18th of 491: My Day 2 Deep Run in the Borgata Black Chip Bounty

I finished 18th out of 491 entries in the Borgata Black Chip Bounty at The Pure Grind Series, and cashed for $1,465.

I came into Day 2 with the 138,500 chips I bagged on Day 1G. From there, I doubled up on just my second hand, won a monster pot when the turn saved me, and made it through the three-table redraw. In the end, I went out in 18th. It was a tough way to get knocked out, but it was a good run.

Here’s how Day 2 played out.

Day 2 setup: 63 players, $200,000 on the line

The Black Chip Bounty Edition ran across 8 starting flights from October 21 to 25, 2026, with a $350 buy-in and a $200,000 guarantee. Across all flights, it drew 491 entries.

63 players made Day 2, which started Sunday, October 25, at 12 PM. Everyone who made Day 2 was in the money, and first place paid $27,055.

This is also a bounty event. Every player has a $100 bounty chip, and you collect it when you knock that player out. I had already picked up two bounties for $200 on Day 1G.

The payouts

Place	Payout
1st	$27,055
2nd	$18,770
3rd	$13,045
4th	$8,685
5th	$6,095
6th	$4,865
7th	$3,935
8th	$3,215
9th	$2,630
10th–11th	$2,095
12th–15th	$1,745
16th–23rd	$1,465
24th–31st	$1,230
32nd–39th	$1,050
40th–55th	$895
56th–64th	$795

A double up on the second hand

Day 2 couldn’t have started much faster. On just the second hand of the day, I doubled up with a set of nines against two pair, queens and jacks.

A “set” is when you hold a pocket pair and a third card of that rank comes on the board. Here I had two nines in my hand and a nine on the board. That’s three of a kind, which beats two pair.

It was the perfect way to put my Day 1 stack to work right away.

First break: 342,500 chips

By the first break, I had 342,500 chips, about 69 big blinds. That’s more than double the 138,500 I bagged on Day 1G. 50 players were left.

A monster double up, saved by the turn

With 31 players left, I won a monster double up. I’ll be honest: the flop was not a pretty one for me. But the turn, the fourth card on the board, saved me and gave me the pot.

Sometimes you need a little luck to go deep, and this was my moment.

Second break: 435,000 chips

At the next break, I had 435,000 chips, about 43 big blinds, with 29 players left. My stack was bigger than at the first break, but the blinds had doubled, so it was worth fewer big blinds.

The three-table redraw

At 27 players, we were down to three tables, and they redrew seats. A redraw means everyone gets a new random seat, so you face a brand-new set of opponents.

I had 406,000 chips, about 34 big blinds, and we were on Level 19, with blinds at 6,000/12,000.

20 left, and the end of the road

With 20 players left, I had 388,000 chips. We went on break, and the next level was going up to 15,000/25,000 with a 25,000 big blind ante. At those blinds, my stack was worth about 15 big blinds.

In the end, my run ended in 18th place. It was a tough way to get knocked out, but it was a good run.

My result: 18th out of 491 for $1,465

18th place paid $1,465. Places 16 through 23 all paid the same, and the next pay jump was at 15th, which paid $1,745.

Across the whole event, I played 2 buy-ins ($700), collected 2 bounties on Day 1G ($200), and cashed for $1,465.

My Day 2 at a glance

Moment	Players left	My stack	Big blinds
Start of Day 2 (Day 1G bag)	63	138,500	About 28
Hand 2: set of nines vs QJ	63	Doubled up	—
First break	50	342,500	About 69
Monster double up (saved by the turn)	31	Doubled up	—
Second break	29	435,000	About 43
Three-table redraw, Level 19	27	406,000	About 34
Break before 15,000/25,000	20	388,000	About 15
Knocked out	18th of 491	Cashed $1,465	—

What I’m taking away from this run

• A strong start sets up the whole day. Doubling up on the second hand turned my 138,500 bag into a real stack.
• You need some luck to go deep. The flop was ugly in my monster pot, and the turn bailed me out. That’s part of every deep run.
• Watch your big blinds, not just your chips. My stack stayed close to 400,000 from 29 left to 20 left, but it went from about 43 big blinds to about 15.
• Re-entry paid off. My first Day 1G bullet busted, and my second one went all the way to 18th place.

Conclusion

My Borgata Black Chip Bounty run ended in 18th place out of 491 entries, with a $1,465 cash plus $200 in bounties from Day 1G. From a short stack on my first bullet to a deep run on Day 2, this event had everything.

It was a tough way to get knocked out, but it was a good run.

Thanks for following along with my Pure Grind journey. See you at the next one!

Read Day 1: We Found a Bag: Surviving Day 1G of the Borgata Black Chip Bounty

Sources

• Borgata Poker on X: the 63 players who made Day 2
• Official payout sheet for the $350 Pure Grind Borgata Black Chip Bounty (pictured above)