Borgata Poker NJ Review

New Jersey was one of the earliest states to allow regulated online poker for real money. Along with five other poker sites, Borgata Poker NJ went live on November 21, 2013. It has provided players in the Garden State with a safe and reliable poker site for over seven years since, and there are few sites that can boast that kind of experience.

Borgata Poker is one of three poker sites hosted on the partypoker US network, the other two being BetMGM and partypoker. All three brands share liquidty, which makes it easier to organize tournament series and offer bigger, more appealing guarantees. Thanks to this, Borgata is a serious contender in New Jersey, despite some heavy competition.

Borgata features a nice welcome package for new players, which includes $75 in MTT tickets combined with the first deposit match offer up to $1000. Thus, the room has plenty to offer to all players, from poker newcomers to serious grinders looking to boost their bankrolls.

In addition to a solid tournament schedule, Borgata Poker NJ also offers a lot of action on cash game tables across all stakes. Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and 7 Card Stud (including Stud 8) are all available, starting from micro limits and going up to $25/50. So, cash game players have plenty of options at their disposal.

Borgata Poker NJ Welcome Bonuses

Borgata Poker offers new players a twofold welcome, consisting of an instant cash bonus and a first deposit match. This is a pretty standard deal for online poker sites though Borgata’s version is towards the more generous end of the spectrum. However, when it comes to player rewards the devil is always in the detail, so here are the key points that you should be aware of:

$1000 First Deposit Match

Borgata NJ will match whatever you choose to load up your account with, effectively doubling your initial deposit. This part of the deal does come with a few caveats, so it is worth making note of the following:

• The bonus is released in 10% increments, so if you deposit $100 it will become available in $10 chunks.
• The offer is only available for new players making their first deposit.
• Wagering requirement is 14x in Borgata Rewards Points i.e., to release $10 will require earning 140 points.
• Players have 120 days to meet the wagering requirements.

Up to $75 in Bonus Tournament Tickets

In addition to the standard match bonus, Borgata Poker NJ also treats all new depositing players with some MTT tickets. The value of the tickets you can get depends on the deposit amount, and the maximum value of the offer is $75.

• Players depositing up to $499 receive one $20 & one $5 MTT ticket (total value $25)
• Deposits of $500- $999 qualify for $50 worth of MTT tickets (1x$20, 2x$10, 2x$5)
• For deposits of $1000+, you will get the full $75 MTT ticket package (2x$20, 3x$10, 1x$5)

All tickets can be used in real money tournaments with corresponding buy-ins just like real cash. All winnings resulting from the tournaments you register for using the tickets are yours to keep and do not have any wagering requirements attached to them.

VIP Rewards

Borgata’s new rewards program is called Borgata Online Rewards and it is open to everyone who play real money games on the site (poker, casino, and sports betting). On top of the ability to exchange their Borgata Online Rewards points for cash and bonuses, they can also be exchanged for MGM Rewards points, which, in turn, can be spent at all land-based locations owned by MGM Resorts.

As players earn online points, they also accumulate Tier Credits at the same rate. And the more Tier Credits you have, the higher your Tier Level will be. There are 5 Tier Levels, each providing better perks than the one before.

Borgata Online Rewards points are earned at the rate of 500 points for $100 rake paid at cash game tables or in tournament fees. You get the equal number of Tier points at the same time.

Promotions

As a sister site to BetMGM, players can expect to see many of the same promotions running at Borgata, which is no bad thing as BetMGM has a reputation as one of the best providers of promos on the market. Some campaigns might last a month or more, some may only be available for 24 hours.

At any one time, there is a wide spectrum of offers, catering to a range of bankroll sizes and they are pitched at both low-volume and high-volume players. Most promos will fall into one of these categories:

• Volume Bonus—As simple as it sounds. The more you play, the bigger your bonus. These can be in the form of a straightforward quid pro quo where a given amount of iRPs earn a certain reward, or a competition such as a Leaderboard Race where you are vying against other players for the prizes. The good thing here is that you do not have to do anything different to what you usually would: just play your usual game and earn rewards.
• Deposit Bonus—Just like the First Deposit bonus above but for existing players, Borgata will often run offers for players making deposits during a given timeframe. The premise is generally the same but terms and conditions such as playthrough requirements will vary from offer to offer.
• Game-Specific Bonuses—Sometimes Borgata Poker will run campaigns to promote certain game types such as PLO or formats such as Fast Forward. Try your hand at something different and pick up a bonus in the process.
• Freeroll Tickets—A staple feature of just about every online poker site, Freeroll tournaments offer players the chance to win money for no outlay at all. They provide a great way to learn the game in a no-risk environment, and many of poker’s big names cut their teeth playing freerolls.

