Borgata Summer Poker Open | Li Liang stages a comeback to claim the title, becoming the series' first female champion.

On July 24, 2026, the Borgata Summer Poker Open crowned another champion. Li Liang, a long-time Borgata cash game and tournament regular, staged a comeback to defeat Giorgi Arveladze in the $650 Super Deep 6-Max final, winning the $41,150 first-place prize and becoming the first female champion of this series.

The event attracted 401 entries, creating a total prize pool of $228,570. 65 players advanced to Day 2, with the final six returning to the live final table on Day 3 to compete for the championship trophy. Liang clinched the title in just over two hours, more than doubling her total live tournament winnings.

$650 Super Deep 6-Max Final Table Results

In addition to winning the $41,150 prize money, Liang also took home the tournament trophy; runner-up Giorgi Arveladze won $28,575, and Ryan Syrko finished third and took home $20,000.

Home support became Li Liang's motivation to win the championship.

Li Liang, from New Jersey, regularly plays cash games and tournaments at Borgata. During the final round, several Borgata staff members cheered her on from the sidelines, making home-field support an important part of the championship story.

After the competition, Liang said that she had given her all and persevered throughout the three-day event. For her, the significance of the championship was not just the prize money, but more importantly, the successful acquisition of the title.

This victory has given her even more confidence. Liang revealed that she plans to continue participating in subsequent events at the Borgata Summer Poker Open, and on the day of her victory, she plans to first celebrate with her daughter and then find a suitable place to display the two large trophies.

Arveladze leads the final table, Liang starts with four chips.

When the six-player final table began, Giorgi Arveladze held a clear chip lead, while Li Liang started Day 3 in fourth place.

Early in the tournament, Frank Costigan became the first player eliminated. Holding pocket tens, he went all-in with 23 big blinds against an early raise; Arveladze called from the big blind with AK, then hit a K on the flop to take the lead and eliminate Costigan in sixth place.

The match then became a long back-and-forth struggle, with the next elimination occurring nearly 90 minutes later.

Bin Weng finished in fifth place.

Bin Weng, one of the most experienced players at the final table, was left with 19 big blinds after losing a doubling-up hand.

Facing Arveladze's raise, Weng went all-in with AK, and Arveladze quickly called with pocket tens. The flop brought a third ten, giving Arveladze a set; Weng couldn't recover after the turn and ultimately finished in fifth place with a prize of $9,140.

As short-stacked players began to consider jumping the prize money, the pace at the tables became more cautious, allowing Arveladze to further extend his lead.

Liang eliminated Yuriy Kudrynskyy to advance to the final three.

Yuriy Kudrynskyy became the fourth player eliminated. He went all-in with KQ and about 6 big blinds remaining, but Li Liang responded with J-6 and took the lead on the flop.

Kudrynskyy failed to improve his hand and finished in fourth place, earning $13,710. Liang, on the other hand, used this pot to add chips and officially entered the three-way championship stage.

Just a few hands later, Ryan Syrko went all-in with A-3 and his last 7 big blinds, only to run into Arveladze's pocket sixes. Arveladze hit a set on the flop, eliminating Syrko in third place.

Trailing 2-1 in the one-on-one match, Liang gradually closed the gap.

At the start of the heads-up match, Arveladze had a chip lead of about two to one, but Liang did not rush into high-volume duels. Instead, he gradually closed the gap through several small pots, eventually bringing the two players back to near parity.

The biggest turning point of the game came in a pre-flop single-raise pot.

Arveladze bet after flopping a straight draw, and then went all-in on the turn with more than three times the pot's chips. Liang had only the second-best pair at the time, but also the biggest flush draw.

This was a tough decision that could determine the fate of the tournament, and Liang ultimately chose to call.

The river card improved her hand to three of a kind, while Arveladze's straight draw failed to materialize. Liang took the most crucial pot of the game, pushing her opponent into a short stack.

Two consecutive hands led to a comeback victory and the crowning of the champion.

In the next hand after the pot ended, Arveladze went all-in from the button with A-4, and Liang called with Q-6 of suited suit.

The flop revealed two Queens, giving Liang a set; after the turn, Arveladze had no chance to turn the tide, and the champion was officially decided.

Li Liang rallied from a 2-1 deficit in heads-up play to win two crucial pots and ultimately become the first female champion of the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open.

With 401 participants, Liang achieved a significant breakthrough in his career.

The $650 Super Deep 6-Max event originally had a guaranteed prize pool of $200,000, but with 401 entries, the total prize pool was pushed up to $228,570.

For Li Liang, the $41,150 prize was not only a significant prize in her personal live tournament career, but she also achieved her championship breakthrough with the support of her familiar Borgata poker room, on-site staff, and friends.

From being fourth in chips at the six-player final table, to falling behind in heads-up play, and then rewriting the game with a high-risk turn call, Liang's victory fully demonstrated his patience, judgment, and ability to withstand pressure.

With the $650 Super Deep 6-Max tournament concluded, the Borgata Summer Poker Open will continue. Li Liang, carrying the first female champion title of this series and brimming with renewed confidence, will remain on her familiar home turf to participate in subsequent events.

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