Pennsylvania Man Wins Big at Borgata Winter Poker Open

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Yesterday's tournament at the Borgata Event Center brought out the best poker players in the world and their fans for the start of the $5,000 buy-in event. The action did not stop there as the remaining players in the $500 buy-in event returned to play for a champion. The field that began with over 600 players was down to the final 18 players. The players battled throughout the day with chip stacks constantly changing hands and players battling for domination. Mark Lattore of Elizabeth, PA, won the tournament and the $92,110 in first place prize money.

Lattore, who outlasted two great international players to win the event, commented, "Borgata is over-the-top amazing. I am already planning my trip back for next year." The second place finisher, Christopher McGlung of Canada won $50,731 for his efforts. "I play all over Canada and have fallen in love with playing at Borgata whenever I'm on the East Coast."

The third place finisher was Francis Mahiout of Paris, France. Mahiout said, "I started the day towards the bottom of the chip stack, so I had limited expectations. But, I kept fighting and ended up doing quite well. We are now off to B Bar for a celebratory cocktail."

The electric atmosphere continues today inside the new 85 table poker room at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa with Satellite Day. Thousands of players arrived today to compete in one of the satellites taking place to win a seat into tomorrow's $10,000 WPT Main Event. Players arriving at Borgata to compete in the WPT Classic include Jamie Gold, Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu, Huck Seed, Eric Lingren, Barry Greenstein, "Hollywood' Sean Chanconas, Shannon Shorr and Michael "the Grinder" Mizrachi, to name a few.

The World Poker Tour Kick-Off Party will be held at Gypsy Bar tonight, Thursday, January 25, starting at 8:00PM with free admission for all. The event features a hosted bar from 8:00PM-10:00PM and music from DJ Trip. There will also be a Heads Up poker tournament sponsored by Poker Pro with prizes for winners. Many of the top players competing in the WPT Main Event will be at tonight's party.

About Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

Borgata is a joint venture of Boyd Gaming Corporation and MGM MIRAGE . Located at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, it features 2,000 guest rooms and suites, 161,000 square feet of gaming, 200 gaming tables, 4,100 slot machines, 14 destination restaurants, 11 retail boutiques, a 54,000 square foot spa, 70,000 square feet of event space, and parking for 7,100 cars. For more information on Borgata or to obtain a copy of this press release, please visit http://www.theborgata.com/ or use AOL keyword: borgata. Additional news and information on Boyd Gaming can be found at http://www.boydgaming.com/; additional information on MGM MIRAGE can be found at http://www.mgmmirage.com/.

About WPTE

WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a company engaged in the creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker Tour(R), a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments that airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and more than 150 markets globally. With the WPT in its fifth season, WPTE has launched a second series on the Travel Channel, the Professional Poker Tour(TM), which focuses on the play of poker's leading stars. WPT also operates a real-money online gaming website, http://www.wptonline.com/, which prohibits wagers from players in the U.S. and other restricted jurisdictions. WPT Enterprises currently licenses its brand to companies in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing, electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games, and giftware. The company is also engaged in the sale of corporate sponsorships. For show information, tools for improving poker play, and other WPT news, fans may log on to http://www.worldpokertour.com/. WPT Enterprises, Inc. is a majority owned subsidiary of Lakes Entertainment, Inc. . Photos and media information can be found online at: http://www.worldpokertour.com/media. (WPTEF)