Day 1B of the 2012 World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Poker Open is in the books and Pennsylvania’s Brian Lemke bagged what turned out to be by far the most chips of anyone in either starting flight. With 272, 575 chips he outpaced fellow Day 1B players Kyle Bowker and James Poper by sizable 71,000 and 87,000 chip margins, respectively. Those three also comprise the trio atop the overall leaderboard, as nobody in Day 1A was able to even eclipse the 180,000 chip mark.
Monday saw another 807 pay the $3,300 + $200 to enter the WPT Borgata Poker Open Main Event, more than double the 374 that did so on Day 1A. The two day total of 1,181 registrants created a prize pool of $3,897,300, of which the winner will receive $818,847. In all, 110 players will make the money, with payouts starting at $7,070. Everyone at the six-handed television final table, plus the TV bubble boy, will receive paychecks in the six-figures. The complete payout structure is as follows:
1. $818,847
2. $488,850
3. $298,950
4. $250,065
5. $206,821
6. $167,337
7. $131,613
8. $97,770
9. $69,003
10-12. $44,937
13-15. $30,083
16-18. $20,118
19-27. $16,922
28-36. $14,665
37-45. $12,785
46-54. $10,905
55-63. $9,589
64-72. $8,762
73-81. $8,085
82-90. $7,446
91-100. $7,258
100-110. $7,070
Our chip leader, Brian Lemke, is not a household name in the world of poker, but it is not because his live tournament career has been devoid of success. He is the proud owner of a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, earned in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event in 2009, a win which earned him just shy of $700,000. Two years later, he placed 14th in that same event, though that only paid $41,712. Other notable cashes include an even $100,000 for a third place finish in the $3,300 No-Limit Hold’em Championship Event at the 2010 Foxwoods Poker Classic and $111,076 from a win in the $500 No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry event at the 2012 Borgata Spring Poker Open. All told, Brian Lemke has won $1,132,840 in his live tournament career.
Lemke and the rest of the remaining 625 players from Days 1A and 1B return to Atlantic City’s Borgata casino Tuesday afternoon for Day 2 of the 2012 WPT Borgata Poker Open.
2012 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open – Day 1B Chip Leaders
- Brian Lemke – 272,575
- Kyle Bowker – 201,000
- James Poper – 185,100
- Carl Pipitone – 159,100
- Vadim Bulavchik – 136,600
- Mike Holm – 135,225
- David Pham – 130,225
- Matthew Salsberg – 122,600
- Jonathan Little – 117,775
- James St. Hilaire – 115,525
2012 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open – Combined Days 1A and 1B Chip Leaders
- Brian Lemke – 272,575
- Kyle Bowker – 201,000
- James Poper – 185,100
- Robert Boyko – 173,100
- Kyle Frey – 168,250
- Carl Pipitone – 159,100
- Chad Power – 158,250
- Michael Melkerson – 148,900
- Lloyd Mandel – 147,575
- Barry Greenstein – 144,250