Live poker is thriving on the East Coast, as evidenced by the success of the Big Big Series that just wrapped at Borgata in Atlantic City. And to keep that momentum going, BetMGM is partnering with Borgata and MGM National Harbor for the Lions of the East. This mixture of live poker with BetMGM’s simple satellite system provides an opportunity for everyone to get in on the $600 buy-in tournament with a $2,000,000 guarantee.

What is BetMGM Poker’s Lions of the East?

You may remembe last year’s event called Lions of the Atlantic. The inaugural tournament last year was popular, and it’s back this year with a new name but the same multi-flight opportunity to play across two properties.

The essential information is:

• Event:  Lions of the East powered by BetMGM Poker
• Buy-in:  $600 (or satellite entry)
• Guarantee:  $2,000,000
• Locations:  Borgata and MGM National Harbor

First Flights: MGM National Harbor

The live action will begin at MGM National Harbor in Maryland with eight flights:

• Day 1A:  Wednesday, October 7 (10:15 am)
• Day 1B:  Wednesday, October 7 (5:15 pm)
• Day 1C:  Thursday, October 8 (10:15 am)
• Day 1D:  Thursday, October 8 (5:15 pm)
• Day 1E:  Friday, October 9 (10:15 am)
• Day 1F:  Saturday, October 10 (10:15 am)
• Day 1G:  Sunday, October 11 (10:15 am)
• Day 1H:  Monday, October 12 (10:15 am)

The tournament offers unlimited reentries, and players can register in person or on the BetMGM app. Speaking of entries, players can also play as many of the starting flights as they choose, and the best bagged stack of chips is the one that will move forward to Day 2. 

Payouts will begin when approximately 12.5% of the field remains on any given day with payouts set at $1,200, and play will stop when approximately 8% of the field remains. This means that players who run deep on any (or multiple) flights will receive payouts. 

Second Set of Flights: Borgata

After players have sufficient opportunities to play at National Harbor, they can take advantage of flights at Borgata in New Jersey. Those will run as follows:

• Day 1A:  Tuesday, October 13 (10:15 am)
• Day 1B:  Wednesday, October 14 (10:15 am)
• Day 1C:  Thursday, October 15 (10:15 am)
• Day 1D:  Thursday, October 15 (5:15 pm)
• Day 1E:  Friday, October 16 (10:15 am)
• Day 1F:  Friday, October 16 (5:15 pm)
• Day 1G: Saturday, October 17 (10:15 am)
• Day 1H:  Saturday, October 17 (5:15 pm) (turbo flight)

The same reentry and payout rules apply at Borgata as listed above. Players who bagged multiple flights will play Day 2 with their largest stack. There will also be late registration available at the start of Day 2. When registration closes, the final prize pool and payouts will be announced.

In addition, all players from either property who bag for Day 2 will receive complimentary accommodations at Borgata for Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18.

Day 2 will play on October 18 at 11:15 am, with everyone vying for those coveted customized BetMGM jerseys and pieces of the $2,000,000 prize money. (If action runs very late, there may be a Day 3 on Monday, October 19 at 11:15 am.)

Note that the full structure for the tournament is available on the Borgata poker page. 

Qualify Today for Lions of the East Seats

Poker players located in New Jersey and Pennsylvania can qualify online for seats into the Lions of the East series. BetMGM Poker is offering daily qualifiers for just $50, with each qualifier guaranteeing at least two seats. And winners will receive that $600 tournament entry to use at the location and day of their choice, along with $50 in cash for expenses.

But wait, there’s more! There are qualifiers for the $50 qualifiers. Simply click on a daily $50 qualifier and go to the “satellites” tab for that tournament. This will list a number of $5 buy-in hyper-turbos to win your way into the $50 qualifiers.

This means you can win your $600 seat online, plus some spending money, and compete for $2,000,000 in prize money at National Harbor or Borgata. Talk about great ROI!

Start Now at BetMGM Poker

Daily qualifiers are running now through October 16. There is no better time than today to start on your Lions of the East journey, whether you go straight into a satellite or qualifier or take the time to practice in any of the daily poker tournaments on the top poker platform in the region. Real money online poker on BetMGM Poker is available around the clock, fully regulated and legal in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Just don’t forget to start off with a welcome poker bonus to make the most of your starting BetMGM bankroll.