Championship: Day 3 Recap / Final Table

$2500 + $200 Championship Deep Stack Double Play NLH

Dan Wach, Final Table Chip Leader

Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) is looking to go wire to wire at the Borgata Summer Poker Open.  After finishing Day 1A as chip leader, he was the big stack after Day 2 and is still on top heading the final table.

"I've been really focused and playing well," says Wach, who has 1.89 million and is looking for his second Borgata trophy.  "I'm happy where I am, but there's still work to do."

Wach is just ahead of Chalie Hook (Philadelphia, PA) who is at 1.7 million and Joe "The Jeweler" Gola (Philadelphia, PA) with 1.4 million. Wach and Hook began the day 1-2 and maintained their positions with 10 players remaining.

Day 3 began with 45 players looking for a piece of the $740,000 total buy-in, but only 27 made the money.  After a nearly two hours of hand-for-hand play, TJ Shulman (Boynton Beach, FL) was the unfortunate bubble boy as he busted in 28th place.

That sent the remaining players into the money for a min cash of $6,370.

Borgata regulars who cashed included Mike Dentale (25th), John Dibella (23rd), DJ Whorley (20th) Maruti Yarlapati (17th), Chris Farley (16th), Nick Salimbene (14th) and Frank Reina (12th).

After returning from dinner break it only takes one hour to knockout four players, including Michael Schoultz (Arlington, VA), whose elimination by Gola set the final table.

The returning short stacks are Grandpay "Jay" Zimmet (Manalapan, NJ) and Ken Silberstein (Edison, NJ) who are just shy of 400k, but still have 40 big blinds.

"My success at Borgata has come in mixed games," said Zimmet who is a two-time Borgata trophy winner, one in PLO, the other in 7 card stud.  "I've played really good poker for three days. I'm 70-years-old, if I win I maybe the oldest (Borgata) winner ever. We'll see."

Final Table action resumes noon Thursday as they play for the $198,186 top prize and Borgata trophy.

Final Table Chip Counts

Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) 1.89 million (189 bb)
Chalie Hook (Philadelphia, PA) 1.7 million
Joe "The Jeweler" Gola (Philadelphia, PA) 1.4 million
Taha Maruf (Hicksville, NY) 780k
Travis Greenawalt (Landisville, PA) 777k
Michael Lydon (Woodside, NY) 715k
Gregg Fishberg (Huntingdon Valley, PA) 491k
Orson Young (Oceanport, NJ) 404k
"Grandpa" Jay Zimmet (Manalapan, NJ) 397k
Ken Silberstein (Edison, NJ) 396k  (40 bb)
 
Championship Eliminations

Place-Name-Amount

11 Michael Schoultz (Arlington, VA) $9,201
12 Frank Reina (Elizabeth, NJ) $9,201
13 Shaheim Sheridan (Fayetteville, NC) $7,786
14 Nick Salimbene (Brick, NJ) $7,786
15 Mark Hnatov (Nesconset, NY) $7,786
16 Chris Farley(W. Deptford, NJ) $7,078
17 Maruti Yarlapati (Pine Brook, NJ) $7,078
18 Frank Vizza (Cold Spring Harbor, NY) $7,078
19 Noam Fliegelman (Philadelphia, PA) $6,370
20 DJ Whorley (Washington, DC) $6,370
21 Alan Becker (Stamford, CT) $6,370
22 James Erickson (Oakland, NJ) $6,370
23 John Dibella (New Rochelle, NY) $6,370
24 John Parisi (Brooklyn, NY) $6,370
25 Mike Dentale (Brooklyn, NY) $6,370
26 Steve Happas (Braintree, MA) $6,370
27 Larry Nelson (Harleysville, PA) $6,370