Dean wins Borgata Poker Open powered by BetMGM
20 September 2024(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa Poker Open Powered by BetMGM featured 30 main events over the course of two weeks and awarded over $7,000,000 in total prize pools. It concluded with the $3,500 Borgata Poker Open Championship that began with a field of 758 on 13 September and ended with Donovan Dean winning the title and $408,836 on 17 September.
Dean surpassed his previous live cash ($356,952) when he defeated Luis Ortiz in heads-up play. Ortiz won $283,446 and it represented a huge leap over his previous best live cash of $3,338. Kharlin Sued finished third ($195,599) and also scored a personal best live cash.
“The latest Borgata Poker Open featured the largest slate of online qualification and more than two weeks of amazing live action,” said Luke Staudenmaier, Director of Poker, BetMGM. “The personal bests from players at the Final Table shows that Borgata poker events are some of the biggest in the country and we are proud to partner with them.”
Borgata Poker Open Championship Final Table payouts
Player/Prize
Donovan Dean/$410,452
Luis Ortiz/$236,446
Kharlin Sued/$195,599
Josh Kay/$128,699
Andrew Osepchenko/$69,330
Frank Funaro/$54,992
"Borgata Poker Open in September has been a part of Borgata's history for decades. Being able to bring this series back to the Event Center, bigger and better than ever before has been an honor," said Kellie de Celis, Director of Poker Operations at Borgata. "We are so grateful to all of the players who continue to support Borgata Poker."
The Borgata Poker Open Powered by BetMGM was filled with various highlights including:
- Foul Territory, a digital baseball?show and BetMGM partner, brought former MLB players from the diamond to the felt to participate in the BetMGM Bounty Shootout on Thursday, Sept. 12. Among those joining the field of participants were host Scott Braun and MLB alumni including Ruben Amaro Jr., Grant Balfour, Dellin Betances, Todd Frazier, Andruw Jones, Erik Kratz, Cameron Maybin, and Brett Myers. Betances reached the Bounty Shootout Final Table, where he finished 5th for $1,500 and won a seat in Borgata Poker Open $3,500 Championship.
- The first ever $10,000 High Roller Event was held on Sept. 15 at the MGM Tower Overlook. The new, elevated space is on the top floor of the MGM Tower at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Alex Queen won the event for $89,000. He also won the Borgata Winter Poker Open in January for $613,063.
- Darren Elias, a BetMGM Poker ambassador and record four-time World Poker Tour winner, finished in 53rd place for $10,000 in the Borgata Poker Open Championship. The BPO Championship cash was the 20th of Elias’ career at the “home casino” for the Medford, New Jersey resident.
- Russell Meyer turned $10 into $10,000 after winning an online qualifier for the BetMGM Online Hybrid Championship. Russell won his way through online qualifiers turning a $10 promo ticket into a $100 ticket, and then a $1,000 Online Hybrid entry. He then finished 5th for $10,000 at the live streamed Hybrid final table.
- Hayden Hetland, a 21-year-old from Seattle, Washington turned his first live tournament cash into a 2nd place finish in the Almighty Million for $120,000. In pre-final table interviews he said he was playing in Colorado, saw the tournament advertised on Instagram and booked a flight.
Players can earn BetMGM Rewards Points and Tier Credits by playing on BetMGM Poker. BetMGM Rewards points can be redeemed for digital bonuses, MGM Rewards Points, and Marriott Bonvoy Points.
All main events for the Borgata Poker Open were reported to the GPI Index and Hendon Mob.
As BetMGM continues to expand into new jurisdictions, responsible gaming education remains a key focus. BetMGM is proud to provide resources to help customers play responsibly, including GameSense, an industry-leading program developed and licensed to MGM Resorts by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. Through the GameSense integration within BetMGM's mobile and desktop platforms, customers can directly access responsible gaming tools.