Surviving Day 1G of the Borgata Black Chip Bounty

We found a bag! I played Day 1G of the Borgata Black Chip Bounty Edition on Saturday, and I’m coming back for Day 2 with 138,500 chips, already in the money.

It was not a smooth ride. I got short early, busted my first bullet, re-entered, doubled up with a big call, picked up two bounties, and survived a three-way all-in with pocket sevens. In the end, I was one of the 18 players who bagged chips from my flight.

Here’s how the day went.

The event: Pure Grind Series Black Chip Bounty Edition

This is part of The Pure Grind Series at Borgata Poker in Atlantic City. The Black Chip Bounty Edition has 8 starting flights, a $350 buy-in, and a $200,000 guarantee. I played Day 1G, which started Saturday, October 24, at 11:15 AM.

Detail	What it means
Starting stack: 30,000	Includes the 10,000-chip add-on from the optional $15 staff gratuity
Late registration: until the start of Level 11	Players who bust in the first 10 levels can re-enter, with no limit
Day 1 ends at about 12.5% of the field	Everyone who makes Day 2 is in the money
Best stack forward	If you bag in more than one flight, you play your biggest stack and get a min cash for each extra bag
Day 2: Sunday, October 25, 12 PM	Day 2 plays to a winner

Where the $350 goes

• $293 to the prize pool, which includes the $100 bounty
• $35 registration fee
• $15 optional staff gratuity, which adds 10,000 starting chips
• $5 to the Pure Grind Series leaderboard
• $2 to the promo fund

How the black chip bounty works

This is a bounty tournament. Every player has a $100 black bounty chip next to their stack. It can’t be mixed in with your tournament chips, and it has to stay in plain sight.

When you knock someone out, you collect their bounty chip, worth $100 in cash. Pushing your bounty chip into the pot counts as going all in.

Bullet 1: Short-stacked, a small comeback, then busted

My first bullet started rough. I got short-stacked early and dropped to only about 5,000 to 6,000 chips out of my 30,000 start.

I survived, though, and worked my way back to 18,600 by Level 3, when the blinds were 200/300 with a 300 big blind ante. That’s about 62 big blinds, which gave me room to play again.

But I couldn’t survive the next all-in, and that ended my first bullet. Since re-entry is unlimited during the first 10 levels, I went straight back to the cage. Bullet #2 was loading.

Bullet 2: A big call, 100K, and two bounties

Bullet #2 went much better. I doubled up after making a big call, and from there my stack kept growing until I had about 100,000 chips.

By the second break, I was sitting on about 90,000. That break comes after Level 10, when the blinds were 800/1,600, so I had roughly 56 big blinds. Registration closed at that point, so the field was set.

I had also collected two bounties by then, which meant $200 in cash already in my pocket.

My investment so far

I was in for two buy-ins at $350 each, so $700 total. The two bounties had already paid back $200 of that, and a Day 2 bag would lock up a cash on top.

The push to the bag: 77 in a three-way all-in

Day 1G drew 141 entries. With about 12.5% of the field moving on, that meant 18 players would bag chips for Day 2.

The key hand of my day was a three-way all-in with pocket sevens (77). Three players all in at once is always scary, because you have to beat two hands instead of one. I survived it, and that kept my tournament alive.

Soon after, we were 4 away from bagging, with 22 players left. The clock showed Level 16, with blinds at 3,000/6,000 and a 6,000 big blind ante. I had about 45,000 chips, only around 7 big blinds, so I was one of the shorter stacks.

We found a bag 🙂

I made it. When the 18th spot was reached, I bagged 138,500 chips for Day 2. That’s three times what I had when we were 4 away.

Since everyone who makes Day 2 is in the money, I’m coming back in the money for Sunday’s final day of the $200K guaranteed event.

My Day 1G at a glance

Moment	My stack
Start	30,000
Bullet 1 low point	About 5,000–6,000
Level 3 (200/300, 300 ante)	18,600
Bullet 1 busts	Re-entry, bullet #2
After the double up	About 100,000
Second break, registration closed	About 90,000
4 away from the bag (Level 16)	About 45,000
Bagged for Day 2	138,500

Along the way: 2 buy-ins ($700), 2 bounties collected ($200), and a Day 2 seat in the money.

What I’m taking away from Day 1G

• A short stack isn’t the end. I was down to 5,000–6,000 chips on my first bullet and fought back. On my second bullet, I had about 45,000 with 4 to go and still bagged 138,500.
• Re-entry is a second chance, so use it well. My first bullet didn’t work out, but bullet #2 is the one that made Day 2.
• Bounties add up. Two knockouts meant $200 back before the money even started.
• Survive the big spots. Getting through a three-way all-in with 77 was the turning point late in the day.

Conclusion: Day 2 is today

My Borgata Black Chip Bounty Day 1G ended with a 138,500-chip bag, two bounties, and a guaranteed cash in the $200,000 guaranteed event.

Day 2 starts Sunday, October 25, at 12 PM, with 40-minute levels. It looks like we’re coming back at Level 15, where the blinds are 2,500/5,000 with a 5,000 ante. That puts me at about 27 big blinds to start.

We found a bag, and we’re coming back in the money. Wish me luck for Day 2! 💪