A dental technician won a six-figure prize in a single competition.

Philadelphia dental technician Baruch Fishman defeated 2,209 entries in the Borgata $500 Almighty Stack event to win the $108,840 first prize, marking his first major tournament victory.

Large tournaments require both skill and luck to excel, but they also offer opportunities for less experienced players to start a new chapter in their careers. For cash game player Baruch Fishman, the past few days have been a perfect example of this.

Fishman was born in Israel but has spent most of his life in the United States, currently residing in Philadelphia as a dental technician. He has been a cash game regular for most of the past 15 years, but according to The Hendon Mob, he has only accumulated $6,172 in live winnings across five recorded tournaments.

A few days ago, Fishman tried his luck with just one bullet in the $500 Borgata Almighty Stack event at the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open (sponsored by BetMGM Poker). The champion, with no expectations, had no idea that an incredible journey awaited him.

The tournament attracted 2,209 entries, with a total prize pool of $927,780. The top 279 players received prize money, but everyone was vying for the $144,250 first-place prize.

After nearly 24 hours of intense poker battles from the first card dealt to the end of the tournament, Fishman, Yuriy Kudrynskyy, and William Shaw finally reached an ICM agreement. Shaw had the largest guaranteed prize, but the three still had to compete for the trophy and an additional 1TP 4T 15,480.

However, once everything settled down, Fishman took home the championship title and a prize of $108,840, a life-changing income.

$500 Borgata Almighty Stack Final Table Results

*Reflects the ICM protocol

Post-championship remarks

In the emotional elation following the victory, it was clear how significant this victory was to Fishman.

"Honestly, it feels surreal," Fishman said. "I've only just started playing tournaments, and this is obviously the deepest I've ever gone. It feels amazing to win this title, and I'm so lucky."

As a cash game player with 15 years of experience, this Philadelphia resident knows the role of short-term luck in poker. He explained how this is amplified in tournaments and recalled some lucky moments.

"I was incredibly lucky the second day, and every time I went all in, I made it through," he continued. "I could never be that lucky again in my life."

With only two tables remaining in the tournament, Fishman went all-in pre-flop with less than ten big blinds on three separate occasions. During the bubble on Day 3, with only seven players left, he was on the verge of elimination, only surviving after hitting a straight on the river. He entered the final six with fifth-place chip stack (16 big blinds) and received crucial hands at critical moments.

"I haven't really come to my senses yet," Fishman described. "I feel like I played really well, but winning this kind of tournament really takes a lot of luck."

This substantial prize money may motivate Fishman to be more committed to tournaments, but he remains open to the future.

"I really enjoy playing in tournaments. I think it's the most exciting form of poker, much more fun than cash games," he said. "It's really fun. But sometimes it's brutal; these three days were very tough."

Fishman explained that he actually has to go back to work tonight and has no plans to participate in tournament poker in the near future.

Day 3 Battle Report

The final six players returned to the live table in the Borgata poker room, with John Malczan and Yuriy Kudrynskyy leading the chip count.

In the first lap of the day, Raymond Ferretti became the first player eliminated. He went all-in with his last 11 big blinds with pocket eights, only to run into Fishman's pocket kings.

Malczan's fortunes began to decline after losing to Kudrynskyy—his top pair top kicker lost to Kudrynskyy's two pair hit on the flop, giving Kudrynskyy a significant lead after that hand.

John Wilson became the next player eliminated after losing several small pots in a row. He went all-in with AJ from the under-the-gun position with his last ten big blinds, but Fishman called again with K, completing another elimination.

The four-player battle was a rollercoaster of activity and caution, with short-stacked players constantly finding opportunities to double up. As the chips dwindled, no one was able to pull ahead.

More than two hours after his previous elimination, Malczan's journey ended in fourth place. He was short on chips, pushing his J-7 into center before losing to Fishman's Q-10.

The three-player battle lasted for nearly an hour and a half, during which Fishman made a miraculous doubling up – he went all-in with 9-8 suited against William Shaw’s King. Fishman only had a gutshot straight draw, but he made a straight on the turn and survived.

After the players took a break, discussions on the ICM protocol began, and an agreement was reached shortly afterward. Shaw, with a chip lead, became the only player guaranteed a six-figure prize. A total of $15,480 chips were reserved for the eventual champion.

Fishman quickly doubled up against Shaw with an A, and Shaw was subsequently eliminated in third place.

The blinds rose again, leaving only 36 big blinds heads-up at the table. A few hands later, Kudrynskyy called his final eight big blinds with K-6 against A-9. Ace-high remained the best hand after the community cards were dealt, and Fishman completed his incredible run, celebrating his victory.

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