FAQ updated August 2023 by sirpupnyc. Thanks!

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ

borgata.mgmresorts.com/en.html

Property map: http://[img]borgata.mgmresorts.com/c....pdf[/img]

Live game and waiting list data is available on the Bravo Poker Live app and website

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GETTING THERE
For the nearest parking, use Surface Parking: keep right as you come off the highway. The Poker Room is inside to the left.

There's no direct bus service.

The Jitney drops off near the Surface Parking entrance. Jitney fare is $2.25; exact change appreciated but not required.

Cab fare within AC is $13 max.
All Atlantic City casinos are 21+. State regulations require all employees to check ID whenever they're in doubt. The Security desk can provide a wristband or hand stamp to cut down on carding.


COMPS
As of June 7, 2017, MGM M life is the rewards program at Borgata. My Borgata Rewards cards are no longer valid; existing accounts should have been transferred. (MGM bought out Boyd Gaming and took full ownership of Borgata in August 2016.) Get an M life card at the front desk just inside the poker room. Give the dealer your card when you sit down to clock in. You're clocked out automatically when you give up the seat.

** To be used, comps must be transferred to your card at the back podium. **

• 2/4/6LHE earns $1/hour
• 3/6 and 4/8LHE and 1/3NL earn $1.50/hour
• 10/20LHE, 10/20O8 and 2/5 and 5/10NL earn $2/hour
• 20/40LHE and up and 10/25NL and up earn $3/hour

Tier Credits (75 per dollar of comps) now determine card levels. M life has five card tiers (MBR had three). M life Gold is the equivalent of MBR Black. The M life year is now the calendar year. Tiers acheived in one year are good until the end of the next.

The Bravo Lobby function is used as of 1/1/2016:
• on raked games when you get a missed blind button [this is either no longer policy or rarely done]
• on Stud games as soon as you get up
• on 10/20LHE and 20/40LHE when you become Third Man Walking
You're returned from the lobby when you return to your seat.

[April 2021, Borgata’s Mlife system merged with the rest of MGM’s system; previous information on comp rooms no longer applies.]

Express Comps (formerly Comp Dollars) can be used throughout the property. Restaurants on the main floor take comps 1:1. Shops (and shoppes) and the Cafeteria are 2:1, 2 comp dollars for each actual dollar spent.

ABOUT THE ROOM
Borgata's Poker Room has 77 tables. For special tournaments and tournament series, additional temporary tables in the Signature Room (opposite the Racebook next to the Surface Parking entrance) or Event Center (up the escalators at the other end of the casino, by Metropolitan) are used. The permanent tables in the room have auto-shufflers; the temporary tables don't.

The front desk will put your name on the waiting lists for games, or send you on to the appropriate area if there's no list.

The poker room is non-smoking (including electronic cigarettes). The nearest smoking areas are the racebook (out of the poker room and to the right), the corner of the pit in front of Wolfgang Puck (out of the poker room and to the left), and the slot areas between Wolfgang Puck and the Water Club.

1/3NL starts in the front of the room (tables 1–6 on the left and 8–13 on the right). 2/4/6LHE is usually in the first section beyond the cross-aisle (those are tables 15–19). 2/5NL starts on 20–25 to the left just beyond the cross-aisle. All three games spread through the rear section of the room as needed. Tables 26–38 are the section in front of the bathrooms, 39–58 are across the back. The daily tournament tables are usually in the area between the bathrooms and the aisle to the high-limit room. Tables 66 & 67 are in the ultra-high-limit room in the back right corner; 68–85 are in the high-limit room all the way across the back. 10/20LHE and up and 5/10NL and up are generally located in the high-limit room. [Post-Covid, this is all less consistent.]

Initial buy-ins should be made at the cashier if available (the poker room cage is no longer open all times, so you can buy in at the tables more often); subsequent top-ups/rebuys may be made at the table. The cashier will sell only full (20-chip) stacks of sub-black ($100) chips. The high-limit room has a chip cart, only for cash, no color-ups or cashouts.

