Six Left in Poker Tournament The third day of action at the Borgata Poker Open, part of the World Poker Tour, saw another round of intense battling as the field tried to make moves and secure their position in one of the top six final spots. Sixty-two players began the action at 11 a.m., but it wasn't long before players began to drop like flies.
The drama of the event was heightened throughout the day by the looming fact that only 45 players would make the money. Unfortunately for 17 players, their three day efforts became all for naught as they watched their dreams of a World Poker Tour title slip away. With a $1.5 million first-place prize awaiting the winner, players adjusted their game performance and did their best to capitalize on the opportunities to advance as they presented themselves. Several players lost big hands on questionable calls, which only intensified the action as players focused on playing both their opponents and the random cards they were being dealt. As players were eliminated, the action became more of a chess match than a wild all-in blowout. The poker faces of some of the best players in the game eventually cracked as the night wore on and several prominent pros made exits that clearly left them unsatisfied. The action continued until 4:54 a.m., when J.C. Tran was eliminated in a three-way pot. His queens were not enough to take down Al Ardabelli's aces, giving him the seventh place spot and almost $200,000. The crowd cheered as the final six players of the WPT main event were announced. Leading the pack is David Singer, best known for his ninth-place finish in the 2003 World Series of Poker main event, with $3,200,000 in chips. Close on his heels is pro John D'Agostino with $2,295,000. Robert "Action Bob" Hwang of Clark, N.J., who earlier in the week won the 2005 Borgata Poker Open $1500 buy-in event collecting $129,600, is sitting pretty with $1,795,000 in chips. Al Ardebili, who finally ended the almost 18-hour marathon, has $1,425,000 in chips while Kathy Leibert, currently ranked second on the women's all-time money list, is set for another huge cash win as she hopes to carry over her stellar play to the final table. She will start with $1,045,000 in chips and poses a serious threat to the bigger stacks. The short stack at the table is Richard Festejo with $540,000. Festejo is best known for finishing in the top ten in a number of lower buy-in events across the country. The final table begins today at 5 p.m. and will air on the Travel Channel in the coming months.
| 
