The 2026 Borgata Spring Poker Open is now in the poker history books! The whirlwind series put more than $4,000,000 on the line in guaranteed prize pools, though the actual amount of prize money awarded went way beyond. Nearly 70 events combined online and live poker action, qualifiers and satellites, tournaments and livestreamed cash games in conjunction with BetMGM Poker to provide the poker community with something for everyone.
Fight to the Finish in the 2026 Borgata Spring Poker Open Championship
The highlight of the entire Borgata Spring Poker Open was the main event – the highest buy-in and biggest guarantee of the series – and it didn’t disappoint. Three starting days kicked it off from May 3-5, and the turnout exceeded all expectations.
- Total entries: 572
- Total prize pool: $1,372,800 (well beyond the $1,000,000 guarantee)
- Number of paid players: 72
- Minimum payout: $6,400
Those numbers came in on Day 2, after late registration ended, and the money bubble burst not long after the dinner break. The field thinned greatly from that point until only 26 players bagged chips at the end of that night. Farid Jattin was the chip leader, and a player named Todd Lewis was fifth on the leaderboard.
Day 3 Raises the Stakes
With all players guaranteed at least $10,475 for making it to Day 3, play moved along at a decent pace. The second elimination of the day saw new BetMGM Poker Ambassador Mike Lavin lose his battle for a final table spot at the hands of Lewis, but he represented well at his first public series in the new role.
Other well-known players hit the rail soon after Lavin, as Olivier Busquet took 24th place, Brandon Hall took 23rd, and Maurice Hawkins busted in 16th place. After Andrew Porter cashed in tenth place, the final nine took their seats at the last table. The minimum payout at that point was $23,225, and Sead Duraku collected that amount for his ninth-place elimination. Matthew Zambanini walked away with $28,510 in eighth place, and play ended after Ricardo Eyzaguirre busted in seventh place for $35,045.
Shortest Stack to Champion
Day 4 delivered the final table, livestreamed for everyone to see. Todd Lewis was the shortest stack of the final six players, as the lineup looked like this:
- William Klevitz 8,190,000
- Joe Foote 7,765,000
- Michael Walker 2,840,000
- Farid Jattin 2,730,000
- Bobby Thomas 865,000
- Todd Lewis 520,000
Lewis took little time to make a move, and his Q-J of clubs turned a flush to eliminate Thomas in sixth place and take a few chips from Klevitz. Lewis then doubled through Foote, though the latter ousted Jattin in fifth place. Klevitz put a big dent in Walker’s stack, and Foote then busted Walker in fourth.
Three-handed play saw Lewis shove all-in with A-K, which won over the 6-3 of Foote for a double-up that put Lewis in the chip lead for the first time at the final table.
Klevitz then busted Foote in third place to take 11,260,000 chips to heads-up play against the 11,550,000 of Lewis. With stacks that close, it didn’t take long for the players to come to a payout plan. They each agreed to take home $200,000, with the last $15,450 and two trophies set aside for the ultimate winner.
The duo then played for nearly three hours before Lewis emerged victorious.
The final results were:
- 1st place: Todd Lewis $215,450
- 2nd place: William Klevitz $200,000
- 3rd place: Joe Foote $117,970
- 4th place: Michael Walker $78,300
- 5th place: Farid Jattin $54,760
- 6th place: Bobby Thomas $43,500
Long Road for Lewis Ends with Win
After Black Friday and starting a family, Lewis took a decade-long break from poker tournaments, though he now plays occasionally, mostly cash games. And living in New York doesn’t provide the opportunities to play that he once had. This trip to Borgata was a break from the norm in Lewis’ current life (as he told Poker.org), and he took it all the way to the winner’s circle. As friends and family watched the livestream, he pulled himself up from the shortest stack at the final table to the chip leader and then the champion.
Prepare for Big Summer Events at BetMGM Poker Online
If you know Borgata, you know that the end of the Spring Poker Open means it’s already time to look toward the Borgata Summer Poker Open!
BetMGM doesn’t have online satellites for that series ready yet, but there are a plethora of qualifiers for the ARIA Poker Classic in Las Vegas. Several types of prize packages are available, with qualifiers starting at just $5.
In addition, players will find online poker cash games and tournaments available around the clock at BetMGM, and the range of stakes provides something for everyone, from recreational players to the pros. Legal online poker at BetMGM has never been so popular or accessible. And rarely will players find such a potentially profitable online poker welcome bonus code as is offered right now. We hope to see you there at the tables!
