The Borgata Winter Poker Open wrapped up after two action-packed weeks, featuring 75 tournaments and satellites, including the $3,000,000 Winter Open Championship and other Atlantic City favorites. PokerOrg covered the series from start to finish, bringing live updates and thousands of photos from the 16-day festival.
From improbable comebacks to life-changing scores, the marquee events were full of drama. Blake Vogdes captured the Main Event title from a short stack in five-handed play, while Akash Hotwani claimed the Deepstack Main Event after an encouraging pep talk from his wife.
Aubrey Williams Dominates Hybrid Championship
Aubrey Williams entered Event #4: BetMGM Hybrid Championship as the chip leader but saw her stack slip in the early stages of the final table. She quickly regained momentum, steamrolling the field to claim her first career BetMGM/Borgata trophy and a $52,540 top prize—her largest career cash to date.
“I just kind of played my hands,” Williams said. “In the big picture, this doesn’t change too much, but it sure feels good for the confidence. I maxed late regged this online, so I ran pretty pure.”
Final Table Results – BWPO BetMGM Hybrid Championship
- Aubrey Williams – $52,540
- Tyler Hirschfeld – $39,625
- Sanat Mehrotra – $27,875
- Jacob Modert – $20,750
- Eric Vanauken – $16,125
- Julian Penze – $12,375
- Corey Malinowski – $9,625
Mann Battles to Knockout Victory
Michael “Casey” Mann entered the final table of Event #26: $2,200 Progressive Bounty Knockout with a commanding chip lead and scored one of the first eliminations of the day. A tense back-and-forth with Jason Nguyen saw Mann calling down with bottom pair before ultimately claiming the $76,910 top prize and roughly $105,000 in bounties over the three-day event.
“I just wanted to come in and play my game, be aggressive, play a big bully stack,” Mann said. “Then heads-up was a whole different story.”
Final Table Results – BWPO Progressive Knockout Bounty
- Michael “Casey” Mann – $76,910 + ~$105,000 in bounties
- Jason Nguyen – $76,860
- Frederic Normand – $54,180
- Samuel Taylor – $40,070
- Aaron Hendi – $30,040
- Xiang Zou – $23,435
Lee Ilagan Claims Ladies Championship
The final event of the series, Event #36: $380 Ladies Championship, drew 113 entrants, creating a $35,030 prize pool. Lee Ilagan emerged victorious after defeating Emily Flax heads-up, securing a new career high cash and continuing her strong record in mixed games.
“I was just trying to hang on,” Ilagan said after her win.
Final Table Results – BWPO Ladies Championship
- Lee Ilagan – $9,195
- Emily Flax – $5,930
- Lana O’Brien – $4,080
- Mai Heynh – $2,895
- Anna Klepack – $2,150
- Shavonne Gilbert – $1,730
- Tina Stafford – $1,470
- Kimberly Burkert – $1,260
- Dina Graham – $1,080
The Borgata Winter Poker Open delivered a festival full of excitement, big payouts, and unforgettable moments, highlighting the talent and resilience of players from around the globe.
