It’s another month, which means BetMGM Poker Michigan is back to try and gain more traction with another running of its BetMGM Online Series. Poker players will have a choice of 10 events to play from July 18-25, with guarantees across the series totaling $285,000.
10 events, $285K across 8-day BetMGM Poker Michigan series
This will be the fourth BetMGM Online Series at BetMGM Poker MI, with the events coming one per month since the site first launched in late March 2021.
The schedule this time mostly resembles what has gone before. There are nine no-limit hold’em events, including one progressive knockout bounty event. There’s also one pot-limit Omaha tournament on the schedule.
Buy-ins range from $20 (the “8-max Mini”) to the series-ending $1,060 buy-in NLH event with a $75,000 guarantee.
Here is the full schedule:
| No. | Date | Time (ET) | Event (Gtd.) | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 18 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | $50K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $535 |
| 2 | July 18 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | $5K Gtd. NLH 8-Max Mini | $20 |
| 3 | July 19 (M) | 8:00 p.m. | $20K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $215 |
| 4 | July 20 (Tu) | 8:00 p.m. | $20K Gtd. NLH 6-Max | $215 |
| 5 | July 21 (W) | 8:00 p.m. | $20K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $215 |
| 6 | July 22 (Th) | 8:00 p.m. | $10K Gtd. PLO 8-Max | $109 |
| 7 | July 23 (F) | 8:00 p.m. | $25K Gtd. NLH 8-Max Progressive KO Bounty | $215 |
| 8 | July 24 (Sa) | 8:00 p.m. | $25K Gtd. NLH 6-Max | $215 |
| 9 | July 25 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | $35K Gtd. NLH 1/2 Price 8-Max | $109 |
| 10 | July 25 (Su) | 5:00 p.m. | $75K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $1,060 |
More tweaking of guarantees for BetMGM Online Series
So far, each BetMGM Online Series has featured 10 tournaments taking place over eight days. However, the guarantees have shifted somewhat with each iteration.
The first go-round in April featured $300,000 in guarantees across the 10 events, with just over $360,000 ultimately awarded.
In May, the guarantees were stepped up to $315,000 total, but there were a number of overlays. BetMGM Poker MI had to add about $65,000 to prize pools along the way.
The June version scaled back things to $275,000 in total guarantees. There were a few overlays again, although ultimately players won almost $350,000 across the series. The $285,000 in guarantees in July thus represents a modest increase over last month’s series.
The $20 buy-in event was particularly popular in June. Sporting just a $5,000 guarantee, the event attracted 2,169 entries to create a prize pool worth more than $39,000. Meanwhile, the big $1,060 buy-in with a $75,000 guarantee also fared well, attracting 97 entries to make a $97,000 prize pool.
BetMGM continues to provide PokerStars its only rival in Michigan
BetMGM Poker continues to battle gamely against PokerStars Michigan. According to PokerScout, PokerStars MI still attracts significantly higher traffic than BetMGM Poker MI. PokerStars enjoyed a two-month head start on its rival by launching in late January 2021.
PokerStars MI just concluded its Summer Stack Festival in June, the last week of which went head-to-head against the last BetMGM Online Series. The 17-day, 100-event Summer Stack series awarded nearly $1.1 million.
That came on the heels of the Michigan Spring Championship of Online Poker in May, where players won $2.35 million. That series was the largest so far on PokerStars MI and in Michigan online poker’s short history.
More competition could be coming for both sites, however. World Series of Poker Pennsylvania is launching this week, with Michigan the likely next destination for a WSOP online poker room.
Indeed, indications are WSOP Michigan could launch as soon as this summer.
