$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 40: 500,000/1,000,000/100,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 37,320,000
2018 Borgata Winter Poker Open Main Event Champion Eric Afriat
The Winter Poker Open Championship assembled a strong field with 1,244 entrants creating a prize pool of nearly $4 million. WPT Champions Club members littered the field and only one made the final table. Eric Afriat started the final table as the short stack and nine hours later, claims his second WPT title.
Afriat entered on Day 2 and spun his stack up into contention in no time.
The win moves Afriat over the $2.5 million mark in career earnings and placed him in elite company with his second World Poker Tour title. Afriat has a lot of history at Borgata dating back to 2014 when he made a deep run but came up shy of winning the WPT World Championship.
Afriat is a real estate professional from Quebec, Canada who claims poker as a recreational hobby. His play, however, continues to elude professionals and he used his aggressive style to get the better of Joseph McKeehen, Zach Gruneberg, and Justin Zaki during heads up play to win the title.
Those three players were all looking for their first BPO and WPT final table after a few previous close calls. McKeehen and Gruneberg final tabled a WPT final table at Borgata in 2016, finishing fourth and second respectively.
Local pro Michael Marder made his charge at the title but fell shy of victory in fifth place. 22-year-old Stephen Song stole the show on Day 4 and announced his presence to the poker world by taking sixth place.
Other notable pros to make Day 4 but come up shy of today’s final table include Kane Kalas, 2015 BPO Championship winner David Paredes, and WPT Champions Club member Kevin Saul.
Kalas jumped in the live stream booth to perform commentary for the final table with BorgataPoker.com pro Michael Gagliano.
Afriat wins $636,928 for first place along with the $15,000 seat into the WPT Tournament of Champions.
Congratulations to Eric Afriat for becoming the 2018 Winter Poker Open Champion.
Final Table Results:
1st: Eric Afriat – $651,928*
2nd: Justin Zaki – $434,614
3rd: Zach Gruneberg – $321,533
4th: Joe McKeehen – $240,251
5th: Michael Marder – $181,329
6th: Stephen Song – $138,254
*includes $15,000 seat to Tournament of Champions
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 40: 500,000/1,000,000/100,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 1
Average Stack: 37,320,000
Live Stream
Justin Zaki
The multi-hour heads up battle between Justin Zaki and Eric Afriat is at an end with the latter finishing off a come from behind victory.
Down to a few blinds after doubling up Afriat, Zaki got his chips in with 
against the 
of Afriat. The 
flop put Zaki ahead but the 
on the turn gave Afriat added outs going to the river.
Afriat found the 
to hit trips and claim his second WPT victory. Zaki takes $434,614 for second place for a strong five days of poker. A winner’s recap will be posted shortly.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 40: 500,000/1,000,000/100,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Eric Afriat is on the verge of the Winter Poker Open Championship title after doubling up through Justin Zaki.
Afriat raised to 2,000,000 and Zaki moved all-in. Afriat called with 
and was in a dream scenario against the 
of Zaki. The 
board shipped the pot to Afriat.
He is now in control of over 90 percent of the chips in play. Zaki is down to three big blinds.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 39: 400,000/800,000/100,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Eric Afriat was on the ropes in heads up play against Justin Zaki after losing a large pot but doubled up and is right back in action.
Zaki opened the button to 1,600,000 and Afriat called. The 
flop resulted in a check-call for 1,800,000 and the produced the same thing for 2,300,000. Afriat checked the river and Zaki moved all-in. Afriat kicked it in and left himself with about 6,500,000.
Two hands later, Afriat limped in and Zaki checked. Zaki checked the 
flop and Afriat bet 800,000. Zaki raised to 2,200,000 and called the 6,200,000 shove from Afriat with 
for two pair. Afriat had a flush draw turn. The 
river missed Zaki and Afriat doubled up.
Zaki is leading with 23,100,000 to the 14,200,000 of Afriat with more all-ins to come.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 39: 400,000/800,000/100,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Justin Zaki
Justin Zaki doubled up at the start of Level 39 and is the chip leader once again in heads up play.
Zaki moved all-in for 11,000,000 total with 
and Eric Afriat called with 
. The 
board gave Zaki two pair and he doubled up. He now has 22,200,000 to the 15,100,000 of Afriat.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
End of Level 38: 300,000/600,000/75,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Eric Afriat
This level has been all Eric Afriat and he is into the chip lead once again.
Afriat opened to 1,300,000 and Justin Zaki called. Zaki check-called for 800,000 on the 
flop, 1,500,000 on the turn, and for 1,500,000 on the 
river. Afriat rolled over and took the pot.
With the blinds going up, Afriat leads 27,100,000 to the 10,200,000 of Zaki with less than 50 big blinds left in play.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 38: 300,000/600,000/75,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Level 37 is on to 38 and Eric Afriat picked up a few chips to close the gap between him and Justin Zaki.
Afriat raised to 1,000,000 and Zaki called. The flop checked through and Afriat bet 1,000,000 on the turn. Zaki called and Afriat bet 1,300,000 more on the 
river. Zaki called that as well and Afriat’s 
was enough to take the pot.
With the blinds up, Zaki leads with 21,100,000 to the 16,225,000 of Afriat.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 35: 150,000/300,000/50,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Eric Afriat
Eric Afriat started heads up play with a sizable chip disadvantage against Justin Zaki. Thanks to two straight pots won at the end of the level, Afriat is in the lead.
Afriat opened the button to 600,000 and Zaki defended the big blind. Zaki checked the 
flop and Afriat bet 600,000 more. Zaki checked again on the 
turn and Afriat knocked to the 
river. Zaki checked once more and Afriat came in with 800,000. Zaki used a time chip and called. Afriat rolled over and took the pot.
Zaki put in 600,000 on the button and Afriat called. Afriat checked the flop and Zaki put in 400,000. Afriat raised to 1,100,000 and Zaki called to the 
turn. Afriat bet 1,300,000 more and Zaki kicked it in.
With the blinds about to go up, Afriat leads with 21,100,000 to the 16,300,000 of Zaki.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 35: 150,000/300,000/50,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Heads up play is underway between Eric Afriat and Justin Zaki for the title of Winter Poker Open Champion. Zaki holds a 2:1 lead in chips and Afriat is looking to take down his second World Poker Tour title. Levels are 30-minutes each for heads up play and the WPO blog will have coverage all the way until a winner is crowned.
$3,300+$200 WPT Borgata WPO Championship
$3 Million Guaranteed
Level 34: 125,000/250,000/25,000
Total Entries: 1,244
Players Remaining: 2
Average Stack: 18,660,000
Live Stream
Zach Gruneberg
Three-handed play was not pleasant for Zach Gruneberg, who could not win a pot down the stretch. Justin Zaki took the rest of Gruneberg’s chips and the start of final table chip leader is out in third place.
Gruneberg limped the small blind and Zaki raised to 750,000, leading Gruneberg to shove for 6,400,000. Zaki called right away with 
and Gruneberg’s 
was on the ropes. The 
flop did nothing immediate. The turn added two outs for a straight but the river sent out Gruneberg in third place.
Gruneberg earns third after taking second place in the 2016 Borgata Poker Open Championship. Players are taking a break and will start heads up play at 7:55 pm. Updated counts are below.
- Eric Afriat – 12,925,000
- Justin Zaki – 24,400,000