Event 10
The 2019 Borgata Spring Poker Open came to a close in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 20th and it was a terrific series all around. Between Main and Secondary events, millions in prize money was won and 19 Borgata Open trophies awarded. A complete list of Main Event winners is below.
David Jackson – 1st Place – 2019 BSPO Championship
David Jackson took home his second Borgata trophy while booking his largest career score when he won the BSPO Championship event, coming out on top of a field of 505 runners after four days of play. The $304,929 he earned for the win pushed his career earnings past $1.8 million. His wife Gloria was able to watch the final table play out live at Borgata, but many others watched via live stream on Twitch and Facebook Live.
Alex Rocha – Two-Time Open Series Kick-Off Winner, 2011 and 2019
The series started off with a bang a couple of weeks earlier as Alex Rocha became the first player to ever win two Open Series Kick-Off events! His first was way back in 2011 when he won the Winter Poker Open Kick-Off event, earning $150,850 for 1st place in a field of 1,472 entrants. Now he’s got his second Borgata trophy for the Spring Poker Open Kick-Off, besting a field of 2,199 runners to earn $180,591*.
As if that wasn ‘t enough, Alex went on to make the final table of the Almighty Stack $500,000 GTD event about a week later, coming very close to taking another title. His run ended in 5th place ($34,438). Then to cap off the series, he cashed in the Championship event as well. If there was a Player of the Series award, I think it would go to Alex for his stellar performance during this Spring Poker Open.
Lorinda Lisitza – 1st Place – PLO
Lorinda Lisitza was the only woman to win an open event during this series, taking the Pot Limit Omaha title and $4,795*. Alida Veliu went back-to-back in Borgata Open Ladies events, winning the Ladies event in this series ($2,953) after winning the same event during January’s Winter Poker Open ($3,325*). This was her third Ladies event win at Borgata — her first was back in 2009.
Alida Veliu – 1st Place – 2019 BSPO Ladies event
That wraps up the 2019 Spring Poker Open! Mark your calendars now and make plans to join us for the Summer Poker Open, to be held July 9-26. Follow @BorgataPoker on Twitter for updates on the tournament schedule when it is released.
* Indicates Adjusted Payout
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 26: Blinds 30,000/50,000/50,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
After five and half hours of heads up, of bad beats, missed opportunities, and a crazy Limit Big O cash game creating chaos nearby, Larry Abrams has won the Six Max.
While he did come back from an 8:1 deficit at one point, in truth the match was so long one swing or two just didn’t matter. This was attrition, and Larry held on the tightest.
The final hand featured Larry getting the best of a 40 bb flip, 
over Dever’s 
. No help for Dever – Larry wins!
For second, Cathy Dever takes home $19,553. Great run in a tough tourney.
The Six Max Champ, Larry Abrams of Mahwah, NJ – $33,084.
Congratulations to both Cathy and Larry for their hard fought day of heads-up.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 26: Blinds 30,000/50,000/50,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Level 26, at five hours of heads up, begins with Dever taking back the lead. With a 3:2 lead, another cautious hand gets checked down, and king high gives her another small pot.
Now behind, Larry jams a queen high flop for about 1,000,000. As the blinds get bigger and bigger, all the big bets start to make more sense. Even this small pot takes Dever back to exactly 2,000,0000, leading by just 500,000.
Cathy now limps in, On 
, Larry leads into her. Call. Checkdown from there and Larry flips up 
, but he’s nipped by Cathy’s .
Cathy then nips him again, turning a weak but better pair than Larry. He’s frustrated again.
Abrams can’t believe his opponent hit another hand – but he has the lead, all the same.
But, it doesn’t matter, as he again cools off Cathy, as he is able to get 22 bigs in with against 
. Cathy flops only backdoors and is drawing dead on the turn. Big swing: now Larry has the 3:2 lead.
Despairing, Cathy shoves all in the next hand. No call of the 1,200,000 shove.
She chips up to 1,500,000 but ends up paying off a 175,000 river value bet from Larry’s straight.
It’s Ambrams with 2,300,000, Dever with 1,200,000.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
End of Level 25: Blinds 20,000/40,000/40,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Moving into the next level and the fourth hour of heads up, Abrams is leading 2,100,000 to 1,400,000 again, after having Cathy on the ropes multiple times.
After closing the gap to a few hundred thousands, Cathy mixes up her raise sizings, now going from 3x to 2x, then picking off a bluff with ace high on a paired runout.
Back to even again.
After four and a half hours of heads- up, Cathy ‘s back starts hurting. Time for a massage.
Much trading of chips for level 25, then a three bet pot they check down. Again Cathy makes an odd pair to claim the pot, allowed to showdown, Larry’s missed 
against Cathy’s 
.
Then, anther three bet pot, this time no check down. Larry barrels 
, and is called. The 
falls on the turn, and he barrels again. No call. Cathy down to 1,050,000, but still more than 25 bigs.
