As the summer heat blazes on, the BetMGM Poker US Network is turning up the excitement with the return of its Summer Classic series.
This year, the festival spans four action-packed days, giving players in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan a chance to revel in the poker frenzy. Each of the three series guarantees over $100,000 in prize money.
The Summer Classic commenced on Thursday, July 27, and will conclude this Sunday.
- Up to $75 in MTT tickets on top of the bonus
- Frequent MTT series with good guarantees
- Combined player pools in Michigan and New Jersey
Drawing inspiration from America’s favorite pastime, baseball, the series features a lineup of over a dozen tournaments, creatively named after various baseball sporting terms such as “First Pitch,” “RBI Double,” “Solo Shot,” and more.
Each day players compete in three tournaments, with the exception of the final day, which sees four tournaments. Each state hosts its own independent online series, with player pools segregated, meaning players only compete with others as long as they are within the borders of the state.
The guaranteed prize pools vary across the states, with New Jersey taking the lead with an impressive $123,000, while Michigan and Pennsylvania offer $108,000 spread across 13 tournaments. This discrepancy can be attributed to BetMGM NJ’s longer tenure in the market, boasting a decade of experience and featuring three skins: BetMGM Poker NJ, partypoker NJ, and Borgata Poker NJ.
On the other hand, BetMGM MI and BetMGM PA, launched in 2021, understandably offer slightly lower guarantees than their more established counterpart in New Jersey.
Players with varying bankrolls can join in the action as buy-ins range from $20 to $320. The highlight of the series, the Grand Slam Main Event NLH, requires a $215 buy-in and comes with $35,000 in guaranteed prizes for players in New Jersey and $30,000 for participants from Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The series kicked off with the First Pitch carrying a $100 buy-in, guaranteeing $12,000 in NJ and $10,000 in MI & PA. This was followed by a Progressive Knockout (PKO) with an entry fee of $320, promising $12,000/$10,000, and a mini $20 version guaranteeing $1500. Each of these tournaments surpassed their guarantees in each of the three states.
The series proceeds with a similar lineup of structured events on July 28 and July 29, culminating in a thrilling finale on Sunday, July 30, featuring four tournaments, including the Main Event and a Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) tournament — the only one of its kind in the 13-event series.
Beyond the tournament frenzy, BetMGM pampers its players with a host of exciting cash game promotions, such as BRP Builder Cash Games, Cashback Grind, SPINS Leaderboard, Spin the Wheel, and Hot Tables.
BetMGM is set to run online qualifiers for the prestigious Potomac Poker Open on its platform in New Jersey and Pennsylvania from August 7 to 13. Participants can win an attractive package for the Main Event, boasting a $1 million guaranteed prize pool. The package, worth $5000, includes a seat at the Championship event, a three-night stay at the MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino — the venue of the series — and an additional $500 travel credit.
Amidst the thrilling poker action, the BetMGM Poker network is experiencing a prosperous phase with impressive revenue performances. In June, BetMGM and its sister skins on the Borgata license reported a staggering $783k in revenue in New Jersey, representing a 23% year-over-year growth — the best in almost two years.
Meanwhile, BetMGM has seen even more substantial growth in Pennsylvania, with a remarkable 50% annual increase, while Borgata experienced an impressive 75% growth. At this rate, the network is poised to secure a strong position in the market, possibly achieving second place in July or August.
The Summer Classic series on the BetMGM Poker US Network concludes on July 30.
