Event 13
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 2017 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.
$350+$50 Saturday Series DeepStack NLH Re-Entry
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 27: Blinds 30,000/60,000/6,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 10
With the blinds increasing and the stacks getting shallow the final 10 Event 13 Saturday Series players began to discuss a deal. The clock was stopped and the stacks were counted down and it didn’t take long for an adjusted payout agreement to be reached.
Charles Johnson who held the chip lead at the time of the deal will take first for $19,949 and he now has a Borgata Poker title to go along with his WSOP circuit ring.
Paul Lambrakis had nearly an identical stack and will earn $19,241 for his runner up finish after battling back from being severely short stacked. Rocco Coluccio also managed to battle back from a short stack and will earn $5,954 for his 10th place finish.
Below is a look at the chip stacks at the time of the deal and the adjusted payouts for the final ten players.
1. Charles Johnson- 2,750,000 ($19,949+BSPO Trophy)
2. Paul Lambrakis- 2,550,000 ($19,241)
3. Sean Byars- 1,500,000 ($14,788)
4. Payman Azizoghli- 1,305,000 ($13,768)
5. In Joo- 1,005,000 ($12,012)
6. Jane Mignanelli- 640,000 ($9,412)
7. Doug Birkmire- 485,000 ($8,063)
8. Louis Pelletteri- 420,000 ($7,432)
9. Tim Mickowski- 405,000 ($7,280)
10. Rocco Coluccio- 285,000 ($5,954)
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 18
Paul Lambrakis
Paul Lambrakis was left with just five big blinds after doubling Rocco Coluccio just after the dinner break. The seasoned pro kept his cool and maintained his composure and has battled back.
The once crippled Lambrakis is now one of the biggest stacks in the field with over 700,000 and just 18 Event 13 players remaining.
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 24: Blinds 15,000/30,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 20
Doug Birkmire
Just 20 players remain in the Saturday Series NLH in the Signature Room. Doug Berkmire is the first players to cross the million chip mark and he is leading the way with 1,350,000. The field is thinning fast and Berkmire is closing in on his first Borgata Poker final table.
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 20: Blinds 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 41
Eric Siegel
Eric Siegel fell just short of making last night’s Almighty Stack NLH final table. He took home nearly $4,000 for his 16th place finish and was right back on the felt here in Event 13.
Siegel is once again in the money and sitting behind a very healthy stack of more than 400,000 with just 41 players left in the hunt.
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 19: Blinds 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 45
Charles Johnson
A player moved all in from early position for his last 25,000. The player on the button called and Charles Johnson called from the big blind. They saw a flop of 
and Johnson led out with a bet of 35,000.
The button called and both players checked the 
turn card. The 
completed the board and again both players checked. Johnson turned over 
and the all in player showed 
.
Johnson’s pair of tens was enough to earn him the knockout and the final 45 players are now all in the money and guaranteed at least $766 for their efforts.
Charles Johnson- 760,000
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 19: Blinds 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 49
Charles Johnson
Jane Mignanelli continues to hold strong at the top of the chip counts with 700,000 but Charles Johnson is right on her heels. Johnson chipped up quickly in the last level and he is now sitting behind a mountain of 654,000.
The Atlanta native is certainly no stranger to tournament success. Johnson took home his first WSOP Circuit ring in December after winning the WSOPC $1,675 Harrah’s Cherokee NLH Main Event.
He earned his first WSOP Circuit ring along with $272,744 and is looking to earn his first Borgata Poker Open title here tonight in Event 13.
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
End of Level 18: Blinds 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 49
The Event 13 Saturday Series players are now on a 15-minute color up break. We are just four eliminations away from the money with 49 players remaining. The final 45 will all make the cash and be guaranteed at least $766 for their efforts.
We will be picking right back up on the live action when play resumes and the Event 13 money bubble will be bursting shortly.
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Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 17: Blinds 3,000/6,000/500 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 64
Rocco Coluccio
Paul Lambrakis raised to 14,000 from under the gun and it folded to Rocco Coluccio on the button. Coluccio re-raised to 36,000 and with the action back on Lambrakis he made it 75,000. Coluccio moved all in for 136,500 and Lambrakis quickly called.
Rocco Coluccio: 
Paul Lambrakis: 
Coluccio paired his king to take control of the hand on the 
flop. The turn was the and Coluccio improved to top two pair when the 
hit the river.
Coluccio doubled up and Lambrakis is left severely short stacked
Rocco Coluccio- 286,500
Paul Lambrakis- 30,000
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Structure Sheet
Level 17: Blinds 3,000/6,000/500 ante
Total Entries: 451
Players Remaining: 80
Jane Mignanelli
Jane Mignanelli and her opponent were heads up on the 
flop. The player checked and Mignanelli threw out a bet of 15,000. Her opponent called and both players checked the turn card.
The river was the 
and the player again checked to Mignalli who checked behind turning over 
for top pair. Her opponent fired his hand face down into the muck and Mignalli added another pot to her monster stack.
Jane Mignanelli- 575,000