Atlantic City is known as the "Las Vegas of the East Coast", but despite living in the shadow of Sin City this New Jersey gambling hotspot has plenty of its own personality and presence, and the Borgata Winter Poker Open is part of that. A many-event series held in January, the Borgata Winter Poker Open draws pros, amateurs and celebrities alike, and the 1,500 buy-in Holdem event was no exception to the rule.
The event, which took place Saturday, January 20th, was a shining example of smart, measured poker, with a final table that included the winner of the same event a year before, Jeremy Shor, who started the final table as the short stack as well as the returning champion. Shor overcame a deficit of chips to score a healthy fourth place finish, taking home $47,775.
Next up was Brian Lupo, who finished in third place with a paycheck of $54,600, after a heads up with James Van Alstyne left Lupo short. Van Alstyne, however, couldn't take out the Man from Maine, Leonard Cortellino, and winded up second best with $105,788. Van Alstyne battled for his life heads up, and is considered one of the better players in the city, if not the world - yet could not close the deal. Van Alstyne expressed disappointment with not winning, but pleased with his game and his payday. Cortellino grabbed up nearly twice that amount, taking home $200,860.
