Casino Player December 2022

Phil Ivey joins World Poker Tour as Global Ambassador

WPT World Championship Approaches, Phil Ivey Added as Ambassador A s theWorld PokerTour’sWorld Champ ionship approaches, the company added poker legend Phil Ivey as an ambassador in November.The Poker Hall of Fame member is the tour’s latest ambassador as theWPT celebrates its 20th anniversary.The news complements the tour’s efforts to promote December’s $15 million guaranteed championship. “WPT is one of the most respected brands in poker, and I’m honored to become aWPT ambassador,” Ivey said.“My commitment and passion toward poker has never been higher and I look forward to working with theWPT to showcase poker around the world, adding to its continued expansion.” Ivey is no stranger to poker fans and has been a mainstay in televised poker events since the 2000s.His poker record includes winning theWPT’s LA Poker Classic in 2008 for $1.6 million as well as nine other final table appearances on the tour, including a runner-up and two third-place finishes. On theWSOP, Ivey also has 10 bracelets and he almost added an 11th over the summer. The poker pro finished runner-up in the $100,000 High Roller for $1.2 million.He also has two wins on theTriton Poker tour this year for $1.6 million. Ivey will now be among those looking to add a major bullet point to their poker record at theWPTWorld Championship.

High-Stakes Tournament Returning to the Borgata P oker players in the northeast received some welcome news in November with the

Borgata announcing that high-stakes tournaments would be coming back to the property in January. The Borgata offers one of the best poker scenes in the country,but those looking for major bigger buy-in tournament action have been out of luck at the property since the pandemic. The casino is teaming up with BetMGM Poker for “The Return:A Borgata Championship Event.”The festival offers players four tournaments running Jan. 2–8, with online qualifiers available on the BetMGM platform. “The return of championship poker to Borgata is a long time coming,”Borgata Director of Poker Operations Vincent Alonge Jr. said.“Borgata is the premier gaming destination on the East Coast,which includes best-in-class poker tournaments.” The $5,300 Championship highlights the series and comes with a $3 million guarantee. Starting flights begin Jan. 4 & 5 and the final table runs on Jan. 8.The tournament also guarantees at least $1 million for the winner with no payout structure adjustments. Players can also take a shot at the property’s first mystery bounty.The $2,200 buy-in event features a $1 million guarantee with a top bounty of $250,000.The $1,000 Borgata Bounty is also set for Jan.6–8 and a $10,000 Super Survivor for Jan.7 & 8. The poker room plans multiple live satellites, including a $600 Big Stack tournament on Jan. 3. BetMGM players will also find numerous online qualifiers.The Borgata series becomes just the latest cross-promoted live event for the platform following the summer’s event at the Aria in Las Vegas. BetMGM Poker is a partnership between MGM Resorts and Entain,which owns the international PartyPoker platform. “It feels great to see major poker events at Borgata after all this time,”four-time WPT champion and BetMGM ambassador Darren Elias told USPoker about the series. “I know East Coast players have been anxious to see more tournaments closer to home. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a big 2023 at the Borgata.”

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