Daily Tournament Highlights | 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open

Jul 20, 2026

How to Qualify for the Borgata Summer Poker Open for Less

Calum Grant

Players heading to the Borgata Summer Poker Open powered by BetMGM Poker do not necessarily need to pay full price for their tournament seats.

A packed satellite schedule is running both online at BetMGM Poker and live inside the Borgata poker room, giving players plenty of chances to qualify for the festival's biggest events at a fraction of the regular buy-in.

Qualify Online at BetMGM Poker

BetMGM Poker is running online qualifiers throughout the festival, with buy-ins starting from just $10.

The cheapest option is the $10 Borgata Bounty Shootout qualifier on July 26, where players can win a $160 tournament seat along with $50 in cash.

There are also $50 qualifiers running until July 29 for the Deep Stack Kick Off, Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, Borgata Almighty Stack and Monster Mirror Mystery Bounty. Winners receive their seat plus an additional $50.

Players targeting the festival's biggest event can enter $250 Championship qualifiers through July 28. Packages include a $2,700 seat to the Summer Poker Open Championship and $500 in cash to help cover expenses.

Players should check the BetMGM Poker lobby for start times and any additional qualifiers added during the series.

Live Satellites at Borgata

There are also several live routes into the action at Borgata, including satellites that award seats across multiple events.

The $500 Borgata Big 4 satellite guarantees five packages, with each package including seats to Events 1, 11, 16 and 22.

The $220 Out the Gate satellite also guarantees five packages, this time awarding seats to Events 1, 11 and 16.

Players looking for more flexibility can enter the $560 $5K Your Way satellite, which awards $5,000 in tournament buy-ins at a one-in-ten ratio and comes with a $15,000 guarantee.

There are also two routes into the $2,700 Championship. The $320 MEGA Championship satellite guarantees 10 seats, while another $320 Championship satellite guarantees five.

See the Full Schedule Here

New to BetMGM Poker?

If you don't already have a BetMGM Poker account, there's an extra incentive to sign up before chasing a Borgata Summer Poker Open seat.

New players can receive a 100% deposit match up to $1,000, plus up to $75 in tournament tickets, giving them even more opportunities to qualify for the festival's biggest events.

Whether you're taking a shot in a $10 online satellite or trying to win your way into the $2,700 Championship, the welcome offer provides plenty of extra value before you even play your first hand.

Jul 20, 2026

Other Tournaments Around the Room

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Calum Grant

While Day 2 of the $600 Deep Stack Kick Off has most of the attention, there's still plenty happening elsewhere at the Borgata Summer Poker Open.

The $650 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship ($75,000 Guaranteed) has attracted 91 entries and is now in Level 9, with late registration still open. Players who miss out today will have another shot this evening, as Day 1b gets underway at 5:15 p.m.

Over in the mixed-game corner, the $500 H.O.S.E. ($15,000 Guaranteed) has drawn 45 entries and is playing through Level 6, with registration also remaining open.

The scheduled $450 True Triple Stack Turbo won't be running today. With the Deep Stack Kick Off, PLO Championship, H.O.S.E., and Seniors Championship all filling the tournament area, space is at a premium and the turbo has been shelved in favor of the larger events.

Jul 20, 2026

Seniors Championship Smashes Guarantee at Borgata Summer Poker Open

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Calum Grant

Another big field has turned out at the Borgata Summer Poker Open powered by BetMGM Poker, with the $365 Seniors Championship attracting 365 entries to comfortably eclipse its $50,000 guarantee.

The turnout created a $113,150 prize pool, with 47 players set to cash. A min-cash is worth $825, while the eventual champion will walk away with $21,535.

Play is still in the early stages, with 171 players remaining as the tournament moves through Level 10. The average stack has climbed to around 64,000 chips as players continue their push toward the money and title.

Seniors Championship Payouts

Place	Prize
1	$21,535
2	$14,985
3	$10,300
4	$6,870
5	$4,950
6	$3,975
7	$3,235
8	$2,670
9	$2,210
10-11	$1,800
12-15	$1,505
16-23	$1,275
24-31	$1,075
32-39	$925
40-47	$825

The Seniors Championship is one of several events running alongside the $600 Deep Stack Kick Off, which is playing to a winner today as PokerNews provides live coverage from the tournament floor.

Jul 20, 2026

Borgata Summer Poker Open Winners So Far

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Calum Grant

Tournament	Entries	Prize Pool	Winner	Prize	Guarantee
$250 Monster Stack Turbo Nightly	37	$7,400	Alex Ortiz Vazquez	$3,035	—
$650 The "One Shot" Freezeout	52	$29,900	Corrie Samuels	$9,000	$25,000
$250 Friday Night Super Deep Frenzy	52	$10,400	Anonymous	$3,690	—
$250 Double Board Bomb Pot PLO	81	$16,200	Gordon Ernst	$4,840	$10,000
$350 Borgata Sunday Series	522	$151,380	James Eddy	$20,000	$100,000
$500 Pot-Limit Big O	84	$35,700	Danny Chang	$10,660	$15,000
$250 Sunday Night Turbo	37	$7,400	David Piede	$3,035	$5,000

Jul 20, 2026

Gordon Ernst Wins Double Board Bomb Pot PLO

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Calum Grant

The $250 Double Board Bomb Pot PLO drew 81 entries, generating a $16,200 prize pool on Friday at the Borgata Summer Poker Open.

