The Borgata Summer Poker Open schedule continues this afternoon with $260 Ladies Championship, which gets underway at 4:15 p.m.
The tournament carries a $15,000 guarantee and offers players 30,000 starting chips. Registration remains open through the start of Level 9, giving players plenty of time to join the action, while the top 12.5% of the field will earn a share of the prize pool.
The event features 30-minutes levels and will play down to a champion.
The $500 Almighty Stack is one of the marquee events of the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open powered by BetMGM Poker, and players turned out in force for the opening two starting flights on Thursday, July 23.
Across Day 1a and Day 1b, the tournament attracted 595 entries, with 75 players advancing to Day 2 after surviving to the money.
Leading the way after the first two flights is Michael Mann, who topped the Day 1b field with 2,940,000 chips, nearly 30 times the starting stack. Simon Lau is the only other player to eclipse the two-million mark after finishing atop the Day 1a counts with 2,122,000.
Mixed game players will be in their element in 15 minutes, when the $500 Stud Hi-Lo gets underway inside the Borgata.
The one-day tournament features a $15,000 guaranteed prize pool and starts players with 30,000 chips. Late registration and unlimited re-entry remain open through the start of Level 9, with approximately 12.5% of the field making the money.
Players will battle through 30-minute levels, with a redraw at the final table before a champion is crowned later this evening.
The third starting flight of the $500 Borgata Almighty Stack is well underway, with 203 entries on the board as play continues through Level 3.
Players are battling at 300/600/600 blinds, with 56 minutes remaining until the first break. Registration remains open for until Level 13, and if yesterday is anything to go by, the numbers are expected to climb significantly throughout the afternoon.
Yesterday's opening flights produced strong turnouts, and Day 1c is on course to add another healthy chunk of the field as players chase a place in Sunday's Day 2 of the $750,000 guaranteed event.
While the spotlight was firmly on the $650 Super Deep 6-Max as it played down to its final table, three more side events wrapped up at the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open, with Erik Escobar, Anton Grinkevich, and Umberto Salvati all punched their tickets to the winner's circle.
Escobar took down the $1,100 Mad Max, overcoming a 35-entry field to earn the top prize of $13,110, while Grinkevich came out on top in the $500 O.E. after a seven-way deal. The night's $250 Monster Stack Super Turbo also ended in a six-way chop, with Salvati officially taking the win.
Five Figure Prize for Escobar in $1,100 Mad Max
The $1,100 Mad Max attracted 35 entries, creating a $35,000 prize pool with the top six places paid.
Escobar earned the title and $13,110 after defeating Haocheng Zhan heads-up, while Edward Leonard rounded out the podium.
Place
Player
Prize
1
Erik Escobar
$13,110
2
Haocheng Zhan
$8,050
3
Edward Leonard
$5,250
4
James Hundt
$3,640
5
Austen Yueh
$2,695
6
Jamey Rimshnick
$2,255
Kessler Among O.E Deal Makers
Allen Kessler
A field of 62 entries generated a $26,350 prize pool in the mixed-game event. The tournament concluded with a seven-way deal, leaving Grinkevich to collect the trophy and the largest payout of $5,040. Allen Kessler was among the deal-makers, and pocketed $3,395 for coming fourth.
Ronald Winkelvoss was the only player to receive the scheduled payout after the deal, finishing eighth for $1,145.
Place
Player
Prize
1
Anton Grinkevich
$5,040*
2
Michael Palermo
$3,745*
3
John Comeau
$3,540*
4
Allen Kessler
$3,395*
5
Robert Amereno
$3,170*
6
Alan Stuart
$3,170*
7
Ronald Fast
$3,145*
8
Ronald Winkelvoss
$1,145
*Denotes a deal.
Six-Way Chop Ends $250 Monster Stack Super Turbo
Umberto Salvati
The late-night turbo drew 42 entries and built an $8,400 prize pool. A six-way agreement brought the tournament to a close, with Salvati credited with the victory and the largest payout of $1,740.
The final six return today for the $650 Super Deep 6-Max at the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open, with $41,150 and the title still up for grabs.
Giorgi Arveladze resumes play as the chip leader after bagging 4,495,000 (56 big blinds) at the end of Day 2. The Georgian spent much of the day near the top of the counts before pulling away on the final table to build a comfortable lead heading into the finale.
His closest challengers are Yuriy Kudrynskyy (2,810,000) and Ryan Syrko (2,610,000). Syrko vaulted into contention late on Day 2 after his ace-king improved against two players holding pocket queens in a huge three-way all-in.
The remaining finalists are all well within striking distance. Li Liang returns with 2,330,000, while Bin Weng (1,930,000) and Frank Costigan (1,880,000) complete a remarkably even final table, with every player starting the day holding at least 24 big blinds.
Cards are in the air at 12 p.m., with the BetMGM livestream beginning at 1 p.m. PokerNews will be providing live updates throughout the final table, with coverage following the livestream to avoid spoilers for viewers watching the broadcast.
The Borgata Summer Poker Open rolls on with another packed Friday schedule, headlined by the conclusion of the $650 Super Deep 6-Max and two more flights of the $500 Borgata Almighty Stack.
The Super Deep 6-Max returns at 12 p.m. with the final six players battling for the title. Giorgi Arveladze leads the way after eliminating Christopher Ackerman to set the official final table, with the winner taking home the trophy and the $41,150 top prize. The action will also be livestreamed on the BetMGM YouTube channel from 1 p.m.
Meanwhile, players have two more opportunities to build a stack in the $500 Borgata Almighty Stack, with Day 1C at 11:15 a.m. followed by Day 1D at 5:15 p.m. The tournament carries a $750,000 guaranteed prize pool and has already attracted two big fields through its opening flights.
A certain crowd will have their eyes on the $500 Stud Hi-Lo, which gets underway at 1:15 p.m. with a $15,000 guarantee, while the $260 Ladies Championship kicks off at 4:15 p.m., also guaranteeing $15,000.
The day's schedule wraps up with the ever-popular $250 Friday Night Super Deep Frenzy at 7:15 p.m.
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