1,229 Entrants Makes Tournament the Largest Since the Start of Regulated Online Poker in New Jersey and the Second-Largest Event in WPT History
Extreme cold throughout the United States did nothing to prevent 1,229 entrants from flocking to Atlantic City, New Jersey for the televised WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open. Generating a total prize pool of more than $3.9 million, the massive field makes the tournament the largest event since the launch of regulated online poker in New Jersey, and the second-largest event in World Poker Tour history.
“We’re incredibly pleased with the turnout,” said WPT President Adam Pliska. “As home to the four largest events in our history, Borgata has a proven reputation as a popular and player-friendly venue. Combine that with the fact that this is the first tournament to accept online qualifiers since the return of legal online poker to the United States, and I think this is a terrific result not just for WPT, but for the entire poker industry.”
World Poker Tour’s sister brand, partypoker, which operates legally in New Jersey at NJ.partypoker.com, has established itself as the market leader in the Garden State since launching its real money gaming site in November, 2013 and sent a total of 21 players to the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open through its online qualifying tournaments.
Borgata has been drawing massive fields to its WPT events for years, and holds the record for hosting World Poker Tour’s largest event when 1,313 players participated in the Season X Borgata Poker Open. In order, World Poker Tour’s top six events include:
- Season 10 Borgata Poker Open – 1,313 entrants
- Season 12 Borgata Winter Poker Open – 1,229 entrants
- Season 12 Borgata Poker Open – 1,189 entrants
- Season 11 Borgata Poker Open – 1,181 entrants
- Season 11 WPT Montreal – 1,173 entrants
- Season 11 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open/Season 9 WPT Borgata Poker Open – 1,042 entrants (tie)
Day 2 of the WPT Winter Poker Open is currently in progress and the televised final table will take place on Friday, January 31, where the final six players will compete for the title and $842,379 in first-place prize money. Live updates from the WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open can be found at http://www.worldpokertour.com/Live_Updates/Live.aspx.