• There's free wi-fi in the poker room.
• Drinks are free in the casino; tipping the waitress is customary.
• There's no eating in the poker room, except in the high-limit room.
• Phones/music players/tablets are OK at cash tables as long as you're not in a hand (and can still hear and pay attention to the game). They're not OK at tournament tables at all.
• Poker dealers keep their own tips.
• The room uses KEM cards.
• You can leave the table for a bit over an hour: each incoming dealer should put an ABSENT button at each vacant stack, and you can be picked up after you have two (raked games) or three (time games). After you return, each new dealer will take back one ABSENT button (as of 1/1/16; previously you gave all buttons back upon returning). Time is still taken in time games. You can also pick up and go on the dinner list: you can be gone for 90 minutes (two hours weekends) and get the first available seat when you come back.

• No flop, no drop.
• Last aggressive actor shows first, even if the river is checked down
• Worst position gets the extra chip in uneven chop
• Cash doesn't play in NL. Racked chips don't play in NL. Racked chips in play in limit games must be on the felt and a working stack must be out of the rack.
• Betting line: slide chips across it on the felt, they're in the pot; chips in hand = betting, but the amount is what's released/cut onto the felt
• Straddle: UTG only, 2BB only. It's live.
• Run it twice (turn & river only, all-in on single flop): 2/5NL+ (up to 4x) and PLO (2x 9-handed, 3x 8-handed, 4x 7-handed)

Borgata's chips are Bud Jones V7s. No, they're not magnetic. There is a brass slug in them, but they're not magnetic. The smooth, flat surfaces and recessed centers produce a suction-like effect. Really, they're not magnetic.

GAMES
No-Limit Hold'em
1/3, 2/5 & 5/10 are consistent. 10/25 frequent, 25/50 weekends. (1/2NL became 1/3NL post-Covid)
Pot-Limit Omaha
1/2 & 2/5 run often; best chance weekends or during tournament series. 5/10 mostly during series.
Limit Hold'em
2/4/6, 10/20, 20/40 run consistently
40/80 runs often; higher on weekends and during tournament series.
The gap between 2/4/6 and 10/20 is stubborn.
Summer 2017, 2/4/6 (2/4 with $6 river bets) replaced 2/4 and 3/6.
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo
10/20 is consistent, other limits rare
7-Card Stud
20/40 is consistent. 75/150 weekends. Lower rare but welcome.
Mixed Games
40/80 is consistent, higher games run often. Lower rare but welcome.
mixes can include (H) Limit Hold'em • (O) Omaha Hi/Low • (R) RAZZ • (S) Stud high • (E) Stud Hi/Low 8 or Better • (Q) Stud Hi/low No Qualifier • (P) PLO • (N) No Limit • (T) Triple Draw • (T2) 2-7 Triple Draw • (B) Badugi • Pineapple • Crazy Pineapple • (BD2) Badeucy • (BDA) Badacey • (R2) 2-7 Razz • (RD2) Razzdeucey • (RDA) Razzdacey

BUY-INS (changed September 2017)
No-Limit Hold'em
1/3 100min, 400max
2/5 200min, 1000max
5/10 500min, 2500max
10/20 1000min, 5000max
10/25 2500min, no max
25/50 5000min, no max
Pot-Limit Omaha
1/2 100min, 500max
2/5 300min, 1500max
5/10 800min, 4000max
Limit games are 5BBmin, no max

RAKE/TIME
1/3NL, 2/5NL, 2/4/6 to 5/10LHE are raked 10% up to $5 (increased from $4 post-Covid)

10/20O8 5% to $4

Other games are time per half-hour:
10/20LHE $6
5/10NL $7
20/40LHE $7
40/80LHE $8
80/160LHE $10

BAD BEAT JACKPOT

• $1 from qualifying pots: minimum 4 players dealt in, $20 in pot at 1/2, $50 in pot at 2/5 NL, 10/20LHE; minimum 7 players dealt in, $100 in pot at 5/10NL and 10/20LHE
• ** Beginning July 2023, 10/20LHE is the only eligible limit game
• With four 10s or better beaten: 40% to the losing hand, 20% to the winning hand, 40% to remainder of table
• Capped at $50k
• Both hole cards must play, quads need a pocket pair.
• Bad Beat funds are used for High Hand and other promotions.
• Other promotions vary by month: [url]https://borgata.mgmresorts.com/en/casino/poker.html[/url[

TOURNAMENTS
The previous tournament schedule has not fully returned post-Covid. Major series info below is past practice.
January: Winter Poker Open
April: Spring Poker Open
June: Summer Poker Open
September: Borgata Poker Open
November: Fall Poker Open

Non-Open months feature special tournament events ($100k guaranteed Saturday, two-day deep-stack, PLO weekend, etc.)

