2018
The 2018 Summer Poker Open wrapped up in the early hours of Saturday morning when Carlos Alvarado won the final event at about 6:30am, taking home more than $21,000. That’s after earning an even $100,000* for his runner-up finish in the $500,000 Guaranteed Almighty Stack. Alvarado was not the only player having a good summer.
2018 Summer Poker Open Championship winner Greg Nerenberg
Greg Nerenberg won the record-setting $1 Million Guaranteed Summer Poker Open Championship event and $365,062. The 627 entries in the Championship topped the numbers from last July and the final 63 players earned a piece of the $1,520,475 prize pool. The tournament drew some top poker pros including Brian Altman, Andy Frankenberg, David Paredes, Joe McKeehen, and four-time WPT champ Darren Elias.
Nerenberg was facing more than a two-to-one chip disadvantage at the start of heads-up play against Kane Kalas, who had been on a heater since the start of the final table. One double-up, however, reversed their positions and the match was over soon after. Kalas earned $205,264 for his second place finish. In an impressive performance, 2017 Borgata Poker Open Championship winner Guo Liang Chen made a repeat appearance at the Championship final table, finishing 6th for $69,182.
Gary Tavella – 1st Place – 2018 Borgata Summer Poker Open $1M GTD Kick-Off
The $1 Million Guaranteed Kick-Off event saw 2,201 runners build a prize pool in excess of $1.1 million and the final three players made a deal that resulted in chip leader Gary Tavella taking 1st place and $143,730*. This was the first Borgata title for the high-stakes cash game player.
The first Saturday Series event was also the Cabot Creamery “Put a Bad Beat On Hunger” charity tournament. They drew 349 total entries and raised $3,490 for the New Jersey Food Bank – Southern Branch. Larry Connor got 1st place, $18,468* and the Borgata Open trophy. Cabot Creamery provided two $3,500 2018 BPO Championship seats for the 1st and 2nd place finishers, so Connor and runner-up Carlos Figueroa will both be free-rolling the Championship in September.
1st Place, 15th Birthday Tournament of Championship – Chalie Hook
To celebrate their 15th Birthday, Borgata hosted a Tournament of Champions which was an invitation-only event open to winners of all 15 years of Championship events. The winner-take-all $25,000 championship was won by 2013 Summer Poker Open Champion Chalie Hook, who agreed to split the prize with the final three players. The final six also got seats in the Summer Open Championship event.
Two other accomplishments of note occurred during this series. Barry Leventhal won the Seniors event for the third time and claimed his seventh Borgata title. Michael Kemeter took 1st in the SixMax for the third time in four years. He’s made the final table of this event five of the last seven years.
All guarantees were covered and millions in prize money was paid out to hundreds of participants! A complete list of Main Event winners and their winnings is below.
* Indicates Adjusted Payout
This concludes our coverage of the 2018 Borgata Summer Poker Open! On behalf of the Borgata Poker family and our blog team, @Kaelaine, @AlCantHang, and @TKBluffs, Thank You! Make plans now to join us for the WPT/Borgata Poker Open, September 4th – 21st.
Carlos Alvarado took the Event 20 chip lead late in the night and stayed in cruise control for much of the final table. Alvarado found himself with more than a 2-1 chip lead when heads up play began with John Chang.
Chang quickly doubled up holding 
against the 
of Alvarado. He moved all in once again just a few hands later holding 
and Alvarado snap called turning over 
. It looked like the end of the road for Chang but the board ran out 
.
Chang improved to a straight to take the chip lead but Alvarado kept his composure. He battled back and in the last hand of heads up play Chang moved all in and Alvarado snap called holding the nut straight.
Alvarado had a Borgata Summer Poker Open to remember with a $100,000 score in the Almighty Stack and cashing five of the six events he played. He finished it off in impressive fashion winning the last BSPO trophy of the series adding his second Borgata Poker title to his impressive poker resume.
Alvarado takes home $21,402 and has now earned over $600,000 throughout his illustrious poker career.
This wraps up the Borgata Summer Poker Open blog coverage. Thank you to all the players, dealers and casino staff for making it a Summer to remember.
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 32: Blinds 100,000/200,000/30,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 1
John Chang
The players saw a flop of in a limped pot and both quickly checked. The turn was the and John Chang checked to Carlos Alvarado who bet 500,000.
The river was the 
and Chang moved all in for just over 3,000,000. Alvarado snap called turning over 
for the nut straight and Chang fired his hand face down into the muck.
Chang is our Event 20 runner up and will take home $12,362 for his efforts.
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 31: Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 2
D.B.
D.B. moved all in for about 3,600,000 holding 
but he was dominated by the 
of Carlos Alvarado. The board ran out clean for Alvarado 
and his nines held up.
D.B. is our 3rd place Event 20 finisher and will take home $7,543.
Carlos Alvarado- 13,600,000
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 31: Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 3
Richard Cohen moved all in for 1,775,000 and Carlos Alvarado called. D.B. called from the big blind and they checked down the 
runout.
Cohen showed 
for just high and Alvarado turned over 
for a pair of eights to score the knockout. Cohen is our 4th place finisher earning $6,076 for his efforts.
Carlos Alvarado- 12,500,000
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 4
Brian Adragna
Brian Adragna got his last 540,000 all in pre-flop holding 
against the 
of the big blind. The board ran out 
and the big blind paired his eight to score the knockout.
After winning his first Borgata Deepstacks title last month Adragna was eliminated in 5th place at his first Borgata Poker Open final table earning $4,777.
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 5
Marcell Mancarella
Carlos Alvarado and Marcello Mancarella got involved in a pre-flop raising war. The end result was Mancarella moving all in for 3,700,000 and Alvarado snap called turning over 
.
It was a cooler for Mancarella who showed and the board ran out . Alvarado’s kings held up and Mancarella was eliminated in 6th place earning $3,981.
Alvarado is now holding more than half the chips in play with 9,250,000 and just five players remaining.
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 29: Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 6
Joe Fortuna
Carlos Alvarado raised to 225,000 from early position and Joe Fortuna moved all in from the button for 1,370,000. The blinds quickly folded and Alvarado made the call.
Carlos Alvarado:
Joe Fortuna: 
The board ran out 
and Alvarado’s king queen high was enough to earn him the knockout. X is our 7th place Event 20 finisher taking home $3,185 for his efforts.
Carlos Alvarado- 6,500,000
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 29: Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 7
Frank Reina
D.B. raised to 225,000 from middle position and the button called. Frank Reina moved all in from the small blind for 600,000 and both players called. They saw a flop of 
and D.B. checked.
The button bet 425,000 and D.B. called. The turn was the 
and D.B. checked to the button who threw out a bet of 825,000. D.B. folded and the button showed for a flopped straight.
Reina was drawing dead holding and the meaningless hit the river. Reina is our 8th place Event 20 finisher earning $2,430 for his efforts.
$200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH Re-Entry
$50,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 29: Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000 ante
Entries: 432
Players Remaining: 8
Alix Antoine
Alix Antoine moved all in for about 700,000 all in on the flop. Carlos Alvarado called turning over and was dominating the 
of Antoine. The turn 
and river were no help to Antoine and he is our 9th place Event 20 finisher earning $1,676.
Carlos Alvarado- 4,750,000