Tournaments

Borgata has a solid offering of tournaments across a range of formats. As you would expect, Texas Hold’em makes up the vast majority of these but if you prefer your poker with four hole-cards, you will also find a couple of PLO and PLO8 tournaments run daily. 7-Card Stud is also available.

MTTs (Multi-Table Tournaments)

There is a healthy selection of Multi Table Tournaments (MTTs) running throughout the day at Borgata NJ. As with all online poker rooms, the biggest fields and prize pools will be found at the weekends—especially on Sundays when all the major tournaments are hosted. Borgata also runs regular tournament series, which attract yet further traffic to the site and tend to have the largest guarantees.

Buy-ins range from $1 to $535, although some series events will have even higher stakes. There are satellites for as little as $0.25 or 10 iRPs as well as a Sunday freeroll offering two tickets to the $35,000 Guaranteed Sunday Major. So, whatever your bankroll, you will have no trouble finding a game that suits you.

SNGs (Sit and Go Tournaments)

Sit and Go Tournaments (SNGs) were once the bread and butter of online card rooms. Although their star has faded somewhat in recent years, they still retain a certain level of popularity, particularly at lower buy-ins, due to their convenience and short duration.

Borgata spreads Six-Max and Heads up SNGs in Turbo and Hyper formats with a range of buy-ins between $1-$200. For the real high rollers there are also $500 Heads Up Turbos.

Of course, one of the main reasons for the SNGs decline in popularity has been the rise and rise of Jackpot SNGs. Unfortunately, this format is not currently available at Borgata but given the appetite for this format, we would expect it to be rolled out in the future.

Cash Games

Borgata NJ has a similar selection available at its cash tables. The games on offer are as follows:

• No Limit Hold’em
• Limit Hold’em
• Pot Limit Omaha
• Pot Limit Omaha Hi/lo
• Limit Stud
• Limit Stud Hi/lo

All bankroll budgets are catered for: NL Texas Hold’em games start at $0.01/0.02 at go all the way up to $25/50, and the range is similar for other variants.

There is not the greatest selection of games at Borgata and that is reflected in our rating—but the most popular variants are available, and it is hard for a site like Borgata to offer more variety without greater liquidity; it needs to ensure that there will be enough demand for the games already on offer.

Borgata Poker NJ uses partypoker’s software and shares the player pool of other sites on the network, namely partypoker NJ and BetMGM Poker NJ. Whilst pooling players is undoubtedly a plus for everyone involved, liquidity still poses an issue. The Multi State Internet Gaming Agreement paved the way for inter-state online poker but so far, has had little impact on player pools.

A real game changer would be the much-anticipated entrance of Pennsylvania into the shared liquidity pool. With 13 million residents, the Keystone State is the biggest so far to regulate online gaming. The addition of this huge potential player base would surely lead to bigger fields, larger prize pools and greater game selection.

Software

As mentioned above, Borgata Poker runs on software provided by partypoker, one of the biggest and most trusted names in online poker. So it should know something about the three qualities we consider essential when it comes to poker software: reliability, functionality and appearance.

With that said, the desktop software is a little out of date, and the mobile client has not yet been upgraded to partypoker’s new apps. This should hopefully come soon—it recently went live in Michigan—and that will represent a pretty major upgrade.

Reliability

You do not get to operate poker sites for 20 years without reliable software. Partypoker’s has been put through its paces more than almost any other, so bugs are few and far between. No online service can be 100% reliable but partypoker’s tech team are second to none when it comes to keeping its client up and running and on those rare occasions when glitches do happen, Borgata’s support team will be on hand to help you out.

Functionality

Again, partypoker’s software has been through two decades of development to get where it is today and as a result it is versatile across a range of platforms. Borgata Poker works just as well on desktop or mobile devices and there are versions for Windows, iOS and Android. The client features many customization options allowing you to set up tables to your own preferences.

