There were plenty of Vegas threads which might answer some of my questions, but nothing really referencing AC.

Poker: I've never actually been to a casino and only played in a few live cash games. I've been in a slump online lately, but usually I grind out a positive ROI. If I could finance my 5 day vacation there, that would be insanely great, but all in all I would just like to survive - maybe get a few free drinks, enjoy the atmosphere and what not. I think 2/4 is the minimum structured table? Do I want to play this or .25/.50 NL?

BlackJack: I guess I will memorize basic strategy for when I need a break from poker or when I want to chill with some of my buddies who won't be playing poker. Are the rules city-wide or do they vary casino to casino?

Craps: This will most likely happen. I hear it's way too fun of a game to miss out, house advantage or not.

Slots: Who knows. Maybe.

What does everyone suggest as my minimum bankroll to take? I'm trying to gather a grand to gamble with (TWW AC Vet confirms) and that would put my maximum loss at 200/day. I guess I'm more concerned with how to manage the roll, how long I can expect it to last and how much it will fluctuate. (relative i know)

Any other comments are welcomed. Thanks.

6/25/2008 9:45:06 AM

Atlantic City is awful. I was up there in February for a class and convention and the city is just depressing. It was my first time and I don't think I will be going back.

Where are you staying? I made the mistake of staying at the Trump Plaza because it had the best reviews and looked really good online. It was horrible, I thought I was in the 80's and the customer service was horrible. A coworker and I were sharing a room and they gave us a room with a king even though we had reservations for a room with two doubles. It was a huge mess to fix and we had to change rooms halfway through our stay. The Tropicana looked really bad online and had bad reviews, but we went there for a party and it was really nice. Everyone that we met who was staying there said the service was good. Don't remember much about other places.

And are you flying or driving? If you are flying don't fly into AC (although Spirit has some good deals)

6/25/2008 9:56:17 AM

I grew up there. Borgata. Trop. Hit the pier at Caesar's. Done.

6/25/2008 9:58:53 AM

Quote :

" I think 2/4 is the minimum structured table? Do I want to play this or .25/.50 NL? "

there is no nl at lower than 1/2 with a $60 min $300 max buy.

6/25/2008 10:05:40 AM

I went once. Played 1-2 nl poker and blackjack at Borgata. It is very nice.

The poker was much harder than Vegas though. I was able to get comps playing blackjack. You can bring in one of those index card things will all the odds if you want. The dealer even helps if you don't know what to do. The rules usually differ from every casino. I mean, the basics are the same, but splitting on aces, doubling down, blackjack payouts aren't really standard from casino to casino. Your buddies can't be there if they aren't 21. A grand sounds good. I brought $800 with me for my long weekend trip the first time I went.

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 10:08 AM. Reason : ]

6/25/2008 10:08:02 AM

BlackJack should be the same rules no matter where you go. Unless it's not really blackjack and you're playing Spanish 21 or something. There are a few variations, just look for regular 6-deck Blackjack and check the display placard for rules.

6/25/2008 10:10:35 AM

6/25/2008 10:17:03 AM

but david iirc the bj ruleset is staticly set by the njgc across all the casinos, as opposed to in vegas where the ngc allows the house rules to vary

6/25/2008 10:18:53 AM

lame

6/25/2008 10:24:21 AM

here's my baller tip for borgata

go to the circle bar, in the craps pit...

pop in a 20 into the video poker machine on the bar

play 1 coin, single line for a $0.25, only when the bartender looks at you or you want another drink

this is normally a cash bar, but you can get your $15 martinis for free if you're at the bar playing a hand of video poker every 5 minutes.. just tip the bartenders cash and you're cool... in this instance dont tip the bartender in chips, they prefer not to have to go to the cage as much as possible for this job.

and this place is much more slammed with hot girls than just sitting at some slot machine to get tanked for free.

i sat a girl up there one time while we played cards in the poker room

4 hours later she was down $0.50, fall down drunk, had picked up a nice cute girl, and had been drinking bombay sapphire the whole time

6/25/2008 10:37:24 AM

Don't forget you can request specific liquors at the table. So make sure and up your usual jack and coke to crown, and so on.

