Champion - Ernst

John Ernst (Oakhurst, NJ)  

$19,988

After trading the chip lead back and forth heads-up for 30 minutes, Ernst wins the third annual Put a Bad Beat on Hunger poker tournament, presented by Cabot Creamery Cooperative.  Ernst beat Ivailo Dimov (Astoria, NY) to take home $19,988 and earned a $3,500 seat into the WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship event.

"This is great," says Ernst, who's a regular player for Borgata's Wednesday tournaments.  "This is by far my biggest win, and I'm looking forward to coming back in September."

On the final hand, Ernst has 2♠ 2♦ vs A♥ J♦ and wins the coin flip when the flop of 2♥ J♠ 6♥ gives Ernst a set and he avoids runner-runner when the board bricks out.

Ernst is the last man standing in a tournament that featured 283 entries, including pro players Bernard Lee, Roy Winston and Eric Buchman as he grabbed his share of the $73,580 total buy-in.

Ernst and several of the players donated more than $7,500 to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

Full Tournament Results

Praet, Ernst, Lee & Schiers

Jon Praet and Bob Schiers of Cabot and pro Bernard Lee present John Ernst his ceremonial voucher for September's WPT seat, while Margie Barham accepts a $5,000 donation to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey from the cooperative.

Margie Barham, Executive Director of the Southern Branch 
of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey

2nd Place - Dimov

Ivailo Dimov (Astoria, NY)

$11,776

3rd Place - Soleimanlov

Ali Soleimanlov (Falls Church, VA)

$6,780

After knocking out pros Roy Winston and Bernard Lee earlier in the tournament, Soleimanlov rides his good fortunte to a top three finish.  John Ernst cripples Soleimanlov in a 4 million chip pot with A♣ 8♣ vs Soleimanlov K♦ 3♦. 

Ace high wins the hand and Soleimanlov is out a few hands later.  Ernst is playing Ivailo Dimov heads up for the title.

Final 3 Chip Counts

John Ernst (Oakhurst, NJ) 1.3 million
Ali Soleimanlov (Falls Church, VA) 3.1 million
Ivailo Dimov (Astoria, NY) 2.6 million

Blinds are 80k/160k/20k ante

4th Place - Wey

 Charles Wey (Hackensack, NY) 

$5,496

In the biggest hand of the tournament, Wey moves all in UTG for 1.6 million. It folds to Ali Soleimanlov who calls for slightly less.

Wey: 8♥ 3♥
Soleimanlov: A♠ 9♠

The board is clean and Soleimanov doubles to 3.1 million, while Wey is left with 60k and is out the next hand.

5th - Becker

 Tim Becker (N. Tonawanda, NY) 

$4,282

Becker's day ends when his last 300k goes to Charles Wey when Becker's 99 is run down by 8♠ 4♠ when the A♠ gives Wey a flush on the river.

6th - Peterwas

Leszek Peterwas (Philadelphia, PA) 

$3,569

Peterwas is out after his A3 falls short against the AK of John Ernst who scoops a 3-way pot that also involves Ivailo Dimov who takes a 550k hit holding JJ.

7th - Weber

Mark Weber (Sicklerville, NJ) 

$2,855

Weber's pocket 2s lose to Ivailo DiMov's A 10 who hits a 10 on the river.

8th Place - Natishvili

Irakli Natishvili (Hoboken, NJ)

$2,141

Natishvili is on the rail when his AK is run down by the J6 of Tim Becker who spikes a jack on the river.

9th - McGuinness

John McGuinness (Toms River, NJ)

$1,427

McGuinness is out with 55 against the JJ of Tim Becker

Final Table

Seat - Name - Chip Count

1 Charles Wey (Hackensack, NY) 736k
2 John McGuinness (Toms River, NJ) 298k
3 John Ernst (Oakhurst, NJ) 1.1 million
4 Mark Weber (Sicklerville, NJ) 60k
5 Tim Becker (N. Tonawanda, NY) 1.3 million
6 Ali Soleimanlov (Falls Church, VA) 900k
7 Irakli Natishvili (Hoboken, NJ) 405k
8 Leszek Peterwas (Philadelphia, PA) 600,000
9 Ivailo Dimov (Astoria, NY) 1.5 million

Blinds are 40k/80k/10k ante as the average stack is 708k.

10th Place - Soho

 Walter Soho (East Setauket, NJ)

Top 10

Jon Praet (left) and Bob Schiers (right) with the Final 10 Players

With two simultaneous knock outs, the final table begins with nine instead of ten players. Ivailo DiMov (Astoria, NY) uses AK to eliminate Walter Soho (East Setauket, NJ) who's holding K7.

