Borgata's President's Day Poker Fiasco Leaves Players Disappointed

Borgata hosted a $400 buy-in poker tournament with a $200,000 guaranteed prize on February 20, 2022. The event was the first six-figure prize purse poker tournament organized by Borgata since the coronavirus outbreak. The 10 a.m. flight sold out immediately, and by 11 a.m., it was unclear if players waiting for the 7 p.m. flight would even be able to acquire a seat. Borgata's Poker Room reported that players had taken all the seats at approximately 3:50 p.m.

The event was poorly organized and marketed, according to some participants. Many players expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation on social media, with some traveling significant distances to reach the casino only to be turned away. Borgata has been searching for competent dealers, cage employees, cashiers, and essentially everything else for almost a year. The Borgata laid off almost 2,300 employees in September 2020, decimating its highly skilled poker crew.

The $400 buy-in, $250K guaranteed Almighty Stack event drew 800 players in February 2020. That event included four inaugural flights spanning three days and went ahead without a hitch. Borgata could have avoided the long lines by enabling players to pre-register online, but the casino underestimated the large turnout.