The Return - A Borgata Championship Event

$2,200 Mystery Bounty Event ($1,000,000 in Guaranteed Bounties)
Day: 2
Event Info

The Return - A Borgata Championship Event

Event Info
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$2,670,340
Entries
1,361
Players Left
9
Average Chip Stack
5,292,778
Total Chips
47,635,000
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
160,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
397
Players Left
9

$2,200 Mystery Bounty Event ($1,000,000 in Guaranteed Bounties)

Day 2 Completed

Sam Laskowitz Wins $2,200 Mystery Bounty Event; Ryan Dodd Draws $250,000 Grand Prize Bounty

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Samuel Laskowitz
Samuel Laskowitz

It's safe to say that big-time tournament poker has returned to Atlantic City! The Return - A Borgata Championship Event kicked off with the $2,200 Mystery Bounty Event, a tournament that attracted 1,361 entries and awarded a $2,670,340 prize pool.

Day 2 wrapped up after 18 hours with one of the most unique finishes possible in a poker tournament. After 17 hours of play and an hour of deliberations, a one-of-a-kind deal was struck between the final table of nine players, a deal that included the bounties.

Finishing as the official tournament champion for $146,609 in prize money was Sam Laskowitz of Bayport, New York, who entered the final table holding a slight chip lead and was therefore given the best of the ICM deal. The score was the second-largest of his career, only behind a $250,000 win from June of 2022.

Right behind Laskowitz in chips was Anthony Maio, who ended with $142,054 in prize money to add to his over $1 million in career earnings.

In third place, Ryan Eriquezzo took home $132,093. The day was an eventful one for Eriquezzo as he led the field in terms of the number of bounties collected on the day, but kept on drawing the minimum $500 time and time again, much to his increasing dismay.

$2,200 Mystery Bounty Event Final Table Results

PositionPlayerHometownPrize Money
1Sam LaskowitzBayport, NY$146,609*
2Anthony MaioJamison, PA$142,054*
3Ryan EriquezzoNew Haven, CT$132,093*
4Baruch ForstToms River, PA$123,817*
5Maxim UrvantsevBrooklyn, NY$122,844*
6Benedetto BiancoFranklin, NY$116,700*
7Constantine BogiatzisN/A$116,249*
8Francis AndersonPoughkeepsie, NY$104,084*
9Ryan DoddRunnemede, NJ92,098*

*denotes final table ICM deal

The ever-exciting mystery bounty format was at its peak as the $250,000 grand prize bounty remained unclaimed all the way until the final table, which was a large driver in all decision-making and ultimately in the deal decision.

At 5 a.m. local time, the final table was reached and the players began to discuss a deal. After the players agreed to ICM chop the prize pool, the question became what to do with the remaining nine bounties given Borgata regulations prevented players from playing it our for just the bounties, one of which was the $250,000 along with a pair of $25,000 pulls remaining as well.

An idea was suggested by Benedetto Bianco, which was ultimately agreed upon. Each player would take one of the remaining bounties and draw based on a random order decided by the high card.

So at nearly 6 a.m. local time, the anticipation swelled as the remaining nine players lined up in random order to draw for the remaining bounties, ultimately a replacement for any final table poker action. The drama did not last long from there as Ryan Dodd, who was the short stack at the final table, fished out the grand $250,000 prize on the second draw.

Francis Anderson went on to draw one of the remaining $25,000 bounties and the final big bounty was claimed by Laskowitz when he drew the last $25,000 to go along with his trophy.

Final Bounty Draws Results

Order of DrawPlayerBounty Drawn
1Baruch Forst$500
2Ryan Dodd$250,000
3Francis Anderson$25,000
4Constantine Bogiatzis$500
5Anthony Maio$500
6Samuel Laskowitz$25,000
7Maxim Urvantsev$500
8Ryan Eriquezzo$500
9Benedetto Bianco$500
Ryan Dodd
Ryan Dodd nabbed the $250K bounty!

Final Day Action

The day began with 397 players and would need to shed a fourth of the field before the mystery bounty portion began with 300 players, which would happen after about an hour.

The mood substantially changed with the introduction of the mystery bounties, as there was now the possibility that as much as $250,000 could be won, which became the main drama of the day.

The $100,000 draws came out of the barrel fairly early, as Anthony Cicali became the first player to pull a six-figure bounty. Less than an hour later, Michael Haberman scored the other $100,000 card as his celebrations were heard by the whole room.

