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$2,700 Summer Poker Open Championship
Day 1b Completed
2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open
$2,700 Summer Poker Open Championship
Day: 1b
Players Left 67 / 245
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The second and penultimate starting flight of the 2026 Borgata $2,700 Summer Poker Open Championship drew a field of 156 entries to boost the overall attendance to 245 and set the crown jewel of the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open on track to meet and easily surpass the $1 million guarantee at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
Once the ten levels of 60 minutes each were completed, only 43 players bagged up chips and Coleem Chestnut topped the Day 1b leaderboard with a stack of 359,000. Only a few days ago, Chestnut finished in fourth place in the $600 Deep Stack Kick Off for $60,205 and continued his run-good by accumulating one chip shy of nine starting stacks.
That puts him in second place overall across the 67 Day 2 survivors so far and John McDonald follows in third place after advancing with 324,500 from Day 1b. Among the top ten finishers tonight were also Joel Mitchell (232,500), Wesley Shi (226,000), and WSOP Circuit ring record winner Maurice Hawkins (225,000).
Top 10 Chip Counts for Day 1b
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | BB Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coleem Chestnut | United States | 359,000 | 144 |
| 2 | John McDonald | United States | 324,500 | 130 |
| 3 | Corbin Avery | United States | 262,000 | 105 |
| 4 | Gregory Fishberg | United States | 256,500 | 103 |
| 5 | Samuel Ick | United States | 255,000 | 102 |
| 6 | Joel Mitchell | United States | 232,500 | 93 |
| 7 | Wesley Shi | United States | 226,000 | 90 |
| 8 | Maurice Hawkins | United States | 225,000 | 90 |
| 9 | Nicholas Verderamo | United States | 224,000 | 90 |
| 10 | Adam Agaev | United States | 216,500 | 87 |
Among the notables advancing from this flight were also the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen (199,000), $650 Super Deep 6-Max winner Li Liang (186,000), Boris Kravets (186,000), Tanupat Punjarojanakul (81,000), and Michael Sydnes (60,000).
The already very jovial and banter-filled atmosphere at the tables in general was further boosted by the trifecta of Nicholas Palma, Mike Dentale and Hawkins on three neighbouring tables who didn't hold back to communicate back and forth with plenty of trash-talk. Palma was short-stacked in level three when his pocket queens were cracked by pocket eights but avoided a re-entry to bag up 88,000 in chips.
Dentale ran good early on to flirt with the top of the leaderboard, but once he was left short towards the end of the night, he got involved in a very vocal altercation in the last level. Floor staff responded instantly and awarded a full orbit penalty after which Dentale was escorted out of the tournament area. He returned to his seat thereafter but quickly lost the remainder of his stack.
Other well-known local players to bow out on Day 1b included Mitch Garshofsky, BetMGM ambassador Michael Lavin, Nick Pupillo, Will "The Thrill" Failla, Dylan Smith, last year's runner-up Abraham Gordon, and Alex Queen. Sharman Olshan had already bagged up chips on Day 1a and attempted to run up a larger tally, but she will return with her 65,500 from Day 1a for the time being.
Failla lost one of his tournament entries on Day 1b in a memorable clash with Dave Stefanski and his re-entry later on wasn't crowned by success either.
Matthew Zambanini was able to build a large stack mid-way through the day also aided by flopping a set to crack pocket aces, but his hot run was cooled down in the late stages to instead boost McDonald in a big clash before Samuel Ick claimed the rest of the chips.
One starting flight remains and Day 1c is set to kick off at 12.15 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The local Borgata staff expects a bumper field of more than 300 entries based on previous editions and that would put the 2026 Borgata Summer Open Championship with a chance to surpass last year's 685 total entries. The late registration remains open until the start of Day 2 at noon local time on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.
Stay tuned right here on PokerNews to follow the exclusive live updates from the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City until a winner has been crowned on July 31, 2026.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Out of a field of 156 entries, only around one third has made it through the ten levels of 60 minutes each and the players currently bag up their chips. All counts and a recap of today's action are to follow.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Nicholas Palma had earned his promised double-up while Ricardo Eyzaguirre departed after their previous clash.
Brandon Lulov then limped the small blind and John McDonald checked to the K♥5♣2♥ flop. Lulov bet 2,000 and McDonald called.
On the K♣ turn, Lulov bet 7,000 and McDonald folded.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see seven more hands before bagging up for the night.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
A player on the button moved all in for 80,000 and Corbin Avery called in the hijack.
All-In Player: Q♦J♦ 
Corbin Avery: K♥K♠
"I told you I wasn't going to leave with chips," the at-risk player said. The Q♣A♥8♦ flop gave him some hope with a pair, but he couldn't improve on the 6♥ turn or 5♥ river and was sent to the rail.
Mike Dentale was also eliminated shortly after returning from serving his penalty. "Should we start a PLO game?" Blake Vogdes suggested.
"He's going to get banned if he plays PLO tonight," Nick Palma added.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
"Is anyone else concerned right now? He said he was going to blow the place up. Should we stop the tournament?" Nick Palma said as Mike Dentale remained out of the room serving his one-round penalty.
Palma then moved all in for 41,500 in the small blind and Ricardo Eyzaguirre put him at risk in the hijack.
Nick Palma: J♠9♠
Ricardo Eyzaguirre: A♦J♣
"I'm going to win this one. I apologize in advance," Palma said as the flop came 3♠5♦7♣, while the 5♠ turn gave him a flush draw. "I'm going to stand up," Palma said. He didn't hit his flush on the river, but he did catch the 9♥ to win the pot and double up.
"I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. Should I go take a selfie with him out in the hall?" Palma continued.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Logan Eisner got his shorter stack into the middle with Q♦Q♣ versus 9♦9♣ and had little to fear with both suits covered.
The board ran out A♣4♥4♣3♠A♠ and the superior pair held for Eisner to survive with around 22 minutes left on the clock.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
On the river of a 9♣6♦2♣9♦5♥ board, MG bet 12,000 and Mike Dentale went into the tank, bemoaning that he was always finding resistance.
Dentale asked the dealer to spread the pot which was 21,000 by then. After a few seconds, floor staff arrived to tell the dealer to mash the pot again. That sent Dentale into a frenzy and his complaints become very vocal that even security came by to see what was happening.
Dentale folded and then instantly received a full round penalty for his outburst with the choice of words best omitted from the updates.
