The chase for a profitable year at the tables and a chance to make a splash in the poker world has begun. With so many options in Atlantic City the first quarter of 2012 is expected to be a busy one.
On the business front the newly opened Golden Nugget poker room should be enjoying some initial success and thinking about plans for a poker series; and in the coming months the new kid on the block, or on the boardwalk rather, the Revel, will be opening its doors and is expected to be a huge player in the East Coast market.
The early months look to be busy on the tournament front as well, with things heating up again at the Borgata. The Winter Poker Open will be Jan. 18-Feb. 3. The first event is a $560 deepstack no-limit hold’em re-entry tournament, but the $3,500 main event on Jan. 29 is what everyone will be talking about as it has a $2 million guarantee. This series has been one of Borgata’s more famous events, formerly a World Poker Tour-branded event in its early years, so expect plenty of guaranteed money and a nice mix of games on the schedule.
The Showboat has made mention of holding another House of Blues Poker Open in February. On Thanksgiving weekend, it held a series of tournaments with buy-ins in the $200 range and drew a nice turnout, having good structures and guaranteed money attached to all early tournaments. The HBPO offers a break for your bankroll and given how soft the field was in November this one is expected to be great value. Hopefully your bankroll is still intact by the time March rolls around because the World Series of Poker Circuit makes its second Atlantic City stop of the season, hitting Caesars from March 1-12. It will host 12 ring events, including a re-entry main event with a coveted seat at the national championships up for grabs. As is the norm with the WSOPC stops in AC the schedule is NLHE-heavy with one Omaha/8 tournament thrown in the mix.
The Borgata typically holds its Spring Open in April but those dates haven’t been released. (Results from its fall installment are below, along with WSOPC results from Harrah’s AC.) Then the Revel is set to open as players are eagerly anticipating what they have in store for them. Atlantic City is going to be quite busy in the first quarter so let’s hope your New Year’s resolution was to run good.
— Cris Belkewitch is the Ante Up Atlantic City Ambassador. A member of Team Bustout, his insight can be found at thepokerjourney.net.
Borgata Fall Poker Open, Atlantic City, Nov. 9-22
Event 1 • $450 NLHE
970 Entries • Prize Pool: $388,000
WINNER: Michael Lydon, $84,682
Event 2 • $300 NLHE
480 Entries • Prize Pool: $124,800
WINNER: Amanda Musumeci, $30,925
Event 3 • $450 NLHE
357 Entries • Prize Pool: $142,800
WINNER: Paul Longo, $37,401
Event 4 • $400 PLO
144 Entries • Prize Pool: $50,400
WINNER: Christoph Brand, $14,665
Event 5: $560 Bounty
304 Entries • Prize Pool: $152,000
WINNER: Harry Korotki, $39,804
Event 6: $300 NLHE
362 Entries • Prize Pool: $94,120
WINNER: Craig Feldherr, $24,646
Event 7 • $230 Ladies
115 Entries • Prize Pool: $23,000
WINNER: Lana O’Brien, $6,694
Event 8 • $400 NLHE
572 Entries • Prize Pool: $200,200
WINNER: Hayong Zhou, $48,351
Event 9 • $450 Omaha/8
113 Entries • Prize Pool: $45,200
WINNER: Barry Levy, $13,153
Event 10 • $450 6-Max
299 Entries • Prize Pool: $119,600
WINNER: Mark Sykes, $29,586
Event 11 • $400 Seniors
149 Entries • Prize Pool: $52,150
WINNER: Arthur Bressler, $15,175
Event 12 • $230 NLHE
963 Entries • Prize Pool: $192,600
WINNER: Edward Grau, $42,044
Event 13 • $450 H.O.R.S.E.
