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September 20th 2006
WPT Borgata Open: Mark Newhouse emerges victorious
The final table of the Borgata Poker Open featured a perfect mix of poker players. There was an amateur, a famous pro and author, a young limit specialist, a seasoned pro, a wealthy business man and a young up-and-coming poker pro. The scene was set for an intriguing final table.
At 5pm EST the first cards were dealt and the action began, with Florida businessman Blaise Ingoglia making the early running. He doubled through Chris McCormack with QJ after rivering a queen against Newhouse’s AK to put himself up to around $1.6 million.
Ingoglia had obviously come out with a game plan to play super aggressively and he was all-in more times than any other player in the first 2½ hours before he was finally put to the sword. On his final play Ingoglia once more moved all-in over the top of a Mark Newhouse raise, encouraging Newhouse to make a very questionable call with Js-8s. Ingoglia had A-Q, though even if he had not been so strong it is hard to see how Js-8s could have been ahead. Still, that was made immaterial when a jack flopped and Newhouse rivered a queen high straight. The unlucky Ingoglia was out in sixth ($261,901).
Next out was the veteran Chris Bell. Cheered on by such high profile friends as Gavin Smith, Mike Gracz and Erick Lindgren he was hoping to join his friends on the WPT title winners’ rostrum, but it wasn’t to be. Bell’s stack had dwindled to the point where he needed to make a move, and with A4 he moved all-in over the top of a Mark Newhouse raise. It was an easy call for Newhouse with A9, as the raise was only double his initial bet. A nine on the flop spelt the end for Bell, who exited in fifth place ($314,280).
The next elimination was probably the harshest of the day. K-8 may not be the greatest looking hand, but up against K-5 it is a monster. That was the situation Anthony Argila, an amateur from New York, found himself in against Chris McCormack when he got all his chips in the middle but a five fell on the turn sending him to the rail in fourth ($366,660).
With just three players left David Sklansky, one of the most successful poker authors of all time, had built his short stack up to over $3 million and had become a real contender to win his first ever major title. But he chose a poor spot to clash with Chris McCormack, getting all his chips when his pocket fives were dominated by McCormack’s pocket tens. The end was swift with a ten falling on the flop. Sklansky finished third, picking up $419,040.
That win gave McCormack the advantage going into the heads-up stage, with $8.6 million to Newhouse’s $4.3 million. It was a situation Newhouse wasted no time in addressing. On a flop showing K-8-5 Newhouse got all his money in with K-5 (two-pair) against McCormack’s K-7. The turn and river helped neither player and the chip counts had been reversed.
From that point on Newhouse, who makes his living playing limit poker, began to push McCormack around, raking pot after pot and building his lead to over $10 million. The end was nigh for McCormack, and despite a double up that brought him back to $4 million in chips he was eventually vanquished.
On the final hand Newhouse moved all-in preflop with pocket queens and was called by McCormack with A-J. The Q-T-T flop gave Newhouse a full house and a five on the turn sealed his victory and the biggest win of his career. For McCormack the $802,895 second place prize was also the biggest of his career, and perhaps some consolation for missing out on the title.
Newhouse picked up $1,519,020 for first place, along with entry to the WPT Championship event in 2007.
Submitted: 20/09/2006 10:22:26
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