The drama of the looming $250,000 began to become the story as $500 after $500 was pulled with the tease of the grand prize still looming. It lasted all the way until the final table where the aforementioned conclusion would unfold.

Follow along with PokerNews for all the action here at The Borgata as The Return with a $3,000,000 guaranteed prize pool kicks off at 11 a.m. local time with Day 1a.

Click here to follow updates from the $5,300 The Return ($3M GTD)!)

Tags: Anthony CicaliAnthony MaioBaruch ForstBenedetto BiancoConstantine BogiatzisFrancis AndersonMaxim UrvantsevMichael HabermanRyan DobbsRyan DoddSamuel Laskowitz

Ryan Dodd Draws $250,000 Grand Prize

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Ryan Dodd
Ryan Dodd

With the second draw out of the nine, Ryan Dodd did what everyone in the room had been dreaming of doing for hours, draw the $250,000 grand prize.

"Bang" he exclaimed and plucked the card with the number on it as the remaining players who were anti-sweating looked on in disappointment.

Tags: Ryan Dodd

Bounty Draw Upcoming

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

The remaining nine players will draw the remaining nine bounty cards. One for each player. The $250,000 huge prize still looms. There are also two $25,000 bounties and the other six are all the minimum $500.

Final Chip Counts at Deal

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Samuel Laskowitz us
Samuel Laskowitz
7,465,000
-1,035,000
-1,035,000
Anthony Maio us
Anthony Maio
7,015,000
-985,000
-985,000
Ryan Eriquezzo us
Ryan Eriquezzo
6,090,000
490,000
490,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Baruch Forst us
Baruch Forst
5,380,000
2,880,000
2,880,000
Maxim Urvantsev us
Maxim Urvantsev
5,300,000
3,600,000
3,600,000
Benedetto Bianco us
Benedetto Bianco
4,810,000
1,710,000
1,710,000
Constantine Bogiatzis us
Constantine Bogiatzis
4,775,000
-1,525,000
-1,525,000
Ryan Dodd us
Ryan Dodd
3,100,000
100,000
100,000

Deal Decided; Play Concluded

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

The players have decided to chop the prize pool with ICM and they will randomize the bounties by passing them around the table.

Samuel Laskowitz will get the trophy and the highest amount of money. More details and numbers to come shortly after the bounty draws.

Updated Chip Counts

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Samuel Laskowitz us
Samuel Laskowitz
8,500,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
Anthony Maio us
Anthony Maio
8,000,000
2,750,000
2,750,000
Constantine Bogiatzis us
Constantine Bogiatzis
6,300,000
700,000
700,000
Ryan Eriquezzo us
Ryan Eriquezzo
5,600,000
-250,000
-250,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Francis Anderson us
Francis Anderson
3,200,000
-1,900,000
-1,900,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Benedetto Bianco us
Benedetto Bianco
3,100,000
-300,000
-300,000
Ryan Dodd us
Ryan Dodd
3,000,000
-1,000,000
-1,000,000
Baruch Forst us
Baruch Forst
2,500,000
-200,000
-200,000
Maxim Urvantsev us
Maxim Urvantsev
1,700,000
-2,200,000
-2,200,000

Final Table Redraw

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
SEATPLAYERCHIP COUNTBIG BLINDS
1Anthony Maio8,000,00050
2Samuel Laskowitz8,500,00053
3Baruch Forst2,500,00016
4Constantine Bogiatzis6,300,00039
5Maxim Urvantsev1,700,00011
6Francis Anderson3,200,00020
7Ryan Dodd3,000,00019
8Benedetto Bianco3,100,00019
9Ryan Eriquezzo5,600,00035

Matthew Brady Eliminated in 10th Place ($19,794)

Level 30 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante
Matthew Brady
Matthew Brady

Matthew Brady moved all in from the button over an early position raise from Ryan Eriquezzo who called quickly.

Matthew Brady: {k-Diamonds}{q-Spades}
Ryan Eriquezzo: {a-Diamonds}{q-Hearts}

The flop came {a-Spades}{2-Diamonds}{4-Spades} to give great promise to the final table being popped which it was when the {4-Hearts} and {6-Diamonds} filled out the board and the final table of nine was reached.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan Eriquezzo us
Ryan Eriquezzo
5,850,000
1,350,000
1,350,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Matthew Brady us
Matthew Brady
Busted

Tags: Matthew BradyRyan Eriquezzo