Event #1: Sunday $35K GTD 1/2 Price NLH | partypoker US Network Players Choice Series (Dec.13-20)

Dec 13, 2020

Get to Know BorgataPoker.com Sponsored Pro Katie Stone

Anthony Thompson

BorgataPoker.com has a trio of Sponsored Pros, and one of them is Katie Stone.

Stone has more than $176K in lifetime live tournament earnings including a career-bet $33,305 for finishing 378th in the 2018 World Series of Poker Main Event. In addition, Stone has three Borgata Open titles including the 2018 Borgata Fall Poker Open $300 Deepest Stack for $19,337, 2017 Borgata Summer Poker Open $300 Ladies Event for $2,867, and 2017 Borgata Fall Poker Open $300 Deepstack for $9,484. She also recently won the CSOP Borgata Winter Poker Open Event back in January.

However, where Stone has really thrived is online where she’s amassed more than $900K in lifetime earnings. Of that, $146,954 has come on BorgataPoker.com where she plays under the screen name “KatieStone.”

According to a Q&A she did with the Borgata Blog, Stone was born and raised in New Jersey, but after Black Friday in 2011, she relocated to Rosarito, Mexico in order to continue playing online. When New Jersey authorized Atlantic City casinos to offer online gaming within state borders, Stone moved back north to New Jersey and picked up where she left off — winning!

Recently, Stone took the initiative to create the Discord channel “Poker Peeps Affected By COVID19” and invited those in casino industry affected by recent shutdowns to join.

“I realized how tough it was going to be for everyone to keep up with everything and everyone, with so much changing so fast,” Stone recently told PokerNews. “So, I messaged my friend Cy Watson, who has been very active on social media as well regarding Coronavirus, asking him if he thought it would be a good idea to start a chat for people in the industry to be able to connect with each other for help.”

She continued: “I think the main thing poker players and everyone can do is to keep an open mind. Understanding that this is unlike any situation any of us have encountered before, and so thinking outside the box can go a long way. Taking the time to improve a skill, or learn a new skill whether it's a game or something else could be really beneficial not just financially, but mentally.”

Click here to learn more about Stone’s initiative.

Dec 13, 2020

Eliminated 55th - 63rd Place ($163.36)

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Anthony Thompson

Dec 13, 2020

Vanauken is an Early Money Causality

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Anthony Thompson

In Level 23 with blinds at 10,000/20,000 (2,500 ante), Eric “alwaysliquid” Vanauken was all in preflop for 110,000 from the hijack and "anywhen_01" isolated from the small blind.

"anywhen_01":
Eric “alwaysliquid” Vanauken:

Vanauken jammed into aces and didn't get any luck from the runout and his tournament ended in 58th place for $162.36.

Tags: Eric Vanauken

Dec 13, 2020

Eric “alwaysliquid” Vanauken Looking for More partypoker US Success

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Anthony Thompson

Eric “alwaysliquid” Vanauken is a name you should know as he's become on of the most accomplished players on the partypoker US Network.

A couple of months ago, Vanauken accomplished the incredible feat of capturing back-to-back titles not once, but twice.

In the July 6-12 series, he topped a 134-entry field to win Event #4: $15,000 GTD NLH for nearly $7,500, and then the next night bested 144 runners to win Event #5: $,7500 GTD Green Chip Bounty for $3,145. Then, at the end of July, he won the $320 buy-in Event #3: $15,000 GTD PKO Bounty for $6,393 and a day later emerged victorious in the $215 buy-in Event #4: $12,000 GTD PKO Bounty Boost for $5.691.

PokerNews recently had the chance to chat with Vanauken about his recent successes.

Money Never Sleeps

For the 43-year-old Vanauken, who is married with three kids ages 7, 10, and 19, he’s never really had a nine-to-five job. Instead, he fancies himself a real estate broker engaging in flips and investments while playing poker on the side of course.

“I first learned playing $4/$8 limit at Foxwoods in early 2000 and now play now $20/$40 and $30/$60 when I can find a game, or settle on $1/$2 or $2/$5 NLH," he said. "I have played the WSOP Main Event two times with no luck busting on Day 2 both times.”

