Event 16: $170+$30 NLH (Re-Entry) Recap

Borgata Summer Poker Open 2010
Event #16 - $170 + 30 No Limit Hold'em (Re-Entry)
June 23

The cost-effective price-tag of this $170 + $30 No Limit event generated 460 entries, which resulted in a prize pool of $78,200. Players were allowed to re-enter this event up to two times if they busted out during the first three levels. The final 45 players would earn a share of the money, but it would take more than nine hours of play just to reach the money.

Robert Rudovic of Bronx, NY ended up as the last man sitting with all 4.6 million chips in play. He didn't even have to re-enter, despite being all-in for his last 900 chips during the re-entry period. He won that hand and never looked back. Just before 2am, after almost 15 hours, Robert was the champion.

He takes home $21,705 and a beautiful trophy for his efforts. Robert says he learned to play poker from friends and family in social games and has been playing for about 8 years. Borgata is his "#1 Favorite Place" to play poker and the "Best Casino on the East Coast for sure". In addition to tournaments, he's a regular in the $2/$5 No Limit cash games here.

Second-place finisher Joe D'Elia (Jersey City, NJ) is the proud father of three-week-old baby-boy Joseph. He's a union iron worker by day and learned to play poker from his brother Nunzi. He's been playing for about 15 years and in addition to tournaments, enjoys the $5/$10 No Limit cash games.

During this event he had to re-enter once after busting out early. Joe briefly claimed the chip lead about five and a half hours into play, then again about eleven hours in, but once Robert Rudovic claimed the lead, he never let it go. Joe takes home $11,757 for second place. This is his largest tournament cash to date.

Larry Klur is a seventy-some-year-old retiree from Pembroke Pines, FL. His one claim to poker fame before today was making the final table of the April 2006 Foxwoods Poker Classic $10k WPT Season 4 event. You can still catch his performance in WPT reruns on the Travel Channel. He finished that event in 4th place, earning $292,264.

Larry was down to about 4,000 chips early in the day, but held on and managed to outlast most of the much younger field. Larry had the honor of busting the money bubble today when he called a short-stack's all-in from the big blind in the dark. Although his 82 offsuit was almost a 7-to-1 dog against pocket Queens, Larry caught a flush on the river to secure his place in the money. He took the chip lead briefly with 13 players remaining, proving he can still compete with the youngsters. His third-place finish was good for $6,068.

A couple of Borgata tournament regulars also cashed in this event. Daniel Chan (New York, NY) won the 2009 Borgata Summer Poker Open $500 No Limit 6-handed event ($28,952). He has numerous other cashes here at Borgata, including five cashes (two final tables) during the 2010 Spring Poker Open. Today he finished 20th for $417.

Jay Johnson (Philadelphia, PA) finished 10th in Event 12 (NL Deepstack) just a few days ago, earning $3,093. He also finished 14th in Event 1 ($936). During the Spring Poker Open, Jay finished second in Event 3, the $350 NL event, for $11,370. Today he narrowly avoided being the bubble-boy when he caught a runner-runner straight to stay alive. He ended up finishing in 32nd place, earning $319.