Borgata event cancelled after cheating scandal

A $2 million guaranteed side event at the Borgata Winter Poker Open has been cancelled after a large number of counterfeit chips were discovered.

The $500+$60 re-entry event attracted a staggering 4,812 players and created a prize pool of $2,407,000 ($372,123 for first place). However, with 27 players remaining, a large number of fake 5,000 chips were discovered.

The event was suspended for 24 hours on Friday and subsequently cancelled yesterday. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) ordered the cancellation and the remaining unpaid prize money of $1,433,145 will be frozen until their investigation is complete. No timeline has been given for when that is likely to be. 

“Thus far, investigators have found that one or more tournament entrants improperly introduced a significant number of counterfeit chips into the tournament, gaining an unfair advantage and compromising the integrity of play for the event,” said Tom Ballance, the Borgata President and COO.

Several players started to become suspicious that chips were being smuggled into the event because the fake chips were clearly a different shade to the official ones. It is estimated one million chips worth of chips were smuggled into the event.

This casts a dark cloud over the upcoming $3,300+$200 WPT Main Event, which takes place next Sunday. No other events on the schedule have been cancelled. 

How do you think both the final 27 players, and everyone who played in the event, should be compensated for this? Let us know how you think this should be rectified in the comments box. 

by Barry Carter
 

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