Regular daily schedule:
https://borgata.mgmresorts.com/en/ca...l#/Tournaments
Tournament registration is at the Poker Room Cashier, left-hand window, lining up toward the elevator. You'll need an M life card to enter.

Tournament play doesn't earn comps, and tournaments aren't BBJ eligible.

All I know is that I always run like dogsh*t at Borgata.

That's all.

GREAT IDEA...

Looking forward to keeping up with the BBJ and tourny info here.

tag

Borgata: Where nits and regulars are at every table and the fish are intimidated and scared away at the door.

Last session at Borgata (Wednesday night,) I played some 2/5NL on my way out the door. I was coming down off 7 hours of 5/10NL, and wanted to have a beer and relax with the BBJ chasers before I went home.

My very first hand, I was dealt AA and popped it to $35 after 3 limpers. Got called in two places. Flop was QJ9. I made it $135 to go. First caller shoved all in for $40 more, and me and the other caller called. Turn was 6. Caller checked, and I checked fearing that one of them had surely just completed a flush draw. River was 2, and we checked it down.

Showdown:
All In reraiser won the pot with AK. He had shipped it in with no pair, a gutshot, and backdoor flush draw that got there. The other guy had 1010 (killing two of the other player's outs, btw) and confided that he was content to play for stacks with an OE straight draw, even after the turn card put the flush out there.

There were similar plays to that all night long, where people were literally trying to give their money away. Of course, variance can bite you, but the 1/2NL and 2/5NL games there are free money, IMO.

Yeah there's some of that, to be expected though from the premier room in AC. There's also a a ton of well-heeled 1/2nl-5/10nl folks who play a few times a year looking to have some fun.

About time someone put up a Borg thread. Good job.

Will be up in 2 weeks, probably March 6 and 7. Will play one of the WSOP circuit events at Caesars one day and cash games at the Borg the other.

Played there yesterday. Ran into AA 3 times in 5 hours (all getting my shortstack AIPF)

Once I had 77 (lost)
Once I had AK (lost)
Once I had K7soooooted (made a flush, ldo)

Love the room and love the action. I'm a fish and the room doesn't scare me away. As for the nits/regs... maybe since I only play 1/2 and occasional 2/5 (though I have played 5/10NL and 10/20 hold'em) I don't notice it as much.

Tony Luke's dominates as well. As good as Fat Burger is, I never get a chance to enjoy it when those delicious cheese steaks call to me.

One of the best places to play poker for sure.

I just wish there would be more PLO players.

You may have plenty of regulars there, but thats b/c the regs know that's where the most fish are. If you play 2/5, and are at a bad table, where else in AC are you going to have 10+ tables (on the weekends) to choose from that you can move to. I was there this past week on a wednesday night and there were 5-6 tables going.

Would be nice if the PLO game ran more often. It ran yesterday, and seems once it is called and even if it starts short-handed, it picks up. Maybe this thread will help generate some interest.

Overall, good idea on the Borg thread. It's obviously the AC room with the most players, so this should be a good central place to go for what's happening there.

One idea would be for PLO players to use this thread to coordinate.

It is true that the Borgata seems to have the most fish. Usually young hipster guys or older guys just hanging out. I keep telling myself I should only play there, cause the Taj has a decidedly harder game

I'm thinking about an afternoon/evening trip down tomorrow for the 4p $100+20 tourney. Anyone have any info. on this particular one. How many people, etc.?

bust time to play at the borgata is monday nights when all the kids with the comped rooms come from murmur, drunk and have money to blow..IMO

Did someone hit the BBJ yet? Last I heard a few weeks ago it was approx. $250k.


I was there for the Winter Open in Jan. and it was $165k. I had 2 outs to win the BBJ.

57dd v 88

Flop 8d 6d 9x all the money goes in the flop. turn 8 river brick. So I got 1 outed and didn't win the BBJ ouch.

[ ] 1 outted

the Borgata sucks imo. you guys should all go play elsewhere

You got 7 outted, the turn would have brought it to 10 if the case 8 didn't hit the turn...Just a sick cooler....I would have screamed for the 2 outter on the river imo...it always hits when u scream

haha I am intoxicated......you're right but it still sucked

Why don't you like the Borgata?

