Are you ready for some poker…alongside your football? As we gear up for the big game on February 8, BetMGM Poker is hosting a corresponding online poker tournament series with over $125,000 in guaranteed prize pools in the week leading up to the game. The 16-event series will include an invitational freeroll, free sports bets, and customized jerseys.
Instead of sitting around like Jon Hamm, waiting for Sunday’s game, check out the BetMGM tables for the 2026 Gridiron Classic!
Annual Gridiron Classic Starts February 3
It’s going to be an action-packed week. The first week of February will be filled with speculating and betting, interviewing and prognosticating, and playing online poker, of course. BetMGM is setting up its annual Gridiron Classic online tournament series with these important components:
- Total events: 16
- Total guarantees: $136,000
- Buy-ins: $10 to $100
- Dates: February 3-8
Every event winner will take the lion’s share of the prize pool and a customized BetMGM football jersey, along with the title of Gridiron Classic champion.
Gridiron Classic Schedule
The range of formats and buy-ins presents something for everyone. The lineup is as follows:
- Tuesday, February 3
- Event 1: $50 buy-in Kick Off ($10,000 guarantee)
- Event 2: $25 buy-in First Quarter ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 3: $50 buy-in PLO PKO Scramble ($6,000 guarantee)
- Wednesday, February 4
- Event 4: $50 buy-in 40-Stack Field Goal ($7,000 guarantee)
- Event 5: $25 buy-in Second Quarter ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 6: $10 buy-in First Down PLO ($2,000 guarantee)
- Thursday, February 5
- Event 7: $50 buy-in Halftime PKO ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 8: $25 buy-in Third Quarter ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 9: $10 buy-in First Down ($2,000 guarantee)
- Friday, February 6
- Event 10: $50 buy-in Pick Six 6-Max ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 11: $25 buy-in Fourth Quarter ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 12: $10 buy-in First Down PKO ($2,000 guarantee)
- Saturday, February 7
- Event 13: $100 buy-in C-Note Touchdown ($30,000 guarantee)
- Event 14: $25 buy-in Hail Mary ($8,000 guarantee)
- Event 15: $50 buy-in Onside PLO ($6,000 guarantee)
The tournaments are already listed in the BetMGM tournament lobby.
Invitational Pre-Game is February 8
Your eyes are not deceiving you. We did say that there are 16 events but only listed 15 on the main schedule. That leaves one more tournament, which will take place at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday, February 8: the Invitational Pre-Game. This tournament is open for those with invitations only. Who receives an invitation? Anyone who registers for any of the main 15 events in the 2026 Gridiron Classic will receive a ticket to the Invitational, and that event will offer $15,000 in prizes.
But wait, there’s more! Anyone who registers for any of the 15 events in this year’s Gridiron Classic will also receive a complimentary $5 sports betting ticket.
Note that there is a limit of one Invitational seat and one sports bet ticket per player, no matter how many events you play.
Gridiron Classic Leaderboard
While there is a limit of only one Invitational seat and one sports bet per player, there is a big perk to playing (and doing well) in multiple events. The Gridiron Classic Leaderboard competition will calculate points as you cash in the various tournaments, putting you on the leaderboard that will close at the end of Event 15.
The top five players from the series will share $1,000 in complimentary sports bonus bets, to be allocated based on finishing place on the leaderboard.
Get Ready for the Games at BetMGM
Whether you’re waiting for the football game on Sunday, snowed in, or just trying to stay warm this week, BetMGM has some action for you.
Start by creating an account and making your first deposit using the online poker welcome bonus to be ready for the Gridiron Classic. Then poke around and get the feel of the tables, check out the cash games, or practice your tournament strategy. BetMGM offers legal real-money online poker, and for many players, it’s the best game in town. Judge for yourself and let us know what you think!