When the dust settled, Gordon Ernst came out on top, banking $4,840 for the victory. An anonymous player finished runner-up for $3,015, while Amir Zaken rounded out the podium with $1,960.

The event paid the top 11 finishers, with Christopher Fleming, Anthony Calabrese, Jeffrey Loo, Darren Chervitz, Matthew Faust, Eugene Zaslavsky, Benjamin Weisiger, and Joseph Strippoli all making the money.

Tournament Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Gordon Ernst	$4,840
2	Anonymous	$3,015
3	Amir Zaken	$1,960
4	Christopher Fleming	$1,405
5	Anthony Calabrese	$1,080
6	Jeffrey Loo	$870
7	Darren Chervitz	$725
8	Matthew Faust	$640
9	Eugene Zaslavsky	$585
10	Benjamin Weisiger	$540
11	Joseph Strippoli	$540

Tags: Amir Zaken Anthony Calabrese Benjamin Weisiger Christopher Fleming Darren Chervitz Eugene Zaslavsky Gordon Ernst Jeffrey Loo Joseph Strippoli Matthew Faust

Jul 20, 2026

Danny Chang Takes Down Pot-Limit Big O

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Calum Grant

The $500 Pot-Limit Big O brought together 84 entries on Sunday, with plenty of five-card chaos and a $35,700 prize pool up for grabs.

After outlasting the field, Danny Chang walked away with the title and the $10,660 first-place prize. Michael Brottman came up one spot short but still earned $6,650, while Ethan Bennett collected $4,320 for his third-place finish.

The event paid the top 11 finishers, with John Botticello, Dongwuk Moon, Brian Siskin, Ryan McDonald, Bruce Frank, John O'Sullivan, Jerick Rickert, and Edward Chiaramonte all picking up a payday.

Tournament Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	Danny Chang	$10,660
2	Michael Brottman	$6,650
3	Ethan Bennett	$4,320
4	John Botticello	$3,095
5	Dongwuk Moon	$2,380
6	Brian Siskin	$1,920
7	Ryan McDonald	$1,600
8	Bruce Frank	$1,400
9	John O'Sullivan	$1,295
10	Jerick Rickert	$1,190
11	Edward Chiaramonte	$1,190

Tags: Brian Siskin Bruce Frank Danny Chang Dongwuk Moon Edward Chiaramonte Ethan Bennett Jerick Rickert John Botticello John O'Sullivan Michael Brottman Ryan McDonald

Jul 20, 2026

And It's Live!

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Liam Black

https://twitter.com/PokerNews/status/2079245402709090692?s=20

Jul 20, 2026

James Eddy Tops 522-Entry Borgata Sunday Series

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Calum Grant

The $350 Borgata Sunday Series attracted a healthy 522-entry field, creating a $151,380 prize pool and one of the biggest side events of the weekend.

After a long day at the tables, James Eddy came away with the title and $20,000 after a four-way deal was agreed at the final table. Robert Wood, Jeffrey Deegan, and Aidan Arnesen (pictured) each collected $16,400, while Eddy took home the trophy and the largest payout.

The tournament paid the top 66 finishers, with Michael Guzzo rounding out the top five for $6,185.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Prize
1	James Eddy*	$20,000
2	Robert Wood*	$16,400
3	Jeffrey Deegan*	$16,400
4	Aidan Arnesen*	$16,400
5	Michael Guzzo	$6,185
6	Yiming Cao	$4,915
7	Mario Rodriguez	$3,955
8	Alikarimov	$3,225
9	Jack Battaglia	$2,625

*Four-way deal.

Tags: Aidan Arnesen Jack Battaglia James Eddy Jeffrey Deegan Mario Rodriguez Michael Guzzo Robert Wood Yiming Cao

Jul 20, 2026

Five Players Lock Up $3,000 in Turbo Survivor

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Calum Grant

The $350 $3K Second Chance Turbo Survivor attracted 38 entries, with five $3,000 prizes up for grabs.

Once the field was reduced to the final five players, the tournament came to an end and each remaining player secured the advertised $3,000 payout.

The five players to survive were Bartlomie Glab, Jason Nguyen, Thomas Chillemi, Gary Kozlowski, and Michael Rosner.

Player	Prize
Bartlomie Glab	$3,000
Jason Nguyen	$3,000
Thomas Chillemi	$3,000
Gary Kozlowski	$3,000
Michael Rosner	$3,000

Jul 20, 2026

David Piede Wins Sunday Night Semi-Turbo

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Calum Grant

After a long day at the tables, 37 entries returned for one more shot in the $250 Sunday Night Semi-Turbo, creating a $7,400 prize pool.

It was David Piede who closed out the night with the title, earning $3,035 after defeating Maksim Chepurnov heads-up. Lizhi Chen rounded out the podium with a third-place finish worth $1,145.

One familiar face to make another deep run was Robert Macri (pictured), who had already cashed in the $600 Deep Stack Kick Off, finishing 61st earlier in the day before jumping straight into the Semi-Turbo. His second tournament of the day ended with a fourth-place finish and another $815 payday.