Interesting Changes To The Borgata Poker Open

The year has brought a lot of changes to to online poker world. Changes such as the increased prize pool at Poker Stars World Championship of Online Poker may lead you to think there is nothing left to improve upon in the online poker world but that assumption would be wrong.

The Borgata Poker Open Takes A Gamble

The creators of the Borgata Poker Open decided this year that the online poker players of the world might be experiencing the same economic crush that the rest of us are experiencing. Upon reaching that decision, they decided a stimulus package for poker players interested in playing in the Borgata Poker Open was in order.

In 2009, the Borgata Poker Open will have a drastically lowered buy in fee. Instead of the $10,000 buy in of years past, Borgata Open Players in 2009 will only have to bring $3,500 to the table for their buy in. With a guaranteed prize pool of more than two million dollars, the Borgata Poker Open is definitely more lucrative at the $3,500 buy in but what was the true motivation behind the reduction in price?

Borgata Director of Poker Marketing Gives Us a Clue

No, it's not some great conspiracy. The director of poker marketing for the Borgata Poker Open, Ray Stefanelli, provided the reason for the change in the buy in; It's all about attracting the greatest number of players for the tournament. In other tournaments sponsored by the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa of Atlantic City, New Jersey there was a significant increase in the number of entrants who participated in the games at the lowered buy in price. $3,500 seemed to be the magic number for drawing a larger group of poker players to the game so the Borgata Casino decided to extend the lowered price tag to Borgata Poker Open entrants as well.

Will It Work?

The $3,500 buy in is the lowest buy in for any of the World Poker Tour venues so the hope is that the lowered price will create a bigger interest in poker player participation in the game. If past performance is an indicator, the $3,500 buy in is a significant measure in upping the ante with the players. The non-televised Borgata Winter Open drew in 1,017 players at the $3,500 buy in. The Borgata Poker Open is expected to exceed these numbers, due to television and media exposure associated with the World Poker Tour. Roy Winston, the winner of the 2007 Borgata Poker Open, has predicted a turn out of 1,200 or more players in this years tournament.

What's In It For The Borgata Casino?

Every poker player worth their salt looks for the tell and, as an interested reader, you are most likely looking for it as well. Here's the scoop. Borgata Casino's decision to lower the cost of buy in was not entirely altruistic. They stand to profit from the venture as well.

Media coverage of the event is a huge boon to the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa's business. By creating a media frenzy, they increase their business. What better way to do this than offer their players a better value and draw in a larger crowd of happy poker playing customers?

Additionally, the lowered cost of buy in will prompt people to play longer. In years past, a poker player would buy in at the $10,000 price tag and when they busted, they were out of the game. At the lower $3,500 price, that same player might be more willing to buy in a second or third time for a chance at winning the tournament. Will it work? Only time will tell. Keep your eye on the Borgata Poker Open to see if their gamble pays off.