Borgata Winter Poker Open Heats Up
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey As in previous tournaments of the Borgata Winter Poker Open, the turnout for Event Five, the $1,000 buy-in, was better than expected362 players graced the felt and raised a prize pool of $362,000. While many tournaments struggle to fill their second-time events, the attendance for Event Five once again showed that players are hungry for Borgata's poker action.
The second $1,000 buy-in tournament finally came to a close in Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa's Event Center late Wednesday evening. The lone man left standing from this more than 20-hour test of wills was David Daneshgar from Los Angeles, CA. He collected $110,410 for his well-deserved first-place finish, while Fotios Nicoles from Clifton, NJ, collected $60,816 and the respect of all of the players and fans watching the final table.
According to World Poker Tour Reno winner, Arnold Spee, players come to Borgata tournaments because of the attention Borgata staff gives players and the game itself. "I think Borgata has the best run event series in the country. The chip amounts they give you to start with are unbelievably great and the hour-long blinds are second to none. Stan (Strickland) and Tab (Duchateau) go out of their way to make sure the players are happy."
According to Atlantic City and Borgata cash game regular Jimmy Mitchell, no matter what a player's experience was that day at the tables, they leave Borgata satisfied. "The staff always gives a hundred percent here and what other casino gives away Cadillacs? Borgata knows how to be loyal to its players. I'm really looking forward to seeing their new poker room." Mitchell finished seventh in the first Borgata Winter Poker Open $1,000 buy-in tournament.
Event Six, the $1,500 buy-in, also got underway Wednesday with 244 players filling the tables and generating a pot of $366,000. Notable players like World Series of Poker main event runner-up Steve Dannemann, Chip Jett, Chris "Triple Draw" Ferguson, Paul "the Truth" Darden, and two-time Borgata Poker Open winner Bill Blanda, engaged in the poker battle royal that had even some of the game's best players second guessing their tournament strategies.
"Players have to adapt to the changing dynamics of the game. As buy-ins increase, it tends to bring out the best in some players while other less-experienced players fold under the pressure. This is when the best players in the game truly shine," said Tab Duchateau, Borgata's Winter Poker Open tournament director.
2006-01-29
