button in SafariNew Batch of Players Take Their Shot on Day 1b of the Borgata Summer Poker Open $2,700 Championship
After nearly two weeks of action inside the Borgata poker room, players will continue to flock to Atlantic City for the grand finale of the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open, the $2,700 Championship Event.
The second of three opening flights begins today at 12:15 p.m. local time. A total of 89 players came out for the first flight yesterday, with 24 already securing their tickets for Day 2. Lewis Esposito ended up as chip leader with 425,500, followed by George St. Lawrence (288,000), Eric Starker (228,500), and Colin Moll (227,000). Vittorio Abbate, who won his seat in a charity event in New York, also ended up inside the top five with 226,000, while Darren Elias (79,000) and Brandon Mueller (74,000) were further down the counts.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | BB Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Esposito | United States | 425,500 | 170 |
| 2 | George St. Lawrence | United States | 288,000 | 115 |
| 3 | Eric Starker | United States | 228,500 | 91 |
| 4 | Colin Moll | United States | 227,000 | 91 |
| 5 | Vittorio Abbate | United States | 226,000 | 90 |
| 6 | Xiaoqiong Liu | United States | 221,500 | 89 |
| 7 | Andrew Porter | United States | 204,500 | 82 |
| 8 | Gregory Bauer | United States | 193,000 | 77 |
| 9 | Emily Sun | United States | 165,000 | 66 |
| 10 | Jean Augustin | United States | 162,000 | 65 |
A new crop of hopefuls will look to join them on Day 1b today. Players begin with a 40,000 starting stack and will play ten 60-minute levels today. There is a break after every two levels, and a 75-minute dinner break at the end of Level 6. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2, with unlimited reentries allowed.
Remaining Event schedule
| Date | Flight | Time | Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 27 | Day 1b | 12:15 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| July 28 | Day 1c | 12:15 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| July 29 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| July 30 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| July 31 | Day 4 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
The third and final starting flight takes place tomorrow at 12:15. All surviving players then combine for Day 2 on Wednesday, July 29, at noon, when they'll battle to secure a piece of the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.
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