Atlantic City Trip Report -March 26-28, 2004 : LONG!
The guys at the pokerforum.ca practice tournament convinced me that I should post a trip report for the journey we took to Atlantic City this past weekend... So if you're interested, please enjoy the read.
A group of us decided that it would be a great idea to surprise a buddy who is getting married soon with a trip down to Atlantic City to go pokering. We've been talking about doing this for a while now, so we decided this was a good excuse to actually go ahead and do it.
We arrived at his door at approx 10am friday morning. He seemed surprised, and told us he was surprised, so I'm going to have to assume that he actually did not hear of this beforehand... which is really quite remarkable given that we were in constant contact with him, as well as his fiancee who was in on the planning since New Year's (arranging for day off work, for the weekend to be free, etc).
We got on the road at about 10:30 after a quick bank/currency exchange stop. 6 guys in a parents'-borrowed mini-van. Road trip!
The drive down was pretty routine. We "ran out of gas" (more later) on the Penn Turnpike. The gauge said we still had a quarter tank, but they have been known to lie on occasion. A quick call to AAA got us back running to a service station... and it was clear sailing to AC.
We drive into the city, find our motel easily and after a little confusion with the "concierge" at the check-in desk, we dump our bags in one room and scoot over to the nearest casino (Tropicana) for a little POKER!
We arrive at the Trop at about 10pm and get our names on the waiting list. My friends all get a table together... they called my name too, but as I got there, I guess someone else snuck in took the last spot. Which is ok, since I didn't see any real need to be sitting at a table where there would be 5 other players that would be guaranteed to be at least decent players when I could sit at my own table where the fish population would probably be higher. So I wait about 5 minutes longer...
My name was on the 2/4 and the 4/8 list.. 2/4 gets called first and I take my seat. VERY soft and VERY loose table. We play for about 6 hours and at around 4am I'm up $15. (some really bad suckouts and cold cards, but I held my own) Back to the "Quality" Inn and sharing a bed with a world-champion snorer.
Saturday was Borgata Day! We'd been looking forward to checking out the new casino. We arrive around 10:30 and a few of us stand in line for the Breakfast buffet. Best $16 I've ever spent! Really good food and enough to fill me up for my entire day. After breakfast I rolled down the escalator to the poker room. Beautiful place! Plasma screens everywhere showing various sporting events. Computerized waiting list system on one of the screens showed you exactly where you were on the list.
Again, we sit down for 2/4. 3 of us started at a new table. There is a huge difference at this place. The chairs are fully adjustable (back height, chair height back angle... and very cushy) The cocktail waitresses were... well... let's just say we really, really, REALLY liked their uniforms.
Great table. My friends seemed to be getting cold cards, but I was completely getting clobbered by the deck. I was dealt AK so many times, probably close to 15 times during the session. AA four times within a 2 hour span. All in all, a wonderful table. Very passive and loose again, and the great part was, with my good hands everybody always wanted to keep me honest! There was a guy on the other end (was his birthday) who was with a friend and he kept on rebuying for himself and his friend. One hand they were headsup against each other and kept raising each other. (btw, they are playing with one person's money and the rake is getting bigger and bigger...) Everyone was having a great time, which is one thing I found different about this place. Even at the Trop, I noticed that people were enjoying themselves... which is different than my experiences at Rama, where I don't normally see people joking with each other, laughing and having fun... Don't know if this is the norm with Canadian card rooms.. just something I noticed. In any case, this was one of the best poker times I've had. The people I was seated with were very friendly, and I did my best to keep pleasant and joke around with them. Every AK that I got I would show to this guy next to me from Philly... He found it unbelievable that I was getting such great cards. I was able to get a few freebie pots due to the perception that I was on such a roll... in fact, I took down a few pots without even betting. People were folding to me with no bets! (including two hands in a row)
BEST HAND of the trip:
One of my friends got dealt a straight flush. This wasn't the awesome hand... A few hands later, he gets involved in a heads-up pot with a very loose calling station on his right. The board ends up being A 6 2 K K.
My friend's 34 loses to the other guy's 45 offsuit. 5 high wins the pot!
The funny part is they were both drawing to the inside straight, both missed and both bluff reraising each other on the river. The dealer thought the hand was very special because he called over the floor to show him...
Dealer quality at the Borgata was excellent. The Trop - not so good. I'd put Casino Rama in the middle.
Ended my 13 hour and 2 minute session at about 2am, +$300. Checked out my comp card and had enough for a very tasty Philly Cheesesteak & fries at the snack bar. The Borgata is new, opened last year and was not built on the Boardwalk strip. It's in the marina section of AC. From the parking garage as we were leaving, we got a great view of the boardwalk skyline, which included all the other casinos lit up and flashing at the sky.
