East Coast regular finally wins the big one at Borgata Fall Open

The Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship delivered the kind of final table that East Coast grinders dream about — six players, all dangerous, all hungry, all knowing this one mattered. And by the end of a long, tense afternoon under the lights, it was Matt Zambanini who finally closed the door on a major win he’s been chasing for years.

After two starting flights, the event drew 464 entries and built a $1,113,600 prize pool, setting the stage for a field loaded with established names, local heroes, and rising players looking for a breakout moment. By the time the dust settled on Day 3, the stage was set for a live-streamed six-handed finale featuring one of the deepest, toughest lineups Borgata has seen this year.

Matthew Zambanini closed out a final table chip lead.

Finishing the job

Zambanini entered the final table with a mountain of chips, but the road wasn’t easy. He found himself doubling up short stacks again and again, and even a player with his experience could feel the pressure.

“I got a little frustrated when I was 0-for-7 at one point, doubling up the short guys,” he said. “But you just stay patient. They were tough — that was a really good final table. Everybody played world-class.”

The lineup was no joke. Paul Volpe, the most decorated player at the table, was the first to bow out in sixth—his short stack finally giving way. Ari Katz followed in fifth after a straight-over-straight cooler against Kashka Corpening, the kind of hand that leaves almost no escape.

Paul Volpe was the first elimination of the day.

Andrew Porter never got out of first gear, losing small pots all day until he eventually dwindled down to fourth place. That left three players chasing life-changing paydays: Zambanini, Corpening, and Jose Wong—all three now guaranteed some of the most significant scores of their careers.

With roughly 75% of the chips in play, Zambanini let the other two slug it out quite a bit. While he waited for his spots, he found opportune moments to put the pressure on, and the balanced approach paid dividends. Three-handed play dragged past the hour mark before Wong’s run ended in third, setting up a heads-up match where Zambanini held nearly a 10-to-1 lead.

It didn’t last long. A few hands later, it was over. And after years of close calls, near-misses, and chopped deals, Zambanini finally had the big win he’d been working toward.

Back on the upswing

Zambanini has quietly been having the best year of his career, especially after a strong summer in Vegas, but the last couple of months have been rough.

“I was on fire after Vegas,” he said. “Then for two, two-and-a-half months, I couldn’t win a hand.”

Everyone who plays this game long enough knows those stretches — the ones that make you question yourself, even when you know better. Zambanini talked openly about how tough that period was.

Zambanini leaned on support from wife Vicky during a recent downswing.

“It’s hard,” he said. “I talked to my wife a lot. A lot of support. I kept telling myself, it’ll turn, it’ll turn — you just gotta be patient and play it out.”

He’s had big results before, especially around the Northeast, but he never got the combination he really wanted: the big score and the big win at the same time.

“It does feel good,” he said. “I wanted to close one out. I chopped a couple and missed one in Vegas this summer, so to close it… that was my goal coming to the final table. So I’m happy that happened.”

With this win, Zambanini not only snaps the downswing he’d been battling, he stamps his name onto a major title at one of the most prestigious venues in the region. And with a December full of significant events and the Borgata’s Winter Open just around the corner, he isn’t planning on slowing down.

2025 Borgata Fall Poker Open final table results