MGM Cotai to host major poker tournament series in September

Macau’s MGM China is set to launch its first significant poker tournament series, the “2024 MGM Poker Tournament Series,” from Sept. 3 to 15 at MGM Cotai.

The event will feature a compact schedule of four tournaments, highlighted by the Millionaire Maker Poker Tournament, which guarantees a first prize of HKD1 million, according to media reports.

The high-stakes tournament series will kick off with two preliminary satellite events on Sept. 3, leading into daily single table satellites until Sept. 12.

The main events will commence Sept. 4, beginning with a HKD5,000 Mystery Bounty Event. Other notable tournaments include a HKD6,800 Golden Lion Bracelet Event and a HKD88,000 High Roller event.

The Millionaire Maker Poker Tournament will feature a buy-in of HKD8,880 and will consist of five Day 1 flights, allowing players multiple opportunities to compete for the lucrative prize.

This series marks a renewed effort by gaming operators to enhance the poker scene, especially after the recent success of a smaller series held in March by Sands China at The Venetian Macao.

The “Macao Masters” marked the first official poker tournament in Macau in six years.

The four-day event features a HKD3,000 buy-in and includes three Day 1 flights with unlimited rebuys. The top 30 chip stacks will advance to the final day on March 14.

The above-mentioned tournaments are significant as they reflect a revival in competitive poker in the region, which had been on hiatus since the 2018 Macau Millions. Nadia Shaw