BetMGM Poker Michigan just wrapped up another installment of what has become a monthly tournament series, the BetMGM Online Series.
This fourth running of the series again saw a few overlays, although some large turnouts in other events helped bring the overall amount awarded to over $353,000. That total was well clear of the $285,000 in total guarantees, and it rivaled the highest total yet for the monthly series.
Finale awards over $100K; nearly 2,000 entries for $20 event
Like previous BetMGM Online Series, this Michigan online poker feature included 10 events playing out over eight days.
The first day brought the first highlight in the lowest buy-in event of the series. A $20 no-limit hold’em event with a $5,000 guarantee attracted a whopping 1,985 entries to create a prize pool of $35,730, more than seven times the guarantee.
That story follows a similar theme from the June running of the series. Last month, the same $20 buy-in, $5K guarantee event had an even bigger turnout and a prize pool of more than $39,000.
Other early events featured small overlays. That included the first one, a $535 buy-in tournament that came just one entry shy of reaching its guarantee. The largest overlay came later in the week in a $215 buy-in event with a $25,000 guarantee. With just 80 entries, the overlay was $9,000.
Sunday’s final day provided a nice rebound for the series, however. The penultimate $109 buy-in event with a $35,000 guarantee had prize pool of more than $45,000. Meanwhile, the $1,060 buy-in finale drew 101 entries for a $101,000 prize pool, easily eclipsing the $75,000 guarantee.
Here are all the results and turnouts from the July series:
July 2021 BetMGM Online Series by the numbers
| Event | Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | Overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1: $50K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $535 | 99 | $50,000 | $500 |
| 2: $5K Gtd. NLH 8-Max Mini | $20 | 1,985 | $35,730 | n/a |
| 3: $20K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $215 | 97 | $20,000 | $600 |
| 4: $20K Gtd. NLH 6-Max | $215 | 102 | $20,400 | n/a |
| 5: $20K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $215 | 75 | $20,000 | $5,000 |
| 6: $10K Gtd. PLO 8-Max | $109 | 113 | $11,300 | n/a |
| 7: $25K Gtd. NLH 8-Max Progressive KO Bounty | $215 | 80 | $25,000 | $9,000 |
| 8: $25K Gtd. NLH 6-Max | $215 | 106 | $25,000 | $3,800 |
| 9: $35K Gtd. NLH 1/2 Price 8-Max | $109 | 451 | $45,100 | n/a |
| 10: $75K Gtd. NLH 8-Max | $1,060 | 101 | $101,000 | n/a |
| 3,209 | $353,530 | $18,900 |
Total awarded nearly matches April high; August series already loaded
The $353,530 awarded came close to matching the $360,302 won during the first running of the series at BetMGM Poker MI in April. It also tops the almost $348,000 awarded in the series in June.
So far, May has been the least successful month for the series. That month, BetMGM Poker MI tried to step up total guarantees to $315,000, but ultimately was faced with paying out about $65,000 in overlays.
An August version of the same series has already appeared in the BetMGM poker client. It’s set to run Aug. 15-22. Most of the events and guarantees are the same as earlier series. However the $1,060 buy-in event has a larger $100,000 guarantee. Thus, the total guarantees for the series have been increased to $310,000.
BetMGM Poker MI might consider adding more $20 buy-in “mini” events to its schedule, as they are clearly a hit with Michigan players. With the next month’s tournament nearly a month away (Aug. 22), there are already more than 600 registered to play, meaning the prize pool is already more than double the $5K guarantee.
