Borgata
The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has changed the face of poker east of Las Vegas. By providing a premier venue on the East Coast, Borgata has given players a mid-Atlantic sanctuary that many describe as “poker heaven”. And while the majority of the gaming world’s attention focuses on Las Vegas and the World Series of Poker, this upscale casino has taken command of Atlantic City poker and plays a major role in re-establishing the Jersey Shore as a popular poker destination.
To fully understand the impact of Borgata’s decision to champion the sport, one needs to examine its role in the history of poker in Atlantic City. When poker was fi rst introduced to Atlantic City casinos in June 1993, it received a lukewarm reception from both players and casinos. Many casinos faced internal struggles over whether or not poker would prove profi table, and at the time there were only 160 tables spread among eight casinos.
As time passed and the game neglected to take off, a number of casinos began downsizing or closing their poker operations. Options for players on the East Coast dwindled to their lowest point in 2002 when only 124 tables could be found among fi ve casinos. At the time, poker generated a meager revenue compared to other casino games and the sport was still struggling to hold on. Only the Trump Taj Mahal seemed to thrive and many credit that staying power with the casino’s positive portrayal in the poker movie Rounders starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton.
While additional casinos considered closing their poker rooms, Borgata decided to bank on the sport’s increasing popularity by introducing a 34-table poker room that catered to a younger, more affl uent crowd. Specifi cally targeting East Coast players, Borgata tapped into several key markets, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. Using a marketing tactic that was specifi cally designed to attract the all-important 21 to 34 male demographic, Borgata’s poker room remained fi lled day after day despite stiff competition from the city’s more established card rooms.
Capitalizing on the poker boom, Borgata’s timing and approach to attracting new players made it the preferred poker destination for a sea of new players fl ooding Atlantic City. Borgata’s arrival on the scene and the infl ux of new players in 2003 jump-started the once barren poker scene so much so that poker revenue in Atlantic City grew 27% in 2004-2005. With its room fi lled to capacity almost every day of the week, Borgata provided 26.7% of the total Atlantic City casino poker revenue in 2005 and showed no signs of slowing.
Because of the high demand for action and the casino’s commitment to the sport, Borgata unveiled Atlantic City’s largest poker room in early June of 2006. Featuring a stunning room with 85 tables and plush chairs for the players, the new poker room found an even larger audience, attracting more players to the mid-Atlantic’s leading poker venue. The casino continued to draw impressive numbers throughout the rest of the year, increasing its poker revenue by 29.9% and increasing its market share by 12.6%. In addition, the new room helped increase the city’s overall poker revenue by 15.4% and Borgata accounted for 30.1% of the city’s poker revenue in 2006.
2007 would turn out to be both the city’s and Borgata’s most successful year as the city’s poker revenue rose another 3.3%, with Borgata accounting for 38.5% of the total revenue. Borgata’s own poker revenue also continued to climb, growing another 32.2% and generating $30.8 million.
THE WORLD POKER TOUR POKER OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS
Beginning in September 2003, the World Poker Tour and Borgata entered a partnership that would bring some of the world’s biggest poker tournaments to Atlantic City.
Starting with a $5,000 tournament with a $1,175,000 prize pool in 2003, the event grew immensely the following year when the buy-in was increased to $10,000 and 302 players took to the Borgata felt that year hoping to score the $3,020,000 fi rst-place prize.
The championship tournament continued to grow in 2005, with an additional 213 players, bumping the prize pool to $4,983,145. Thanks to the phenomenal success of the September Poker Opens, Borgata offered East Coast players a Winter Poker Open in January 2006. Also featuring a WPT championship tournament with a $10,000 buy-in, the Winter Poker Open drew a respectable 381 players and offered a $3,695,700 prize pool.
The addition of the new Borgata poker room in 2006 saw the September championship tournament that year swell to 540 players and a monstrous $5,238,000 prize pool. The popular casino continued to attract new players and the 2007 Winter Poker Open Championship topped September’s number as a fi eld of 571 braved the winter cold for a shot at the $5,538,700 prize pool.
