Sam Taylor Triumphs at 2017 Borgata Spring Poker Open

The 2017 Borgata Spring Poker Open was held at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, with 670 players paying its $2,500 entry fee to create a prize pool worth $1,675,000. Four days later, and it was Sam Taylor who would triumph over the large field, including a tough final table featuring two November Niners, to claim the tournament’s $390,103 first place prize.
Sam Taylor has recorded a number of six-figure scores over the past five years, including in 2013 a 3rd place finish at the $560 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open for $137,261, and a 5th place finish at the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event for $118,145. In 2015, Taylor then took down the $1,675 WSOPC Foxwoods for $149,020, which represented his biggest score to date until this week, with his latest victory now pushing his career earnings to $1,180,146.
The Borgata Spring Poker Open attracted a number of notable pros, and amongst those seeing a return on their buy-ins was Taylor von Kriegenbergh in 36th ($7,961), Mukul Pahuja in 25th ($8,936), Chance Kornuth in 22nd ($8,936), and Will Failla in 13th ($15,435).
The final table also featured some prominent players, including the 2010 WSOP Main Event runner-up John Racener, and the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen, who got off to an early start after being dealt pocket aces and scoring a double elimination over Erick But (K-J) in 9th, and Kane Kalas (A-K) in 8th. Not so fortunate for Racener, though, who was sent to the rail in 7th after his A-J was bested by Wade Meacham’s pocket tens.
Sam Taylor (A-K) then took care of Meachem (10-10) in 4th, and Joe McKeehen in 3rd to take a 3-1 chip lead over Simon Lam into heads-up play. Another two hours would ensue, however, before the deciding hand was played with Lam bluffing all-in on a 2-4-2-4-7 board, only to be called by Taylor (A-9) with just ace high to claim the title.
Final Table Results:
1st: Sam Taylor $390,103
2nd: Simon Lam $219,341
3rd: Joe McKeehen $138,104
4th: Wade Meachem $112,108
5th: Eric Fields $89,361
6th: Ricky Guan $73,926
7th: John Racener $59,303
8th: Kane Kalas $44,681
9th: Erick But $30,870