Ladies Event
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.
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 20: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Total Entries: 54
Sarah Weyer, Ladies Event Champion
There was a special event on the 2018 Borgata Summer Poker Open schedule, kicking things off with a Ladies Go First tournament before the open events begin on Tuesday. The tournament was set up to be a fun day of poker and it was everything we expected. The tournament drew 54 entries and Sarah Weyer dominated most of the day to walk away with the title for $4,766,
Sunday afternoon saw some of our familiar female faces show up to the poker room to battle against each other. There were a lot of good times early but everyone settled in for the grind once registration closed. They created a prize pool worth $13,619 and the last nine spots were paid.
Some of those in the crowd we are used to seeing included Nancy Martin, Alyson Parker, Marguerite Spagnuolo, Angie Gambone, Pat Knoll, Karen Donnelly, and perennial Ladies Event final table member Dawn Wilno. She made this final table to add to her dozen other appearance but fell short of the title.
Sarah Weyer was the chip leader throughout the day and was the top stack at each break except for one. Borgata regular Stephanie Hubbard held the lead when they made down to the money but Weyer quickly took it back. She ran over her opponents with big hands and fortunate runouts. Weyer began heads-up play against Atlantic City poker author Sheree Bykofsky with 1,000,000 of the 1,080,000 chips in play. The battle did not last long and soon Weyer owned her second career Borgata Ladies Event title.
Congratulations to Sarah on her well-earned victory and a huge thank you to all the players who came out to support the event.
Ladies Go First results:
1st: Sarah Weyer – $4,766 + Borgata Trophy
2nd: Sheree Bykofsky – $2,588
3rd: Lori Moniz – $1,634
4th: Karen Donnelly – $1,226
5th: Dawn Wilno – $953
6th: Stephanie Hubbard – $817
7th: Alida Veliu – $681
8th: Kate Faaland – $545
9th: Lorraine Marke – $409
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 20: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Sarah Weyer
Holding such a massive lead, Sheree Bykofsky needed to make something happen if she was going to pull off the miracle. She waited for a couple hands and then took her shot.
Weyer: 
Bykofsky: 
This time it was Weyer holding the dominant hand and Bykofsky hit the 
flop to take the lead. Weyer was open-ended and she got there right on the 
turn to leave Bykofsky drawing dead to second place.
It was a near wire-to-wire tournament run for Weyer as she captured her second career Borgata Ladies Event title and fourth Ladies Event win overall.
We will have a tournament recap posted later this evening.
Ladies Go First results:
1st: Sarah Weyer – $4,766 + Borgata Trophy
2nd: Sheree Bykofsky – $2,588
3rd: Lori Moniz – $1,634
4th: Karen Donnelly – $1,226
5th: Dawn Wilno – $953
6th: Stephanie Hubbard – $817
7th: Alida Veliu – $681
8th: Kate Faaland – $545
9th: Lorraine Marke – $409
Sheree Bykofsky
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 20: 6,000/12,000/2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 54
Lori Moniz
Sarah Weyer continued to push the pace with the two short stacks trying to find a spot. Weyer made another move with a shove from the button and Lori Moniz called from the small blind.
Weyer: 
Moniz: 
Weyer was dominated but that didn’t matter much on her current heater. She picked up a gutshot draw on the 
flop but missed the 
turn. The 
river was a little stunning and they both looked at the board for a second before they realized Weyer hit another big hand. Moniz went out in third place and the heads-up battle began with Weyer holding 990,000 of the 1,080,000 chip in play.
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 3 of 54
Karen Donnelly
Karen Donnelly open-shoved from under the gun and it folded to Lori Moniz in the big blind. She called with a similar stack and the hands were tabled.
Donnelly: 
Moniz: 
Donnelly was dominated but suited but that did not help as the board came 
to give Moniz the win. The dealer counted down the stacks and both players had exactly 60,000 which sent Donnelly out, another elimination at the final table but this time not by someone named Sarah Weyer.
Lori Moniz – 124,000 (12 bb)
Karen Donnelly – Eliminated in 4th place ($1,226)
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 4 of 54
Dawn Wilno
With one massive stack and four short ones, it was only a matter of time before the shoving started.
“I’m shipping the sherbert!” Dawn Wilno said from the button after a Sarah Weyer open to 20,000.
Weyer called with a chance to add chips and send a dangerous player out.
Weyer: 
Wilno:
Wilno had two live cards but could not catch as the dealer spread the 
board to exit in fifth place. This was somewhere in the neighborhood of her 12th Ladies Event final table.
Sarah Weyer – 695,000 (70 bb)
Dawn Wilno – Eliminated in 5th place ($953)
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 19: 5,000/10,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 54
At the end of Level 18, the five remaining players took a short break as tournament staff pulled the 500 denom chips off the table. Sarah Weyer has the runaway chip lead with 627,000 of the 1,080,000 chips in play.
Seat 3: Dawn Wilno – 59,000 (6 bb)
Seat 5: Karen Donnelly – 159,000 (16 bb)
Seat 6: Sheree Bykofsky – 154,000 (15 bb)
Seat 8: Sarah Weyer – 627,000 (63 bb)
Seat 9: Lori Moniz – 81,000 (8 bb)
Remaining payouts:
1st: $4,766
2nd: $2,588
3rd: $1,634
4th: $1,226
5th: $953
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 18: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 5 of 54
Stephanie Hubbard
The post-break chip lead went away for Stephanie Hubbard when they returned and the pendulum never swung back in her direction. She sent another double up to Lori Moniz and was left with only 49,000 with 8,000 sitting in her big blind. Sarah Weyer opened to 16,000 from under the gun, Hubbard put them in the middle, and Weyer called.
Weyer:
Hubbard:
Hubbard was ahead but her bad luck streak closed out when Weyer came from behind on the 
flop. The dealer finished putting out the 
turn and river to send Hubbard out in sixth place.
Sarah Weyer – 600,000 (75 bb)
Stephanie Hubbard – Eliminated in 6th place ($817)
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 18: 4,000/8,000/1,000 ante
Players Remaining: 6 of 54
Alida Veliu
Stephanie Hubbard opened to 18,000 from early position and Sarah Weyer called next to act followed by Alida Veliu on the button. The flop came 
and Hubbard checked. Weyer bet 30,000 and only Veliu came along to the 
turn. After peeping at Veliu’s stack, Weyer put in enough chips to cover the 117,000 Veliu had behind.
“Show if I fold?” Veliu asked.
“Only if you show,” Weyer responded.
That seemed to make the decision for Veliu and she called at risk.
“Good call,” Weyer said.
Veliu:
Weyer: 
Veliu was ahead but needed to dodge some clubs or trip nines but the filled the flush. The hand sent Veliu out in seventh place while Weyer moved further into the lead.
Sarah Weyer – 490,000 (61 bb)
Alida Veliu – Eliminated in 7th place ($681)
$260+$40 Ladies Go First
Structure Sheet
Level 17: 3,000/6,000/500 ante
Players Remaining: 7 of 54
Kate Faaland
Sarah Weyer opened the action preflop and Kate Faaland defended her big blind to see the flop. She moved all in, Weyer asked for the count and called upon hearing 55,000.
Weyer:
Faaland:
Faaland was ahead with second pair and needed to fade Weyer’s open-ended straight draw with two overs. Weyer made her straight on the turn and picked up the other end on the overkill 
river to send Faaland out in eighth place.
Sarah Weyer – 360,000 (60 bb)
Kate Faaland – Eliminated in 8th place ($545)