Event 3 Recap

$350 + $50 Deep Stack No Limit Hold'em (Re-Entry)

At a final table that featured multiple Borgata trophy winners and more than $2 million in career tournament earnings, it was a newbie who stole the show.  In his first ever casino tournament Marvin Hayes (Brooklyn, NY) beat them all at the Borgata Fall Poker Open.

Hayes' defeated "Action" Bob Hwang (Barnegat, NJ) heads up when he hit a flush while holding 7♣ 5♣ and had Hwang drawing dead.

"It's definitely a surprise," said Hayes' who turned a $400 investment into $53,637. "I can't wait to tell everybody."

"Congratulations Marvin it was a pleasure playing with you," said Hwang who won a 2005 Borgata bracelet (pre trophy era) and now has $1.3 million in live earnings.

"It's tough to win tournaments," said Hwang, but it was Hayes' who made it look easy. He built up a big stack just before the money bubble and was one of the chip leaders the rest of the way.

"I definitely never thought I'd make to the end," said the truck driver who plays mostly in home games. "When I got in the 60s (players remaining), I was happy to double my money."

Hayes decided to try this tournament after hearing from friend Steve Jiminez that "Borgata was the most prestigious place to play in A.C."

"He's one of the best guys in the (home) game," said Jiminez who showed up late for the event and was on the rail, "and that's much props over AZ the hip hop star."

Hayes' grooved to his own music where it was a Borgata Dancing with the Stars type final table. In addition to Hwang, there were two, two-time trophy winners in Manh Nguyen and Brian O'Donoghue.

Nguyen bluffed most of his chips in a 7 million chip pot when Hayes' called his 2 million all-in bet on the river. "I bluffed with air," said Nguyen, who finished 7th. "I thought if he was all in I could get him off the hand."

A few minutes later O'Donoghue, who was 6th, sent his stack to Hwang who flopped a full house with pocket Queens. A another landmine Hayes avoided was 9th place finisher Eddie Blumenthal who has more than $600,000 in career earnings after a runner-up finish at the 2011 WSOP.

The field began with 658 entries and produced a total buy-in of $230,300. Borgata regulars who made the money included three-time Borgata trophy winner Howard Wolper (48th), Sheree Bykofsky (31st) and Tim Little (17th).

"When I got to the 20s (players remaining), I thought I could do it," said Hayes. "Then when I got to the main (final) table, I knew I had to really, really play.

"I came down here saying, 'win or lose, at least I tried and I enjoyed it.'"

Hayes did more than that and said, "this was bigger and better than I ever thought it would be."

Final Table Results

Number of Entries: 658
Total Buy-In $230,300

Place-Name-Amount 

1st Marvin Hayes (Brooklyn, NY) $53,637
2nd "Action" Bob Hwang (Barnegat, NJ) $30,158
3rd Dan McAuliffe (Long Beach, NY) $18,988
4th Nick Partenope (Colonia, NJ) $15,414
5th Kirkor Tekneci (Whitestone, NY) $12,287
6th Deon Nossel (New York, NY) $10,164
7th Brian O'Donohue (Bayside, NY) $8,154
8th Manh Nguyen (Munhall, PA) $6,143
9th Eddie Blumenthal (Madison, WI) $4,244
10th Kevin Kernan (Warwick, RI) $2,904

Final Results