By Sean Chaffin
Players from New Jersey are in luck with the World Poker Tour heading back to the Garden State again – at least virtually. The tour is once again joining forces with the partypoker US Network for the WPT Online Borgata Series from September 13-21.
The series includes an overall guarantee of $275,000 and should bring plenty of Jersey and northeastern grinders back to the online felt. Borgata, which partners with partypoker in New Jersey, regularly holds its live WPT Borgata Poker Open Series in September. Like other Atlantic City properties, the poker mecca’s card room is still closed.
However, the WPT Online Borgata Series offers a bit of the feel of the annual series and gives players a chance to whet their appetite with a prestigious WPT online series. Players will find many qualifying opportunities and events meant to appeal to a wide range of players.
“WPT and partypoker US Network have created a unique festival for players of all bankrolls across New Jersey to compete in a week-long series that combines the best of the live and online realm,” WPT Vice President of Global Tour Management Angelica Hael said.
The first WPT New Jersey online event with partypoker US Network was held in June. Jersey grinder David Coleman won the WPT Online Poker Open for $56,586. The 26-year-old from Livingston, New Jersey, also won a WPT trophy and $11,000 prize package to play in the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. The event featured a $300,000 guarantee, but ultimately paid out $317,540.
“I am going to play the majority of the series, and will most certainly be attempting to go back-to-back, but understand how challenging that will be,” Coleman told WPT.com. “My expectations are quite low, but I’m definitely excited to get the chance to play another WPT from home.”
Many in the Garden State now have another opportunity to score like Coleman – with some of the biggest names in the industry. Players can live out their own WPT dreams without leaving the comfy confines of home. The $1,060 Main Event highlights the series on Sept. 20 with a live-streamed final table on September 21. Other highlights include:
$215 NLHE Kickoff – This Sunday major event gets the WPT Online action started on September 13 with a $100,000 guarantee.
$535 NLHE Heads Up – It’s a bracket full of poker showdowns on September 19 as competitors duke it out in this tournament capped at 32 players. partypoker US Network is offering a nice deal for those jumping in the event. Players registering by Sept. 16 receive their $35 registration fee back after the tournament.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE
Additionally, partypoker US Network has added numerous qualifiers to the main event. Players will find daily qualifiers starting at just $5. Win one of those five-buck events and a player earns a shot into a $45 or $215 satellite. Along with traditional satellites, players can “phase” into the tournament for $109. The site’s regular Phased Tournaments have become popular with New Jersey players. The site is once again incorporating elements of that into the Main Event.
There are a few differences in regard to phasing into a tournament. In a traditional satellite event, winners are entered into the target event with that event’s starting chip stack. In a phase event, remaining players from Phase 1 go into the target event with the chip stack they’ve built up. The Main Event is a bit of a hybrid between a traditional tournament and a phased event.
“We are so excited for the first-ever week-long WPT Online Borgata Series powered by partypoker US Network here in New Jersey,” Borgata Poker ambassador Katie Stone says. “We’ve been looking forward to this and have been working hard on the schedules, structures, and everything needed to make this week online in New Jersey a truly special experience for our players.”
The partypoker network offers three options for players in the state. As a partner of MGM Resorts, players can make use of BetMGMPoker.com or the BetMGM app. The BorgataPoker.com skin is also available along with the traditional NJ.PartyPoker.com website.
Players must physically be in New Jersey to register and play. The WPT may not be hosting a live Borgata event in September, but the WPT Online Borgata Series offers players a regulated online poker option to grab some WPT glory.
For complete WPT Online Borgata Series information and schedule, click here.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.