Vittorio "Victor" Abbate didn't qualify for the $2,700 Summer Poker Open Championship online on BetMGM Poker, and he didn't head to the cage to buy in either.

His seat came courtesy of a charity poker tournament in Manhattan.

"My friend and I have been doing that event every year for the past 20 years," Abbate said. "This year I came in second, and I won a ticket for the main event at Borgata, which is a great event."

The tournament is held in support of the Buoniconti Fund, a non-profit organization that raises money for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Co-founded by NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti, the project is dedicated to repairing and restoring function to the injured and diseased nervous system.

The winner of the charity event receives a seat into the WSOP Main Event, while the runner-up earned a package to Borgata's Championship event. Abbate's second-place finish was enough to book his return to Atlantic City.

Poker has been part of Abbate's life for around 20 years, but it's always been something he's enjoyed alongside his career rather than instead of it.

"I've played for a lot of years," he said. "Some good runs and some bad ones. I just love playing poker. It's a great thing to do."

Although he doesn't travel the circuit full time, Borgata has been the site of many of his best results. Abbate has recorded more than $175,000 in live tournament earnings, with many of his biggest scores coming in Atlantic City.

Earlier this year, he made another deep run in the $2,700 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship, finishing 13th for $15,155, adding to a list that includes a victory in the 2024 Big Chip Bounty and several other strong finishes at the property.

Away from the poker table, Abbate has spent more than four decades in a very different profession.

"I have a retail business," he said. "I've done it for over 40 years now."

That business is Abbate Bakery in Matawan, New Jersey, specializing in Italian breads, pastries and cakes.

"My thing is breads," he said. "I enjoy all the sourdough and all those Italian rye breads. We do all that."

The bakery keeps him busy, but poker remains his escape whenever the opportunity comes around.

"I do have a full-time job," he said. "But this is a lot more fun than doing that."

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