Since I was one of the last players in A.C. on Friday, I figured that I really ought to be one of the first today. At Harrah's of course, where I helped close out the casino and poker room.

I arrived at A.C. nice and early at around 9:30, figuring to spend some time walking around the boardwalk. Went to park at Showboat and was waved away by a state trooper - no one even allowed to park until noon! What the heck?

Oh well, found a spot on the street a few blocks north and went out to investigate. Very little damage.

Sammy's Beach Bar in front of Bally's will be open for the weekend, and if anything figured to be destroyed by the storm - that was it.

Workers were taking boards down from the windows of stores and Showboat.

Oddly enough, with all of the casinos set to re-open at noon, the one that actually did open at 10:00 was Revel. Specifically, their visitor's center. Which means that the one casino not open for business as a casino was the only casino open..... Weird, huh? Sort of like Marcel Marceau having the only speaking part in Silent Movie.

Speaking of Revel, it seems that they have their very own "death ray". No, not the science fiction sort. Rather, the Aria in Las Vegas sort. Sun beating down on a curved reflective surface results in magnification of the rays and a definite hot spot on the boardwalk. Easy to see because it's so bright. VERY warm to walk into! I wonder why the engineers don't learn from these things and design a little differently.....

I arrived at Harrah's at approx. 10:45 and was wondering where to park - when I noticed that nobody was guarding the parking garage. Yeah! Easy parking.

Not only that, but they were letting people in. All few of us. Very few. I was the first player to hit the poker room. 2 floor people, one dealer, and moi. Soon to be joined by a second player, then some more dealers.

For a short time, dealers and floor people outnumbered the players. That all changed as noon approached and 2 tables got ready to start. A 1/2 NL game and a 2/4 Limit. The NL game went off first - right at noon with the opening, well, not a gun but you get the idea.

I (small brag) actually won the first hand played post Irene at Harrah's! Yeah, me. Went on to have a pretty good day, actually. When I left some 5.5 hours later, there were about 6 tables in play.

One funny note, when the room was opening, the sign showing the BBJ announced that the total to be won was a whopping $274.00. Not a typo on my part - definitely one on the sign's part. The actual total was corrected to $186,589.14 - the right amount.

Lee

Any idea what the jackpot is up to at the Caesars properties? The website hasn't been updated since 8/23.

$196,500+ as of today.

Lee

looking to stay in AC for 3 months this coming summer from middle of may to middle of august. where should i be looking for a cheap place to stay besides the irish pub inn? my budget is 1k a month. will people let me rent a place for 3 months? any good websites? thanks for your help.

Poker is going great guns here in A.C. Or, at least, as good as can be expected for a holiday weekend. I've seen lots of tables in play at every room that I've stopped in on, and I'm hearing lots of laughter and joviality - which shows that folk are having a good time.

Good news! Harrah's has been putting out a spread of bagels, muffins, and pastries for years every morning for the players to enjoy. Today - they had lox to go with the bagels and cream cheese! I know, I please easily sometimes. Still, it was a very pleasant and much enjoyed treat.

Lee

So I'm heading to AC this weekend. The wife will be with the girls at a beach house for a bachelorette party and I get to spend the weekend playing cards. So, I don't really feel like putting up $200 for a room since I'll be in the cardroom almost the entire weekend. Probably 4-5 hours of sleep Saturday morning early and the same on Sunday. So it seems parking is fairly cheap, about $5 to $10 per day at the casinos. Would they bother me or have any way of bothering me if I slept in my car?

I know, its cheap, but I barely need a room and I have plenty of room in my crossover.

My friend has done it NUMEROUS times in AC w/o ever running into a problem. What kind of car is it? It helps that my friend has an SUV with tinted side/back windows allowing him room to sleep w/o being obviously seen in a driver's seat. He's even brought a pillow with him when he knows he's going to put in long sessions, so I think you'll be ok.

Its a Pacifica with tinted rear windows. So I can fold down the back seat and have all that room for napping and no one can see in without putting their nose to the glass. Nice to know. Thanks for the response.

