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East Coast Poker Tour could be a win-win. The co-sponsored poker tour offers East Coast players and those willing to travel an opportunity to compete for some larger prize pools across the region. They’ll also have a chance to qualify for a $2 million guaranteed event for free. There’s a new poker tour in town as a trio of MGM properties – MGM National Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Borgata – have joined forces to establish the MGM East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT). East Coast Poker Tour The MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour features events at MGM National Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Borgata. Qualify for the MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour leaderboard from February 5, 2020 – August 24, 2020.
COVID-19 UPDATE. The health and well-being of our guests and employees is, as always, our top priority. Due to these concerns, Borgata has announced the cancellation of MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour. “Our East Coast Poker Tour is a great way for us to showcase three of our industry-leading properties while creating an exciting tournament series for our guests and poker enthusiasts.” The tour will feature five co-branded events and one co-branded championship.
MGM Resorts International has launched a brand new poker tour for its East Coast customers. The MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour (ECPT) kicks off in February 2020 and is hosted in MGM’s eastern casinos.
Five stops make up the inaugural MGM Resorts ECPT although not all have schedules confirmed as yet. Those legs with confirmed schedules reveal the tour is aimed at the more casual players, with buy-in in the mid-three figure range. Main Events command a larger buy-in of $2,700 to $3,500, which prices them out of a casual player’s reach.
Satellites feed into the Main Events of the MGM Resorts ECPT, as you would fully expect.
The tour takes place at the Borgata in Atlantic City and MGM National Harbor in Maryland. MGM Springfield in Massachusetts has also been chosen as a venue for the opening season.
“MGM Resorts offers players the best poker product on the East Coast,” said Jorge Perez, Portfolio President, in a press release. “Our East Coast Poker Tour is a great way for us to showcase three of our industry-leading properties while creating an exciting tournament series for our guests and poker enthusiasts.”
MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour Schedule
| Dates | Leg |
|---|---|
| Feb. 5-17 | MGM National Harbor Potomac Winter Poker Open |
| Apr. 7-24 | Borgata Spring Poker Open |
| Jul. 7-24 | Borgata Summer Poker Open |
| Jul. 22-Aug. 3 | MGM National Harbor Potomac Summer Poker Open |
| Aug. 12-24 | MGM Springfield The Armory Classic |
| Nov. 15-20 | Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship |
MGM National Harbor Potomac Winter Poker Open is the first chance to see the new tour in action. It takes place from February 5 through February 17 and boasts of 14 separate events.
The Maryland-based opening leg kick off in style with a $500,000 guaranteed event costing only $400 to enter. This tournament requires 1,250 entries across six starting flights to avoid an overlay.
Other scheduled tournaments in Potomac include a $50,000 guaranteed one-day event for $400. There is a $400 buy-in 5-card PLO event and a $100,000 guaranteed Big Stack event, which also costs $400.
Heads-up players can enjoy a $600 buy-in event capped at 64 players, while seniors have their own event too.
The highlight of the stop is the $3,000 buy-in Main Event with its $500,000 guarantee. The higher buy-in will attract professional players, while the satellites from $200 ensure plenty of recreational players can compete in a major live event.
East Coast Poker Tournaments
Designed to Avoid the WSOP
MGM Resorts has been clever in designing a schedule that avoids the World Series of Poker. The draw of the WSOP is so strong that hardly any major tournaments take place anywhere outside of Las Vegas.
The Borgata Spring Poker Open kicks off a month before the WSOP festivities. This is followed by the Borgata Summer Poker Open from July 7, which is during the WSOP Main Event. MGM National Harbor Potomac Summer Poker Open follows then the MGM Springfield The Armory Classic.
MGM heads to Borgata in November for the final leg of its inaugural ECPT. The Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship includes a $3,500 Main Event with $2 million guaranteed.
MGM Resorts ECPT Leaderboards
Ninety players are set to play in the $2 million guaranteed Borgata Fall Poker Open Championship for free. Leaderboard points are awarded for playing in any MGM Resorts ECPT Main or Championship event. More points are given for reaching the final table.
The top 90 finishers receive a free seat plus a two-night stay at the Borgata. Five randomly selected players from each Main Event also bag a free seat.
East Coast Poker Tournaments
The tour’s website reads, “Players can qualify for the MGM Resorts ECPT leaderboard between February 5, 2020 and August 24, 2020 by registering in any of the five tournaments prior to the championship. A minimum of 100 players, including the five winners of the tour’s previous tournaments, five randomly selected participants (one from each tournament), and the top 90 participants on the leaderboard will receive a complimentary two-night stay at Borgata and entry into the Borgata Fall Poker Open / MGM Resorts East Coast Poker Tour $2 Million Guaranteed Championship November 15-20, 2020. Additional prizes include a $500 MGM Resorts gift card, $250 hotel credit at Borgata, and a Cartier watch. Participants must be M life cardholders to qualify.”