Blake Vogdes Wins 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open

After a Quick-Stack Comeback, Blake Vogdes Wins the 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship

Revealed 2026.01.20

3 min learn

Why belief VIP-Grinders?

Affiliate Disclosure

For 10+ years, our playing specialists have examined poker, on line casino and sports-betting websites independently. We double-check each bonus, promotion and stat and replace pages usually – see our Editorial Tips for the complete particulars.

Transparency Notice: In case you signup by way of our hyperlinks, we could earn a fee at no further value to you, which helps us hold our content material high-quality and unbiased. In case you like our content material, we might be comfortable when you assist our work through the use of our affiliate hyperlinks.

Atlantic Metropolis served up a correct winter poker basic this week as Blake Vogdes outlasted a large discipline to win the 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship at Borgata Resort & On line casino. The $3,500 buy-in centerpiece of the pageant drew 895 entries, generated a $3,000,000 assured prize pool, and ended with Vogdes lifting the trophy for $457,980 after a heads-up deal.

Quick Stack Comeback: From Backside to Champion in Below an Hour

With 5 gamers left, Vogdes was the clear brief stack — the kind of spot the place the following pay-jump begins whispering “simply ladder.” He did the alternative.

1He strung collectively a number of double-ups in fast succession, turning a short-stack survival spot into an actual title shot.2The momentum swing occurred over roughly 45 minutes of high-pressure final-table play – precisely the section the place most gamers leak EV by panicking or overcorrecting.3As soon as he obtained traction, he did not give it again – pressuring the mid-stacks, avoiding punts, and shutting the door because the desk shortened.

Heads-Up Deal: Trophy to Vogdes, Large Payday for Jack Kwon

Vogdes reached heads-up in opposition to Jack Kwon, who turned his run right into a profession rating. The pair agreed to a heads-up deal. However Vogdes took the trophy and high cash; Kwon banked an enormous runner-up payout of $407,110.

Ultimate Desk Outcomes

PlacePlayerPrize1stBlake Vogdes$457,9802ndJack Kwon$407,1103rdZachary Fischer$243,2454thDuane Mitchell$159,5705thBenjamin Morgan$109,9256thOlivier Busquet$85,3007thKyle Grupp$67,6558thGreg Himmelbrand$54,9959thThomas Cannuli$42,970

Who Is Blake Vogdes?

Blake Vogdes isn’t the kind of title that dominates spotlight reels — and that’s precisely why this win is so refreshing to kick of the poker match season. He’s been constructing outcomes with out the noise, resembling a 4th in final yr’s PGT Kickoff, and this Borgata could be Blake’s breakthrough title.

Earlier than this championship, Vogdes had logged ~$237k in recorded reside earnings and a greatest reside rating of $50,400 (4th place) from the 2025 PGT Kickoff. This Borgata win isn’t simply “greater” — it’s a career-shaping leap.

Vogdes SnapshotWhat It Tells UsPrevious recorded reside earnings (pre-win)$237,000 — sturdy quantity however no headline-breaking rating yetPrevious greatest rating$50,400 (4th in a 2025 PGT Kickoff occasion)2026 Borgata WPO Championship$457,980 — a real breakout win and main titleWin pathShort stack at 5-handed → a number of double-ups → closes in below an hour

Let’s keep watch over Blake Vogdes in 2026 and see if this actually was his breakthrough win.