This content was AI generated based on the original article published on https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/09/andrew-chang-wins-borgata-title-52404.htm. All credits for the original reporting belong to them.
Andrew Chang has won Event #2: $2,200 Big Big Kick Off at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, earning $182,000 and the largest title of the Big Big Series to date. The event drew 456 entries across two starting flights, generating a $1,000,000 prize pool.
Chang entered the final stretch of the tournament as a decided underdog, facing a 5:1 chip deficit against David Stefanski when heads-up play began with only ten big blinds behind. Two levels later, Chang had turned the match around completely to claim the trophy.
Before reaching heads-up, Chang survived several precarious moments, at one point being reduced to just five big blinds by chip leader Nick Pupillo. His repeated survival in all-in situations earned him the nickname “nine lives” from fellow competitors at the final table.
The final table saw several notable eliminations, including Michael Wang in ninth place after a cooler pocket kings versus pocket aces hand involving Stefanski, and short stack Dylan Lemery in eighth. Stefanski built a commanding lead after flopping quads against Pupillo’s full house in a pivotal three-figure pot.
Chang eliminated multiple opponents on his way to heads-up play, including Matthew Constanzo and Jeremy Becker, while Pupillo, Dylan Gordon, and Namit Patel fell in the following places. Patel’s third-place finish paid $87,725, while Stefanski ultimately settled for $126,375 as runner-up after his ace-three could not defeat Chang’s king-jack in the final hand.
Reflecting on his win, Chang said he stayed calm through the pressure, crediting persistence and fortune for his victory, and expressed intentions to continue competing in future series events.
