More Treats Than Tricks: Michigan Poker Players Win $288K in October BetMGM Online Series
The October running of the BetMGM Online Series is done and dusted at BetMGM Poker MI. The latest version of the monthly online poker tournament series ran Oct. 24-31, with guarantees totaling $230,000 across the scheduled events.
The Sunday-to-Sunday series began strongly before wrapping up with less robust turnouts. Even so, players won more than $288,000 in BetMGM Online Series events.
Fast start, slow finish for October BetMGM Online Series
The first two events on Sunday, Oct. 24 drew large, guarantee-busting turnouts.
Of those, the $20 “Mini” event proved especially popular once again, attracting a whopping 2,507 total entries. It entered sporting a $10,000 guarantee, but the entries total meant a prize pool worth more than $45,000, one of the largest of the series.
During the week, most events met their guarantees as well. The final day of action last Sunday on Halloween, however, was more trick than treat for BetMGM Poker MI. Neither of the two events drew enough to hit their guarantees and thus had overlays.
The $215 buy-in “Sunday Special” with a $40,000 guarantee attracted 160 entries, creating an $8,000 overlay. Meanwhile, the series-ending $1,060 buy-in high roller event with a $50,000 guarantee only had 38 entries. That total meant BetMGM Poker MI had to add $12,000 to the prize pool.
One event, a $320 buy-in progressive knockout bounty tournament scheduled last Saturday, does not show in the client and was presumably canceled.
Here’s a rundown of the field sizes and prize pools for each of the October BetMGM Online Series events.
| Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Entries | Prize Pool | Overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1: NLH 8-Max | $215 | $40,000 | 344 | $68,800 | n/a |
| 2: NLH 8-Max Mini | $20 | $10,000 | 2,507 | $45,126 | n/a |
| 3: NLH 8-Max Progressive KO Bounty | $215 | $20,000 | 102 | $20,400 | n/a |
| 4: NLH 6-Max | $109 | $10,000 | 219 | $21,900 | n/a |
| 5: NLH 8-Max | $215 | $20,000 | 77 | $20,000 | $4,600 |
| 6: PLO 8-Max | $109 | $10,000 | 106 | $10,600 | n/a |
| 7: NLH 6-Max Turbo | $109 | $10,000 | 113 | $11,300 | n/a |
| 8: NLH 8-Max Progressive KO Bounty | $320 | $20,000 | * | * | * |
| 9: NLH 8-Max Sunday Special | $215 | $40,000 | 160 | $40,000 | $8,000 |
| 10: NLH 8-Max | $1,060 | $50,000 | 38 | $50,000 | $12,000 |
| 3,666 | $288,126 | $24,600 |
*event does not appear in client
Online series total money award slips from summer highs
That total of just over $288,000 won makes this seventh iteration of the BetMGM online poker series the smallest thus far in terms of money awarded.
In September, players won just over $357,000 in the series. That followed the August series, in which over $432,000 was awarded, the most in the BetMGM Online Series’ short history.
The $230,000 in total guarantees for the October BetMGM Online Series was the lowest total in guarantees so far.
Heads-up battle with PokerStars MI continues for BetMGM Poker MI
BetMGM Poker MI continues to battle gamely against its lone online poker competitor in Michigan, PokerStars MI.
The Michigan Classic on PokerStars MI competed directly with the first two days of the BetMGM Online Series. The $300 buy-in tournament featured a $250,000 guarantee, and although it attracted more than 800 entries, it still had an overlay of close to $24,000.
Even so, the money awarded in a single PokerStars MI event nearly matched the amount awarded across the entire BetMGM Online Series.
The heads-up duel between PokerStars and BetMGM will continue in the Michigan online poker world for now, although both sites await the potential arrival of a new player in WSOP Michigan perhaps sooner than later.
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