The East Coast’s premier poker series is back in a big way. The Borgata Winter Poker Open (BWPO) powered by BetMGM returns in January 2026 with an impressive $8,000,000 in total guarantees, solidifying its reputation as one of the most anticipated poker festivals of the year.
Running January 2–18, 2026, at the Event Center inside Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, the series will feature 37 main events and a packed schedule designed to appeal to players of all bankroll levels. From affordable entry points to high-stakes championship action, BWPO once again delivers a complete poker experience. Online qualifiers are already underway, with real-time registration available exclusively through BetMGM Poker.
“The Borgata Winter Poker Open has set the standard for starting out the year of East Coast poker action. We’ve increased the number of main events and total guarantee from last year to add even more excitement,” said David Mileaf, Sr. Manager of Poker Operations at BetMGM. “Our relationship with Borgata creates an omnichannel differentiator that no other operator can match.”
Borgata’s commitment to building a premier live poker destination continues to show with the 2026 schedule.
“The Borgata Winter Poker Open has become one of the East Coast’s premier events, and our 2026 schedule shows how committed we are to giving players at all levels something to get excited about. With a wide range of buy-ins and a $3,500 buy-in Championship event featuring a $3 million guarantee, BWPO powered by BetMGM offers big action and plenty of opportunities for everyone,” said Kellie DeCelis, Director of Poker Operations at Borgata.
Championship & Key Highlights
Headlining the series is the $3,500 Winter Poker Open Championship, featuring a massive $3,000,000 guarantee. The event kicks off on Saturday, January 10, and concludes with a live-streamed final table on Thursday, January 15. Last year’s championship famously ended with two winners, Joseph Neiman and Nguyen Le, following a heads-up deal. Le would later go on to capture the BetMGM Poker Championship in July at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Additional BWPO highlights include:
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Exclusive Online Qualifiers: Players in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania can qualify through BetMGM Poker now through Sunday, January 11, with buy-ins starting as low as $2.
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Same-Day Registration: Real-time tournament registration available directly through the BetMGM Poker app.
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Online to Live Championship: The $250,000 BetMGM Online Hybrid Championship begins online on Sunday, January 4, and finishes with a live-streamed final table at Borgata on Thursday, January 8.
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Almighty Winter Kick Off (Jan 3–7): $400 buy-in with a $1,000,000 guarantee.
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Deepstack Main Event (Jan 7–11): $600 buy-in and $2,000,000 guarantee, featuring “Big Blind Rewind” on Day 2.
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Mix Event Leaderboard: Top 20 players earn payouts from the leaderboard prize pool.
Online Satellites & Live Stream Action
Coverage, Rankings & Rewards
Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action with live coverage from Poker.Org and watch streamed final tables on BetMGM’s YouTube channel. All BWPO main events will be reported to the GPI Index and Hendon Mob.
Players can also earn BetMGM Rewards Points and Tier Credits, which can be redeemed for digital bonuses, MGM Rewards Points, and Marriott Bonvoy Points.
As BetMGM continues to expand, responsible gaming remains a core focus, highlighted by its GameSense integration—an industry-leading program developed by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and available across BetMGM’s platforms.
For full tournament details and schedules, visit theborgata.com, with additional updates available at BetMGMPoker.com.
Recently, Brian and Hoagie from the Nerdthusiast Poker Podcast hosted live commentary events at Borgata—check out their behind-the-scenes video coverage here.
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