The second World Poker Tour event in New Jersey proved a nice success on the partypoker US Network. The WPT Online Borgata Series featured an overall guarantee of $275,000, but ultimately paid out $912,000.
All events except one topped the guarantees in the 11-tournament series. The festival produced nice results and more tour-sponsored events are likely in the works.
“This was definitely the most fun and the biggest series we’ve had online here in New Jersey on the partypoker US Network,” Borgata Poker ambassador Katie Stone said. “Partnering with the WPT has just been phenomenal.”
“We so love being able to give our players what they really want, and based on the feedback everyone was quite happy. I definitely look forward and hope for more series like this online in the future.”
WPT Borgata Online Main Event winner fulfills mother’s dream
The $1,060 Main Event highlighted the series and produced a field of 440 entries. The prize pool swelled to $432,700.
Tony Sinishtaj (pictured above), of Englewood, New Jersey, came out on top for $77,350. The poker pro and family man is already a member for the WPT Champions Club. He won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in 2017 for $661,283, his biggest live tournament score.
The partypoker/WPT win now gives Sinishtaj a unique distinction. He’s the only WPT Main Tour winner who’s also won aa American WPT online main event.
The road to victory fulfilled a recent dream of his mother. In her vision, Sinishtaj’s father, who passed away in 2016, told her Sinishtaj would win $100,000.
“She told me the dream a few days ago and then mentioned it again this morning when I told her I won,” Sinishtaj told WPT.com after the win. “I had forgotten about it because I don’t put any stock in what dreams mean.”
That view may have changed now. Sinishtaj has more than $1.6 million in live tournament winnings and picked up $77,350 for the New Jersey WPT title.
That prize amount isn’t the full $100,000 as in the dream, but Sinishtaj is hoping to add more winnings soon.
Other New Jersey grinders pick up titles at partypoker
Beyond the Main Event, only one tournament brought an overlay. That came in the first event, which was just $1,000 short.
The $535 Heads-Up event was another interesting bullet point on the series. The field was capped at 32 players and all those sports were filled.
Jerrad “bbissick” Pawar, of Stanhope, New Jersey, took down the title for $7,200. Another big name on the NJ online poker scene took runner-up – David “TheKing411” Coleman for $3,200.
Coleman came out on top of the first WPT/partypoker NJ main event, June’s Online Poker Open, for $56,586.
Another interesting name found the winner’s circle. New Jersey grinder Daniel “leinad” Buzgon is no stranger to taking down big online tournaments in the Garden State. This time, Buzgon struck gold in the $215 Turbo Progressive Knockout for $13,550.
Trending up for WPT/partypoker in Garden State
Overall, partypoker and WPT organizers were pleased with the Online Borgata Series. Players should expect more combined efforts from the two companies in the future.
Partypoker regularly scores in third in revenue among the state’s three legal online poker sites. However, the site has also seen a surge in players since the Coronavirus pandemic began.
The site has found a nice mix of buy-ins and fun events like phased tournaments to grow its pool of players. The WPT’s involvement has only helped those efforts.
Partypoker is expected to expand into Pennsylvania as well, but no timeframe has been announced. Many players in the Keystone State are awaiting another legal online poker option.
“We continue to work with the gaming regulators in Pennsylvania and throughout the US as we prepare to expand our poker offerings on partypoker US network,” director of poker Ray Stefanelli said. “We look forward to providing details when appropriate.”
Photo courtesy WPT/Joe Giron
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