Additionally, Vanauken grinds a decent amount on the virtual tables under the screen name “alwaysliquid,” which stems from the movie Wall Street when Gordon Gekko tells Bud Fox about how money never sleeps and you need to always be liquid.

“Since New Jersey went legal I play on Borgata and WSOP. I used to play PokerStars but had an issue with them over a year ago and have since boycotted them. I do very well on Borgata. I even shipped the Mega Thursday [not long ago] on my phone from an Applebee’s parking lot as I had no WiFi at home due to power outage.”

As for his recent successes on partypoker US, Vanauken was pleased but wanted to remain humble.

“I am humbled to be able to compete with all of the great players in New Jersey,” he said. “I’m proud that all of my studying and grinding has been producing favorable results in the past few years, taking me from an average breakeven player to a profitable one. At the same time, I try to maintain being humble with this great game and what it has provided for me and my family.”

Proudest Poker Accomplishments

For Vanauken, the scores rank up there among his proudest poker accomplishments, which includes beating a poker legend.

“In 2013, I beat Joe McKeehen for the Borgata Limit Championship,” Vanauken said. “I think that was the last limit event held at Borgata.”

Other highlights on his poker résumé include finishing sixth in the 2018 WSOP Circuit at Canada’s Playground Poker Club and finishing runner-up in a pair of WSOP Circuit online events back in March.

“So close to a ring but the two cashes of $35k and $20k within a few days definitely eased the quarantine pain,” Vanauken said.

With the latest partypoker US Network Online Series happening now, only time will tell if Vanauken can keep his streak of winning back-to-back events alive.

Click here to sign up for Nj.partypoker.com!

Dec 13, 2020

Break Time

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Anthony Thompson

The remaining 58 players are on a quick five-minute break.

Dec 13, 2020

"RobertJordan" Bubbles Leaving the Remaining Players in the Money

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Anthony Thompson

The start of Level 23 with blinds at 10,000/20,000 (2,500 ante) saw "RobertJordan" bubble the tournament leaving the remaining 63 players in the money.

Dec 13, 2020

Pahuja Eliminates "DLo-Ram" and Eclipses a Milly

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Anthony Thompson

In Level 22 (8,000/16,000/2,000), "DLo_Ram" was all in preflop for 445,758 from the big blind and was called by Vinny “brownmagic” Pahuja from the button.

"DLo_Ram":
Vinny “brownmagic” Pahuja:

Pahuja was dominated until a queen appeared in the window on the flop.

Another lady came on the turn leaving "DLo_Ram" drawing to only a jack to stay alive.

Unfortunately for "DLo_Ram", the completed the board on the river and ended their tournament.

Pahuja Eliminates "DLo-Ram" and Eclipses a Milly

Tags: Vinny Pahuja

Dec 13, 2020

Level 21 Chip Counts

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Anthony Thompson

There are 77 players remaining in Level 21 and here are the players leading the pack along with notables still left in the field.

Dec 13, 2020

Kwon Dusted

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Anthony Thompson

In Level 20 with blinds at 6,000/12,000 (1,500 ante), "Gohednpopoff" limped in from under the gun and then called Yong "IReadYrSoul" Kwon's 184,752 all in raise from the cutoff.

"Gohednpopoff":
Yong "IReadYrSoul" Kwon:

"Gohednpopoff" slow played cowboys and it payed off as the runout sent Kwon to the rail.

Tags: Yong Kwon

Dec 13, 2020

Prize Pool and Payout Information

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Anthony Thompson

The numbers are in!

The registration period has officially closed with 451 total entries which generated a $45,100 prize pool.

This means that 63 players will be in the money for at least $162.36 while the winner will walk away with $8,036.82.

This is what the remaining 117 players are still playing for:

Place	Prize
1	$8,036.82
2	$5,687.11
3	$4,013.90
4	$3,202.10
5	$2,706
6	$2,255
7	$1,804
8	$1,398.10
9	$992.20
10-12	$744.15
13-15	$568.26
16-18	$441.98
19-27	$320.21
28-36	$239.03
37-45	$189.42
46-54	$171.38
55-63	$162.36