Million Dollar Heater poker tournament returns to Beau Rivage

Beau Rivage Resort & Casino highly anticipated 10th annual Million Dollar Heater, 5-16 January, drew large crowds during its opening weekend.

“Each year since 2017, the Million Dollar Heater has been setting Mississippi records for the highest number of entries in a single event and this year exceeded all expectations,” said Beau Rivage Poker Room Manager Adam Nash. “Poker players are excited to be back at the Beau. With updated tournament structures, game variations, and higher guarantees than ever before, the Million Dollar Heater has something to offer players of all skill levels.”

The Double Bag Bonus $750,000 Guaranteed NL Hold’em, $400 entry fee, opening event broke previous records with 3,870 players competing for a prize pool of $1,238,400. First place winner Ben Bell from Pensacola took home $163,424 and the coveted MDH trophy when he beat out second place finisher Preston McEwen, who pocketed $81,605.

The Million Dollar Heater continues through 16 January with 11 events, culminating with the Main Event $500,000 Guaranteed NL Hold’em with a $1,200 entry fee.

The Million Dollar Heater is the premier poker event in the south and a poker players’ dream with 65 tables and more than $1.6 million in guaranteed prize pools.

In addition to the 11 tournament events, there are multiple satellites to those tournaments, with entry fees from $120 to $1,200. During the Million Dollar Heater, there are daily events with exciting game formats including No Limit Hold’em, Limit Omaha 8 or Better, Six Max No Limit Hold’em and more. 

A special Seniors $50,000 guaranteed event with an entry fee of $400 takes place on Jan. 10 and a $100,000 guaranteed Mystery Bonus Triple Stack with a $400 fee takes place 9-10 January. The $50,000 guaranteed Freezeout with a $1,200 entry fee takes place 11-12 Januar.

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Beau Rivage to host second annual VGA Championship

The Veteran Golfers Association (VGA) seeks to follow up on the success of last year's inaugural championship when 80 of the country's top military veteran golfers tee it up at the Second Annual 2016 VGA National Championship, 16-19 October in Biloxi, Miss. This year's tournament is hosted at Fallen Oak, the Tom Fazio-designed championship course ordinarily reserved exclusively for guests of MGM Resort International's renowned Beau Rivage Resort & Casino.

Anticipation for the championship continues to grow as 430 competitors square off in four regional qualifiers to earn the right to play for VGA division titles at Fallen Oak. The qualifiers take place 4-5 September at Blackwolf Run in Sheboygan, Wisc. (Central region-concluded), 17-18 September at Queenstown Harbor in Queenstown, Md. (North region), 24-25 September at Anderson Creek in Spring Lake, N.C. (South region), and conclude 1-2 October at Chambers Bay – site of the 2015 U.S. Open – in Tacoma, Wash. (West region).

"MGM Resorts International and Beau Rivage are honored to host the VGA National Championship for our veterans," said Beau Rivage General Manager Marcus Glover. "Fallen Oak has hosted many of the greatest golfers in the world at the PGA Tour Champions event we host each spring, and we look forward to having the same opportunity this fall to inspire and celebrate our nation's top veteran golfers on one of the most spectacular courses in the country."

The 2016 VGA Tour included over 125 tournaments at military, public and private courses, with more than 1,000 veteran golfers participating. Like the tour events, the VGA National Championship features three divisions of competition: Veteran, Combat Wounded and Family. Within each division are four handicapped flights and an open handicap Women's flight.

The championship tournament at Fallen Oak is expected to have the same emotional impact as last year's debut event in Pinehurst, N.C., once again putting put the service, sacrifice and patriotism of its participants in the national spotlight. Wounded veterans and Purple Heart recipients will make up nearly half the field, and competitors will range from enlisted personnel to three-star generals.

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