They are through both starting flights in Atlantic City as the 2020 World Poker Tour (WPT) Borgata Winter Poker Open is on to Day 2 on Tuesday. There were 683 entries on Day 1B, bringing the total field to more than 1,000. Registration is open for the first two levels of Day 2, so there is still plenty of time for the field to get closer to last year’s number of 1,415. Francis Anderson emerged from the 375 Day 1B survivors as the chip leader, the only player after both Day 1 flights with more than 300,000 chips.
As mentioned yesterday, the tournament allows for unlimited re-entries. A series of hands highlighted by WPT.com illustrates why some people love this and some people hate it.
Shawn Cunix, who won WPT Jacksonville in 2012, busted and re-entered the tournament close to the end of Day 1B. He immediately got involved, calling pre-flop and flop, betting the turn, and raising all-in on the river. His opponent eventually folded and Cunix showed a total bluff – he only had a gut-shot straight draw after the flop.
The next hand, he was aggressive pre-flop and flop before Rafal Kordys shoved. Cunix called with only bottom pair, easily beaten by Kordys’s top set.
On his third hand after the re-entry, Cunix raised pre-flop, got two calls, and then Lazaro Hernandez moved all-in. Cunix called, one player folded, but then Ryan Olisar shoved. Cunix called that one, too, now himself all-in for 44,500, just more than the tournament starting stack.
Olisar has A-J, Hernandez had K-9, and Cunix had…6-3? Nothing was suited.
The board rolled out 5-3-2-T-5, somehow giving Cunix the best hand with a lowly pair of 3s. And just like that, he was up to 111,300 chips.
Again, a great example of problem and fun of re-entries. Most players are not going to be able to just reach into their pocket and pull out a few thousand more dollars if they bomb out early, but the richest players can and will, giving them an advantage. And then someone can do like Cunix did and play recklessly, not worrying about losing his stack because he can just re-enter. He can take huge risks to try to double or triple-up.
Of course, that crazy play can work out for his opponents. Cunix was an underdog in that last hand, so Olisar or Hernandez should have benefited from his play. Unfortunately for them, luck wouldn’t have it that way.
Day 2 got underway a little while ago with 593 players returning from Day 1.
2020 World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open – Day 1B Chip Leaders
- Francis Anderson – 300,100
- Craig Varnell – 240,600
- Kenneth O’Donnell – 224,400
- Giuseppe Iadisernia – 223,100
- Taylor von Kriegenbergh – 219,400
- Michael Cannon – 210,300
- Joey Couden – 197,900
- Ian O’Hara – 193,700
- Andrew Hanna – 192,600
- Amnon Filippi – 185,500
2020 World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open – Overall Day 1 Chip Leaders
- Francis Anderson – 300,100
- Leonard “L.J.” Sande – 245,700
- Craig Varnell – 240,600
- Tony Dunst – 224,900
- Kenneth O’Donnell – 224,400
- Giuseppe Iadisernia – 223,100
- Taylor von Kriegenbergh – 219,400
- Renata Colache – 216,100
- Michael Cannon – 210,300
- Joey Couden – 197,900
