World Poker Tour's Second Delayed Final Table Set At BorgataDave Farah Leads Final Six Players In The 2019 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open |
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The 2019 World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open $3,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event drew a record field of 1,415 entrants, blowing away the $3 million guarantee to create a final prize pool of $4,529,415 prize pool. As a result, it became the largest WPT main event ever held at Borgata, surpassing the 1,313 entrants made in the 2011 WPT Borgata Poker Open. After four days of action, the massive field has been narrowed down to just six competitors, each of whom will have their eyes on the title and the $728,430 first-place prize.
The final six are all now guaranteed at least a $154,734 payday, but they will not find out if they can further improve on that figure until the final table reconvenes at the HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Wednesday, March 13. This event is the second WPT tournament to utilize a new delayed final table format, with the first being the WPT Gardens Poker Championship, which set its final six players back on Jan. 17.
Players that make a WPT main event final table utilizing this new approach will have their travel accommodations and hotel stays covered by the WPT.
The chip leader heading into the final table is Dave Farah, who bagged up 18,850,000 for 126 big blinds when play resumes at 75,000-150,000 with a 150,000 big-blind ante. Farah finished 75th in this event last year for $8,623 but now sits in pole position to take home the title.
The second largest stack belongs to Brandon Hall, who will enter the final table with 14,100,000. Hall has over $1.5 million in career live tournament earnings, with his signature win being his title run in the 2009 UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic for $753,330.
Daniel Buzgon sits in the middle of the pack with 9,100,000. The Marlton, New Jersey native’s three largest tournament scores have all taken place at the Borgata. He’ll be looking to add to his live earnings of more than $2 million with another deep run.
Venezuela’s first ever World Series of Poker gold bracelet winner Joseph Di Rosa Rojas sits in fourth chip position, heading into the final table with 5,800,000. Rojas took down the 2017 WSOP ‘Marathon’ event for $690,469.
Ian O’Hara will head to Las Vegas with 5,100,000 in chips. The Florida native has $2,031,260 in prior live tournament cashes. Rounding out the final table is Vinicius Lima from Mountain View, CA. Lima made his first six-figure tournament score in February of 2018, finishing third in a $1,600 Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza I no-limit hold’em event for $102,149. Lima’s 3,550,000 in chips will be good for 24 big blinds when play resumes in March.
Here is a look at chip counts of the final six players:
Rank | Player | Chip Counts |
1 | Dave Farah | 18,850,000 |
2 | Brandon Hall | 14,100,000 |
3 | Daniel Buzgon | 9,100,000 |
4 | Joseph Di Rosa Rojas | 5,800,000 |
5 | Ian O’Hara | 5,100,000 |
6 | Vinicius Lima | 3,550,000 |
Farah photo credit: Joe Giron / WPT.