I put in a twelve hour session yesterday and was so card dead it was sickening. I've never seen 6-3 and 6-4 so many times in my life.

I love how when I sit down at the Borgata, there's always one guy with too much money and rebuys multiple times in an hr. It's like a built in ATM at the table.

Also, the IWTSTH rule they have is perfect, kind of a "buyer beware" thing.

Lengthy Borgata Trip Report tl:dr(cliff notes at bottom)


My last trip to the Borgata ( Early December during Harrah's WSOP CE) was bad. Went over their after mopping up 2/5 @ Harrah's for 2k profit covering my 1K tourney buy in, but lost because the BBJ hit at my table for 142k 6 hands after I got up and proceeded to lose 1200 playing 5/10 and 2/5 at Borgata and 1400 playing BJ (man I hate BJ and whoever invented it, god how much money I would have if it wasn't for you). Poker wise, Ran hot for a while but got 140 BB in on a flop of K 2 3 w/ A A only to see my opponents K K $1600 pot

That's not even where it starts. Went to get something to eat around 11:30 PM. Come back 1 hour later. My chips are gone, game had broken. Go to front desk to receive my bagged chips. NO CHIPS. The floor had given my bag to someone else. Then the floor deviate some plan to find them with help from the eye in the sky. Then the eye in the sky tells the floor a supervisor, who had left for the night, put them in the high stakes room floor podium. They aren't their, I get even more worried. So my 525 is missing, and I see a kid I met during the Foxwoods Poker Finals playing 2/5 in the back corner. I buy in for 250 and tell the story to all, they are like you'll get it back, I'm like prob but this still is horrible. 2 hours had gone by and I had been at the table for a half hour.... finally during a hand the floorman who was really helpful tells me they found my chips. A floor person mistakenly gave my chips to a women who luckily was stupid enough to hang around. She had 200 in her bag, could have had a +325 night without a hand, she must have been stuck lol.


So I look down to the flop of 8 3 K and my buddy Mike had bet into me, The preflop action went:

UTG Raised to 30 (Mike)
UTG +1 Call (ME) (8 8)
2 other spots call including BB.

So Mike leads for 60 (half the pot)
I look at my cards and say they found my $$, I'm all in.
Fold Fold. Now Mike's really thinkin about callin, I haven't played any pots and I could be making a big move, and I know he knows that from playing a lot with him during the WPT @ Foxwoods. So it's 240 more for Mike to call and there's 500 in the pot. I tell Mike I have a set when he asks what I have because I know he won't believe me. He calls with QQ, board bricks out I scoop $750 and the $525 from the floorman along w/ a $60 food comp to the Metropolitan, which had a great breakfast.

Ran it up to 1900 total (brought 5k for the trip but played the WSOP 1k @ Harrah's and Borgata 50k guaranteed $340, and a star studded 200+ sng with a 100 last longer that my buddy Ronnie from foxwoods had going). So I'm stuck 2500(600 expenses) and say this would be a good time to run, but my buddy says 2 more orbits. I proceed to 3bet w/QQ and get 4 bet all in by this girl who was real LAG, I snap..KJdd, runner runner diamond, lose 450. Take Mike out to breakfast and headed back to boston stuck 3k from the AC trip.


Heading to AC March 11th to play 2 tournies and 2/5 NL. Look for a fish wearing Boston gear, prob be easy to pick out in Jersey.


Cliff Notes:
Borgata poker room is sick, except for losing my chips for 2 hours, but then loving them for getting my good pal Mike to call my all in on my flopped set.

Lost 3k(including $600 expenses and $1400 in BJ, god I hate BJ)

Lost out on a share of the BBJ at Harrah's, to get smoked at Borgata.

I'm the fish in the Boston gear, I'll be there March 11th.

Anyone able to tell me what the sunday afternoon/night games are like to comparison to like a Wednesday after the tourney? I know they have a afternoon tourney and was wondering if there's much of the late night/week end crowd still.

I'm still wondering this same thing. I think I'm going to head down for the 4p tourney this afternoon. $120 buyin shouldn't scare too many people away and I'm thinking a lot of the weekend crowd will cap off their weekends with this and end up just giving up an hour in when their wives get antsy.

Unlucky...but that can happen anywhere. I think the poker room, casino, and the patrons are the best in AC.