Home » News » BetMGM and Borgata Draw Huge Fields for Winter Poker Open Events

BetMGM and Borgata Draw Huge Fields for Winter Poker Open Events

Home » News » BetMGM and Borgata Draw Huge Fields for Winter Poker Open Events

BetMGM and Borgata Draw Huge Fields for Winter Poker Open Events

When a trusted online poker operator like BetMGM partners with a legendary land-based poker room like Borgata, they can create a tournament schedule that draws players from around the country. And when that happens, the tables are full, the livestreams are popping off every night, and guarantees are left in the rearview mirror. The 2025 Borgata Winter Poker Open is the perfect example of a poker tournament series built from listening to players and continually improving to give players. It results in a successful series with big numbers and players wondering when the next series will be.

Even amidst a snowstorm in the dead of winter, poker players will do what it takes to get to a well-run and fun tournament series. The latest Borgata Poker Open powered by BetMGM Poker is proof positive.

Almighty Million Far Exceeds Million

One of the favorite tournaments of the Borgata Poker Open is the Almighty Million. This series offered the $400 buy-in event with six starting flights and a $1,000,000 guarantee. Despite winter weather warnings, the number of entries created the Almighty Million and a Half:

  • Total entries:  4,524
  • Total prize pool:  $1,492,920
  • Players paid:  559

Day 2 of the tournament started with more than 700 players and thinned that number into the money to pay everyone at least $850. By the dinner break, there were only 108 remaining, and play stopped with just 18 able to bag their chips. Honghao Shi, it should be noted, was on the shortest stack.

Few Chips and a Chair

Shi had very few chips going into the final day of the Almighty Million but immediately doubled up through Brian Kazanjian and then eliminated him. Shi then eliminated the 15th and 13th place finishers to take a medium stack into the final table of eight players. Daniel Colin was the chip leader with 107.6 million chips, followed by Edward Leonard with 99.5 million, Eric Yanovsky with 89.5 million, and Shi was a bit behind with 48.7 million. Each of the other four players showed fewer than 30 million chips. 

Short-stacked Vaughn Steeves was the first to be eliminated, and David Rivera followed. John Morales doubled his short stack and then busted Daniel Colin, and Yanovsky took care of William Lau in fifth. Shi made a move to double through Yanovsky, and the latter soon busted out in fourth place. Shi then doubled through Leonard, and Shi became the three-handed chip leader for a time. The stacks fluctuated quite a bit until Morales busted Leonard in third place.

Heads-Up for Big Money

The two final players started with Shi holding 129 million chips, trailing Morales and his 323 million chips. But Shi climbed and took over the lead. The stacks changed hands, but when Shi doubled through Morales to leave the latter with a sad stack, Morales shoved his K-7 of spades, and Shi was along holding Q-2. While there were two spades on the flop, one of them was a queen to give Shi the pair, and that held up for the win. 

In the middle of a gap year from law school in Pennsylvania, Shi easily topped his previous largest score of $5,475 and dramatically increased his live tournament earnings that had been at $31,800 prior to this victory.

An excited, grateful Shi took home two beautiful trophies and $217,121.

Focus on Females

With an ever-growing interest by women in poker, Borgata and its Director of Poker Operations, Kellie deCelis, wants to give them places to shine. Not only is the Ladies Championship a staple on the schedule for the Winter Poker Open, the Ladies Pink Chip No Limit Hold’em cash game has also become a regular event for the livestream lineup. 

Good Spirits, Good Game

When the six-hour livestream began on Sunday, January 12, the women at the table were already talking and laughing. BetMGM Poker content creator Abby Merk was ready for action, as was Borgata representative Jo Kim and PokerOrg creator and editor Elle Jadavji. Maria Pierro, Tina Buckley, Stephanie Rivkin, Nancy Birnbaum, and Judy Bielan. Later, as players switched out, Kelly Tan, Alice Lee, Julia Zhang, and poker book author Sara O’Connor joined the table.

Noemi Saleh Claims First Tourney Win

The $300 buy-in Ladies Championship drew a crowd of Borgata regulars as well as women who traveled specifically to play the women-only event. And the total number of entries showed an increased turnout from the Spring Poker Open and Fall Poker Open in 2024. 

  • Total entries:  175
  • Total prize pool:  $43,750
  • Players paid:  23

There was one man in the field, but his presence was mostly ignored until he busted to celebratory cheers. Few people understand why a man feels inclined to join a tournament dedicated to women.

Meanwhile, the tournament played down to the money late into the evening, and two women busted on the bubble to split the 23rd-place payout. Everyone else was guaranteed at least $658, with Lana O’Brien among those collecting that sum. Kim Mercer busted just off the final table, and Noemi Saleh and Kimberly Sclafani made it to heads-up. Saleh ended up with the victory for $10,282, her first live tournament win and second-largest score to date.

Event 26 $300 Ladies Winner Noemi Saleh

Content Creators Inject a Little Poker Humor

There are several clips from content creators at Borgata over the past week that we just must share. They’re too good.

Nikki Limo took the opportunity to try to build a snowman after the recent snowfall. She had fingerless gloves. See the amazing result:

Limo and Brantzen Poker demonstrated how poker players sound to non-poker players. Instant classic, especially with the mention of fish paws:

Slow Poker talked about winning a poker hand until…

Abby Poker would like players who study abroad or jetset a lot to tone down the travel talk:

Try Your Hand at Legal Online Poker Today

BetMGM Poker would like players to join them at the tables, and you can bring whatever accent you choose. When you play online poker at BetMGM, you can choose from cash games or tournaments, satellites or sit-n-gos, and any stakes that suit your bankroll. Check out the poker bonus information and get started today!