Borgata Poker Tournaments

Borgata Poker tournaments are among the best-known live poker events on the US East Coast. They’re hosted at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a property that opened in July 2003 and is the top-grossing casino in Atlantic City.

The schedule mixes daily tournaments with larger festivals, most notably the Borgata Poker Open series, and many events offer online qualifying routes for players in eligible states. This guide covers the current schedule, recent results, how events are structured, buy-ins, satellites and online options.

For the most accurate dates, structures and guarantees, always check the official Borgata Poker Room page.

Key Details

• Venue: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, New Jersey
• Flagship series: Borgata Poker Open
• Online partners: BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker (state-specific)
• Buy-ins: Vary by festival, event and year
• Games: Mostly No-Limit Hold’em, plus Pot-Limit Omaha, mixed games and specialty formats
• Minimum age: 21+ with valid photo ID

Current Borgata Poker Tournament Schedule

Schedule last checked: October 26, 2026. Details may change, so confirm on the official Borgata page before travelling.

Next major festival: Borgata Fall Poker Open 2026

PokerAtlas lists the 2026 Fall Poker Open for November 3–17 at Borgata. The festival advertises $4,000,000 in guaranteed prizes, and its $2,700 Championship runs November 13–17 with a $1,000,000 guarantee.

Event	Date(s)	Buy-in	Guarantee
Seniors (50+) Championship	Nov 8	$365	See official schedule
Fall Poker Open Championship	Nov 13–17	$2,700	$1,000,000
Ladies Championship	Nov 15	$300	$25,000
Bar Poker Open events	Nov 13–16	Various	Various

The Bar Poker Open runs alongside the Fall Poker Open from November 13–16, offering open tournaments with no badge fees.

Recent Borgata Poker Open Championship Results

Festival	Buy-in	Entries	Prize Pool	Champion	1st Prize
2026 Summer Poker Open	$2,700	565	$1,356,000	Carlos Chadha Villamarin	$242,385
2026 Spring Poker Open	$2,700	572	$1,372,800	Todd Lewis	$215,450
2026 Winter Poker Open	$3,500	895	$3,000,000	Blake Vogdes	$457,980

• Summer 2026: Chadha Villamarin beat Maxwell Young heads-up to top a 565-entry field.
• Spring 2026: Todd Lewis defeated William Klevitz heads-up to claim the $2,700 Championship.
• Winter 2026: Vogdes outlasted 895 entries in the $3,500 Championship, after a heads-up deal with runner-up Jack Kwon, who earned $407,110.

The Borgata Poker Open Series

The Borgata Poker Open is the umbrella name for live tournament festivals held at Borgata at different points in the year. The lineup has changed over time, so not every edition runs every year.

Edition	Usual Timing	Notes
Winter Poker Open	January	Often the largest festival of the year
Spring Poker Open	April–May	Full festival with a flagship Championship
Summer Poker Open	July	Has not run every single year
Fall Poker Open	November	Returned in 2025 after a five-year break

Pokerfuse notes that the Summer Poker Open doesn’t take place every year, and that the Fall Poker Open returned in 2025 after a five-year hiatus.

Borgata also runs additional series from time to time. Names, formats and dates vary, so check the official tournament calendar for what’s currently scheduled.

Event Types at Borgata

Depending on the festival, the schedule may include:

• Championship events: The flagship multi-day tournament of each festival
• Kickoff and Deepstack events: Lower buy-ins with multiple starting flights
• Pot-Limit Omaha events: For PLO players
• Mixed games: Rotation formats such as H.O.R.S.E.
• Seniors and Ladies Championships: Dedicated events at many festivals
• Bounty and Mystery Bounty events: Extra prizes for eliminations
• Turbos and daily tournaments: Shorter, faster events

How Borgata Tournament Structures Work

Every event has its own structure, so there’s no single format. Larger Championship events often include:

• Several Day 1 starting flights
• Late registration that may stay open into a later day
• A combined Day 2 field where the money bubble often bursts
• Further days of play until a winner is decided

Starting stacks, level lengths, re-entry rules and late registration all vary. Always read the structure sheet for the specific event before you register.

Selected Championship final tables may be streamed online. When a stream is confirmed, the official link will be added to the event’s supporting page.

Buy-ins and Prize Pools

Buy-ins vary by festival, event and year. As a general guide, Borgata schedules usually include:

• Lower buy-in events: Daily tournaments, Seniors, Ladies, turbos and some Deepstack events
• Mid-range events: Kickoffs, PLO and mixed games, bounty events
• Championship events: The highest regular buy-in of each Poker Open
• High roller events: Offered in some festivals and special series

Guarantees are set per event and published on the official schedule. For real examples, see the recent results table above.

How to Qualify for Borgata Tournaments

You don’t always need to pay the full buy-in to play.

• Online satellites: Pokerfuse reports that satellites run on BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker, often starting as low as $2.
• Live satellites: Some festivals run on-site satellites before major events.
• Direct buy-in: Register at the Borgata poker room, or online for events that allow it.

Satellite availability, prices and packages change from festival to festival, so check the current promotions on BetMGM Poker or Borgata Poker.

Before you play:

• You must be 21 or older with valid photo ID.
• To play online, you must be physically located in a state where the site is licensed.

Borgata Online Poker Tournaments

It’s important to separate the Borgata Poker brand from the wider BetMGM Poker network:

• Borgata Poker operates regulated online poker rooms only in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
• Both rooms are part of the BetMGM Poker Network, which pools players from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
• Michigan players join that network through BetMGM Poker, not the Borgata brand.

The New Jersey room is overseen by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, and the Pennsylvania room by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Online formats can include multi-table tournaments, Sit & Gos, SPINS and live-event satellites. Availability and terms can change, so check the official site for current eligibility.

Borgata Poker History

• 2003: Borgata opened on July 2, 2003, as a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Boyd Gaming.
• 2003: The first World Poker Tour stop at Borgata ran in September 2003, drawing 235 players to a $5,000 event, which Noli Francisco won.
• 2006: A $200 million expansion delivered an 85-table poker room, the largest in Atlantic City.
• 2008: The Borgata Summer Poker Open first ran, with 14 tournaments.
• 2025: The Fall Poker Open returned after a five-year break.

Why Play Borgata Poker Tournaments?

• Regular festivals: Several Poker Open editions across the year, plus daily tournaments.
• Range of buy-ins: Events for recreational players through to high rollers.
• Online qualifying: Satellites give eligible players a cheaper route into big events.
• Strong fields: Recent Championships drew between 565 and 895 entries.
• Easy access: Within reach of players from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

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