On our way back to the hotel, we decided to become "chip-runners". We drove down the strip stopping at various casinos and purchasing souvenir chips. I got a $1 and infamous "pink chip" from the Trop, and got a $1 from the Taj (otherwise known as the "click-click" room.... all you hear is people playing with the chips)
Next morning we got up and started the drive back. We decided to go through Kingston because we had to do some dropoffs in Scarborough. One guy gets off in Kingston, which left us 5 in the van...
As we approach Napanee, we "run out of gas" again! But hold on a sec, we just filled up! We are at 3/4 tank. Uh oh. Van is dead. We call CAA and are lucky enough that a) we dropped one guy off, b) we came through Kingston so we broke down in Canada instead of Buffalo... CAA was able to send an extended cab towtruck that could hold up to 5 passengers.... Phew! They towed us the maximum free distance (200km) to Pickering and we got picked up (with another borrowed minivan) Got home after midnight instead of the planned 9pm.
Next time I think I would get a nicer hotel to stay at, perhaps at one of the casinos. We wanted to cut costs this time, but next time I'll push for a nice cushy room. Also, I wouldn't waste time at the other casinos and would be glad to spend all of my poker time at the Borgata.
Hope you enjoyed this trip report. It was an excellent trip and we will be going back for sure. Now we need to organize a Vegas trip..
hork.
A group of us decided that it would be a great idea to surprise a buddy who is getting married soon with a trip down to Atlantic City to go pokering. We've been talking about doing this for a while now, so we decided this was a good excuse to actually go ahead and do it.
We arrived at his door at approx 10am friday morning. He seemed surprised, and told us he was surprised, so I'm going to have to assume that he actually did not hear of this beforehand... which is really quite remarkable given that we were in constant contact with him, as well as his fiancee who was in on the planning since New Year's (arranging for day off work, for the weekend to be free, etc).
We got on the road at about 10:30 after a quick bank/currency exchange stop. 6 guys in a parents'-borrowed mini-van. Road trip!
The drive down was pretty routine. We "ran out of gas" (more later) on the Penn Turnpike. The gauge said we still had a quarter tank, but they have been known to lie on occasion. A quick call to AAA got us back running to a service station... and it was clear sailing to AC.
We drive into the city, find our motel easily and after a little confusion with the "concierge" at the check-in desk, we dump our bags in one room and scoot over to the nearest casino (Tropicana) for a little POKER!
We arrive at the Trop at about 10pm and get our names on the waiting list. My friends all get a table together... they called my name too, but as I got there, I guess someone else snuck in took the last spot. Which is ok, since I didn't see any real need to be sitting at a table where there would be 5 other players that would be guaranteed to be at least decent players when I could sit at my own table where the fish population would probably be higher. So I wait about 5 minutes longer...
My name was on the 2/4 and the 4/8 list.. 2/4 gets called first and I take my seat. VERY soft and VERY loose table. We play for about 6 hours and at around 4am I'm up $15. (some really bad suckouts and cold cards, but I held my own) Back to the "Quality" Inn and sharing a bed with a world-champion snorer.
Saturday was Borgata Day! We'd been looking forward to checking out the new casino. We arrive around 10:30 and a few of us stand in line for the Breakfast buffet. Best $16 I've ever spent! Really good food and enough to fill me up for my entire day. After breakfast I rolled down the escalator to the poker room. Beautiful place! Plasma screens everywhere showing various sporting events. Computerized waiting list system on one of the screens showed you exactly where you were on the list.
Again, we sit down for 2/4. 3 of us started at a new table. There is a huge difference at this place. The chairs are fully adjustable (back height, chair height back angle... and very cushy) The cocktail waitresses were... well... let's just say we really, really, REALLY liked their uniforms.
Great table. My friends seemed to be getting cold cards, but I was completely getting clobbered by the deck. I was dealt AK so many times, probably close to 15 times during the session. AA four times within a 2 hour span. All in all, a wonderful table. Very passive and loose again, and the great part was, with my good hands everybody always wanted to keep me honest! There was a guy on the other end (was his birthday) who was with a friend and he kept on rebuying for himself and his friend. One hand they were headsup against each other and kept raising each other. (btw, they are playing with one person's money and the rake is getting bigger and bigger...) Everyone was having a great time, which is one thing I found different about this place. Even at the Trop, I noticed that people were enjoying themselves... which is different than my experiences at Rama, where I don't normally see people joking with each other, laughing and having fun... Don't know if this is the norm with Canadian card rooms.. just something I noticed. In any case, this was one of the best poker times I've had. The people I was seated with were very friendly, and I did my best to keep pleasant and joke around with them. Every AK that I got I would show to this guy next to me from Philly... He found it unbelievable that I was getting such great cards. I was able to get a few freebie pots due to the perception that I was on such a roll... in fact, I took down a few pots without even betting. People were folding to me with no bets! (including two hands in a row)
BEST HAND of the trip:
One of my friends got dealt a straight flush. This wasn't the awesome hand... A few hands later, he gets involved in a heads-up pot with a very loose calling station on his right. The board ends up being A 6 2 K K.
