Jonathan Evans Defeats Aaron Massey to Win Borgata Poker Open Event #1 for $337,801
Event #1: Big Stax No-Limit Hold’em Reentry of the Borgata Poker Open, a $560 buy-in $2 million guarantee, attracted 4,158 runners, and after five days of play, Jonathan “Nolte” Evans defeated Aaron Massey in an intense heads-up match to win the title and $337,801 first-place prize.
Borgata Poker Open Event #1 Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan “Nolte” Evans | $337,801 |
| 2 | Aaron Massey | $219,208 |
| 3 | Gaurav Raina | $144,794 |
| 4 | Patti Haggerty | $118,981 |
| 5 | Pablo Alvarez | $95,790 |
| 6 | Alex Smith | $73,607 |
| 7 | Kevin Grabel | $52,432 |
| 8 | Kane Kalas | $37,792 |
| 9 | Joseph Felice | $24,200 |
| 10 | Andrew Klein | $15,629 |
According to the Borgata Poker Blog, the short-stacked Andrew Klein was the first elimination of the final table, and he was followed out the door by Joseph Felice in ninth place.
After the eliminations of Kane Kalas and Kevin Grabel in eighth and seventh place, respectively, a double elimination sent two players to the rail. It happened in Level 39 (400,000/800,000/100,000) when Alex Smith moved all in for 2.7 milion and Pablo Alvarez shoved all in over the top for 6.8 million. Haggerty then called to put both players at risk.
Haggerty: A♥Q♠
Smith: K♥Q♦
Alvarez: A♠2♠
Haggerty had the best of it, and her hand held as the board ran out 8♠J♦5♣9♥6♠. With that, Haggerty took over the chip lead while Smith, the shortest stack, was eliminated in sixth place and Alvarez in fifth.
Despite winning that hand and eliminating four players at the final table, Haggerty was the next to go. The other players managed to whittle down her stack, and she then got the last of her chips all in preflop holding the 10♥2♣ only to run into the 10♦9♠ of Evans. The board ran out J♠7♥J♣8♦4♣ and that was all she wrote for Haggerty, who took home $118,981 for her fourth-place finish.
After Gaurav Raina bowed out in third place, it was Massey, the consummate pro, versus Evans, the amateur who had only played daily tournaments in the past. Massey held a slight lead when the match began, but the match proved to be a lengthy back-and-forth affair. Finally, in Level 42 (1,000,000/2,000,000/300,000), things came to a head when Evans, who had taken over the chip lead, opened for 6 million and then called when Massy shoved all in.
Massey: 10♦10♥
Evans: K♠Q♠
Unfortunately for Massey, who was a slight favorite heading into the hand, the 5♥Q♦8♠ flop delivered Evans the lead with queens. Neither the 5♣ turn nor A♠ river helped Massey, and he had to settle for second place and $219,208 in prize money.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Evans emerged as champion and captured the $337,801 first-place prize. “[I’ll be] sleeping with this for the next few weeks,” a smiling Evans said of his Borgata Poker Open trophy.
*Data and photos courtesy of Borgata Poker Open Blog.
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