Turn 21 on Monday and I'm coming to AC to win all the Borgata WPT monies. Want to come out on Mon, Sep. 12th and stay until Sep. 18th or 19th. Will be alone and focusing 100% on grinding during the week but some friends are coming up on the weekend to celebrate my birthday. Will be 4-6 of us total. I'm looking for something cheap during the week since I'll be grinding all day every day and something slightly baller for the weekend so I can show my broke college friends a good time.

Where would you guys consider the best places for a group of 21 year olds (guys and girls) to party in AC? Thanks.

Found a place. Would still like recs for nightlife. Thanks.

murmur or harrahs pool prolly your best bet

This +1

did my 21st in ac in august and id say to go to def do pool bar one night

second night we split up into 2 groups
Some went to ballys for the 24hr happy hour and said it was fun

and we wandered trop than tried getting into Providence in the quarter but wasnt allowed in because friends wearing sneakers

We than went to the bar across from it which was free to get in and sold 40's for like 5 bucks on sat night(very cheap)

You can easily wander the quarter until 4 or 5 am and have a great time

staying in AC for 3 weeks. Is there a cheap place to stay at besides the Irish Pub Inn?

Thanks. Will check out murmur and the Trop.

Where. Can I find some good limit games.

Most rooms have 2/4 limit, Taj, Borgata, and maybe a few more have 3/6. The only ones with bigger limit holdem games are the Taj (20/40 weekends) and Borgata (10/20 and 20/40 every day, 40/80 some weekends).

can anyone recommend me a gym/fitness center near the boardwalk? I did a google search and nothing came up besides casino/hotel fitness centers. thanks for your help.

Harrah's still gets the 4/8 LHE mini-blind game on occassion, plus they the pink chip game on a daily basis.

Lee

Watch the decline in AC poker after the Borgata open. This is the first real year of competetion. 100 % you will see a huge decline in the next 9 months. Borgata will always stand as the benchmark of how to run a room and maybe the REVEl will be in the same arena. PARX has 4 WPT events next year which is remarkable for a room to get that kind of attention so fast. Harrahs Chester is the worst poker room on the eastcoast but they will always get good play do to location close to PHILLY. Delaware Park does everything right but has a tough job ahead do to location. We also have a new room coming to Valley Forge. The bottom line is its only going to get worse for AC. The drive from New York city to PARX and HARRAHS CHESTER is closer then to AC. Its only a matter of time before CEASERS,BALLYS, TROP, TAJ, SHOWBOAT and the other pretenders call it a day. BORGATA will stand tall forever because they really care about being the best in the poker industry.

Valley Forge is going to be a small casino inside a resort. Only people spending money in the resort will be able to play there. Also, because it's so small, how big can the poker room (if there even is one) possibly be?

Atlantic City has multiple poker rooms, and casinos, most within walking distance (or at most a short jitney ride) of each other. No other place on the East Coast has this. Or will, at least for the forseeable future.

Revel will attract big crowds, and I predict that it will act as a stimulus for the industry as a whole in A.C., much as Boragata did when it opened up.

Some rooms may close. Heck, some casinos may not survive. But Revel and Hard Rock are coming, Golden Nugget is spending $100 million+ to re-do what was Trump Marina, and the other properties are spending money to improve themselves as well as attract new business.

Personally, I believe that all the doomsayers are going to be proven wrong overall.

We'll see.

Lee

Hi:

Anyone been to 'Central Pier Speedway,' which looks to be right off the boardwalk? I am planning a bachelor party in AC next weekend and thought that might be a decent activity for a group of ~ 10 guys on Saturday afternoon. Any thoughts, input and/or recommendations on better places in the area would be appreciated.

I hope so, it's already sad down in AC these days, poker wise. Everyone getting more spread out isn't good.

No poker in valley forge to open, and any expansion won't be for years.

Personally, I'm glad people on 2+2 are not going to AC. By all means, more people please post that they're not going to AC. The rest of us will take care of the tourists.

Just wait until sports betting. You'll all be back.

Just a little something I noticed, last Thursday I was checking out of Caesars and I happened to walk by the poker room around 1pm. It was a ghost town. Never seen a room so empty with 20-30 tables.