Appearance

There is nothing flashy about Borgata’s partypoker client and we mean that in the best possible sense. The lobby is functional and clearly set out which is exactly what you want if you are going to be using it on a daily basis. The menus and filters are intuitive and simple to use.

The tables themselves are well structured and carry lots of information without being cluttered. They are very customizable: players can choose from a variety of themes and change aspects such as colors and card styles.

If you like gimmicks like throwable items and animations, the partypoker software has these too but they are easy to switch off for the more serious grinders that wish to maintain their focus.

Cashouts

Fast and secure banking is an essential feature for an online poker operator and Borgata is as good as it gets in this respect, offering as wide a range as we have seen for both deposit and withdrawal methods. The table below lists these in detail.

Borgata Poker NJ Frequently Asked Questions

What are the welcome bonuses like at Borgata NJ?

Borgata has a two-part welcome bonus for new players:

• A $20 no deposit bonus offering players a way to familiarize themselves with what is on offer without any risk.
• A 100% first deposit match up to $600. The bonus is released 10% increments as wagering requirements are met, and players have 45 days to complete those in order to claim the full amount. Every $10 released requires 40 iRewards Points (iRPs) to be earned and players are awarded 5.56 iRPs for every $1 of tournament fees or rake.

What kind of promotions does Borgata NJ run?

As a sister site to BetMGM, Borgata has no shortage of promos running at any given time. They come in a variety of styles to suit all bankrolls and volumes of play. Some of them last throughout a month or more while others can change on a day-to-day basis. Common formats for promotions are leaderboard races, deposit bonuses, volume bonuses and freerolls.

Is there a rewards program?

As Borgata Poker is part of the MGM Resorts International group, players are entered into its M life Rewards program. Players earn Tier Credits at the same rate as iRPs and the amount they earn determines which Tier Level they earn rewards in and the value of rewards on offer increases with each new level. There are five Tier Levels to progress through:

• Sapphire—0-24,999 points
• Pearl—25,000+ points
• Gold—75,000+ points
• Platinum—200,000+ points
• Noir—Invitation Only

Do I need to verify my account?

New Jersey regulations require online gaming operators to ensure that all players are eligible to play. As such, you will need to verify your account with Borgata Poker, and you will not be able to play real money games until this process has been completed. This will require uploading official ID documents which you can do through the Borgata website.

Am I eligible to play at Borgata Poker?

To be legally eligible to play at Borgata, players must be at least 21 years of age, and physically located within New Jersey.

Do I have to be in the state of New Jersey to play on Borgata Poker NJ?

It is a legal requirement that players be physically present in New Jersey in order to access Borgata’s NJ poker site. Operators have to comply with this under the terms of their licenses and they employ geolocation trackers to ensure players are within state boundaries.

What is geolocation?

Geolocation is a combination of technological methods that online gaming providers use to determine the location of a device that is connected to the internet. If your device is determined to be outside of jurisdictional boundaries, you will be excluded from playing. These days geolocation tools are extremely accurate.

Can I use a VPN to play from outside New Jersey?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) should not be used to play at Borgata from outside of New Jersey. Detection tools are very sophisticated, and you are likely to get caught eventually, if not immediately. If you are caught, you will probably have any funds confiscated and receive a lifetime ban, which will be particularly frustrating if your state ever does regulate online gaming.

Does Borgata NJ share liquidity with other states?

At the moment Borgata Poker is live in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but these states are not currently part of any interstate liquidity arrangement.

However, the situation is very fluid, and the recent First Circuit ruling has renewed hope that pooled liquidity could be just around the corner.

What cash games are available at Borgata?

Borgata Poker NJ spreads Texas Hold’em in both No limit and Fixed Limit forms. It also runs Pot Limit Omaha and Fixed Limit &-Card Stud tables. Both Omaha and Stud are available in their Hi/lo split pot version, as well as their standard format.

Stakes run from the absolute micro stakes of 0.01/0.02 up to $10/20 at Six-max NLH and $25/50 for Heads Up.

Does the poker site offer fast-fold poker?

Borgata does spread partypoker’s quick-fold variant known as fastforward. However, this poker variant requires a certain volume of players to work properly and outside of peak times, players may struggle to find a game running.

**This is just one of the many reasons that operators and players alike are keen to see shared liquidity pools across the US marketplace.

