Event 16
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.
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 2
With the elimination of Stephen Eckelmann in third the final two players agreed to stop the clock and discuss a deal. It only took a few moments for them to strike a deal and shake hands.
Soheb Porbandarwala was holding a more than 2-1 chip lead with 4,180,000 to the 1,968,000 of Munro Secor. Porbandarwala will take first place for $11,605 along with his Borgata Poker Open title.
Secor will take home $9,630 for his runner up Event 16 finish.
Event 16 (left) Munro Secor (right) Soheb Porbandarwala
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 2
Stephen Eckelmann
A short stacked Stephen Eckelmann got his last 450,000 all in pre-flop holding 
against the 
of Munro Secor. Eckelmann failed to improve on the 
runout and is our 3rd place Event 16 finisher earning $4,534.
Munro Secor- 1,900,000
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 26: 25,000/50,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 3
Jean Brillant
Jean Brillant got his stack of 196,000 all in pre-flop holding 
against the 
of Soheb Porbandarwala. The board ran out 
and Porbandarwala improved to two pair to earn the knockout.
Brillant is our 4th place Event 16 finisher earning $3,675 for his efforts.
Soheb Porbandarwala- 4,200,000
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 4
Christian Fleagle
Three players saw a flop of 
and Jean Brillant checked. Christian Fleagle moved all in for 1,080,000 and Soheb Porbandarwala snap called. Brillant folded and Fleagle turned over 
for middle pair but needed to improve against the 
of Porbandarwala.
The turn was the 
and the 
completed the board. Porbandarwala’s top two pair was enough to earn him the knockout and Fleagle is our 5th place Event 16 finisher earning $2,863.
Soheb Porbandarwala- 3,200,000
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 5
Ben Heroux
Soheb Porbandarwala raised to 60,000 and Ben Heroux moved all in for 353,000. With the action on Christian Fleagle he re-shoved all in for over 2,000,000 and Porbandarwala called.
Soheb Porbandarwala:
Ben Heroux:
Christain Fleagle:
The board ran out 
and Porbandarwala flopped an ace to earn the pot and the knockout. Heroux is our 6th place Event 16 taking home $2,386 for his efforts.
Soheb Porbandarwala- 1,700,000
Christian Fleagle- 1,400,000
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 24: 15,000/30,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 6
Christian Fleagle
With the BSPO Championship wrapping up in the Poker Room we head over to the Signature Room to pick up the Event 14 action. There are just 6 players remaining and it’s Christian Fleagle leading the way with 2,060,000.
Below is a look at the updated chip counts as well as what’s on the line.
Seat 1. Stephen Eckelmann- 965,000
Seat 2. Christian Fleagle- 2,060,000
Seat 3. Monro Secor- 680,000
Seat 4. Soheb Porbandarwala- 650,000
Seat 5. Jean Brillant- 1,600,000
Seat 6. Ben Heroux- 405,000
Payouts
1st: $13,361
2nd: $7,874
3rd: $4,534
4th: $3,675
5th: $2,863
6th: $2,386
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 26
Rick and Ruth Ruffman
It took a little bit to get there but eight hands after they hit the money bubble, we had two big hands.
On Table 3, Nicholas Devenezia was all in from the button for 135,000 and Monro Secor had him at risk. They had to sit back and wait for the other tables to finish before they could run out their hands.
On Table 2, Charles Briggs limped from early position and Ruth Ruffman raised to 36,000. Briggs called and both checked the 
flop and Briggs moved all in for 52,500 after the 
turn. Ruffman called and we had two at risk at the same time.
Briggs was ahead pre-flop with 
but his top-top was behind Ruffman’s flopped aces up. The 
river was paint but not enough to beat Ruffman’s aces and sixes.
Devenezia was racing with against Secor’s and never caught as the board ran 
to send him out.
Since both players were knocked out at different tables, they chopped up the $430 min-cash for a 27th place tie.
On a Borgata historical note, Howard Wolper extended his Borgata tournament cash to 113 trips to the payout desk with a slide into the money.
Howard Wolper
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 18: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 28
With 28 players remaining and 27 getting paid, the Black Chip Bounty tournament is now in hand-for-hand mode until one more player is eliminated. Tournament staff will take two minutes off the clock for every hand played and they will play into the next break if it gets that far.
$200+$30+100 Black Chip Bounty NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 17: 3,000/6,000/500 ante
Total Entries: 246
Players Remaining: 31
Ruth Ruffman
The Black Chip Bounty tournament is nearing the money bubble with 31 players remaining and 27 getting paid. They are moving fast and hitting the rail.
Marguerite Spagnuolo and Ruth Ruffman are the last two women standing with the latter winning the household last longer bet with her husband Rick.
They will go into hand-for-hand mode when the field reaches 28 players remaining.
Marguerite Spagnuolo