Going to Atlantic City - poker advice?

[Toddzilla]

I'm heading up to AC today for my fantasy baseball 18th annual draft/auction.

While I'm there, I'm sure to play a little bit of poker (ballerz-style, small "b"), but don't know the best places to go on a, *cough*, small "b" budget. Basically, where is the best place for lower-limit games where I can spend more time playing and less time going to the ATM? Also, so any of the casinos have daily tournaments? Thanks!

[SirFozzie]

My advice? Two things.

1) If you can't spot the fish at your table within 5 minutes, you're the fish.
2) In the poker game of life, women are the fucking rake, man.

*grins and ducks*

[Poli]

Always bet on black?

[Subby]

The Borgata is supposed to be pretty great - I know Quik goes there and always has good things to say about it.

100 NL is a really good low stakes game - NL is terrifying live :)

[QuikSand]

Go to the Borgata, and stay away from all the filth that is the rest of AC. Honestly. It's a class joint.

[CleBrownsfan]

I second Borgata... easily best casino in AC. Poker room is huge and really nice!

What game do you think you'll play? If you are a NL cash person than the $1-$2 NL game there (and any where else) is usually pretty fishy.

Good luck

(also, there is a sandwhich place on the strip called White House that is thru the roof)

[Lathum]

The Borgata is nice but if you want a cheep tournament the house of blues casino at Showboat runs some cheap ones. The Taj is also nice and is on the boardwalk so it is convienient as well. They have a 2-4 limit game as well as a 1-2 NL game where the min buy in is 60 and the max is 300.

Showboat:

Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

$53 + $12 = $10,000 in chips

[Pumpy Tudors]

I'll be in AC in June, so I'm happy to see these tips, too. Thanks!

[Eaglesfan27]

Agree with the Borgata being the class of AC by a *big L* Large margin.

[Lathum]

I actually find there are many many more fish at the Taj. Typicaly the people at the Borgata have more money and higher skill.

That being said in terms of "looks" the Borgata is much nicer but to me once you are at a table who cares how nice the room is, I'll take the eaiser games.

[Subby]

Bring Purell if you go to the Taj - I have heard from more than one person that the chips are disgusting...

[Barkeep49]

Is there a similar thread to this for Vegas? I am heading there soon and will want to play some poker.

[CleBrownsfan]

Is there a similar thread to this for Vegas? I am heading there soon and will want to play some poker.

I love the Ceasar poker room... good service and several plasma TV surrounding the room.

[Toddzilla]

Well, I'm back and pretty much you guys were spot on.

I stayed in a time-share condo next-door to the Trump Taj, so that was my first go-to since it was late. It had a pretty nice sized poker room, well lit, and the cocktail ladies were always around. I got my bearings with a few hours of $3-$6 limit - breaking even - then took a whirl at $1-$2 no-limit. The limit game was what you'd expect - 4-7 players see every flop, but for the most part the players were savvy and the game moved along at a good clip. Won a few, lost a few, the free drinks made it a winner for me, so I moved to the no-limit table. Good Gawd what a debauchle. Pretty much every hand, some joker is raising $40-$50 bucks pre-flop. I didn't play too many hands for obvious reasons, but I got outdrawn on the ones I did, getting beaten by shitheads hitting runner-runner. $200 and an hour later later I was finished. One of my friends got lucky at the table next to me when a guy - obviously drunk - sat down with $3K and announced to the table he was going to take everyone else's money and left 3 hours later broke, me friend getting a nice chunk of his stack.

So the next day, after the baseball draft, we headed over to the Borgata. Yep, it's exactly as advertised. You guys failed to mention the preponderance of eye-candy, so that was a very nice surprise. Holy shit, the Borgata was awash with fine ladies - but the cocktail waitresses put them all to shame. I would have been happy to play $5 blackjack all night just to stare at a giant set of boobs giving me free beer.

