2019
$540+$60 Deep Stack NLH
$1 Million Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 5: Blinds 200/400/400 BB Ante
Entries: 170
Players are back from their first break and one of those players is none other than Abraham Korotki.
Abraham Korotki
He is Borgata’s winningest player, with nine 1st Place finishes reported (according to thehendonmob) at this venue, two of which were Championship events.
As if that weren’t enough accolades, he’s also got two World Series of Poker Circuit Championship event wins, eleven years apart. His total live earnings are more than $1.88 million and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Any time he’s in action, he’s a threat to run deep and vie for the title.
$540+$60 Deep Stack NLH
$1 Million Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
End of Level 4: Blinds 200/300/300 BB Ante
Entries: 155
Four levels down and time for the first break of the day. Players have 15 minutes to take care of business away from the felt.
Just down the escalator next to the Poker Room, players can satisfy just about any craving at the Marketplace Eatery. They’ve got everything from burgers and pizza to tacos and salads. And don’t forget the ice cream!
The grab-and-go area is the best bet for these short breaks, with fresh baked goods, drinks, pre-made sandwiches, wraps, salads, fresh fruit, bagged snacks, and even some ready-to-go hot foods (pizza, hot dogs, and asian dishes).
$540+$60 Deep Stack NLH
$1 Million Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 4: Blinds 200/300/300 BB Ante
Entries: 138
Just inside the Signature Room on table 5, we had some excitement before the blinds went up.
Erkan Tirban (Brooklyn, NY) collecting his double-up
Erkan Tirban (early position) doubled up when his 
made a boat on the river to crack David Manikos’ 
. David (utg) had flopped Broadway with a board of 
, but the river gave Erkan the full house and the double up, to about 55,000.
David Manikos (Elmwood Park, NY) stayin’ alive
David was left short and was all-in a couple of hands later. Seat 8 opened for 600, got a flat from seat 9, then David (sb) moved in for 3,400 total. Seat 8 folded, but the other player called, tabling 
. David was about even-money with his 
.
The board ran out 
and the turn paired David’s Queen, giving him new life with the double-up to nearly 8,000 (27 big blinds).
$540+$60 Deep Stack NLH
$1 Million Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 3: Blinds 100/200/200 BB Ante
Entries: 116
Some of our semi-regular Borgata players, who are Open Series Event winners, were in their seats at the start of play, hoping the early bird catches the chips.
Zach McNees
Zach McNees was the first one spotted in early action. He won the very last trophy event of the 2015 Summer Poker Open, the $200+$30 Deepest Stack NLH event. His victory over the field of 396 runners earned him his first Borgata trophy and more than $20,000.
Bruce Yamron
It’s been a bit longer since Bruce Yamron’s last visit to the winner’s circle here at Borgata. During the 2012 Fall Poker Open, Bruce won the $350+$50 Pot Limit Omaha Deep Stack tournament, earning nearly $6,300 and his first Borgata Open trophy.
$540+$60 Deep Stack NLH
$1 Million Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 2: Blinds 100/100/100 BB Ante
Antes have now kicked in, so the player in the big blind will post 100 for the blind and another 100 for the table’s antes (the BB Ante is always the same amount as the Big Blind, regardless of the number of players at the table). This “Big Blind Ante” was implemented for the first time at Borgata during the 2018 Spring Poker Open and it has become a permanent fixture in almost all of the No Limit Hold’em events (the SixMax is one notable exclusion).
Once players got used to the change, it was a big hit. Since the dealer doesn’t have to sort out who has posted and who hasn’t, collect all the antes, and make change where necessary, they can move from hand to hand much quicker.
If the player in the big blind doesn’t have enough chips to cover both the big blind and BB ante, his/her chips go toward the Big Blind first, then any chips left go toward the BB Ante.
The unusual starting blinds of 100/100 eliminates the need for 25-denomination chips and eliminates one of the color-ups, which also speeds up the game.
$540+$60 Deep Stack NLH
$1 Million Guaranteed
Structure Sheet
Level 1: Blinds 100/100
Cards are in the air here in the Signature Room for the first flight of the first event of the 2018 Spring Poker Open!
Borgata Tournament Director Tab Duchateau has completed the opening announcements and issued the order to “Shuffle Up and Deal!” Late registration and re-entry are available until the start of level 13 (about 5:45pm). Late arrivals and re-entering players will start with a full 25,000 chip stack.
Players who bust out of this flight can re-enter this or any subsequent flight until registration closes (Unlimited Re-Entries). Players who don’t bust out and bag chips in any flight can also re-enter any subsequent flight (Best Stack Forward). Any player who manages to bag chips in more than one flight will only take their largest stack into Day 2.
Spring begins today and you know what that means! The 2019 Borgata Spring Poker Open kicks off in a couple of weeks — now is the time to make your plans to attend. With more than $3.5 million in guarantees and 19 trophy events spread across 18 action-packed days, this series will see some huge fields. Room rates are available starting from $95 — Call 609.317.1000 now to reserve your room!
As always, the series begins with the $1 million guaranteed $540+$60 NLH Deep Stack Kickoff. It begins Tuesday April 2nd at 11am with the first of six starting flights. With unlimited re-entries, this best stack forward event will surely see more than enough entrants to crush the guarantee. Last year, Rafael Reis emerged victorious from the field of 2,370 entrants to take home $216,010 for 1st place, along with his first Borgata Poker title.
Rafael Reis – 1st Place – 2018 Spring Poker Open Kickoff
All your favorite tournaments will be returning including the Seniors ($25k GTD), Ladies, SixMax ($100k GTD), Almighty Stack ($500k GTD), two Saturday Series $100,000 GTD events, and the $150,000 GTD Black Chip Bounty. For players looking to take a break from No Limit Hold’em, there are three tournaments: Pot Limit Omaha ($20k GTD), Omaha High/Low, and HOSE ($20k GTD). Some changes this year include a $500+$60 Super Survivor with $75,000 Guarantee and another Survivor with a $100 Black Chip Bounty added. Click here for the complete schedule of main events.
Of course the highlight of the series is the $2,500 + $200 Borgata Spring Poker Open NLH Championship, which carries a $1 million guarantee on total buy-ins. One major change is that the two starting days will be Monday & Tuesday (April 15 & 16) instead of Sunday & Monday as in the past. The finale will be Live Streamed on Friday, April 19th.
Almedin Imsirovic – 1st Place – 2018 Spring Poker Open Championship
Last year, Almedin ‘Ali’ Imsirovic took home the Championship trophy and $246,066* after battling his way through a field of 519 entrants. Heads-up with Farid Jattin, Ali battled for a while before opting for an adjusted payout agreement with a nearly even split of remaining prize money.
*Indicates Adjusted Payout
Put the Spring Poker Open dates on your calendar now and don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a FREE seat in the Championship event — just click here and complete the form. Satellites will be running both live and online for the big events, so check out the Spring Poker Open Micro-site, for additional details and links — everything you need for this series can be found there, so bookmark it now.
Online registration is available now for the BSPO events and will remain open until Friday, March 29th. On-site registration begins Monday, April 1st at 12 noon.
The Borgata Blog team will be bringing you the action right here from the first “Shuffle Up and Deal” until the final trophy is awarded. Follow @BorgataPoker for Twitter updates throughout the series and don’t forget to use #BSPO2019 in your Tweets!
Hope to see you at Borgata for the Spring Poker Open!
@Kaelaine