What does Borgata offer in the way of Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)?

There are plenty of MTTs running throughout the day at Borgata, covering all the poker variants, buy-in levels and game speeds. For tournament with larger fields and guarantees, Borgata spreads the usual Sunday specials and majors as well as regular series such as the Online Borgata Poker Open.

Does Borgata Poker spread Sit and Go Tournaments (SNGs)?

Yes, Borgata has SNGs running in NL Hold’em and PL Omaha formats. They are available as six-max and heads up tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $1 to $500.

Partypoker’s lottery SNG variants, SPINS and SPINS Ultra are not currently available at Borgata NJ.

What deposit methods are available?

Borgata NJ has a wide range of deposit options. Specifically, these are:

• ACH/e-check (via VIP Preferred)
• Play+
• Visa/Mastercard
• PayPal
• Electronic Transfer (using “Bill Pay” function.)
• PayNearMe (Available at 7-Eleven and other local stores)
• Borgata cashier window
• Skrill
• American Express / Discover credit cards
• Online Banking (via PayWithMyBank)

What options are there for withdrawals?

Borgata also provides players with plenty of options for taking funds out of their accounts. These are as follows:

• ACH/e-check (via VIP Preferred)
• Play+
• PayPal
• Borgata cashier window
• Skrill
• Online Banking (via PayWithMyBank)
• Check by mail

Is Borgata Poker legal?

Borgata NJ is licensed and regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). As such it is authorized to offer online poker, casino games and sports betting within the state.

Does Borgata have a land-based partner?

It is a legal requirement for online gaming sites to be partnered with a land-based outlet. In Borgata NJ’s case this is the Borgata Atlantic City resort.

Can I play on my phone?

Borgata Poker is available for mobile phones and tablets, and there are dedicated apps for Android and iOS platforms. The iOS version is available from the App Store while the Android app must be downloaded directly from the Borgata Poker site as Google Play does not currently support the app.

Does Borgata NJ offer casino games?

Yes, Borgata offers a wide range of digital and live dealer table games as well as a large selection of slots.

Is sports betting available?

Borgata has an extensive sportsbook covering all the most popular sporting events.

Borgata Poker NJ Tournament History

Borgata Poker NJ hosted a number of interesting online tournament events over the years. This is an overview of some of the biggest and most important ones to take place on the platform.

2022 Tournament Series

March Poker Madness

Running March 20 – 27, March Poker Madness was the first major series to take place at Borgata Poker NJ in 2022 together with their partner room BetMGM Poker NJ.

The series featured several events every day, with buy-ins of $109 – $1,060 and solid guarantees. Some of the highlight tournaments on the schedule included:

• $50K Guaranteed Warm-up on March 20 ($535)
• $25K 6-max PKO event on March 22 ($535)
• $1060 Heads Up event on March 26 with $10K added
• $75K Main Event on March 27 ($535 buy-in and $55 daily Phase I feeders)
• $100K Main Event on March 27 ($1,060)

Borgata Poker NJ 2021 MTT Series

December 2021 Cheap Stakes Series

Players at Borgata Poker NJ had their schedules filled in the second half of December 2021. The operator hosted the Cheap Stakes Series, with buy-ins varying between $20 and $50. The Main Event, which took place on December 26, offered $20,000 up for grabs, and it was played in a progressive knockout format.

November 2021 End Boss Series

Tournament players at Borgata Poker NJ had something to look forward in November as well. Instead of the usual Open series, the operator hosted a smaller End Boss series.

It comprised six tournaments, running November 23 – 28, with buy-ins ranging from $215 to $1060. In addition to generous guarantees, the series offered a chance of playing against Darren Elias, one of the best tournament players around and a new brand ambassador for BetMGM / Borgata.

partypoker US Network Online Series in October

Borgata hosted a new iteration of the partypoker US Network Online Series in October together with its partners in the state, partypoker NJ and BetMGM Poker NJ.

The series ran October 17 – 24 and featured nine events this time around, with a total of $175,000 in guaranteed prizes. The Main Event was played as a progressive knockout this time around, which made for some interesting action on the felt.

The $535 Main Event attracted 106 entries, generating the total prize pool of $53,000, breaking the $50K guarantee. The eventual winner walked away with $5832 to their name.