6/25/2008 10:40:00 AM

yeah

if you play cards at the top, get liquor

iirc they only carry beast on tap





it's a pretty hood joint

6/25/2008 10:41:37 AM

beast on draft, now there's class!

6/25/2008 10:44:33 AM

yeah in those like 8oz clear plastic solo cups too

i dont know why i used to enjoy going there


once there i ordered tanqueray and tonic and she brought tequila and tonic.. one big gulp not paying attention and i almost hurled on the poker table

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 10:50 AM. Reason : hehe]

6/25/2008 10:50:08 AM

ahahahaa

I almost did that recently. Someone was drinking gin and tonic and I just thought it was tonic.

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 11:01 AM. Reason : ]

6/25/2008 11:00:54 AM

make sure you dont try to pull your chips off the table until the dealer clears everything.
you dont want to get bitched at and made to look like a noob

go to the wild wild west for cheap tables of everything.
i got up a little over a hundred just by playing the roulette wheel. it was hitting, black odd 3rd set of 12 almost every drop of the ball
then i got brave and lost almost all of it on one bet

6/25/2008 11:04:56 AM

wild wild west creeps me out

6/25/2008 11:06:45 AM

it did me too but i met some funny ass people, a great spanish 21 coach and cheap min. bets.
only place i could find with $10 dollar tables

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 11:08 AM. Reason : s]

6/25/2008 11:08:03 AM

ballys makes me money.

caesars takes mi money.

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 11:09 AM. Reason : s]

6/25/2008 11:09:39 AM

if you are just casually playing blackjack....there is no need to memorize basic strategy.

Take it with you to the table! They can do absolutely nothing about you having a basic strategy chart at the table as long as you are not slowing the game down. They even sell them in the gift shop at most places!

Now if you are card counting, which is perfectly legal also, they do have a problem with that because the odds tilt slightly in your favor.

6/25/2008 11:18:29 AM

if you are a noob at blackjack

dont sit on the far seat to the left

that's the anchor position, and the nitty addicts will get pissed if there's a noob in the anchor

something about it fucking up the shoe for them,

or just superstition

6/25/2008 11:22:01 AM

I always sit there so I have plenty of time to look at my card and decide what to do, but you're right they do get pissy if you fuck up, luckily that doesn't happen when using the card.

6/25/2008 11:23:58 AM

^Like Piven and Grenier's hand on the Vegas Baby Entourage episode where the dude splits kings?

The strategy engine I use usually has different plays for late surrender, dealer peeks, double anything, splitting aces stand/hit soft 17. That's what I didn't know. My buddy going with us counts cards but I doubt he will do it. I just don't want to be "that guy with a strategy card".

I don't know what hotel we're staying at, but one of our party works at a Choice chain in TN so 5 days is like 180 bucks total. We'll be walking to the casinos.

Free martinis definitely sounds nice pilgrim, we're considering calculating the maximum time to play craps vs free drink ratio so that we risk a maximum of 25 dollars and get tanked.

dates are 18-23. Wasn't there someone in the poker thread that flies there every so often?

As of now we're driving. Thanks for all of the replies so far. I'll probably be nervous as fuck playing live poker. How stereotypical are an ipod and sunglasses? And should I bring a suit and/or blazer Barney Stinson style?

6/25/2008 11:34:57 AM

Ben used to drive there a lot.

6/25/2008 11:36:07 AM

There will be plenty of Barney's from Philly/NY/North Jersey etc, only more dickish than Stinson would be.

6/25/2008 11:38:13 AM

And some of them can play.

6/25/2008 11:38:59 AM

some people just get pissy any time they lose

even if you make the right play (say, stay on 17 vs dealer's 5 showing), if the dealer flips a 10 then gets a 3 out of the deck it's obviously your fault for not hitting those people are just lame though.

Quote :

"I just don't want to be "that guy with a strategy card"."

lol last time i was in vegas we saw this fine asian lady playing at a $500 min blackjack table with one of those cards in front of her

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 11:42 AM. Reason : .]