My friend's 34 loses to the other guy's 45 offsuit. 5 high wins the pot!
The funny part is they were both drawing to the inside straight, both missed and both bluff reraising each other on the river. The dealer thought the hand was very special because he called over the floor to show him...
Dealer quality at the Borgata was excellent. The Trop - not so good. I'd put Casino Rama in the middle.
Ended my 13 hour and 2 minute session at about 2am, +$300. Checked out my comp card and had enough for a very tasty Philly Cheesesteak & fries at the snack bar. The Borgata is new, opened last year and was not built on the Boardwalk strip. It's in the marina section of AC. From the parking garage as we were leaving, we got a great view of the boardwalk skyline, which included all the other casinos lit up and flashing at the sky.
On our way back to the hotel, we decided to become "chip-runners". We drove down the strip stopping at various casinos and purchasing souvenir chips. I got a $1 and infamous "pink chip" from the Trop, and got a $1 from the Taj (otherwise known as the "click-click" room.... all you hear is people playing with the chips)
Next morning we got up and started the drive back. We decided to go through Kingston because we had to do some dropoffs in Scarborough. One guy gets off in Kingston, which left us 5 in the van...
As we approach Napanee, we "run out of gas" again! But hold on a sec, we just filled up! We are at 3/4 tank. Uh oh. Van is dead. We call CAA and are lucky enough that a) we dropped one guy off, b) we came through Kingston so we broke down in Canada instead of Buffalo... CAA was able to send an extended cab towtruck that could hold up to 5 passengers.... Phew! They towed us the maximum free distance (200km) to Pickering and we got picked up (with another borrowed minivan) Got home after midnight instead of the planned 9pm.
Next time I think I would get a nicer hotel to stay at, perhaps at one of the casinos. We wanted to cut costs this time, but next time I'll push for a nice cushy room. Also, I wouldn't waste time at the other casinos and would be glad to spend all of my poker time at the Borgata.
Hope you enjoyed this trip report. It was an excellent trip and we will be going back for sure. Now we need to organize a Vegas trip..
hork.
Comments
I love trip reports. I can't (shouldn't/don't) play poker at work, so what else am I going to do???
Maybe I'm easily impressed, but that sounds like the coolest thing ever.
ROFLMAO! That's awesome. My question is, how the hell did it ever get to a showdown?!? One of these guys (hopefully not your friend...) must have JUST CALLED with 4 or 5 high, to end the betting!!! I love it.
For your surfing pleasure, I'd suggest googling 'WSOP trip reports'. (I'm going this year to play in the $1500 and $2000 tourneys, so I have a vested interest....). The first thing you should get is from thepokerforum or something, and some guy writes a report for every single day of the entire month-long tourney for the last couple of years. He's funny, too.
He describes the Senior's Tournament as being just like a regular tournament except with 10 minute levels and 50 minute nap breaks.
Also, there is a report from the 2001 WSOP from Dave Scharf, that is very informative.
Thanks again Hork, very entertaining.
Regards,
all_aces
ps: next time I think you should consider renting a van....
How long was the drive there?
Officially 9 hours... make it 10 for stretch/food/washroom/driver change breaks. Make it 11+ if your van breaks down...
In retrospect we should have rented something... but again, we wanted to cut our costs as much as possible. Next time...
hork.
Glad to hear your road troubles weren't too bad.
And you were up $300 ($23 per hour) at a 2-4 session? What is this, PartyPoker? Now that's good variance! 8)
ScottyZ
At my fav table (entertainment-wise) there was at the trop. There was a guy who would call out his hand (whenever it was likely the best) and was never lying.
ie flop is 45q he'd yell out i have ace queen!
people kept calling him though and he'd show if people folded....eventually he'd show as soon as it was heads up and still people would call with worst hand...when they did he would usually give their money back. I liked him.
my best pot was at borgota..
aa vs kk (me) capped preflop
heads up after flop (rag,rag,q)
about 6-8 each into pot (i shoulda been gone but the guy had just sat down and was 1/2 drunk )
turn k
about 20 each into pot (i feel pretty good here)
river q
another 16 or 20 each into the pot
showdown
i found the cocktail waitresses delightful (and the regs were telling me which ones were "taggable")