Borgata Poker Director Kellie de Celis Leaves After 12 Years, a Week Before the Fall Open
Updated on November 2, 2026.
Borgata poker director Kellie de Celis has left the Atlantic City casino’s poker room after 12 years. She announced Wednesday, Oct. 28, on X that it was her final day with Borgata Poker, and she gave no reason. Her exit comes a week before the Borgata Fall Poker Open starts on Nov. 4.
Quick summary
- Kellie de Celis, Borgata’s director of poker operations, left on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
- She spent 12 years at Borgata, according to her LinkedIn profile cited by Card Player.
- She did not explain why she left, and Borgata had not named a replacement when this article went live.
- Two of Borgata’s 2026 festival main events fell short of their $3 million guarantees, according to Card Player estimates.
- The Fall Poker Open still runs Nov. 4-17, with a $1 million guarantee on the $2,700 main event.
Why did the Borgata poker director leave?
Kellie de Celis did not say why she left. In a post on X on Oct. 28, she wrote: “As much as it breaks my heart, today is officially my final day with @BorgataPoker.” She thanked MGM Resorts, which runs Borgata, for making her the first female director in the company’s history, and added that “Poker will always be my first love!”
Card Player, which first reported the exit, did not give a reason either. In a 2025 profile, PokerNews called her Atlantic City’s first female director of poker operations.
Here is her farewell post on X:
Players were quick to react. Ryan Eriquezzo called it a “huge loss for Borgata,” and Ari Engel said she would be “greatly missed,” according to Card Player. Threads on Reddit were more mixed. Some users said the room’s heavy focus on tournaments came at the expense of its cash games.
Borgata’s big guarantees in 2026
The bigger question is how Borgata sets its guarantees from here. A guarantee is the minimum prize pool the room promises. When entries fall short, the room pays the difference, which players call an overlay.
Card Player’s numbers show two big misses this year:
Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Entries | Estimated overlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Winter Poker Open championship (January) | $3,500 | $3 million | 895 | About $115,000 after standard rake |
Big, Big Series main event (September) | $5,300 | $3 million | 519 | About $250,000, or about $480,000 after standard rake |
Fall Poker Open main event (November) | $2,700 | $1 million | Starts Nov. 4 | Past editions reached about $1.3 million |
Across the whole Big, Big Series, Card Player estimated a total shortfall of about $740,000. Five events missed their guarantees outright, and two more fell short once the rake was taken out. Overlays are good news for the players in the field, but they cost the room money, so a new director could set more cautious guarantees.
Is the Borgata Fall Poker Open still on?
Yes, the Borgata Fall Poker Open is still scheduled for Nov. 4-17. Its $2,700 main event carries a $1 million guarantee, a much lower target than the $3 million main events earlier this year. Earlier editions of the event drew prize pools of about $1.3 million, according to Card Player. We covered the full schedule in our preview of the Borgata Fall Poker Open 2026.
The bigger picture in New Jersey is a smaller live market. Atlantic City is down to three poker rooms, Borgata, Tropicana and Harrah’s, according to Card Player. Online, MGM’s own poker site, BetMGM Poker, is on pace for about $34 million in revenue this year, and Card Player’s data puts MGM’s online poker market share at about 37% over the past 12 months.
What it means for players in the US
If you play live in Atlantic City, nothing changes this week: the Fall Poker Open and the 52-table cash game room stay open. The changes to watch come later, in the 2027 schedule and its guarantees.
Online, New Jersey licenses its own poker sites, so players there use state-licensed apps. ACR Poker, Ignition and BetOnline don’t accept New Jersey residents. Elsewhere, each of them accepts players from most states, with its own list of exclusions. These are international sites, not licensed by any US state, so state consumer protections don’t apply. Check the rules where you live in our guide to online poker in the USA.
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the Borgata poker director?
Kellie de Celis was Borgata's director of poker operations until Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, when she announced her last day on X. Borgata had not named a replacement when this article was published.
Why did Kellie de Celis leave Borgata?
She did not give a reason. In her farewell post, she thanked MGM Resorts and wrote that poker "will always be my first love."
Is the Borgata Fall Poker Open still on?
Yes. Nothing announced so far changes the schedule. The series runs Nov. 4-17 in Atlantic City, and its $2,700 main event has a $1 million guarantee, according to Card Player.
How many poker rooms are left in Atlantic City?
Three, according to Card Player. They are Borgata, Tropicana and Harrah's.
Sources
- Card Player: Borgata director out after 12 years, what does it mean for poker in Atlantic City?
- X: Kellie deCelis (@PokerBabeBoss) announces her final day with Borgata Poker
- PokerNews: How do you change the face of poker? Just ask Borgata’s Kellie de Celis
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