Event 15
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.
2018 Borgata Summer Poker Open Championship
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
Entries: 627
Prize Pool: $1,520,475
July 22 – 26, 2018
Greg Nerenberg
The 2018 Borgata Summer Poker Open series ran for more than two weeks and it was headlined by the $1,000,000 Guarantee Championship. The $2,500+$200 buy-in tournament easily surpassed that guarantee and they ran it over $1.5 million by the time registration closed early on Day 2. After two starting flights and three long days at the tables, Greg Nerenberg defeated Kane Kalas at the final table to claim the title along with $365,062.
The 627 entries in the Championship topped the numbers from last July and the 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 along with our regular presence of talented locals.
The field made it into the money late on Day 2 and 50 players advanced to Day 3. That was when the long grind kicked in with the Championship scheduled to play down to the last six players.
It initially looked like Day 3 would move along faster than expected when they dropped from 50 players to the last two tables after a few hours. Those 18 players settled in for a long grind and they did not reach the live-stream final table six players until 15 hours after the start of the day. The extended stretch ended when Kalas eliminated Najib Bennani in seventh place to put the final table on an 11-hour break.
Sumeet Wayachal was the leader for much of late parts of Day 3 and returned to the live-streamed final table with the chip lead. He lost his lead and then his chance at the title in a big “queens versus kings” hand against Kalas. A few hands later, Kalas again picked up kings to send David Albis out in third place and Nerenberg was facing more than a two-to-one chip disadvantage at the start of heads-up play.
The heater ended there for Kalas as Nerenberg quickly doubled through and the match was over in Nerenberg’s favor soon after. Kalas earned $205,264 for his second place finish while Nerenberg earned $365,062 plus the Borgata Summer Poker Open trophy.
Congratulations to Greg and thank you to all of our players who made the Borgata Summer Poker Open Championship another great success.
Final table results:
1st: Greg Nerenberg – $365,062
2nd: Kane Kalas – $205,264
3rd: David Albis – $129,240
4th: Sumeet Wayachal – $104,913
5th: Jesse Mercado – $83,626
6th: Guo Chen – $69,182
Greg Nerenberg
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Greg Nerenberg
Kane Kalas needed to take a big shot to get back in the match for the title and put his 2,100,000 stack in the middle soon after doubling Greg Nerenberg.
Nerenberg called and he was ahead for the hand, pot, and trophy.
Nerenberg: 
Kalas: 
Kalas had two live, suited cards to double but missed the 
flop. He had a gutshot draw with his overcards but the 
turn and 
river could not save his title hunt.
Kalas earned $205,264 for his runner-up finish while Nerenberg will collect $365,062 along with the Borgata Summer Poker Open trophy.
Tournament recap to come shortly.
Kane Kalas
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 627
Players Remaining: 2
Greg Nerenberg
Despite the Kane Kalas heater, Greg Nerenberg began pulling closer at the start of heads-up play. Then a huge hand came along.
They saw a flop of 
and Nerenberg checked. Kalas bet 600,000, Nerenberg check-raised to 1,500,000 and Kalas called to the 
turn. Nerenberg continued for 2,275,000 and Kalas called against to see the 
river. Nerenberg moved all in for ~4,100,000 and Kalas called.
Nerenberg tabled 
and Kalas flipped up 
before sending over most of his stack.
Greg Nerenberg – 16,610,000 (133 bb)
Kane Kalas – 2,200,000 (18 bb)
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 627
Players Remaining: 2
Kane Kalas
The heads-up match is underway for the Borgata Summer Poker Open title with Kane Kalas holding better than a two-to-one chip advantage at the start. Blind levels drop down to 30 minutes for the duration.
Seat 3: Greg Nerenberg – 5,245,000 (42 bb)
Seat 6: Kane Kalas – 13,565,000 (109 bb)
Remaining payouts:
1st: $365,062
2nd: $205,264
Greg Nerenberg
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 627
Players Remaining: 2
David Albis
The Kane Kalas express continued shortly after Sumeet Wayachal was eliminated. David Albis opened to 325,000 and Kalas raised to 925,000. Albis shipped all in for 3,800,000 and Kalas quickly called.
Kalas: 
Albis: 
“I’m feeling it,” Albis told Kalas.
The 
flop missed Albis then he added a flush draw on the turn.
“Too many outs,” Albis continued.
The 
completed the river and Albis was eliminated in third place. Kalas is riding a heater and will enter heads-up play with a nice lead.
Kane Kalas – 13,565,000 (109 bb)
David Albis – Eliminated in 3rd place ($129,240)
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 627
Players Remaining: 3
Sumeet Wayachal
Kane Kalas limped his small blind and Sumeet Wayachal raised to 500,000 from the big. Kalas limp-raised to 1,275,000 and Wayachal put in another bet to 3,000,000. Kalas moved all in for ~4,300,000 and Wayachal called with a similar stack for the biggest pot of the tournament.
Kalas:
Wayachal: 
A cooler for our former chip leader and he couldn’t catch up as the board ran 
for the surprising elimination.
Kane Kalas – 8,965,000 (72 bb)
Sumeet Wayachal – Eliminated in 4th place ($104,913)
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 627
Players Remaining: 4
Greg Nerenberg
It folded to David Albis and he bet 325,000 from the small blind. Greg Nerenberg raised to 850,000 from the big and Albis called after a minute. The flop came and Albis checked. Nerenberg bet 500,000 and that was enough to take the big pot that was built before the flop.
Greg Nerenberg – 4,950,000 (40 bb)
David Albis – 4,125,000 (33 bb)
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
We are giving our readers a heads up, today’s updates from the Borgata Summer Poker Open will be near realtime while the live stream will be on a 30-minute delay. If you wish to avoid spoiler alerts, read at your own risk.
$2,500+$200 Championship NLH
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Live Stream | Payouts
Level 30: Blinds 75,000/125,000/125,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 627
Players Remaining: 4
Two levels are done for the day and the four remaining players are taking a short break as the 5K chips come out of action. Sumeet Wayachal is back in the lead but no one is under 30 big blinds so we should see a long grind over the next two levels.
Seat 1: Sumeet Wayachal – 5,465,000 (44 bb)
Seat 2: David Albis – 3,900,000 (31 bb)
Seat 3: Greg Nerenberg – 4,575,000 (37 bb)
Seat 6: Kane Kalas – 4,625,000 (37 bb)
Remaining payouts:
1st: $365,062
2nd: $205,264
3rd: $129,240
4th: $104,913