Event 8
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
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 32: Blinds 120,000/250,000/250,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 11,000,000
Roneil gets in his last 10 blinds with 
and holds over 
, doubling to nearly 5 m, now trailing a little worse than 3:1.
Roneil picks off a river bluff with king high when Todd tries to represent an unlikely full house. Still, Roneil has been stuck at 5 m or less for the last level.
Again, the money goes in but this time Roneil is cooked – he’s got ace-garbage and Mindich has 
. No miracle, and it’s over!
Roneil has had a great run, and nearly pulled off three straight tournament wins once cashed. He wouldn’t allow himself make a deal in order to capture the trifecta, and comes up just shy. An excellent 2nd for $20,391.
Got him – Mindich finishes the ball game.
The champ, Todd Mindich, of Warwick NY, 1st for $36,273.
Dominating heads-up performance by Todd and well played by Roneil as well as he pursued yet another first. Congrats to both players!
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
End of Level 31: Blinds 100,000/200,000/200,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 11,000,000
Key pot goes to Todd, who check raises river for value from 1.4 m to 5 and gets snapped off by Roneil with worse.
5.6 m for Roneil now, with Todd having about 16.5 m.
The big pay-off.
Roneil can’t find river bluffs in Todd’s range for the next few hands and is letting go of big pots. Todd is on a rampage and has an 8:1 chip lead now.
Small break for Roneil when his bet on a paired board gets through. Back to over 15 bigs.
Mindich: All the chips and the blinds are rising.
- Roneil Balani 3.5 m
- Todd Mindich 19.0 m
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 31: Blinds 100,000/200,000/200,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 11,000,000 million
Todd is able to three bet Roneil again, moving his stack nearer.
Soukha shows down a winner. Some postflop play as the manic mood of Levels 29 and 30 has passed.
Roneil makes a standard river call with a pair against a pair turned into a bluff by Soukha.
Then, Soukha and Todd flip for it. At first Soukha believes he has faded the 
with his 
, but Todd reacts to the river with “yes!” – he’s made a flush.
Another deep run for the Foxwoods crusher Soukha Kachittavong, 3rd for $13,108.
Much like the table action, there is no pause as Roneil and Todd leap into HU play.
- Roneil Balani 10.5 m
- Todd Mindich 11.5 m
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 30: Blinds 80,000/150,000/150,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 3
Average Stack: 7.4 million
Soukha three bets Roneil, and Todd fourbet jams, getting a little back from the big stack.
Then, it’s Moshe’s turn to take a stand. He jams over an open from Todd for his remaining 2 m but Todd has him crushed with 
over . No help – Moshe Zarum takes fourth for $10,414.
Todd, right, reviews the board while Roneil shakes hands with Moshe. Good run.
Three handed now – the action has been fast and aggressive.
- Soukha Kachittavong 4.4 m
- Roneil Balani 10 m
- Todd Mindich 7.5 m
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
End of Level 29: Blinds 60,000/120,000/120,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 4
Average Stack: 5.6 million
Back in action.
Soukha takes the first pot uncontested, showing 
.
Jason, who arrives late and let Soukha take his BB uncontested, wins a small pot with three pair against Coof.
Then, big action. Jason opens on the BU to 275k and is flatted by both Anthony and Roneil.
BU vs SB and BB.
They check the ace high board to the raiser, and Jason takes the bait for 325,000. Now Coof and Roneil both get it in, while Jason has to let go.
It’s Coof with 
and Roneil with 
on 
, and it runs out 
and 
. Anthony Cuffari is out! He takes $5,16 for 7th.
Anthony is disappointed when the river gives it to Roneil, right.
The two biggest stacks square off: Soukha then raises an EP limp from Todd to 300,000, folds back to him, and Todd bombs it, going a million. Soukha takes 45 seconds and lets it go.
More action. Jason open jams about 2.5 and Roneil shoves over him. There is a long pause when it falls to Todd in the BB, and the table braces for a massive pot. However, he quickly folds when he realizes the action is on him.
Back to the hand, it’s for Jason and for Roneil. Balani continues to run well at the FT and sees no ace or king – Jason is out in 6th for $6700.
Roneil sees off Jason. GG.
Immediately after, Danny shoves but Todd picks him off with 
and wins. Santiago takes 5th for $8156.
More for Roneil when he lead jams 
from the BB into the aggressor Mindich. Balani is on fire.
Don’t believe everything you read – look at that chop value.
- Soukha Kachittavong 4.0 m
- Roneil Balani 10.2 m
- Moshe Zarum 4.1 m
- Todd Mindich 4.5
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
End of Level 28: Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 7
Average Stack: 3.1 million
Jason Filoramo rivered the nut straight with 
, but got all of it when Ken turned his nine into a bluff on the river. The board was a paired 
, but with only 13 bigs in his stack, Ken didn’t have the ammo to get Jason off his hand.
Jason checks the count, flanked by Soukha and Coof.
Ken takes 8th for $4,151
We head to dinner break, returning at 7:45 PM.
Estimated chips by seat:
- Danny Santiago 1.4 m
- Soukha Kachittavong 4.3 m
- Jason Filoramo 3.5
- Anthony Cuffari 1.5
- Roneil Balani 2.1 m
- Moshe Zarum 4.1 m
- Todd Mindich 5.3
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 28: Blinds 50,000/100,000/100,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 8
Average Stack: 2.7 million
With nine bigs, Mark ripped it in twice. Unchallenged until the second time, he faced a grim 30/70 when his 
ran into Moshe’s 
. A middling runout offered no help, and Mark takes 9th for $2,913.
Bad spot for AQ and Mark, left.
Next, “Coof” opened on the button, but couldn’t call Roneil’s shove. Coof shows the and mucks.
Coof gets rid of it.
Then, more annoyance for Cuffari, who calls an open from Jason but is squeezed off the hand by Moshe, who continues to chip up.
Moshe, foreground, faces down Anthony “Coof” Cuffari.
Soukha then 3 b jams over Danny, who can’t find a call for his last 23 blinds.
Estimated chips by seat:
- Ken Diamico 1.2 m
- Danny Santiago 2.5 m
- Soukha Kachittavong 4 m
- Jason Filoramo 2.4
- Anthony Cuffari 1.6
- Roneil Balani 2 m
- Moshe Zarum 4 m
- Todd Mindich 4.8
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 27: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 9
Average Stack: 2.5 million
Sundiata DeVore
Sundiata DeVore has been felted by Anthony ‘Coof’ Cuffari, finishing 10th for $1,092.
$260+$40 Deepest Stack DoubleHeader NLH
$150,000 Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 27: Blinds 40,000/80,000/80,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 558
Players Remaining: 10
Average Stack: 2.2 million
Here’s the lineup for the final table
- Ken Diamico
- Danny Santiago
- Sundiata DeVore
- Soukha Kachittavong
- Jason Filoramo
- Anthony Coof
- Roneil Balani
- Mark Rabizadeh
- Moshe Zarum
- Todd Mindich