Blake Vodges Caps off Borgata Winter Poker Open with Main Event Win
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The 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open concluded this month at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, bringing another busy winter festival to a close. Running from January 2-18, the series featured 37 scheduled events and several $8 million dollars in total guarantees.
The schedule was headlined by the $3,500 Winter Poker Open Championship, along with major tournaments such as the Almighty Winter Kickoff and a full slate of Deepstack and specialty events. Across two weeks of play, the series drew thousands of entries and produced a number of notable winners.
Blake Vogdes Wins the Main Event
The festival’s centerpiece, the $3,500 Winter Poker Open Championship, attracted 895 entries, surpassing the $3 million guarantee on the event. creating one of the largest prize pools of the series. After several days of play, Blake Vogdes emerged as the champion, taking home the top payday of $457,980.
Vogdes entered the final table among the shorter stacks, and was the shortest stack with just five players remaining. But he worked his way back into contention as play progressed. He then reached heads-up play against Jack Kwon, and the two agreed to a deal before continuing for the title. Vogdes went on to win in heads-up play and secure the championship, earning the top prize and his largest live tournament score to date.
$3,500 Winter Poker Open Championship Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blake Vogdes | $457,980 |
| 2 | Jack Kwon | $407,110 |
| 3 | Zachary Fischer | $243,245 |
| 4 | Duane Mitchell | $159,570 |
| 5 | Benjamin Morgan | $109,925 |
| 6 | Olivier Busquet | $85,300 |
| 7 | Kyle Grupp | $67,655 |
| 8 | Greg Himmelbrand | $54,995 |
| 9 | Thomas Cannuli | $42,970 |
Deepstack Main Event: Hotwani Takes Down Second-Largest Field
The $600 Deepstack Main Event, the festival’s second-largest field drew a massive 4,280 entries and offered one of the biggest prize pools outside the Main Event. Akash Hotwani navigated the field to claim the title and his first career BetMGM trophy, earning $323,775 in prize money.
Hotwani, who had faced early setbacks in other events during the festival, credited a pep talk from his wife with helping him refocus and stay motivated. The advice clearly paid off, as he methodically worked through a massive field to score his biggest career cash.
Almighty Stack: Michael Renna Tops Massive Field
Another highlight of the Borgata Winter Poker Open was the $400 Almighty Stack, one of the largest and most accessible events on the schedule. The tournament drew 4,082 entries, generating a $1,306,240 prize pool and running across multiple starting flights before the fields combined.
When the dust settled, Michael Renna claimed the title, earning $190,740 for first place — the biggest cash of his career. Renna finished ahead of runners‑up Thomas Cullis ($129,145) and Jonathan Kim ($87,900).
Side Event Roundup
Aubrey Williams captured Event #4: BetMGM Hybrid Championship, earning $52,540 for first place. The win marked her first career BetMGM/Borgata trophy and her largest career cash to date.
Other notable winners included Michael McGuinness, who took down Event #5: $380 Seniors Championship for $19,970; Christopher Basile, victorious inEvent #10: $550 Super Deep 6-Max for $56,900; Ronald Cleaver, winner of Event #20: $450 Saturday Series for $30,675; and Lee Llagan, who claimed the $380 Ladies Championship.
Borgata Winter Poker Open Winners
