Pennsylvanians dominated the Borgata Summer Poker Open, grabbing seven of 22 titles, including Gilbert Sacks of Bala Cynwyd, who won the first tournament of the series on June 11, the $230 no-limit hold’em event. Sacks pocketed a whopping $28,077 for first place.
• Daniel Hill of State College, Pa., won Event 7, a $230 deepstack turbo on June 17. He earned $20,421 for his victory, edging fellow Keystoner Lewis Saxon of Philadelphia (second, $11,831). There were 363 entries in this event, which saw Doug Blackburn of New Berlin, N.C., (third, $5,845) and Gene Below of Mechanicsburg, Pa., (fifth, $4,225) also make the final table.
• Greg Fishberg of Willow Grove, Pa., won Event 3, a $560 deepstack event that drew 626 players. He earned $84,221. Brandon Alcorn of Philadelphia (sixth, $14,421) and William Patterson of New Kensington, Pa., (seventh, $11,385) also made the final table.
• Event 5 was a $200 NLHE rebuy event that Callen Wallace of Indiana, Pa., captured, pocketing $26,731. Four Pennsylvania players made the final table, including Rob Noel of Johnstown (fourth, $6,333), Dave Cericola of Linwood (sixth, $4,457) and Graeson Burnette-Peake of Philadelphia (ninth, $1,877).
• Three Penn players made a final table in Event 8, a $350 NLHE tournament (251 entries) on June 18 with Eric O’Connor of North Wales winning $21,912 for first. Mark Devitis of Eagleville was third ($6,829) and David Arsht of Radnor grabbed ninth ($1,461).
• Event 12 ($560 NLHE, 489 entries, $244,500 prize pool) saw Torpekay Habashzada of Broomall, Pa., win first ($67,877) as the top three spots went to Keystoners. Jerry Brown of Philadelphia was runner-up ($36,761) and Mike Murphy of Wilkes-Barre was third ($18,973).
• Brandon Guss of Warminster, Pa. won Event 20 ($350 NLHE, 170 entries, $51K prize pool) for $15,235. Ben Coren of Lansdale, Pa., was sixth ($2,474) and Dennis Summers of Charlottesville, Va., was eighth ($1,484).
• Gary Brudner of University Park, Fla., captured the $350 senior event on June 17, besting 140 players for a $12,638 payday. Joining him at the final table was fellow Floridian Robert Branham of Cape Coral (sixth, $2,052).
Though no Ante Up Nationals won the $2,200 main event (321 entries) we did have four players at the final table: Mike Melkersen of New Market, Va., was fourth ($43,592), Steve Curtin of Indian Trail, N.C., finished fifth ($37,364), followed by Frank Dellaria of Burgettstown, Pa., (seventh, $24,910) and Ed Corrado of Naples, Fla., (ninth, $12,456).
