Event 19
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+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 27: Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 6
With the elimination of PokerMantis in 7th place the final six players agreed to discuss an adjusted payout deal. It didn’t take long for them to come an agreement. Tony Potis who held the chip lead for much of the night takes first place for $7,079 along with his first Borgata Summer Poker Open trophy.
(L to R) James Moore, Matt Rosenbaum, Tony Potis, Wooyang Lin, Tom Langer, Tom Hillemeier
Two time WSOP bracelet winner James Moore also put on a strong Event 19 showing. Moore was second in chips and will be earning $4,797.
Below is a look at the chip stacks at the time of the agreement and the adjusted tournament payouts.
1. Tony Potis- 2,580,000 ($7,079)
2. James Moore- 1,090,000 ($4,797)
3. Tom Heillemeier- 1,060,000 ($4,737)
4. Wooyang Lin- 825,000 ($4,233)
5. Tom Langer- 730,000 ($4,011)
6. Matt Rosenbaum- 590,000 ($3,662)
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 27: Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 6
PokerMantis
“PokerMantis” is a familiar face here at the Borgata but he prefers to be referred to as his online moniker. He started the final table as the short stacks and in his words he went “completely card dead.”
He was left with less than one big blind holding 
and could not improve against the 
of James Moore.
PokerMantis is our 7th place Event 19 finisher earning $1,521 for his efforts.
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 27: Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 7
Neil Ezra and Tony Potis were heads up on the river on the 
board. There was over 1,000,000 and Pontis moved all in. Ezra thought it over for a bit and called for his last 550,000.
Potis showed 
for trip tens and Ezra flashed 
before fire it into the muck. Ezra is our 8th place finisher earning $1,141 and Pontis extends his chip lead.
Tony Pontis- 2,400,000
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 27: Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 8
Frank Hahn
A short stacked Frank Hahn got the last of his chips all in pre-flop holding 
. Tony Potis called with 
and the dealer fanned the 
flop.
Potis flopped the nut straight and the 
and 
completed the board. Hahn is our 9th place Event 19 finisher and will take home $856 for his efforts.
Tony Potis- 1,850,000
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
End of Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 9
The Event 19 players are now on a 15-minute color up break. We will pick right back up on the action when play resumes.
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
End of Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 9
Ed C.
Ed C. moved all in for 383,000 over the late position raise of Tom Langer. It folded back to Langer who called turning over 
and Ed C. showed 
.
The board ran out 
and Langer’s pocket queens held up to earn him the knockout. Ed C. is our 10th place Event 19 finisher earning $760 for his efforts.
Tom Langer- 1,000,000
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 10
Tony Potis
The Event 19 final table is now set and it’s Tony Potis leading the way with 965,000. Two time WSOP bracelet winner James Moore is right on his heels with 950,000.
James Moore
The players will battle it out into the early morning hours here in the Signature Room and one lucky winner will take home $11,218 and the Borgata Summer Poker Open trophy.
Below is a full list of updated chip counts and final table seating assignments as well as what’s at stake.
Seat 1. Tony Potis- 965,000
Seat 2. Frank Hahn- 605,000
Seat 3. Neil Ezra- 900,000
Seat 4. Tom Langer- 580,000
Seat 5. “PokerMantis”- 142,000
Seat 6. Ed C- 440,000
Seat 7. Matt Rosenbaum- 820,000
Seat 8. James Moore- 950,000
Seat 9. Tom Hillemeier- 750,000
Seat 10. Wooyang Lin- 685,000
| Place | Payout |
| 1 | $11,218 |
| 2 | $6,274 |
| 3 | $3,802 |
| 4 | $3,042 |
| 5 | $2,281 |
| 6 | $1,901 |
| 7 | $1,521 |
| 8 | $1,141 |
| 9 | $856 |
| 10 – 12 | $760 |
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 24: Blinds 15,000/30,000/4,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 12
Tony Potis
We are now just two eliminations away from the Event 19 final table. Tony Potis has been mixing it up in plenty of pots and it’s paying off. Potis continues to add to his stack and he has moved into the chip lead with 1,100,000.
Potis has plenty of tournament experience and he is fresh off a 6th place finish in the WSOP $250 NLH Rio Daily Deepstacks event in which he took home over $6,000.
$200+$00 Deeper Stack NLH
$25,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 23: Blinds 12,000/24,000/3,000 ante
Total Entries: 196
Players Remaining: 14
James Moore
James Moore moved all in for 244,000 and a player in late position re-shoved all in for about 500,000. The rest of the table quickly folded and the hands were shown.
James Moore:
Opponent:
The board ran out 
and Moore made a flush holding the six of clubs and the two time WSOP bracelet winner doubled up to over half a million.
James Moore- 548,000