Poker players entered 2026 with drive and excitement, as evidenced by the turnout for the start of the Borgata Winter Poker Open powered by BetMGM Poker. East Coast players made their way to Atlantic City, as did players from around the country who knew the BWPO would add some heat this January. More than $8,000,000 in guarantees, a carefully calibrated schedule, and a bevy of beautiful trophies awaited those competitors.

As we have passed the halfway point of the event, which concludes on January 18, here’s a recap of all the major highlights so far.

Almighty Million Gets Almightier

If “almightier” is not a word, it should be, at least to describe the massive turnout for the Almighty Million Winter Kick Off at the BWPO. The six starting days produced a stellar field and crushed the guarantee.

• Event 1 Buy-in:  $400
• Entries:  4,082
• Prize pool:  $1,306,240 ($1,000,000 guaranteed)

The action played down to an exciting final table, which streamed live on the BetMGM YouTube channel. The video is available for rewatching on that channel, part one showing the majority of it and part two taking it from heads-up to a winner. 

Borgata regular Michael Renna overcame a significant chip deficit going into heads-up, and his tenacity paid off with a victory and $190,740 payday, the largest of his career to date.

Aubrey Awes in BetMGM Hybrid Championship

This unique tournament started on January 4 online for poker players in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. It was a $1,000 buy-in for the BetMGM Hybrid Championship, but satellites offered the opportunity to enter at a discount. Ultimately, there were 246 entries starting in the online portion of the event, one more than the previous edition that corresponded with the Borgata Fall Poker Open. They continued online play until only seven players remained.

On January 8, those seven players magically appeared at Borgata, prepared to play the live final table. Aubrey Williams was the chip leader, with Tyler Hirschfeld in a solid second place going into play on the livestream.

As one player after another fell, Williams maintained a solid chip lead through most of the action, and she ultimately took a nearly 10-to-1 lead into heads-up play against Hirschfeld. While the latter doubled a couple of times to stay alive, Williams ultimately won. Hirschfeld collected $39,625 for the second-place finish, and Williams scored $52,540 for her victory, along with her first BetMGM/Borgata trophy and largest live cash to date.

Growing Beyond More Guarantees

Meanwhile, the Borgata Winter Poker Open surged forward, with more events delivering significant prize pools, well beyond the promises of the guarantees. For example, the Seniors Championship brought in a larger crowd than expected:

• Event 5 Buy-in:  $380
• Entries:  387
• Prize pool:  $121,905 ($75,000 guaranteed)

Michael McGuinness and Michael Chang settled on a chop to finish that tournament, both collecting nearly $20,000 for their accomplishments.

And then there was the Super Deep 6-Max, which more than doubled its guarantee:

• Event 10 buy-in:  $550
• Entries:  692
• Prize pool:  $325,640 ($150,000 guaranteed)

In the end, Christopher Basile outlasted all competitors and won the event for $56,900. 

More Notable Winners at the 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open

Of course, with PokerOrg in the house for the live updates and photos that capture the full feel of the Borgata Winter Poker Open, it’s easy to follow along and take note of some of the winners. 

Event 3 was an $850 buy-in One Shot Freezeout, which drew 56 players for a $42,000 prize pool. Rishi Mehta took that one down for $15,725 and a classic winner photo:

Then there was Event 14, the $1,150 HORSE Championship, which showed 38 entries and a $38,000 prize pool. None other than mixed game enthusiast and Borgata favorite Esther “E-Tay” Taylor took that one down for $15,580.

BetMGM Poker Is Still Running Borgata Winter Poker Open Satellites

There are still chances to qualify for Borgata Winter Poker Open events via satellites on BetMGM Poker. Simply log on and find a buy-in that fits your poker bankroll and start playing on BetMGM today.