6/25/2008 11:40:56 AM

the best blackjack tables in the city are the $25 tables in the back pit by the small high limit tables at borgata, ~3am on a saturday night

this is right by the exit/entrance to mur.mur and you get tons of eye candy watching the ny girls and nj girls who wish they were ny girls stumble out 90% naked from the club.

beatiful women too

6/25/2008 11:43:28 AM

What's wrong with the strat card? You want to be that guy losing money instead?

6/25/2008 11:48:31 AM

If you follow basic strategy, no one should get pissy at you. Most people will just scoff and leave the table anyway.

Man, I haven't gone in awhile, but I am going in a couple weeks and this is just gettin' me excited.

6/25/2008 11:51:32 AM

^^hah, no i was replying to the guy that said there is no need to memorize basic strategy

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

6/25/2008 11:53:20 AM

There isn't. Just use a card.

6/25/2008 12:04:14 PM

Do casinos normally not do SNGs?

6/25/2008 2:21:59 PM

some do now

it's kinda the trend

borg has sngs at $60 up to $1k

they dont run during peak hours though, to free up the tables

the rake on the sngs is atrocious though

like 60+20 or something

6/25/2008 2:27:14 PM

Wow, that's one-third!!!

6/25/2008 2:33:54 PM

You're a sharp one scrumples.

6/25/2008 2:35:25 PM

I'd probably do a 60, not expecting to cash; simply to go there and have fun and not care about blowing 60 bucks and I guess try my best. If I went to a casino here in the future though, it'd probably be somewheres down south...

6/25/2008 2:38:09 PM

also the round times are totally short

i've watched a few of them and it's like, 5-7 hands per blind level.

6/25/2008 2:39:14 PM

Damn. Sounds like I better start playing cash games if I wanna be economical in the casinos...

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 2:43 PM. Reason : f]

6/25/2008 2:41:58 PM

if you're looking to burn time and just get housed

if youre sober enough to sit down and not fall asleep and have even just watched poker on tv before

you could beat the rake at the 2/4 and make enough to pay for tips

6/25/2008 2:43:51 PM

How much do yall fuck with the poker tables when you go up there? I've heard mostly just craps bein' played...

6/25/2008 2:45:21 PM

90% poker 10% blackjack

6/25/2008 2:49:47 PM

I will never fuck with another blackjack table ever. I'd rather do Bacarat.

6/25/2008 2:53:02 PM

Why?

6/25/2008 2:53:42 PM

When I was in college I lost a lot of money drunk at a blackjack table in the bahamas. bad memories.

6/25/2008 2:54:43 PM

I go to ACY about 4 or 5 times a year. I stay at the trop. They have the easiest and best poker rates for rooms of any of the casinos I have played.

In short, get the trop poker card. Sit down at a raked table. do NOT place the card on the table unless you are going to be there for at least 4 hours. If you are, put the card on the table when they scan. They scan once an hour. Once you have been scanned 4 times in a row, you have established a 4+ hour average, and can get rooms at 75%+ off. But if you go under the 4 hour average, you will have difficulty.

6/25/2008 2:59:00 PM

^very interesting. What is 75% off?

Play poker for 4 hours and stay the night next to free? Or do you have to keep up the average? Like I said, we're not staying in a casino, but plan on walking to them from our room. I kind of thought there would be some way to comp everyone's room just to get us in the casino. My grandparents never pay for anything when they go.

[Edited on June 25, 2008 at 3:40 PM. Reason : .]

6/25/2008 3:38:03 PM

Are you staying on Boardwalk, or Park Place? How about North Carolina Ave? One of the Railroads?

6/25/2008 3:46:45 PM

Quote :

"I grew up there. Borgata. Trop. Hit the pier at Caesar's. Done."

Also, Harrahs has become suprisingly popular over the past year, especially "the pool".

6/25/2008 3:51:42 PM

That Harrah's guy that always comes on TV is a big. fat. douche.

6/25/2008 3:52:45 PM