Championship Recap

$2500 + $200 Championship Deep Stack Double Play NLH

The final table of the Borgata Summer Poker Open was a microcosm of the entire tournament. Some of the best players in the field used big stacks and a deep structure until Chalie Hook (Philadelphia, PA) was left holding the trophy.

"You can't say it very often," said Hook who earned $198,186 for his largest career win, "but the best three or four players in the tournament were at the final table."

Hook defeated Mike Lydon (Woodside, NY) heads up while holding A♥ 10♦ on the final hand for middle pair against Lydon's flush draw that bricked the turn and river.  Lydon also earned his largest career cash, $116,787, as runner-up.

Hook and Lydon played a marathon three-handed session with third place finisher Dan Wach (Boonton, MA) who nearly went wire to wire after leading the chip counts after each of the first three days.

"It only matters if you win," said Wach, who took home $67,241 for third place. "It's alright, I won't complain, but I'm still not happy with the finish."

Hook also had a big stack most of the tournament. He bagged a top 10 stack after Day 1 and was right behind Wach after Days 2 and 3 on their way to the final table.

"I was really focused and had a positive attitude coming in," said Hook who also praised the 30k starting stacks and 90 minute levels on Days 3 and 4. "I knew if you made any mistakes the great structure would make up for it."

"You can do a lot of maneuvering when you get chips," added Wach.  "You can afford to make some mistakes." 

Lydon was the exception to the big stack rule as he had an average stack most of the way until he got hot at the final table. Lydon climbed the chip counts by knocking out Ken Silberstein in 10th place, crippling Travis Greenawalt, who finished 9th, and eliminating Orson Young in 8th place.

Hook singled out Young and Wach as two of the field's top players, and Young, who began Day 2 second in chips behind Wach, was another early big stack that went deep.

Next to go at the final table was "Grandpa" Jay Zimmet in 7th place, who was one of the two players at the final table with two Borgata trophies.  The other was Gregg Fishberg who finished 5th.

In between those eliminations was another Borgata regular Taha Maruf (6th) who was Hook's first final table victim.

The pivotal hand at the final table, and most brutal, came between tournament newcomer Joe "The Jeweler" Gola and Wach. Gola's pocket Aces were cracked by Wach's pocket Kings and Gola, who also had a top 10 stack after Day 1, was eliminated in 4th place.

That set the stage for Wach, Lydon and Hook, who are all Borgata trophy winners looking for their second title. Hook knocked out Wach in third place before he finished off Lydon.

"It feels good to get a live title," said Hook, who now has more than $500,000 in career tournament earnings. "This is my largest score, so I'm really happy."

In addition to Hook, Wach, Gola and Young, three other players who bagged an early big stack made the money.  They included Mike Schoultz (11th), Shaheim Sheridan (13th) and John Dibella (23rd) to make it an astounding 7 out of the top 10 stacks from Day 1 that cashed.

The four day tournament, that featured two Day 1s, had 296 entries for a total buy-in of $740,000.

27 players made the money and included Borgata regulars Frank Reina (12th), Nick Salimbene (14th), Chris Farley (16th), Maruti Yarlapati (17th), DJ Whorley (20th) and Mike Dentale (25th).

Final Table Results

Entries: 296
Total Buy-In: $740,000

Place - Amount

1st Chalie Hook (Philadelphia, PA) $198,186
2nd Mike Lydon (Woodside, NY) $116,787
3rd Dan Wach (Boonton, NJ) $67,241
4th Joe "The Jeweler" Gola (Philadelphia, PA) $54,501
5th Gregg Fishberg (Huntingdon Valley, PA) $42,468
6th Taha Maruf (Hicksville, NY) $35,390
7th "Grandpa" Jay Zimmet (Manalapan, NJ) $28,312
8th Orson Young (Oceanport, NJ) $21,234
9th Travis Greenawalt (Landisville, PA) $14,156
10th Ken Silberstein (Edison, NJ) $9,201

FINAL RESULTS