Indeed, Cathy won’t felt easily now and the action pots of the last level have disappeared. She’s back to 1,500,000, trailing by only 500,000 now.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
End of Level 24: Blinds 15,000/30,000/30,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Dever manages to pull back to a slim lead when a cooler sends a 2,600,000 pot Larry’s way. Having hit the gutshot to broadway on the end of 
, she jammed for very thin value holding , but Larry was waiting with the unexpected 
– not a hand you want value from.
Back to under a million, Dever has jammed pre or on the flop several times, and now it happens again.
Dever has 
, while Abrams has 
. She doesn’t hit the ace but the 
gives her another straight – this one good because Larry has no heart in his hand. Big double.
Then she jams again but Larry wakes up with kings! No help for Dever this time, and the rapid action leaves Abrams with a bigger lead, now 2,900,000 to 600,000.
However, she is all in again, and behind slightly with 
versus Larry’s for the tournament. on the flop and Cathy has 1,200,000 again.
Down to 600,000 Cathy is happy to pull in some chips.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 24: Blinds 15,000/30,000/30,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Abrams takes a three bet pot on the flop.
We’re half way through the level, with Abrams leading 2,400,000 to 1,000,000.
Three bet from the bb for Abrams, large to 225,000. Check check flop on 
, then delay cbet and call when the drops. On a 
, Abrams checks and Dever jams. Larry rolls his eyes and folds.
The go back to checkdown mode, and Dever appears to river Abrams again. He holds onto his hand for a bit in mild frustration. She’s back to 1,400,000.
Larry Abrams expels some air after getting a bet through.
Larry now goes 3x to 90,000 on the button, and checks back a low flop. When the 
falls on the turn Cathy leads, but Larry makes a small raise – and gets the fold.
The 3:2 chip lead is holding.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 24: Blinds 15,000/30,000/30,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Level 24 starts off with Abrams chipping up to nearly 2,500,000, with Dever down to 1,000,000.
A few hands into the level, Dever raises button to 90,000, gets called and cbets 
. Larry finds a call but shuts it down on the turn. Back to 1,200,000 for Cathy.
Cathy Dever is fighting to back to even after her 8:1 chip lead disappeared.
Then, on an ace high board, Cathy is allowed to showdown a weak pair – a recurring pattern- and again claims a small but meaningful pot. She closes the lead by another few hundred thousand, then takes the next pot as well.
She tries to steal it with on 
but faces the jam from Larry, who has used big shoves all night. This one works, and Cathy hits 800,000.
On the button she raises to 65,000, gets a call. It seems like a big moment on a drawing queen high flop, but a cbet gets the snap fold from Larry.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
End of Level 23: Blinds 15,000/25,000/25,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Cathy breaks the stalemate by shoving river on a three jack board. It’s clear Larry wants to call but let’s it go. However, the pot costs him a few hundred thousand and Dever has a small lead again.
Abrams cools off Dever to change the match, AA over 99.
It’s 2,200,000 to 1,300,000 late in the level.
In one hand, Dever raises to 65,000 gets a call by Abrams who appears displeased. He check jams and eight high flop and Dever snaps him off with an overpair, . But it’s a ruse – Larry has , and drags a 2,600,000 pot, taking the lead.
Dever then moves in for her last 900,000 with , and Larry goes with . Both start to rise as the turn card falls a blank. The tournament is one card from being over, but the on the saves Dever’s day.
Back to effectively even.
A few hands later, Abrams has eeked out a lead, 2,300,000 to 1,185,000
The players agree to a half-hour dinner break, returning at 8:10 PM.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 23: Blinds 15,000/25,000/25,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Raise on button from Dever, big 3 to 100,000 by Abrams, he jams 
flop for 700,000. No call.
Then, it happens, open by Dever to 60,000, jam for 780,000 by Abrams, and she calls.
Dominated. Dever has against Larry’s . No help, and Abrams is back in business.
Larry nos jams over a Dever button raise, and is almost at 1,7000,000, just behind Dever who has 1,800,000.
Let’s start over: back to even.
$700+$70 Six Max NLH
$100,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet | Payouts
Level 23: Blinds 15,000/25,000/25,000 BB Ante
Entrants: 174
Remaining: 2
Average: 1,740,000
Another bet and jam over it by Larry, again on the button on a king high flop.
Another line in Cathy’s arsenal has come up a few times, the check to the river, then shove. Here it happens on a broadway board, and Larry quickly releases.
However, he is able to take two pots in a row and is back to 450,000.
This helps Larry in his next pot quite a bit, as he is able to get in against Dever’s 
. He dodges flush and straight outs on the turn, and moves to 850,000, his highest point in the last half level.
Another shove by Larry steals Dever’s raise, commented on this time by Dever.
Larry is surviving and in fact moves to nearly a million, his highest point since the start of heads up.
Larry won’t be put away easily.
It’s 2,600,0000 to 900,000 now, Dever ahead.