Borgata Poker Room

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  1. Welcome to the tables of the Borgata Poker Room. Where great cards, lucky seats and high hands bring excitement to every player. Try your hand at Hold'Em, Stud, Omaha or any of the many variations of Poker. You can find it all right here!
  2. But Borgata’s online poker room has been hit harder than some of the competition. The market share for Borgata has dropped as well. The room once controlled some 50% of the market for online poker in New Jersey, and is now closer to 40% of the total play.

Borgata reopened The Poker Room at 10am on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Borgata is the first resort in Atlantic City to return poker operations following the closure of New Jersey casinos earlier this year amidst the coronavirus crisis.

Borgata is the top destination of choice for many poker enthusiasts. Find your game fast at Atlantic City's largest poker room.

Borgata Poker returned with 30 socially distanced tables following the company’s comprehensive health and safety protocols designed to protect employees and customers. All poker play is live cash games on seven-handed tables with polycarbonate barriers. Masks are required in all public areas and spectators are not permitted. Additionally, hand sanitizing machines were installed throughout the Poker Room.

Earlier this year, Borgata implemented the MGM Resorts’ “Seven-Point Safety Plan,” a multi-layered set of protocols and procedures designed in conjunction with medical and scientific experts. The plan balances the high level of customer service guests expect from Borgata with policies that continually evolve based on data, science, and public health guidelines. Key initiatives from the plan include:

  • Employee screening, temperature checks and COVID-19 specific training.

  • Masks required in all public areas for both employees and guests (and provided free of charge).

  • Guest screening and temperature checks with limited casino entrance points.

  • A physical distancing policy with floor guides serving as reminders.

  • For areas where physical distancing presents challenges, polycarbonate barriers will be installed, or other measures will be used to reduce risks.

  • Standalone handwashing stations designed by MGM Resorts conveniently located on the casino floor.

  • Guestroom Attendants will wear masks and gloves while cleaning each room and will change gloves between guestrooms.

  • In addition to increased and enhanced routine cleaning of guestrooms and public spaces based on CDC guidance, electrostatic sprayers will be utilized in many large public spaces so that disinfectant is applied efficiently.

  • MGM has compiled its own internal team and processes to respond if a guest or employee tests positive for COVID-19. We ask that if a guest tests positive after visiting one of our properties, they alert us through a special email address (covid19@mgmresorts.com). We will immediately report any positive test results to the local health department and assist with contact tracing to support the health department investigators.

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With the announcement this week that Pennsylvania is seeing poker rooms reopen, New Jersey players have also received some good news. The first of the state’s live poker rooms is set to reopen next week.

Garden State players have been locked out of live play for months during the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown. Now the Borgata is set to reopen its poker room next Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 10 a.m. (ET).

“We are happy to welcome back our loyal players as we reopen Atlantic City’s market-leading East Coast poker destination,” president and COO Melonie Johnson told the Press of Atlantic City.

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What to expect from the Borgata poker room reopening

The Borgata has become one of the East Coast’s premier poker destinations and poker revenue leader in New Jersey. The venue regularly hosts World Poker Tour events as well as its own popular series throughout the year.

The MGM property also runs BorgataPoker.com online poker as a skin of the partypoker US Network. The two recently teamed up for the WPT Borgata Online, which proved to be a nice success.

The state produced record online poker revenues in 2020. Players also yearning for some live action now have at least one Atlantic City option.

“It will be good to have that option available to those who want to play in a casino again,” BorgataPoker ambassador Michael Gagliano says. “I really miss live poker and look forward to the next time I get to play. I hope everyone has fun, stays safe, and takes the proper safety precautions.”

Those returning to the Borgata will find some changes. Visitors will find 30 socially-distanced tables with seven-handed play. Polycarbonate dividers are used to separate players and masks are required throughout the casino.

Borgata Poker Room Live Game Report

Upon reopening, the Borgata implemented MGM’s “Seven-Point Safety Plan” with additional safety protocols and procedures. Some of those include:

  • temperature checks
  • social distancing
  • thorough cleaning and filtration systems
  • additional hand washing and sanitizer stations throughout the casino
  • the use of digital menus

Additionally, drink service will be available, but food won’t be served in the poker room.

#BorgataAC's Poker Room REOPENS Wednesday, October 21 at 10am.

✅ The Poker Room will have 30 tables with polycarbonate dividers. Masks are required.

Must be 21 or older. Bet with your head. Not over it. Gambling Problem? Call 1.800.GAMBLER. https://t.co/ASt92s63ae

— BORGATA (@BorgataAC) October 15, 2020

Borgata return is welcome news to some Garden State players

Borgata is the first in the market to announce a reopening. Players will be welcomed back with only cash game play initially.

The property hasn’t announced a timetable for when tournaments may return. The room’s bad beat jackpot will begin at $100,000.

Garden State grinder Dan Lupo plans to continue online for now. However, he knows many who are ready to hit the Borgata table.

“I don’t anticipate playing live poker for some time, but I know lots of guys are itching to get out there and play and I think that’s great they’ll get the chance,” he says.

“I’m hopeful guidelines are followed and people will be able to get out there and enjoy doing what they love to.”

When New Jersey casinos reopened in July, there was no direct prohibition against poker. However, Atlantic City’s rooms have remained closed as other venues around the country began reopening.

Just before the pandemic, MGM also announced the launch of the East Coast Poker Tour. The property and online poker site were to be key parts of those events along with MGM Springfield and MGM National Harbor.

No word on when the tour as well as major tournament series will return. Atlantic City has four other live poker rooms:

None of those properties have announced any plans for reopening yet. But with the market leader now returning, more may be ready to get dealt in soon.

Borgata photo courtesy WPT/Joe Giron