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Bonus TL;DR
- The $10,200 BetMGM Poker Big, Big Baller at the Borgata Big, Big Series drew 17 entries to build a $500,000 prize pool, with Clemen Deng holding the early chip lead at 51,000 during Level 3.
- Early action included a notable elimination when Cherish Andrews ran pocket jacks into Jordan Glazer’s pocket kings, while players like Brock Wilson and Matthew Zambanini picked up key pots.
The $10,200 BetMGM Poker Big, Big Baller at the 2026 Borgata Big, Big Series reached 17 entries and a listed $500,000 prize pool early in play on Sept. 17, according to PokerNews live reporting.
That left 16 players in the field at the time of the update, with the tournament in Level 3 at 200/300 blinds with a 300 ante. For readers tracking BetMGM-branded live poker events—a brand also widely known for its popular online casino—the early report offers a first look at field size, chip distribution, and one notable knockout from the high-buy-in event.
Clemen Deng leads early chip counts
PokerNews listed Clemen Deng as the early chip leader with 51,000. He was followed by Jordan Glazer with 47,800 and Brock Wilson with 45,600.
Other reported stacks included:
- Brandon Hamlet: 35,300
- Matthew Zambanini: 33,100
- Michael Gagliano: 32,600
- Darren Elias: 30,400
- Nicholas Palma: 30,000
- Matthew Beinner: 30,000
The average stack was listed at 11,250, with 180,000 total chips in play.
One of the most significant early developments was the elimination of Cherish Andrews. PokerNews reported that Andrews got all in holding J♠J♦ against Jordan Glazer’s K♠K♦ after preflop and flop action escalated on a J♥ 3♣ 2♥ board. Glazer’s kings held, reducing the field by one.
Early hands shape the field at Borgata
Beyond Andrews’ exit, PokerNews highlighted several hands that helped define the opening levels.
In one pot, Brandon Hamlet squeezed preflop after an open from John Ripnick and a call from Daniel Monosson. On an A♠K♦ 5♣ flop, Hamlet made a 2,800 continuation bet and took it down.
Matthew Zambanini also picked up chips against Mike Gao. PokerNews reported that Zambanini three-bet preflop with A♦ 9♣ and then called a river bet on a 7♦ 9♦ 7♥ J♠K♣ runout to win at showdown.
Another featured pot went to Brock Wilson, who beat Andrew Porter on a Q♣ K♥ 8♠6♠2♣ board with K♦ 8♣. Wilson called a turn bet, then moved all in for 10,200 on the river and was paid.
PokerNews’ update did not include the final payout structure or eventual winner. Those details were still unresolved at the time of reporting as the BetMGM Poker Big, Big Baller continued at Borgata.
Source: As reported by pokernews.com.
