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Star-Studded Borgata Poker Open Event Underway

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- The excitement at the Borgata Poker Open was palpable as 317 players marched into the Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa yesterday for the start of the $2,500 buy-in No Limit event. The players wasted no time taking to the felt like fish to water. The sound of chips filled the air for the early hours of the event, often interrupted by shouts of disappointment, as players began to fall.

Poker superstar Barry Greenstein was the chip leader for much of the first day before being knocked out late on Tuesday. Other notable poker royalty included Robert Mizrachi and his brother Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi. The Grinder won the 2006 Borgata Winter Poker Open and is currently the front-runner for Card Player's Player of the Year. Shannon Shorr, the third place finisher in this year's $1,500 event, is just one place behind "The Grinder" for Player of the Year. Two-time Borgata Poker Open Champion, "Action Bob" Hwang, was eager to get started yesterday and win his third championship at Borgata, but he too did not survive the first day of competition.

At the end of the day there were eighteen players remaining in the tournament. Edward Devlin of New Jersey, an amateur with no tournament experience, had a magical day knocking out both Barry Greenstein and Kathy Liebert to advance to the final 18. He said, "I am nervous about winning because I am playing against the best players in the world, but I got through yesterday so you never know. This could be my day."

The final table for the 7 Card Stud Championship began in the afternoon on Tuesday. The finalists battled for many hours until only two players remained. In the end, Davis Shin of Philadelphia triumphed over New Yorker Yuebin Guo. Shin proclaimed, "I am so happy to win the Championship. The $27,000 and the Rolex are great, but winning the championship and being the best is what matters most to me."

Poker legends, including Daniel Negreanu, Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari, continue to arrive at Borgata for the $10,000 Main Event and WPT kick-off Party at MIXX nightclub on Thursday night. The evening will feature music by DJ Basara and a hosted bar from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. In addition, attendees will be invited to step-up their game with the pros themselves on PokerPro(TM), the revolutionary automated poker table that merges the gap between online and live poker.

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