104 Entries • Prize Pool: $41,600
WINNER: Barry Levy, $12,107
Event 14: $400 Bounty
251 Entries • Prize Pool: $87,850
WINNER: Johanssy Joseph, $23,861
Event 15: $1,650 Heads-Up
50 Entries • Prize Pool: $75,000
WINNER: Alexander Queen, $29,098
Event 16 • $770 Bounty
236 Entries • Prize Pool: $165,200
WINNER: Jeffrey Papola, $42,469
Event 17 • $400 Stud
56 Entries • Prize Pool: $19,600
WINNER: Jay Zimmet, $7,225
Event 18 • $1,090 NLHE
260 Entries • Prize pool: $260,000
WINNER: Avraham Lipman, $70,614
$2,700 Main Event
670 Entries • Prize Pool: $1,675,000
WINNER: Andrew Badecker, $388,657
Event 20 • $300 Bounty
223 Entries • Prize Pool: $60,210
WINNER: James Bergen, $16,353
WSOP Circuit, Harrah’s, Atlantic City, Dec. 2-12
Event 1 • $345 NLHE
Entries: 704 • Prize Pool: $204,864
1. Richard Smith, Remington, VA, $41,995
2. John Johnston, Howard Beach, NY, $25,987
3. Thao Le, Arlington, VA, $19,061
4. Sean Perry, Columbia, MD, $14,175
5. Huy Le, Atlantic City, $10,684
6. Michael Flesch, Manassas, VA, $8,160
7. Joshua Shmerl, Wauconda, IL, $6,314
8. Tomer Kravitz, Princeton, NJ, $4,950
9. Scott Strubel, Fords, NJ, $3,929
Event 2 • $345 NLHE
Entries: 888 • Prize Pool: $258,699
1. Jeffrey Gurfinkel, Brooklyn, $50,446
2. Leonid Vizirov, Chalfront, VA, $31,173
3. Erik Gorman, Matthews, NC, $22,962
4. Miriam Dubois, Hackensack, NJ, $17,136
5. Oliver Entine, Philadelphia, $12,956
6. Douglas Conant, Sutton, WV, $9,921
7. Eric Nathan, Columbia, MD, $7,694
8. Christopher Kusha, Staten Island, $6,041
9. Adam Feldman, Wyomissing, PA, $4,801
Event 3 • $555 NLHE
Entries: 288 • Prize Pool: $139,680
1. Michael Linster, Levittown, Ny, $35,529
2. Wai (David) Cheng, Randolph, NJ, $20,717
3. Gregory Glassman, Brooklyn, $15,032
4. Douglas Cressi, Glen Cove, NY, $11,091
5. Lorne Kanover, Bellmore, NY, $8,318
6. Jackson Kimball, Clarkston, MI, $6,339
7. Mohammed Munaf, Richardson, TX, $4,906
8. Dean Schultz, Stow, OH, $3,855
9. Joseph Messer, Los Angeles, $3,076
Event 4 • $345 NLHE
Entries: 555 • Prize Pool: $161,505
1. Dustin Manns, Media, PA, $33,922
2. Anthony Hill, Columbia, CT, $20,978
3. Tod Liang, Brooklyn, $15,340
4. Matthew Chang, Rockville, MD, $11,383
5. Kevin Tsao, Forest Hills, NY, $8,565
6. Phillip Vera, Manassas, VA, $6,533
7. Richard Smith, Remington, VA, $5,052
8. Anthony Zinno, Boston, $3,960
9. Daniel Chan, New York, $3,146
Event 5 • $555 NLHE
Entries: 340 • Prize Pool: $164,9008
1. Peter Ippolito, East Meadow, NY, $37,926
2. Robert Parker, Staten Island, $23,447
3. Chris Tryba, Las Vegas, $17,105
4. David Laufer, Saylorsburg, PA, $12,687
5. An Hwang, Centreville, VA, $9,558
6. Jeffrey Gurfinkel, Brooklyn, $7,310
7. Scott Davies, Las Vegas, $5,673
8. David Zeitlin, Brooklyn, $4,465
9. Jonathan Rice, Cumberland, MD, $3,565
Event 6 • $345 6-Max NLHE
Entries: 428 • Prize Pool: $124,548
