World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open 2011 expects to beat last year's record; the event gathered the largest player field in WPT history – 1,042 players. This year the WPT hopes to welcome even more attendants as well as break last year's record. Coming back to Atlantic City, New Jersey, for some more Season X live tournament poker action, the WTP believes the Borgata Poker Open will be a huge success.
In 2010 the WPT Borgata Poker Open not only attracted the largest number of players in the World Poker Tour's history, but has also collected the record-breaking prize pool of over $3 million. The winner of the tournament, Dwyte Pilgrim took home a cash prize of more than $730,000. The World Poker Tour expects this year's numbers to grow even bigger.
Atlantic City's largest poker room at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa was ready to host the WPT event which took off yesterday, September 18th and featured the $3,300 + $200 Main Event with a new re-entry format. Other exciting news is that on Friday, September 23, WPT Borgata Live Stream will be launched on worldpokertour.com giving you the chance to watch all the poker action as it happens.
The Live Stream will be hosted by Tony Dunst who will provide commentary all through the final day of the tournament and will be accompanied by a number of other poker pros and analysts who will join Dunst as the play develops. Live updates are already available on the official WPT website including chip counts, most important hands, photos, interviews, and videos from the tournament hosted by Jessica Welman.
And with Day 1A of the tournament already in the books, 215 players of 460 who started the event have already packed their bags. Abe Korotki leads the field of 245 players with 260,100 in chips, followed by one of the most successful female poker players and the ultimate NAPT Mohegan Sun champion Vanessa Selbst with 198,675.
However, one player drew much more attention from the crowd as well as from other players – Will Failla who recently won the WPT Legends of Poker Championship entered the tournament in the last minutes of late registration as he rushed to the Borgata Casino straight from his plane. The late entrance did not beat Failla off the track as he finished the day in fourth place with 189,500 in chips.
Another top-five performance by Darren Elias included busting last year's Borgata Poker Open champion Dwyte Pilgrim midway through the day and finishing in #3 spot of the leader board with 191,200 in chips, just behind Korotki and Selbst. And finally, it was Eric Salinas who finished day 1A in fifth place with 184,225 closing the table of five best performances of the day.
WPT Borgata action returns today with hundreds of players entering Day 1B. You can follow all the happenings at the tables at worldpokertour.com including live reporting, chips counts and photos.
Here is the Day 1A WPT Borgata Poker Open leader board:
1. Abe Korotki - 260,100
2. Vanessa Selbst - 198,675
3. Darren Elias - 191,200
4. Will Failla - 189,500
5. Eric Salinas - 184,225