After a very successful plunge back into the world of big buy-in poker tournaments with the aptly-named The Return, which brought in 1,142 $5,300 entries, the Boragta poker room is keeping the momentum going with the Almighty Million poker event in May.
The $800 buy-in $1 million guaranteed prize pool tourney has four starting flights: Sun., May 7, Mon, May 8, Tues., May 9, and Wed., May 10. Day 2 starts Thurs., May 11. Players start with 100,000 chips.
“Almighty has been synonymous with Borgata Poker for nearly a decade,” said Kellie DeCelis, Borgata’s Manager of Poker Operations. “It’s been three years since Borgata offered this type of event as part of the Borgata Winter Open, and Almighty is always one of the most anticipated events on the calendar that brings the same excitement with a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.”
In a twist, this is a best stack forward event. That means players can play in all Day 1s, even if they found a bag the previous day. If they bag more than once, they will take their largest stack into Day 2.
Qualify online
Just like January’s The Return, the Borgata partnered with BetMGM Poker to run the Almighty Million and also provide online qualifiers. Players in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania will be able to try to get in the event for cheap through online qualifiers.
Players will begin to vie for the $2,000 satellite package on BetMGM and Borgata’s online skins starting April 23. The package includes entry into the Almighty Millions, hotel stay, and $500 cash.
“The success of online qualifiers and the fantastic response to The Return shows that players want more of these omni-channel events that connect these great brands,” said Director of Poker BetMGM Luke Staudenmaier. “BetMGM is excited to continue to partner with Borgata Poker to give players another chance to play at the East Coast’s premier poker destination.”
Yes, more omni-channel tournaments, please, Luke.
Players can register through the sites starting May 1. In-person registration begins May 5.
Making a return
The Borgata is the home to Atlantic City’s largest poker room and has been part of contemporary poker history since it opened in 2003. It was on the second season of the now 20-year-old World Poker Tour, and for the next 15 years, the Borgata Poker Open was a major stop.
In all, 11,749 entries were generated by the WPT made-for-TV events in those years. Some of the champs include Daniel Negreanu (season three), Darren Elias (season thirteen), Anthony Zinno (season seven), and Mark Newhouse (season five).
Like most businesses, COVID nuked the Borgata’s tournament schedule. That was until January, when it returned in a big way with a $5,300 buy-in event that easily beat it’s $3 million guaranteed prize pool, thanks in part to those who won their way in through online qualifiers.
Bin Weng ended a six-month downswing by taking down the event and it’s $1 million prize. Former Main Event champion Joe McKeehan finished third, and the final nine players all cashed for six-figures.
Look for The Almighty to have similar entry numbers despite the lower guarantee. It will be a good warm-up for players who plan on making the pilgrimage to Las Vegas at the end of May to play in World Series of Poker events and will give one of them a very nice bankroll going into the summer.
