Bobby Oboodi Obliterates a Record Field

Level 38: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante

At a final table where players saw their hopes of a WPT title rise and fall in the blink of an eye, Bobby Oboodi never really had to worry about his standing until the final hand of play. While the players around him at the Season X Borgata Poker Open final table were forced to repeatedly put their tournament life at risk, Oboodi made it through the entire final table ever being all-in and outchipped. He cruised to his first WPT title as well as a $922,441 payday. After the win, he assured Mike Sexton this would not be the last the poker world hears from Oboodi and it won’t be the only time his name gets carved on the Champions Cup.

When the final table began, Oboodi was neck and neck with chips the only other player in the line-up who had been under the WPT final table lights before, Fred Goldberg. Goldberg has a setback early when he doubled up short stack Jin Hwang on the fourth hand of play. While Goldberg failed to knock out the short stack, Oboodi succeeded, busting Ricky Hale in sixth place when his AK held up against Hale’s A10.

From there, Oboodi just kept chugging forward, winning a five million chip pot off Goldberg. He wasn’t the only guy climbing the counts either. After starting as the shortest stack, Hwang made a huge lead up the counts when he called a reraise from Darren Elias preflop, then moved in for just a small amount more on the QJ5 flop. Elias felt priced in to call with AK and was up against Hwang’s Q7 for top pair and a flush draw. Hwang stayed out front on the turn and river to put Elias on the short stack. Elias headed home in fifth place a short while later when he ran pocket jacks into Oboodi’s pocket kings.

Goldberg struggled during the middle stages of final table action, doubling up Daniel Buzgon and getting frustrated and confrontational with Oboodi’s rail, whom Goldberg felt was taunting him. Though the rail calmed down, Goldberg found new frustrations in a couple of tough pots, including a big one against Hwang where he folded on the river, leaving himself with five big blinds, after the board double paired.

Goldberg doubled once, but couldn’t keep the momentum going. He exited in fourth place when he got it all-in holding top pair on a nine-high board, but Oboodi had a bigger kicker and sent Goldberg to the rail, boosting his stack past 20 million chips in the process. It was Oboodi’s third knockout of the day and he was looking to sweep the table, but Hwang would be the player to handle the next elimination.

With the blinds climbing, Buzgon and Hwang were both in need of a double up if they wanted to stand a chance at catching up with Oboodi. The two got it all-in preflop in a coinflip situation with Buzgon holding 77 to Hwang’s AK. Hwang turned a straight to leave Buzgon drawing dead and out in third. The pot also put Hwang in striking distance of Oboodi going into heads-up play.

For the first time at the final table, Oboodi was actually at risk. Hwang took the chip lead early on in heads-up play and the two stayed close in chips until the sudden onset of the final hand of play. The two got it all-in on a 766J board when Hwang moved all-in holding KJ for jacks and sixes and Oboodi called with Q2 for a flush. Hwang did not fill up with the 3 on the river.

Over the course of the final table, Oboodi’s rail developed a nickname for him: Bob the Blade. Considering his ability to stay focused and sharp despite chaos on and off the felt around, the nickname is rather fitting. His sharp poker skills at the table and his sharp wit in his winner interview with Mike Sexton, he will be a memorable winner for seasons to come.

Here are the final table results from the Season X Borgata Poker Open:

1st: Bobby Oboodi - $922,441
2nd: Jin Hwang - $554,303
3rd: Daniel Buzgon - $335,433
4th: Fred Goldberg - $280,925
5th: Darren Elias - $230,610
6th: Ricky Hale - $186,585

Bobby Oboodi Wins the 2011 Borgata Poker Open

Level 38: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante

Hand #138: Bobby Oboodi Wins! ($922,441)

Level 38: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante

Bobby Oboodi limps for 500,000, Jin Hwang raises to 1,250,000, and Oboodi calls. Both players check to the turn on a board of 766J, Hwang checks, Oboodi bets 1,600,000, and Hwang thinks for a bit and then says, "Well, let's gamble. I'm all in."

