Gabriel Berkland Takes Down 2019 BPO Event #8: $340 PLO for $7,741
The eighth tournament of the 2019 BPO saw a total of 76 entrants walk through the doors to take a shot at some four-card poker. After roughly ten hours of play, it was Gabriel Berkland emerging as the champion of Event #8: $340 PLO.
Berkland outlasted a tough final table to take down the first-place prize of $7,741 and a prestigious Borgata trophy. It marked the biggest cash on Berkland's resume as well as his first-ever tournament win.
The St. Louis, Missouri native started the final table third in chips and continued to climb throughout the next seven eliminations. Once heads-up play started it was a back-and-forth venture for both Berkland and Robert Levy.
Levy, unlike Berkland, started the final table with peanuts, having just seven big blinds. Levy took that 40,000 stack and spun it up almost instantly. Once Levy neared the top he never looked back until the final two started their battle. Levy drew first blood and took a commanding 2-to-1 chip lead in just a few hands. Berkland fought back and retook the lead shortly after, not knowing that he would soon be the last player standing.
During the last hand of the night, Levy opened from the button and Berkland defended his big blind. Berkland then check-raised all in on the flop and Levy obliged. Berkland tabled a straight draw and Levy top pair. The turn paired the board as Levy was still ahead but the river came down in favor of Berkland, completing his straight and Levy was eliminated in second for a respectable $4,202.
Finale Table Results
Event #2 Final Results
| Place | Player | Earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Berkland | $7,741 |
| 2 | Robert Levy | $4,202 |
| 3 | David Elyazyan | $2,654 |
| 4 | Hyndi Khomutetsky | $1,990 |
| 5 | Dan Sweeney | $1,548 |
| 6 | Peter Ippolito | $1,327 |
| 7 | David Prociak | $1,106 |
| 8 | Joe Rowe | $885 |
| 9 | Peter Walsworth | $664 |
That wraps it up for the PokerNews live coverage of Event #8: $340 PLO, tune in for the rest of the series as all of the action unfolds.