The poker room at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey will finally reopen for the first time since being shuttered in March. The Borgata will resume action with 30 of its 77 tables on Wednesday, October 21. All players will be required to wear masks. Tables have plastic partitions and will only be seven-handed. The Borgata reopened in late July of this year, but the poker room was not ready yet.
The Boss said it the best, "Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty... and meet me tonight in Atlantic City." Live poker returns to New Jersey for the first time since March 16. So, if you want to get any poker action in fabulous Atlantic City, the head down to the swanky Borgata.
The poker room at the Borgata had been dormant since March. For the first time in seven months, the eerie silence will be punctuated with the constant clattering of chips, squishy squirts echoing from hand sanitizer dispensers, and bad beat stories will fill the air.
The Borgata's poker room officially reopens for business on Wednesday morning, October 21. There will be no spectators allowed and only drinks will be served at the tables (and no food).
The Borgata is only one of five casinos in Atlantic City that operates a poker room. The Borgata will be the only one in operation in all of New Jersey as of next Wednesday.
It is unknown when Bally's AC, Golden Nugget AC, Harrah's AC and the Trop on the Boardwalk will reopen their poker rooms in Atlantic City.
Per authority of the Governor Phil Murphy, Atlantic City allowed all of their casinos to reopen at the start of the summer, just before the Fourth of July weekend. At that point, casinos in AC could only operate at 25% capacity.
The Borgata delayed their reopening when they had to modify changes to the no food / no bars situation. The Borgata finally opened its doors in late July, however, the poker room was noticeably dark.
During the down time, the Borgata modified their poker room. It used to be one of the largest in AC with 77 glorious tables scattered about. But now, less than 30% of the tables will be in operation. Safety precautions were installed including partitions and limiting cash games to seven players.
"We are happy to welcome back our loyal players as we reopen Atlantic City's market-leading East Coast poker destination," said Melonie Johnson, Borgata's chief operating officer.
In 2019, the poker room at the Borgata generated nearly $18 million in revenue. They ran 24/7 cash games and also hosted multiple tournament series throughout the year. Those popular seasonal tournaments offered players some of the biggest tournament action on the East Coast.
Most recently in California, the Bicycle Casino reopened with outdoor gaming tables. The new set up at the Bike included 17 outdoor poker tables. Yes, poker in a tent along side a freeway! That's LA for ya.
