Kujdes Gagliardi Wins CSOP Borgata on Same Day Sister Wins Ladies Event
The 2019 Borgata Winter Poker Open (BWPO) is wrapping up this weekend – the $3,500 World Poker Tour Main Event has reached its final table – and there’s at least one player leaving with a smile on her face in Kujdes Gagliardi.
That’s because she topped a 126-entry field to win the $220 buy-in Charity Series of Poker (CSOP19) tournament – Event #17 of the BWPO – after defeating Jefferson Choi in heads-up play. Not only did she win the right to call herself a CSOP champ, but she was also awarded a $3,500 World Poker Tour BWPO seat as well as entry into March’s $500 buy-in CSOP St. Jude event in Las Vegas + a $300 reception ticket.
For finishing runner-up, Choi won a $1,260 Borgata Bounty NLH seat and entry into March’s $500 buy-in CSOP St. Jude event in Las Vegas + a $300 reception ticket. Also making headlines were David Chang, who earned a $1,000 bonus for finishing with the chip lead at the close of registration, and philanthropist Lance Funston, who got a $1,000 bonus – which he donated to the charity – for the most entries with seven.
The event, which was emceed by BWPO Heads-Up champion Phil Hellmuth when down to the final two tables, benefitted St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family’s ability to pay.
CSOP Borgata Final Table Results
| Position | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kujdes Gagliardi | $3,500 BWPO Championship Seat NLH, $500 CSOP St. Jude seat, $300 Reception ticket, and the BWPO trophy |
| 2 | Jefferson Choi | $1,260 Borgata Bounty NLH seat, a $500 CSOP St. Jude Seat and a $300 Reception ticket |
| 3 | Tiffany Lee | $500 St. Jude seat, $300 Reception Ticket |
| 4 | Philip Luesdorff | $500 St. Jude seat |
| 5 | Albert Destade | $500 St. Jude seat |
| 6 | Aaron Mermelstein | $500 St. Jude seat |
| 7 | David Fuss | $500 St. Jude seat |
| 8 | Thomas Paul | $500 St. Jude seat |
Also receiving prizes for their finishes were Lisa Pickell and Brian Wilson, who got $500 St. Jude seats for their ninth- and tenth-place finishes respectively.
My Sister’s Keeper
While Kujdes Gagliardi was busy winning the CSOP event, her sister, Alida Veliu, was competing in the $120 Ladies DeepStack across the room. That tournament drew 154 runners and ended in a four-way deal. As chip leader at the time, Veliu was crowned champion and took home $3,325. Meanwhile, Katay Good took $2,439 for second place, while Debbie Drum and Elizabeth Santos finished third and fourth for $1,935 and $1,862 respectively.
It marked Veliu’s fifth Ladies Event title, all of which have come in Atlantic City. Those included big scores like $21,060 for winning the 2009 BWPO Ladies Event and $17,017 for taking down the WSOP Circuit Atlantic City $340 Ladies back in 2008.
Finishing the 2019 BWPO Ladies Event in fifth place was chess and poker pro Jen Shahade, who fell after getting her last 11 bigs in holding 8x8x and losing a flip to Good’s Ax10x. Shahade won $896 for her efforts.
CSOP St. Jude Against All Odds
The CSOP’s next event – the $500 buy-in St. Jude Against All Odds Event – will be held in conjunction with Daniel Negreanu and take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa at the South Beach. Be sure to listen to the PokerNews Family of Podcasts for your chance to win a free entry into that event.
Photos courtesy of Borgata
