
Dan Walsh 1,000,000
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 20: Blinds 5000/10000/10000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 3
Average: $591,000
Next, Dan takes the lead away from Brock with a turn check raise on a straightening board. Brock calls turn but folds to river shove.
Dan solidifies new lead with four bet shove over Lytle, who flashes an ace and folds.
Then, a knockout. Haze and Lytle get the money in pre in a flash. Scott’s see an ace in the window, which carries Lytle to a new stack with .
Scott Haze, 4th for $6198
Three handed, Lytle moves to the one seat. He gets some chips back from Walsh, min raises a spade board with a jack high flush. Walsh pays him with a baby flush.
Estimated chips by seat
1, Lytle 450,000
4. Wilson 350,000
8. Walsh 600,000
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 18: Blinds 4000/8000/8000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 4
Average: $443,000
In big action before the break, Wilson took out Gileno with a little dramatic flair.
SB vs BB, Gileno completed and Brock checked his option. On 
, Andrew check raised to 65,000.
Brock called, trapping with 
for that sweet turned nut gutter.
On the river , essentially a blank, Andrew checked, suspicious.
Brock shoves for Andrew’s last 100,000.
Andrew puzzles while Brock goes full Phil Laak, burying his head…
…but when he’s called, the needles don’t matter – Brock, happy, gets paid again.
Call – Andrew has top two and won’t give it up. However, he ladders nicely, from very short to $3,444.
Alexander Rocha, now under 100,000 gets it in but can’t save his tournament life. He takes home a pile of bounties and $4,132.
5th place David Stefanski then loses a flip to Scott Haze, against . The flopped queens quiets any drama, and unimproved on turn and river, David takes home $4,821.
Lytle then wounds Haze, raising a river lead when makes the nuts and Scott call the PFR Lytle.
By seat
2. Scott Haze 175,000
3. John Lytle 350,000
4. Brock Wilson 550,000
5. Dan Walsh 450,000
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 18: Blinds 3000/6000/8000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 7
Average: $253,000
Dan Walsh just salvaged his short stack with queen high. The shortest stack at the table previously, he ripped in his last 59,000 with into .
John Lytle, his opponent, paused, realizing he wasn’t getting the price he wanted in the single raised pot, but with the bounty and the chips available, he took a shot with .
He must have been surprised to see had two live cards in addition to the clubs, but it didn’t matter. The board ran out clean for Dan, and his hand stands up unimproved.
The estimated stacks after this hand, by seat:
2. Scott Haze 150,000
3. John Lytle 250,000
4. Alex Rocha 100,000
5. Andrew Gileno 250,000
6. Brock Wilson 355,000
8. Dan Walsh 165,000
9. David Stefanski 100,000
Remaining Payouts:
- 24,105
- 13,085
- 8,264
- 6,198
- 4,821
- 4,132
- 3,444
The players will take a break at the end of this level.
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 17: Blinds 3000/5000/5000 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 7
Average: $253,000
Final table: Brock kicks it off with aces and action. Donofrio, center background will be out soon as well.
Dan Walsh ends the 10-handed bubble, holding on with on to take out a very short stack’s 
.
Soon after, Adam Gerber is busted in ninth by Wilson and another premium pair, as they get it all in on a low flop, with Brock’s holding over .
Gerber takes $2,066 for ninth.
Brock has the clear lead briefly with 610,000.
Then Dan Walsh gets the next short stack into trouble, over 
, but a blank runout ends up with a seven, saving Andrew Gileno.
Hanging on by a river card: Andrew Gileno.
John Lytle has less trouble taking out Salvatore Donofrio, over , although it appear Brock missed out on another knockout from the table reaction and Brock leaping up.
Donofrio takes 8th for $2,755
Meanwhile, Gileno picks up another pot, and is out of the danger zone with 175,000.
Then, Brock’s string of pairs doesn’t work out, as he doubles John Lytle, falling to an ace on the flop for 
. Lytle jumps to 350,000, while Brock falls back near 360,000.
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 15: Blinds 800/1500/1500 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 12
Average: $118,333
Counting and coloring: As the last break started, Brock, who had fallen behind, leapt forward.
Dan Walsh, who had risen gotten the big triple earlier then wrestled the chip leader away from Brock Wilson opened to 7700. He picked up a caller, and Brock with about 150,000 raised to 28,000 with .
Both called, and then unusual action: on 
, Dan open jammed. The CO folded and of course Brock called, fading the 
five outer and any crazy backdoors for the double.
He has 320,000 and has regained the lead as we march toward the money.
Nine pay, two tables now.
$1,000 + $60 +$200 Double Black Chip Bounty Semi-Turbo NLH
Level 12: Blinds 800/1500/1500 bb ante
Entrants: 71
Remaining: 25
Average: 71,000
Chip Leader Brock Wilson’s table doesn’t lack for action.
Larry O’Halloran, holding on to a short stack here post registration, managed a small double through Brock, who appeared unphased and focused on carrots and celery.
In the next hand Dan Walsh, also short, managed to get in against , a likely chop. However, a four on the turn gave Dan an even more favorable result.
Walsh gets it in. Larry is on his right.
Then, rematch, Wilson check raises the player he cracked earlier, Out Golfing, and it’s apparently a tough decision, UTG vs BB on a difficult board to manage, 
.
“You don’t have to go bust,” Brock commented, aggravatingly.
O.G. studies while Brock awaits the decision. With less than pot behind, this is the moment.
O.G. makes the fold.
“I had it this time,” Wilson comments blandly.
Then, more short stack action. O’Halloran, Walsh and one other drowning stack get it in. Dan has it, , and flops a set to leave O’Halloran’s needing runners and the other dead.
Larry calls for a ten on the end for broadway, but Dan gets the triple. One is out, and Larry is on fumes.
Then, another table busts and table 3 fills.