Event 14: $300+$50 NLH Recap

Borgata Summer Poker Open 2010
Event #14 - $300 + 50 No Limit Hold'em
June 22

Monday June 22nd got off to a roaring start at Borgata as 191 players poured into the Poker Room for the 11am start of Event 14, No Limit Hold'em. The price of admission was $300 + $50 and when the dust settled, the total prize pool came to $57,300. Only the final 18 players would earn a piece of this pie and it would take just over eleven hours to narrow the field to this magic number.

Of the 191 players who entered Event 14, one name stood out from the rest. Joe Simmons (Philadelphia, PA) is a familiar face among the crowds here at Borgata. He made his mark on the poker world in 2007 when he final-tabled the $10k Borgata Poker Classic WPT Championship event, finishing 4th for $387,709. His lifetime tournament earnings are now over $740,000. Joe is a DJ, rapper, writer, producer, and former manager of the internationally acclaimed hip-hop group The Roots. He's also a regular in the high-stakes cash games here at Borgata. Unfortunately Joe's quest ended early here today. His desperation shove with King-Jack ran head-first into pocket Jacks and he was unable to get any help on the board.

The big story of this tournament was the incredible run of Matthew Galluzzo (Marlboro, NJ). The self-taught internet player defied the odds, flopping sets three times in a row in all-in confrontations with bigger pairs. His pocket 8s cracked pocket Aces, then on back-to-back hands, his pocket 9s cracked pocket Aces, then pocket Kings, busting the bubble, 18th, and 17th place players.

Matthew continued to accumulate chips until he had all 1.91 million chips in play, earning himself $17,117 for first place, along with the crystal trophy. Matthew has been playing poker for about four years and made a small cash in last year's Borgata Summer Poker Open, but this is his first win in a live event.

In contrast, second place finisher Ray Ferretti (Woolwich, NJ) has been playing poker for about 20 years. His $9,449 cash today is his largest on record.

Ben Kaufman (Olney, MD) finished in third place earning $5,280. He's been playing poker for about 12 years and is most thankful he has the support of his family.

Fourth place finisher was Joe Demrest (Hicksville, NY). He's been playing poker for about 7 years and this was his first final table. He took home $3,891 for his efforts. The poker player that Joe most admires is Eli Elezra, an accomplished tournament pro with 1 WSOP bracelet and over $1.8 million in earnings.