As we famous in our Day 2 recap, Day 3 of Combined Recreation Competition XIV was poised to deliver a whole lot of pleasure and heaps of worth to the gamers because it featured the primary $3,500 BetMGMPoker Championship seat giveaway.
For the third straight day, combined recreation gamers crammed 4 tables taking part in low stakes supplier’s alternative poker for hours. The room was packed, as anticipated, and it wasn’t simply the case that the day lived as much as the expectations. Reasonably, it properly exceeded them, as some fortunate gamers had been handled to 4 extra $300 seats to combined recreation tournaments being held on the MGM Grand Summer time Sequence just a few blocks away on the Las Vegas Strip. This got here as a complete (and really nice) shock, bringing with it smiles and exultation from the fortunate foursome who secured their seats.
The Grand Prize, after all, went to Martin Mata, and he’ll be getting a free shot on the $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship title and a slice of the huge $4,000,000 assured prize pool. He’ll be joined by at the very least two extra fortunate seat winners from the MGF XIV giveaway and a whole bunch of different gamers early in July at ARIA Las Vegas.
Let the PLO Gods Resolve
Make no mistake, poker gamers won’t ever say no to free stuff, however the method during which you give that free stuff away issues as properly. On the Combined Recreation Competition, the main target is all the time on the enjoyable, so the primary match seat was awarded utilizing a tried and examined system of PLO flips.
Seems to be like we’ve got 32 gamers with over $100 in fairness, every of whom could be very excited to probably win a $3500 seat into the 2026 @BetMGMPoker Championship.
The giveaway will occur inside the subsequent 90 minutes right here at Combined Recreation Competition XIV at @BellagioPoker. 🎉 pic.twitter.com/rPi3Hs59Uw
— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) June 2, 2026
Sean McCormack, the Government Director of Poker Technique and Improvement for MGM Resorts, was readily available for the proceedings, and was additionally the one to ship the pleasantly stunning information concerning the extra $300 tickets.
There have been 4 tables going on the time, and every desk ran out a blind Pot Restrict Omaha flip. Then, hand winners proceeded to the second spherical to play for yet one more PLO flip, with the winner of that flip profitable the $3,500 ticket.
As you’d count on, it was a little bit of mayhem (in the absolute best means!), and our pals from PokerNews had been sort sufficient to pay a go to to Bellagio and seize it within the video under.
(Video courtesy of PokerNews / Adam Peiken)
When the mud settled, it was Martin Mata from Denver, Colorado, rising victorious and claiming the principle prize. The opposite 4 hand winners to obtain $300 seats had been Nadi Medlege, Christina Black, Matt Bryant, and Scott Chief.
And if you happen to’re questioning how there have been 4 second-place finishers from simply 4 tables, it’s as a result of we had a chop in one of many spherical one fingers, so 5 gamers really progressed to the ultimate spherical.
The additional prizes got here as a courtesy from “the Poker Boss” Sean McCormack, and we are able to neither affirm nor deny whether or not there will probably be further prizes awarded for upcoming attracts. You’ll simply must be there for it and see for your self if you happen to may be one of many luck ones!
With the principle spotlight of the day trip of the way in which, most gamers went again to their tables, and though we misplaced one desk down the road, the motion continued throughout three tables properly previous midnight.
Pokercoaching.com Participant of the Day: Ben Kabatznik
It’s not solely the match seat winners who obtained some free stuff yesterday. Not a day goes by on the Combined Recreation Competition XIV with out a bunch of prizes being distributed, and that features one month-to-month PokerCoaching.com subscription given out each single day to the Participant of the Day.
This time round, that honor goes to Ben Kabatznik from San Francisco, California. Ben is within the software-selling enterprise, and he’s in Las Vegas for a convention. His unique plan was to play some $1/$3 No Restrict Maintain’em throughout his downtime, however when he found {that a} Combined Recreation Competition was operating, he modified his thoughts.
Ben’s expertise with combined video games isn’t tremendous in depth, however he enjoys Omaha Hello-Lo. As for the pageant, he appreciates the chance to attempt his hand at a few of the lesser-known variants, like Oma-Jack, which you’ll by no means come throughout in main tournaments or extra formal occasions.
With a full-time job, he doesn’t have an excessive amount of time to play poker, so when he will get a possibility, he prefers to gamble and have enjoyable. Combined video games provide that much more than Maintain’em, which he says requires way more persistence and a really analytical method. Sadly, Ben doesn’t get an opportunity to play low stakes combine in Cali, so the pageant got here simply on the proper time for him.
His poker dream is to play within the WSOP Primary Occasion. He says that at this level in his life, he can afford it financially, however now it’s extra about organizing the whole lot and discovering the appropriate time to do it and turning it right into a enjoyable journey for him and his spouse.
Whereas Ben doesn’t have a lot time to review poker, he vastly enjoys Jonathan Little’s free content material on YouTube, so he’ll most likely put his one-month subscription to PokerCoaching.com to good use.
RunGoodGear Vendor of the Day: Michael Godfrey
Within the highlight for this version of the Vendor of the Day is Michael Godfrey. Initially from California, Michael has been dwelling in Vegas for 21 years, and his position on the Bellagio is definitely that of a shift supervisor.
Having spent over 20 years within the on line casino enterprise, he’s held many roles in locations like Golden Nugget and South Level, and he’s been a member of the Bellagio workforce since August 2025.
He says that one of many primary issues he’s been specializing in since approaching board is to point out folks that taking part in poker on the Bellagio may be enjoyable and light-weight, even given the room’s elite repute. In different phrases, whereas he’s obtained to go well with up for work, he LOVES his new free Combined Recreation Competition T-Shirt from RunGoodGear. 🙂
His expertise however, Michael tells us that he was nervous taking over his new position, explaining that working at Bellagio is simply totally different. You may really feel the power of the place that he describes as “the mecca of all poker actions on the Strip.”
Again within the day, Michael arrived in Las Vegas in the course of the Moneymaker growth, with the objective of turning into knowledgeable poker participant. Just a few years in, and having met his spouse, he determined to go for a extra secure way of life, which is when he grew to become part of the trade, and he by no means seemed again.
On a private stage, he enjoys the chance to be taught from the likes of Bellagio Poker Room Director Craig Larson in addition to Sean McCormack.
It’s a Wrap on One other Thrilling Day
Whereas Day 3 of Combined Recreation Competition XIV has concluded, fortunately there are seven extra days left, so if you happen to’ve missed out up to now, there’s loads extra to return. The motion will kick off at 12pm sharp as soon as extra, and you may reserve your seat by calling the poker site at (702) 693-7291 – or simply present up on time, and also you’ll be assured a seat.
Consideration combined recreation gamers:
Do you just like the design of our @RunGoodGear shirts?
Come and get ’em at @BellagioPoker throughout our Combined Recreation Competition 😁 pic.twitter.com/6BYEmMVqeL
— Cardplayer Life-style (@PokerLifeMedia) June 3, 2026
A reminder that there are some giveaways occurring every single day, with merch and poker books up for grabs. The following $3,500 BetMGM Poker Championship seat will probably be up for grabs on Sunday, so plan accordingly!
