WPT Borgata Draws Record WPT Field

New Jersey online player Bobby Oboodi took down the largest event in World Poker Tour history, the Season X Borgata Poker Open in Atlantic City, and he did so without ever being all-in or out-chipped at the final table. He raked in a $922,441 payday, but that big figure was dwarfed by two even bigger things: his huge ego in an interview with Mike Sexton after the win, and his over-the-top cheering section.

Among other things, the 24-year-old winner assured Sexton that a new power had arrived in the poker world, and declared that this won’t be the only time his name gets carved on the Champions Cup.

Meanwhile, his railbirds got so out of hand during the final that they got into an in-your-face altercation with one of the final six, Fred Goldberg, who felt he was being taunted by the rabble. It got so bad that several railbirds were tossed out. One later tweeted that he had been banned for life from the Borgata.

But the field size was the real story. The 1,313 entries made it the biggest WPT ever, beating 2010’s Borgata field of 1,042. The 143 re-entries boosted the total, but even without the re-entries, the tournament still drew 1,170.

When the final table began, Oboodi – who has won more than $1 million online – was even with the only other player who’d made a prior WPT final, Goldberg. But Goldberg doubled up short stack Jin Hwang on the fourth hand. Shortly after, Oboodi busted the new short stack, Ricky Hale, in sixth place when his A-K beat A-10.

From there, Oboodi just kept moving on, soon taking a 5 million pot off Goldberg. The rail was now calling him “Bob the Blade.”

Hwang was making hay too. He doubled again when he called a reraise from Darren Elias preflop, then moved in for a bit more on the Q-J-5 flop (two spades). Elias felt priced in to call with A-K, and was up against Hwang’s Q-7 of spades for top pair and a flush draw. Hwang’s  hand held up, and Elias busted in fifth soon after when he ran pocket jacks into Oboodi’s pocket cowboys.

Goldberg struggled during the middle stages, doubling up Daniel Buzgon, then losing a two tough pots, including a big one against Hwang where he folded on the river, leaving himself with five big blinds, after the board double paired.

Goldberg is noteworthy for a tenth-place finish in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, but he also has a WPT final table at Foxwoods and a WSOP bracelet.

Goldberg doubled once, but finally left in fourth place when he got it all-in holding top pair on a nine-high board, but Oboodi had a bigger kicker. It was clearly the New Jersey player’s day.

With the blinds escalating, Buzgon and Hwang were getting desperate and way behind Oboodi in chips. The two got it all-in preflop with Buzgon tabling pocket sevens to Hwang’s A-K suited. Hwang turned a straight, Buzgon was gone, and Hwang was now in spitting distance of Oboodi as heads-up began.

Hwang took the momentum briefly when after a few pots he took the chip lead.

Hand 137 turned out to be crucial. With the stacks about even and blinds at 250,000-500,000 with a 50,000 ante, Hwang raises to 1,150,000, and Oboodi calls. The flop came 9-9-5 rainbow. Oboodi checks, Hwang bets 1,150,000, and Oboodi calls. The turn is a jack, Oboodi checks, Hwang bets 2,250,000, and Oboodi calls. The river is a trey for a third spade, and both players check. Oboodi says “jack” and shows A-J for two pair, jacks and nines. Hwang turns over A-Q suited and tosses it away. Oboodi now leads 24.5 million to 15.7 million.

On the final hand, they got it all-in on a 7s-6s-6c-Js board when Hwang moved in holding K-J (no spade) for jacks and sixes and Oboodi called with Q-2 of spades for the flush.

“He can’t win if the last card’s a spade!” said Oboodi.

Obligingly, the dealer turned over the three of spades on the river to seal the deal.

Hwang took home $554,303, not bad for a guy who was short stack not just starting final table, but also short stack starting the previous day’s play as well.

On an interesting side note, there were some top pros who above and beyond the call of duty to play in this event. In fact, they flew about 4,130 miles from Cannes, France, to get to Atlantic City. Will Failla rushed to the Cannes airport after busting in 14th place at the Partouche Poker Tour main event, and arrived in Atlantic City only minutes before registration shut down. Meanwhile, Olivier Busquet, Vanessa Selbst and David Rheem also busted their asses to get back to the States in time to play WPT Borgata.

The Payouts
1st: Bobby Oboodi $922,441
2nd: Jin Hwang $554,303
3rd: Daniel Buzgon $335,433
4th: Fred Goldberg $280,925
5th: Darren Elias $230,610
6th: Ricky Hale $186,585