Anyway, the poker room completely blew the Taj away. Big, spacious, well-lit, lots of TVs showing the NCAA tournament. And BUSY. Took about 45 minutes to get into a $5-$10 limit game - no way I'm touching no-limit for a while - and it was nice. No fish (except for me) so it was fun to play, learn, talk, and drink. It was pretty telling that I raised pre-flop only 4 times. 2 times with AA and 2 times with considerably worse (like 54suited). When I had aces, everyone bailed. With 54-suited, I got called and re-raised be everyone. I must have a monster tell that I don't know about. Played for a few hours, lost about $100, moved down to $3-$6 and got most of it back.

Had a great great time overall - best part of the weekend, besides our draft - was shooting craps with a few of my friends, one of whom had a 45-minute roll of a lifetime. We made just under $1K each at that table and had the best time. Also won a few hundred dollars at Caribbean Stud - hit 2 boats and a straight in one sitting.

Next time - its Borgata all the way.

[Lathum]

I'm glad ou had fun.

I find it interesting that you would rather play where you were the only fish as opposed to where there were loose/stupid players :)

[QuikSand]

Took about 45 minutes to get into a $5-$10 limit game...

Side question... do they now spread as $5//10 limit game? I'm guessing that may have replaced the $6/12 game, which is Mrs. Q's usual haunt when we visit. Certainly gives a break to the dealers from making a ton of change.

[MrIllini]

don't listen to that quiksand guy, he's a jerkoff

[Toddzilla]

Side question... do they now spread as $5//10 limit game? I'm guessing that may have replaced the $6/12 game, which is Mrs. Q's usual haunt when we visit. Certainly gives a break to the dealers from making a ton of change.Not sure what you're asking (typo?), but I honestly don't recall if they has $6-$12 limit. I do know that I wasn't about to play $10/$20 limit - remember I'm small b ballerz - and I wanted to move up and away from all the chasers playing $3-$6, although there were a few.

[QuikSand]

Not sure what you're asking (typo?)

I am asking about this, from you:

Took about 45 minutes to get into a $5-$10 limit game - no way I'm touching no-limit for a while - and it was nice.

My recollection of the lower level limit games was they offered 3/6, 6/12, 10/20, and 20/40... since you said you sat at a 5/10 limit game, I wondered if they had perhaps adjusted their limits and dumped the 6/12 game to speed things up.

[MrIllini]

jerkoff

[Logan]

I've played in the $1-2 NL games at the Taj and haven't had the experiences you had, as far as the cowboys who decide to throw their money around pre-flop. Always had good experiences (well, not always as far as the cards).

As for your comment about the waitresses at the Borgata...it was a pretty big story last year or so, when they decided all the waitresses would be weighed weekly and suspended if they gained weight. So yes, they get the best of the best.

(also, there is a sandwhich place on the strip called White House that is thru the roof)

Missed this earlier but I just wanted to comment on it. This is simply one of the greatest subs you will ever eat. Two of my good friends from school (twins) were from Margate (one of the nicer surrounding areas), and their grandfather was basically a part-owner of the White House. They would go home and come back to school with tons of subs, earning immediate admiration of everyone on our floor. A definite required stop (for anyone else now that Todd's trip is over).

[Toddzilla]

My recollection of the lower level limit games was they offered 3/6, 6/12, 10/20, and 20/40... since you said you sat at a 5/10 limit game, I wondered if they had perhaps adjusted their limits and dumped the 6/12 game to speed things up.Honestly don't remember. I was a little starry-eyed that night - the girls, the booze, etc.

[Eaglesfan27]

As for your comment about the waitresses at the Borgata...it was a pretty big story last year or so, when they decided all the waitresses would be weighed weekly and suspended if they gained weight. So yes, they get the best of the best.




One of my friends is a waitress there and she is always stressed about making her weight each week, but she is a stunner. Also, they get the best of the best in plenty of other fields. They offer a few dollars more per hour than all of the other casinos and several of my relatives jumped ship from the casino they were working at to go work at the Borgata.

[Toddzilla]

As for your comment about the waitresses at the Borgata...it was a pretty big story last year or so, when they decided all the waitresses would be weighed weekly and suspended if they gained weight. So yes, they get the best of the best.Well GOD BLESS high standards and misogyny. It was delightful to say the least.