Oboodi calls with Q2 for a spade flush, and Hwang turns over KJ for two pair, jacks and sixes. Hwang needs a jack or a six on the river to stay alive.

Oboodi says, "He can't win if the last card is a spade." He then asks the dealer for a spade.

The river card is -- the 3.

Bobby Oboodi wins the pot -- and the tournament -- with a queen-high flush.

Jin Hwang finishes as the runner-up, earning $554,303. It was an impressive feat for a player who was the short stack at the start of play yesterday, and the short stack again at the start of play today.

Bobby Oboodi wins the WPT Borgata Poker Open, earning $922,441, a WPT Champions trophy, a silver WPT card protector, and his prize money includes a $25,500 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Bellagio.

Congratulations to Bobby Oboodi!

1st: Bobby Oboodi - $922,441
2nd: Jin Hwang - $554,303
3rd: Daniel Buzgon - $335,433
4th: Fred Goldberg - $280,925
5th: Darren Elias - $230,610
6th: Ricky Hale - $186,585

Hand #137: Bobby Oboodi Wins a Big Pot

Level 38: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante

Jin Hwang raises to 1,150,000, and Bobby Oboodi calls. The flop comes 995, Oboodi checks, Hwang bets 1,150,000, and Oboodi calls.

The turn card is the J, Oboodi checks, Hwang bets 2,250,000, and Oboodi calls.

The river card is the 3, and both players check. Oboodi says, "Jack," and shows AJ for two pair, jacks and nines. Hwang turns over AQ and tosses it into the muck. Bobby Oboodi takes the pot.

Jin Hwang  -  15,750,000
Bobby Oboodi  -  24,575,000

Hand #136: Jin Hwang

Level 38: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante

Bobby Oboodi limps for 500,000, and Jin Hwang checks. The flop comes K54, Hwang bets 550,000, and Oboodi calls.

The turn card is the 10, and both players check. The river card is the 9, Hwang bets 1,050,000, and Oboodi folds.

Jin Hwang  -  20,350,000
Bobby Oboodi  -  19,975,000

Level 38 Begins

Level 38: 250,000-500,000, 50,000 ante

The players return from break to begin Level 38, with increased blinds of 250,000-500,000 and a 50,000 ante.

Reminder:  In heads-up play, the button has the small blind and acts first before the flop.

10-Minute Break

Level 37: 200,000-400,000, 40,000 ante

Level 37 comes to an end, and the players take a 10-minute break. Here are the official chip counts from the table:

Jin Hwang  -  19,250,000  (38 BBs)
Bobby Oboodi  -  21,075,000  (42 BBs)

Hand #135: Jin Hwang

Level 37: 200,000-400,000, 40,000 ante

Jin Hwang limps for 400,000, and Bobby Oboodi calls. The flop comes Q96, Oboodi checks, Hwang bets 455,000, and Oboodi calls.

The turn card is the A, Oboodi checks, Hwang bets 760,000, and Oboodi calls.

The river card is the 6, and both players check. Hwang says, "I have a queen," and Oboodi says it's good. Jin Hwang shows Q3 to win the pot with two pair, queens and sixes, and Oboodi mucks.

Jin Hwang  -  19,300,000
Bobby Oboodi  -  21,015,000

Hand #134: Bobby Oboodi

Level 37: 200,000-400,000, 40,000 ante

Bobby Oboodi limps for 400,000, and Jin Hwang checks. The flop comes J95, Hwang checks, Oboodi min-bets 400,000, and Hwang folds. Oboodi takes the pot.

Jin Hwang  -  17,645,000
Bobby Oboodi  -  22,670,000

Hand #133: Bobby Oboodi

Level 37: 200,000-400,000, 40,000 ante

Jin Hwang min-raises to 800,000, Bobby Oboodi reraises to 2,400,000, and Hwang folds. Oboodi takes the pot.

Jin Hwang  -  18,085,000
Bobby Oboodi  -  22,230,000