PokerRoad's Jeff Madsen, during what is beginning to look like a somewhat quiet live tournament week, is making big noise at the Borgata Winter Poker Open, where he's currently a huge chip leader after two full days of tournament play.

Madsen, who has been recounting his action all day on twitter (easily accessible in the PokerRoad Nation), has apparently been slicing his way through the 766 initial entries, and dispatching both pros and amateurs alike with big hands and fortuitous boards.  One clear example to show how Jeff is running would be the hand in which he knocked out Jason Mercier, busting the short-stacked pro after getting it all in pre-flop with Jack-Ten despite Mercier holding pocket Jacks, thanks to a rivered Nine which made Madsen a straight.

Madsen and Mercier weren't the only pros who hit Atlantic City for this year's $3,500 buy-in, Winter Poker Open main event, others included Kathy Liebert, Will "The Thrill" Failla, Dan Shak, Lee Childs, Allen "Chainsaw" Kessler and PokerRoad Radio's Gavin Smith, who was sadly eliminated from the event just before the dinner break on Day 2.

The winner of this year's event will take home a little over $625,000, with the rest of the $2,527,800 total prize pool ($527.800 more than the posted guarantee) divided among the 71 other players fortunate enough to make the money. 

At this point (end of Day 2) it seems certain that rappin' Jeff Madsen, with his formidable chip lead (about 880,000 in total), will at the very least be one of those 71 players, but as this is No-Limit Hold 'em poker, and there are still about 135 players left, absolutely nothing is guaranteed.

For more information on the 2010 Borgata Winter Poker Open either check out the official blog at (www.borgatapoker.blogspot.com), or visit the PokerRoad Nation.


Story by Mark Anderson