WPT Heads to Atlantic City


The World Poker Tour has a very tight schedule for the end of January.  The World Poker Open was played earlier this week down in Tunica, Mississippi.  There’s a very short turnaround as this weekend, the WPT moves on to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the Borgata Poker Classic.
The $9,700 (+$300 entry fee) buy in event will take place January 27th through January 31st at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.  Each player will start with a larger than normal stack of 30,000.  The initial blind level will be 25-50 giving everyone a tremendous amount of play.  At the start of the fifth stanza, antes will be introduced. (25, 150-300).  The first two days of the event will consist of seven 75-minute levels. 

The last edition of the Borgata Poker Classic drew 571 competitors for a prize pool of $5,538,700.  The final 54 players left in the event were all guaranteed $13,847 with the eventual champion taking home $1,606,223.  When Joe Cappello bubbled the TV table in seventh place earning him $221,548, we had the final six players.  Of those final six, two were very well known professionals in “Johnny World” John Hennigan and “Gentleman” John Gale.  The remaining four were new to big-time tourney success.  The final six and their official payouts were:

Joseph Simmons entered the final table with the chip lead but most were anticipating and expecting a heads-up battle between Hennigan and Gale. Both showed up for the final day with plenty of chip fire power and of course their vast ability/experience. However in the end, Hennigan busted Gale in third place when he held the better kicker with his pair of aces. The heads-up battle between Kelley and Hennigan only lasted six hands. The final hand played out very strangely and truly showed Kelley’s inexperience. Kelley opened the pot for 550k with Qh-7h and Hennigan made the call with Ac-5h. The flop came out 7s-3s-3d, Hennigan checked to Kelley who fired 700k. Hennigan made the call to see the turn of Ah. Hennigan checked and Kelley moved 700k into the pot again. Hennigan made the call and inexplicably Kelley flipped over his hand. Hennigan knowing he had Kelley crushed moved all in when the 3h hit on the river for aces full of threes. Kelley made a quick call for a smaller full house of sevens full ending the tournament.

We’re only three events into the new calendar year but last year’s “Player of the Year” David “The Dragon” Pham, is off to a very quick start with his fourth place finish in the massive PokerStars event in the Bahamas. He earned $600,000 and 1,200 points for his effort. (Last season he finished with $1,814,087 and 6,562 points) Other top professionals off to fast starts include: Erik Seidel (Aussie Millions runner-up for $880,000), Hoyt Corkins, Men “The Master” Nguyen and Freddy Deeb. All of whom finished in the top four at the World Poker Open in Tunica which featured huge names like Barry Greenstein, Erick Lindgren, John Phan and TJ Cloutier very deep in the event.