The World Poker Tour (WPT) is back in the United States this week, setting up shop in one of Atlantic City’s few remaining casinos for the WPT Borgata Poker Open. Yesterday’s Day 1A saw an even 400 players pay the $3,500 to go for the gold with just 172 making it to Day 2. Leading the field is Ben Bianco with 389,000 chips.
Bianco, who hails from Franklin, New York, is no stranger to Atlantic City tournaments. He won a preliminary event right here at the Borgata Poker Open two years ago, good for a payday of more than $300,000. He has many more cashes in the city that lent its street names to the Monopoly board game and all told has won over three-quarters of a million dollar in live tournaments.
He is way out in front of the crowd, as well. His 154,100 chip lead over the second place player, Andrew Atkinson, about equals the chip stack of the ninth place player, Thomas Winters (Curt Kohlberg, in tenth place, also has 155,000). And as often happens in the early days of large tournaments, the chip leader reached that point thanks to a big hand at the end of the night.
According to the WPT.com report, three players, including Bianco, got all-in on a flop of 7-3-3 with over 200,000 in the pot. The shortest-stacked player had 7-6 for two pair and the middle-stacked player had pocket Nines for a better two pair. Ben Bianco did them each one better, though, showing Kings for the best two pair of the three players. The turn was a 4 and the river was a 6, keeping Bianco’s top hand intact and knocking both of the other competitors out of the tournament. That catapulted Bianco up into the chip lead and also won him a nice bonus: a pair of Monster-brand headphones.
Play has already gotten underway for Day 1B out here on the east coast. As this is a re-entry tournament, anyone who busts out can re-enter up until the start of Level 7, which is estimated to be a bit after 8:00pm tonight. Those who lost all of their chips yesterday can also re-enter, and people who did not play at all can also register late today.
2014 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open – Day 1A Chip Leaders
- Ben Bianco – 389,000
- Andrew Atkinson – 234,900
- Allyn Shulman – 231,200
- Ray Shackelford – 207,700
- Travell Thomas – 196,600
- Ami Alibay – 168,000
- Cornel Cimpan – 166,900
- Lily Kiletto – 157,000
- Thomas Winters – 155,000
- Curt Kohlberg – 155,000