1. Jeremy Burleson, Stanley, NC, $28,646
2. Jamie Kerstetter, Monroe, NJ, $17,813
3. Gregory Joslyn, Middletown, NY, $12,604
4. Chinmay Patel, Brigantine, NJ, $8,924
5. Roman Valerstein, Newtown, PA, $6,410
6. Daniel Iscovici, Staten Island, $4,649
7. Mike Summers, Charlottesville, VA, $3,406
8. Jackson Kimball, Clarkston, MI, $3,406
9. Ali Kalid, Atlantic City, $2,522
Event 7 • $555 NLHE
Entries: 292 • Prize Pool: $124,548
1. Ryan Hall, Newark, DE, $33,989
2. Jayakrishnan Nair, Redmond, WA, $21,005
3. Charles Clark, Webster, NY, $15,241
4. Charles Furey, Atlantic City, $11,245
5. David Curre, Fairport, NY, $8,433
6. Dylan Drazen, Astoria, NY, $6,427
7. Mike Sica, North Brunswick, NJ, $4,974
8. Ara Melikian, Scarsdale, NY, $3,909
9. Henry Negron, Bronx, $3,118
Event 8 • $345 Omaha/8
Entries: 187 • Prize Pool: $54,417
1. Menachem Rosenberg, Brooklyn, $14,148
2. Richard Rettino, Bay Shore, NY, $8,740
3. George Kosta, Ventnor City, NJ, $6,311
4. Kevin Nettles, Los Angeles, $4,635
5. Charles Levinsohn, Monmouth Beach, NJ, $3,463
6. John Cernuto, Las Vegas, $2,361
7. Allyn Marshall, Elberon, NJ, $2,032
8. Mei Chung, College Park, MD, $1,596
9. Chris Back, Vancouver, $1,273
Event 9 • $1,080 NLHE
Entries: 195• Prize Pool: $189,150
1. Richard Ward, Max Meadows, VA, $49,178
2. Daniel Voccia, W. Hampton Beach, NY, $30,379
3. Roman Valerstein, Newtown, PA, $21,936
4. David Laufer, Saylorsburg, PA, $16,110
5. Eric Doerr, Newark, DE, $12,036
6. Jamie Kerstetter, Jersey City, NJ, $9,145
7. Stephen Kendrick, Suwanee, GA, $7,065
8. Jonathan Hilland, Austin, TX, $5,548
9. Mark Scellato, Jackson, NJ, $4,426
$1,600 Main Event
Entries: 618 • Prize Pool: $899,190
1. Tuan Phan, Vienna, VA, $188,190
2. Hao Le, Fairfax, VA, $116,796
3. Marc Roy, Montreal, $85,405
4. Larry Riggs, Maysville, NC, $63,375
5. Manh Nguyen, Homestead, PA, $36,372
6. Anthony Zinno, Boston, $36,372
7. Kevin Kaikko, Princeton, NJ, $28,127
8. Denis Gnidash, Fair Lawn, NJ, $22,048
9. Michael Devinsky, Middletown, NJ, $17,516
Event 11 • $345 NLHE
Entries: 328 • Prize Pool: $95,448
1. Jeremy Stein, Washington, $22,430
2. Thomas Taylor, La Porte, IN, $13,869
3. Michael Lippe, Woodbury, NY, $10,073
4. Andrew Dakoski, Stow, OH, $7,440
5. Mitchell Mantin, Las Vegas, $5,586
6. Bryan Trischetta, Scranton, PA, $4,260
7. Lori Nunes, Ft Worth, TX, $3,300
8. Martin Smith, $2,594
9. Dwayne Walker, Leesburg, VA, $2,070
Event 12 • $345 NLHE (Turbo)
Entries: 281 • Prize Pool: $81,771
1. Matthew Colvin, Dallas, $19,625
2. Vladislav Enkishev, Ft. Lee, NJ, $12,128
3. Brad Stager, Wayne, NJ, $8,800
4. Mark Swain, Durham, NC, $6,493
5. Roland Israelashvili, Forest Hills, NY, $4,869
6. Joseph Phelps, Waterford, CT, $3,711
7. Edwin Lopez, Timonium, MD, $2,872
8. Foster Haines, Lock Haven, PA, $2,257
9. Paul Mullins, Rockville, MD, $1,801
