Philadelphia’s Bin Weng, was the first player on Jan 8th 2023 to win a $1M grand prize at “The Return: A Borgata Championship Event” on Jan 8th.
Philadelphia’s Bin Weng wins $1 million at “The Return” at Borgata
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – (January 11, 2023) – High-stakes championship poker made its way back to Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa with “The Return: A Borgata Championship Event.” Borgata and BetMGM, a leading sports betting and iGaming operator, presented “The Return” which started on January 4th and ended with Philadelphia’s Bin Weng winning the $1 million grand prize on Jan 8th. He is the first poker player in 2023 to win a $1M prize in the US.
“The Return” featured a $5,300 buy-in, a $3 million guarantee and a $1 million first-place prize. A massive turnout of 1,142 entries resulted in a prize pool that reached $5,538,700.
Eight players reached the Final Table and ten hours later Philadelphia resident Bin Weng defeated Brooklyn’s Sundiata Devore to lift the trophy and claim $1 million as “The Return” Champion. The seven-figure win quintupled Weng’s previous biggest score and moved his career tournament earnings over the $3 million mark.
Borgata is Weng’s “home casino” where he plays cash games, tournaments, and casino games.
“I love Borgata. It’s my wife’s favorite, too. I am really grateful for the opportunity to win the biggest tournament I have ever played right near my home.”
Bin Weng -
Weng exemplifies the Philadelphia underdog story winning a high stakes poker tournament filled with more recognizable names. Also, for the past six months Weng admits having been on the worst downswing of his career.
“Right now, I am happy for sure. But I don't know why I am just not excited at all. I just feel like I was supposed to get this one because for the past six or seven months it was the worst downswing. I took a whole month's break in December and tried to figure out what my leaks were. Winning this one means a lot and I hope this heater can continue."
Bin Weng -
"Borgata has worked for nearly two decades to build the reputation it holds for Championship Poker. I was extremely proud that we were able to perform to that level of expectation right out of the gate. It's because of the amazing staff and truly loyal player base that Borgata's success can live on.”
Kellie de Celis - Borgata Poker Operations
2015 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe McKeehen finished third for $440,327 and poker pro Jonathan Borenstein finished fourth for $368,324.
“From the online qualifiers at BetMGM to the Final Table, the excitement around the return of high stakes poker at Borgata has been absolutely electric. We look forward to offering online poker players ways to qualify for other big events like this in 2023.”
Luke Staudenmaier - Director of Poker, BetMGM