2007 marked the largest September Poker Open Championship fi eld as 560 players fi lled the Borgata Event Center, generating a $5,432,000 prize pool. The 2008 Winter Poker Open Championship drew 507 players and generated a prize pool of $4,917,900.
A PLETHORA OF POKER STARS
Offering one of the best-structured championship tournaments in poker, Borgata has always drawn impressive fi elds of professional players. Featuring several top-fl ight fi nal tables, the Poker Open series has had its share of epic poker battles.The series’ biggest fi nal table in terms of star power occurred during the 2004 September Poker Open when Daniel Negreanu topped David Williams, Josh Arieh, Chris Tsiprailidis, and Phil Ivey for the $1,117,400 fi rst-place prize. Coming in a close second was the 2006 Winter Poker Open fi nal table, which featured Michael “the Grinder” Mizrachi manhandling John D’Agostino, this year’s World Series of Poker Player of the Year Erick Lindgren, Amnon Filippi, and Stuart “The Donator” Paterson.
Other notable players that have made Borgata Poker Open Championship fi nal tables include David Oppenheim, Carlos Mortensen, Kathy Liebert, David Singer, David Sklansky, Chris Bell, John Hennigan, “Gentleman” John Gale, Roy Winston, Haralabos Voulgaris, Mark Weitzman, Eugene “Bro” Todd, Mike Matusow, Gavin Griffi n, and Lee Watkinson.
LOCALS RULE
Although the Borgata tournament attracts plenty of professional poker fi re power, it is the local player pool that separates Borgata from other similar tournament series across the country. There is always a strong contingency of East Coast players in the mix for a Poker Open title, and players such as Louie Esposito, Joey “JOEYTHEB” Brooks, Matt “Allinat420” Stout, Matt Glanz, Robert “Action Bob” Huang, Boris “The Blade” Kravets, Matt Brady, Dale Pinchot, and Joe Simmons can frequently be found near the top of the chip counts year after year.
In addition to the regular locals, a number of other top-fl ight players come to Atlantic City specifi cally for the Poker Open series. Leading the brigade of incoming players is Texas’ Bill Blanda, the only player in Borgata history to win three Poker Open titles. Other out-oftowners include Paul McCaffrey, Farhad Sinaei, Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, Erich “Sheets” Haber, Hevad “RainKhan” Khan, and Will “The Thrill” Failla.
THE BIGGEST LAND-BASED GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL IN POKER HISTORY
Never one to follow the industry’s trends, Borgata has once again upped the ante for all poker venues by becoming the fi rst land-based casino to offer a $5 million guaranteed prize pool for its September 2008 Poker Open Championship tournament. Featuring the largest guaranteed prize pool for a land-based casino in history, the tournament is expected to draw a large contingency of poker’s elite and could easily eclipse Borgata’s biggest previous Poker Open turnout.
According to Borgata’s President and Chief Operating Offi cer, Larry Mullin, Borgata is simply taking another step in carving out its niche in the global poker scene. “We have always had a strong commitment to the poker community and this tournament gives our loyal players a chance to participate in one of the biggest tournaments in the world.”
Despite the consistently strong Poker Open attendance, the Borgata staff remains aggressive in the marketplace and this September’s championship tournament further cements the venue’s position as the most player-friendly poker hot spot on the East Coast. Players will start September’s big dance with $40,000 in chips and will play through 70-minute levels, providing tournament players phenomenal value for their $10,000 buy-in.
“We do our best to take care of our players and this tournament is just another extension of that thought process. We have always tried to create tournaments that provide the players with an excellent poker experience and this September’s guarantee ensures that every player who comes out will get their money’s worth,” says Borgata’s tournament director, Tab Duchateu.
The September Poker Open Championship begins September 13, 2008, with the fi nal table taking place on the 18th.