Soho's out in 10th place earning him $928 as the remaining players are drawing for their final table seats.

Baker's Dozen

13 players remain with an average stack of 544k as we close in on the final table.  Blinds are 30k/60k/5k ante.

Raising Awareness

Margie's Food for Thought

While everyone in the tournament has their eye on the $20,000 first prize and the $3,500 WPT seat that goes with it, players aren't forgetting that raising awareness and donating to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is the most important part of the day.  After collecting their winnings at the cage, several of the players are returning to the Poker Room to give back.

"It's great," says Margie Barham, Executive Director of the Southern Branch of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, "the generosity is always overwhelming."

It's not always clear on how the FoodBank works or what its needs are so Barham offers this summary.

"When I speak to groups I'm always asked what kinds of people come to a food pantry," says Barham, who's starting her third year as executive director.  "I tell them to look in the mirror, it's all kinds of people.

"They're not tattered and homeless or dirty, they're just people who have fallen on hard times. They prefer not to use the services, they prefer to have jobs.  They often say that when they get back on their feet, they're going to make a donation. They're apologetic because they'd rather be giving, not taking."

The Southern Branch covers Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and eastern Burlington counties where individuals and families must meet certain requirements to see who gets assistance.

"These are people who have been laid off, had their hours cutback considerably, or were formerly two income families that are now cut in half," says Barham, "We're glad we can help.

Barham sites national statistics that state 1 in 5 children in the country are living in poverty and it's no different in New Jersey.  A recent Feeding America  study showed that the meal gap in New Jersey is $445 million per year, which is the difference between what Jersey families have and what they need to feed them adequately.

"Every little bit helps," says Barham, who's proud to say that for every dollar in the FoodBank's operating budget can equal as much as $10 worth of food.

To learn more about the FoodBank please visit www.njfoodbank.org/.

Last Lady Standing

Colleen Cashes-in

She was on fumes, but Colleen Lewis (Brick, NJ) finds a way to make the money. "I'm estatic," says the Borgata regular. "I'm happy to cash, and happy to give something to the FoodBank."

Lewis says she was down to just a few chips when her flush was beaten by a full house, sending her home in 25th place. Lewis was the last woman left in the field and walks away with $642.

Bubble Breaks

It doesn't take long to reach the money after going down to thirty players on the final three tables.  After one elimination there's a three way all in where two players are knocked out sending the remaining 27 players into the money.

Audulah Deljanin (Dix Hills, NJ) does the honor with pocket kings by knocking out Lisa Pickell (Bricktown, NJ) and another player.  The remaining players are guaranteed $642 as they chase the top prize of nearly $20,000 and a $3,500 seat in the WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship.

You Folded Kings!!?!?!?

Ling (right) is Thrilled McGinness Hits Quads

Players at table one are astonished that Kenny Ling (Brooklyn, NY) folded pocket kings preflop and while it's not the text book play, this time it turns out to be right.

One player open shoves for 56k and Mike McGuinness (Toms River, NJ) is all in for 55k, putting the pressure on Ling who's stack is 75k.  "The hair stood up on the back of my neck," says Ling, who open folds cowboys. "I just had a feeling," he says as multiple players are in shock and disbelief.

In hindsight it's a good fold as McGuinness hits a huge hand.

McGuinness: J♠ J♥
Anonymous: 6♠ 6♣

Flop: 9♦ 7♥ J♦ (table goes nuts for McGuinness' set of jacks)
Turn: 10♠
River J♣ (they roar for quads!)

McGuinness wins the hand and Ling is vindicated for folding kings.  The anonymous opponent is left with one orange (1k) chip and is out the next hand.

Currently 31 players remain, as we're four off the money.

Last Cabot Standing

Praet was Great

The last of the Cabot coalition is on the rail as writer Jon Praet milked his short stack all afternoon, but unfortunately couldn't turn it into gold, like the co-op's Hand-Rubbed Tuscan Cheddar.

Praet pushed his last 55k all in with A9 but ran into pocket kings to end his day.  This is Praet's deepest run in the three year tournament as he busted with 62 players left, 35 from the money.

Defending Champ Gone

Arman Says Adios

Arman Torosian (Edgewater, NJ) was a newbie last year who rode beginners luck to a first place finish good for $40,000 and a $3,500 seat into the WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship Event. Unfortunately lightening won't strike twice as he's out of this year's tournament.

Last year was entertaining to watch as Torosian had a rail of three buddies coaching him on breaks as the Put a Bad Beat on Hunger tournament was his first in a casino.