
The Borgata Winter Poker Open (BWPO) returns this January with new features built on Borgata’s relationship with BetMGM Poker. Hosted at the Borgata Central Conference Center in Atlantic City from January 2 to 17, the tournament features 32 numbered events, 26 secondary events, and $5 million in total guarantees.
Borgata is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International, half-owner of the BetMGM joint venture alongside Entain.
BetMGM Poker plays a pivotal role in BWPO, including the chance to win seats at the in-person event, exclusive same-day registration, and a $100,000 hybrid championship event. Online qualifiers have already started, and same-day registration is exclusively on the BetMGM Poker app.
Highlights of BWPO include five anchor events:
- $600 Kick-Off with a $1 million guarantee
- $1,250 Mirror Mystery Bounty with a $500,000 guarantee
- $400 Almighty Million, offering a $1 million guarantee
- $3,500 Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship, boasting a $2 million guarantee
- $570 Monster Mirror Mystery Bounty, featuring a $250,000 guarantee
Players can also look forward to many new events in 2025. They include the 10-event Mixed Event Mini-Series, BWPO Leaderboard with $50,000 in prizes and rewards, and the addition of the Last Stack Standing to the Deep, Deeper, Deepest Series. Those unable to participate in-person or online can watch live streams for 11 events on the BetMGM YouTube channel and Poker.org.
BetMGM events include a $100,000 hybrid championship
Online qualifiers on BetMGM Poker are already ongoing. BetMGM Poker players wishing to participate must simply log into their accounts and register for any BWPO qualifying event. Key highlights for online players include:
- BetMGM Poker players in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania can win seats to BWPO through exclusive online qualifiers until January 15. Nightly seat-only qualifiers are also available with buy-ins as low as $2. Each prize includes a $3,500 buy-in, $1,500 travel credit, and a BetMGM swag bag.
- Same-day real-time registration will be available exclusively through the BetMGM Poker app for the first time.
The $100,000 BetMGM Online Hybrid Championship starts online on January 5 and finishes with a live final table at Borgata on January 9. - The BetMGM Championship Chase on January 9 will award at least 15 championship seats and entries to the BetMGM Bounty Shootout on January 10.
- The BetMGM Big League Live Stream on January 10 will be a live-streamed single-table tournament headlined by the baseball show Foul Territory. The show’s hosts and MLB alumni will compete in the BetMGM Bounty Shootout at Borgata.
Although BetMGM Poker is also available in Pennsylvania and Michigan, the Hybrid Championship is available only to players in New Jersey because of the live final table.
Another step into enhancing the appeal of BetMGM Poker
Angus Nisbet, BetMGM’s VP of Gaming, shared his excitement for the hybrid model:
The Borgata Winter Poker Open provides the perfect opportunity for BetMGM to carry our 2024 momentum into the new year. After merging our New Jersey and Michigan player pools in November, we are excited to offer players in all our U.S. markets another chance to win their way to million-dollar live events at Borgata.
Integrating BetMGM Poker into the BWPO is another key step in making BetMGM’s poker site more competitive. Perhaps the most significant event was BetMGM’s launch of its multi-state online poker network in November, connecting New Jersey and Michigan players. The network allows users from the two states to compete against each other. That will result in boosted traffic, an increased number of tables, and higher prizes. Although BetMGM Poker is also available in Pennsylvania, users cannot play against those in different states. However, that will likely change as Pennsylvania announced plans to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement.
Another recent enhancement by BetMGM was the integration of BetMGM Rewards Points into its single digital wallet. The enhancement allows users to carry their Rewards Points across jurisdictions in addition to their cash balance. That eliminates the need to register separately in each state.