Event 18
The 2018 Borgata Poker Open came to a close in the early morning hours of Saturday morning when the 21st BPO trophy found a new home.
Erkut ‘Eric’ Yilmaz
About eight hours earlier, Erkut Yilmaz took 1st place in the Championship event, along with $575,112 and both BPO and WPT Champions Cup trophies. Yilmaz took a huge lead into the final day of the Championship and held that lead until heads-up with poker pro Timothy ‘TK’ Miles. They proceeded to battle for more than two hours, with the lead changing several times, before Yilmaz finally collected all the chips and the title. Miles added another $383,399 to his career earnings, pushing the total past $3.2 million.
This series saw a lot of firsts. For the first time, the BPO was not held in the Event Center, but in a temporary Tournament Area between the Poker Room and Signature Room. This was a one-time occurence and this area will now he turned into the new Borgata Sports Book. The Winter Poker Open in January will be back in the Event Center as usual.
Another first was buy-in guarantees on the non-No Limit Hold’em events. The Omaha/Stud High/Low, HORSE, and PLO tournaments all had guarantees for the first time ever. There was also an “Old School” Freeze-out NLH tournament with no re-entries, and a Double Black Chip Bounty tournament added to this year’s schedule.
Justin Leeds (seated) took 1st in Event 1 in a 4-way adjusted payout.
Justin Leeds claimed the top spot in the $1 Million GTD Kick-Off event, which saw 3,106 entrants. The final four players all took home more than $170,000 for their efforts in the three-day event.
Altogether, the series had $7.6 million in guarantees and paid out more than $8.3 million in prize money in Main Events alone, not including secondary and satellite events. A complete list of Main Event winners and their winnings is below.
*Indicates Adjusted Payout
The next major tournament series is the Fall Poker Open, which runs November 6th through the 21st, so start making plans now. The tournament schedule has not yet been released. Follow @BorgataPoker on Twitter to catch the announcement when it is. Until then, Borgata’s regular schedule of Daily Tournaments will resume. For those of you in New Jersey, there’s alway another tournament coming up on BorgataPoker.com. October 14th – 21st, the Garden State Super Series (GSSS) will be running with more than $450,000 in guarantees.
For now, it’s farewell from the Borgata Blogging team of Tim Kelliher, Chris Murray, Al Rash, Brittany Paige, and myself. Hope to see you in November during the Fall Poker Open!
@Kaelaine
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 38: Blinds 400,000/800,000/800,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Erkut ‘Eric’ Yilmaz
On the final hand, Eric Yilmaz was behind when the chips went in, but he caught what he needed on the turn to take the lead. He defeated TK Miles after about 2.5 hours of heads-up play to take the 2018 World Poker Tour Borgata Poker Open Championship title. First place is good for $575,112, which includes $15,000 for an entry in the Season XVII Tournament of Champions (all expenses paid to Las Vegas) and the Borgata Open and WPT Champions Cup trophies.
This is his biggest score ever and he won his seat in this event in a $400 satellite. Eric is a professional poker player and newlywed (for about 1 month). He’s planning to use some of the money to take his new wife on a honeymoon. Then he plans to play lots more World Poker Tour events.
He was the chip leader for a large portion of Day 4, running over the table on the way to the final six. He held the chip lead all day at the final table until heads-up with poker pro TK Miles. They traded the lead back-and-forth several times before Eric finally secured the win.
Final Table Results
| Place | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | CITY | ST | Payout |
| 1 | ERKUT | YILMAZ | FEIR DEKS | CA | $575,112 |
| 2 | TK | MILES | MIAMI BEACH | FL | $383,399 |
| 3 | OLEG | SHNAIDER | BROOKLYN | NY | $283,341 |
| 4 | AUSTIN | WENTLING | MONROEVILLE | PA | $211,562 |
| 5 | LIAM | HE | TYNGSBORO | MA | $159,616 |
| 6 | ANTHONY | MAIO | JAMISON | PA | $121,697 |
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 38: Blinds 400,000/800,000/800,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
TK Miles (photo courtesy Joe Giron/WPT)
Eric Yilmaz limped and TK checked his option. On the flop of 
both checked. Turn was the 
and TK checked again. Eric checked behind. River was the 
and TK bet 1 million. Eric called and TK showed 
. Eric had 
for a rivered pair of Aces to take the pot. He’s up to 32.8 million. TK was left with ~10 million.
Blinds went up to 400,000/800,000.
TK shoved several times and got no action. Then on a flop of 
, all the chips went in. TK had 
for top pair. Eric had 
for bottom pair with open-ended straight draw. TK was looking forward to a double-up, but the 
on the turn gave Eric trips and the lead. The 
on the river sealed Eric’s win with a full house.
