The online poker market is a volatile realm, fraught with diverse pitfalls from one region to the next. In New Jersey, a notable aversion to some aspect or another of every available poker site, combined with a relative lack of participation, has brought little praise from the community. But there are some aspects of NJ’s top performing online poker rooms that are well worth commending, particularly the excessive value of specific tournaments across the market for certain player types.
Best NJ Tournaments for Veterans
New Jersey’s online poker rooms haven’t exactly attracted a mass of professional players to the tables, but those who do try to ignore the misgivings of the software tend to hang their proverbial hats on the Party Borgata Network, made up of Party Poker or Borgata Poker. The network has been hosting the state’s largest guaranteed poker tournament since the market was born last November, the weekly $200 buy-in, $50,000 GTD held each Sunday.
When online poker traffic was at its peak in the late Spring/early Summer of 2014, Party Borgata had no trouble reaching the guaranteed mark, and then some, with around 300 players every weekend. Those figures didn’t last long, though. While the fields are still packed with highly skilled players, a 10-20% overlay has become the norm. It’s not uncommon to see the prize doubled to $100k GTD, either. For experienced online poker tournament players, the value doesn’t get any better than Party’s big Sunday guarantee.
Best NJ Tournaments for Newbies
Due to the comparably low level of traffic at 888Poker NJ, the majority of the players are the less experienced sort. Pros won’t find any massive value here like the bigger networks, but for players who are serious about building their skills (and their bankrolls) at a moderate pace, there are some great can’t-miss events at this online poker room.
Just about all of the low buy-in guarantees – and 888 Poker NJ has lots of them – are worth entering. A $150 GTD with a $3 buy-in runs often and draws a regular overlay of 15-30%. The $100 GTD Turbo +1R plays for just $1 with similar overlay results. Not only do they offer great value for newbs, who make up the majority of the field, they help rack up player points rather quickly, which can catapult players into the weekly $375 Freeroll held each Friday. For PLO fans, the nightly $10, $250 GTD usually sees a minimum 20% overlay.
Best NJ Tournaments for Night Owls
One of the most common complaints in the early days of New Jersey’s online poker market was the timing of its larger guaranteed events. While the big ones were eventually pushed back a little to accommodate the Garden State’s 9-to-5ers, there’s still some great tournament values for those who can stay up into the wee hours of the night.
WSOP NJ runs a $5k GTD every night, but it doesn’t start until 9pm, meaning the top finishers are going to have to battle it out until 2-3am minimum. With a $10 buy-in, this event offers a typical 15-20% overlay, and that’s including the high rate of rebuys and addons in the mix. The structure is more attuned to experienced online poker players, but those with enough skills and a cooperative work schedule won’t find an easier opportunity to land in the money.