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December 26, 2022

Poker player wins $1.68 million mega jackpot on $5 bet in Atlantic City

The table game winner gave her dealers at Harrah's Resort a $77,000 tip

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Harrah's Atlantic City Poker Jackpot Street View/Google Maps

On Saturday, Dec. 17, a woman won $1.68 million after betting $5 on a progressive poker game at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City.

A Monmouth County woman set a progressive poker record earlier this month when she hit a mega jackpot at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, winning $1.68 million off a $5 bet, the casino said.

The woman, described by Harrah's as a "longtime customer" of Caesars Entertainment casinos, claimed the largest table game jackpot ever at one of the company's Atlantic City casinos. She was playing Ultimate Texas Holdem.

In table games, which are played against the house, a progressive jackpot increases each time the game is played but the jackpot is not won. It resets only after a winner claims the progressive prize

The woman's win came Dec. 17, ahead of the Christmas holiday, and she generously tipped her dealers $77,000, NJ.com reported. That's about 4.6% of her total prize. 

"Most people give tips, but this was jaw-dropping," Harrah's Atlantic City Director of Table Games Michael Zippel said in a statement given to Fox Business. "Our dealers work hard all year long and truly deserve it."

At Tropicana Atlantic City, another Caesars Entertainment casino, a New Jersey man won a $1.1 million jackpot last February on a progressive poker game and left a $50,000 tip for the dealers. That was the previous record for the company's Atlantic City properties.

Caesars Entertainment is in the midst of a $400 million investment plan to renovate its resort facilities at its three Atlantic City casinos. Its flagship casino is Caesars Atlantic City on the Boardwalk.

New Jersey is considered one of the best states in the U.S. to make a living playing poker, whether at a casino or online. On Monday, head-to-head poker players got some exciting news as PokerStars announced it will combine its online player pools in New Jersey and Michigan beginning in January. The expansion of interstate play aims to grow the industry and generate to bigger prizes. A similar arrangement was reached in 2015 by gambling regulators in Nevada and Delaware.

"Michigan and New Jersey joining forces is great news for our players in these two states, and poker, more generally, as it promises a better experience and even more value, all with the confidence provided by a trusted, licensed operator," Severin Rasset, PokerStars U.S. managing director, told the Associated Press.

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