TK Miles finished in 2nd place, earning $383,399.
Eric Yilmaz takes the win and $575,112.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 37: Blinds 300,000/600,000/600,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
Eric Yilmaz (photo courtesy Joe Giron/WPT)
Back from break and play resumed, TK Miles having a ~6 million chip lead over Eric Yilmaz.
Eric worked his way back into the chip lead with ~23.4 million, pecking away at TK’s stack.
Eric opened to 1.2 million and TK called. The flop came 
and both checked. Turn was the and TK bet 1.5 million. Eric flatted and the river brought the 
. TK checked, Eric used a Time Extension, then bet 2.8 million.
TK called and saw the bad news — Eric had 
to take the pot. He’s up to 32.2 million and has 75% of all the chips in play.
Both limped to a flop of 
and Eric checked. TK bet 600,000 and Eric called. Turn was the 
and Eric bet 1.3 million. TK called. River was the and Eric checked. TK bet 3 million and Eric mucked. TK took the pot, chipping up to 13.9 million, still way behind Eric.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 36: Blinds 250,000/500,000/500,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
Eric Yilmaz and TK Miles continue to battle heads-up (photo courtesy Joe Giron/WPT)
TK Miles opened big with a pocket pair of 9s and Eric Yilmaz folded. Just like that, TK was back in the chip lead with 22 million.
Then Eric took a couple of pots and was back in the lead with ~23.5 million to TK’s ~19.5 million.
On the river with a board of 
, TK bet 1.3 million. Eric released and TK took the pot. He’s back up to ~20.5 million.
TK opened to 1 million and Eric called. On the 
flop, Eric checked, TK bet 1 million, and Eric check-raised to 2.8 million. TK called and the turn brought the . Eric checked. TK bet 3.5 million. Eric let it go.
That pot took TK’s stack up to 24.8 million, good for the chip lead. Eric was down to 18.2 million as the players took off for a break.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 36: Blinds 250,000/500,000/500,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
Blinds are up!
Eric Yilmaz opened for 1 million and TK Miles called. On the 
flop, both players checked. The 
turn brought a check from TK and a 1 million bet from Eric. TK called. River was the . TK checked and Eric followed suit. TK tabled 
for a pair of 9s to take the pot. (Eric had 42 offsuit).
On the turn with a board of 
, Eric bet and TK called. River was the 
. TK checked and Eric bet 3.4 million. TK let it go and Eric got back to 21.7 million and is back in the chip lead. TK was left with ~ 21 million.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 35: Blinds 200,000/400,000/400,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
TK Miles (photo courtesy Joe Giron/WPT)
After surrendering a pot to a 1.3 million turn bet by TK Miles, Eric Yilmaz’s chip lead was down to less than 1 million chips.
On a flop of flop, Eric checked, TK bet 1 million and Eric called. Turn was the and Eric checked. TK slid out a bet of 2.5 million and Eric let it go. With that pot, TK regained the chip lead with ~23.5 million. Eric was left with ~19.45 million.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 35: Blinds 200,000/400,000/400,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
Eric Yilmaz had increased his chip lead to more than 2:1. He’s got ~29 million to TK Miles’ ~13 million.
Eric opened and TK flatted to see the flop fall 
[ih]
. TK checked, Eric bet 600,000 and TK flatted.
On the turn, TK checked and Eric fired 1.8 million. TK once again flatted. River was the . TK checked a final time. Eric gave up, checking behind (he had ). TK showed 
for top set to take the pot, adding about 2.5 million to his stack.
Then TK opened to 800,000, Eric 3-bet to 1.6 million, and TK shoved (holding pocket 9s). Eric folded (J9 off) and TK took the pot.
The two players are now closer to even again.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 35: Blinds 200,000/400,000/400,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
Eric Yilmaz
Eric Yilmaz opened for 800,000 and TK Miles called. The flop fell 
and after TK checked, Eric fired 600,000. TK called to see the 
on the turn, and checked again.
Eric checked behind and the river brought the — it was checked down. Eric showed 
for a set to take the pot. He’s up to ~28.8 million. TK’s down to ~14 million.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata Poker Open Championship NLH
$3,000,000 Guaranteed
Structure | Payouts
Link to Live Stream
Level 34: Blinds 150,000/300,000/300,000 BB Ante
Total Entries: 1,075
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 21.5 million
Eric Yilmaz opened for 650,000 and TK Miles called. The flop fell 
and TK checked. Eric checked as well to see the on the turn. TK checked. Eric bet 500,000 and TK called.
The 
came on the river and TK checked once again. Eric fired 1.75 million and TK let it go.
From the live stream, we learned that Eric had and rivered the straight. TK had 
.