There is no particular play requirement for that day, but you will only be given it if you have significan past play. I think they get a particular number of rooms set aside for poker depending on how full the hotel is, and give those out to people on an amount/level of play basis.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...cc4c03286.html

A little more info on the shooting. Ray Kot seems to have been targeted by a long time gambling loser.

Wow thanks for the update. That is a bit crazy. Amazing how people rationalize and start to believe things.

I heard that an old married couple which are regular 5/10 o8 players at the taj were busted for colluding and i personally saw the floor talking to them privately at an empty table. I play the 5/10 o8 game regularly and have played with them many times and have never seen any colluding. Does anyone know what happened with this situation ?

I have played countless hours with the married couple and enjoy their action and company. Yes they softplay each other and talk incessantly about their hands , check it down when they are heads up, etc. but so does every husband/wife in that game not to mention the regualrs who do it overtly. None are big/consistent winners. I wasn't there when they were taken aside, but the husband can get obstreperous at the table, so maybe there was some kind of altercation invovled.

The regulars in the Taj O8 game have incestuous relationship with each other.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...20ac206d6.html

Taj will shut down all table games today for 6 hours to honor Ray Kot, and allow workers to attend viewing. Nice gesture by Taj.

Wow. I have never heard of a casino stopping the action voluntarily

What will the muggers outside the casino do for six hours? This is infringing upon commerce, IMO...

Thousands attend viewing for slain Taj shift manager

The Trump jumbo-tron on Atlantic Avenue was dedicated to Raymond Kot's memory Tuesday.Press of Atlantic City - Jun 02 6:02 PM

“...On Saturday night, we had our big blackjack tournament,” Juliano said. “The winner gave $10,000 to the memorial fund. That shows you this has not just touched our employees. Even our clients are shocked and want to help in any way they can...”

“...It’s overwhelming,” Juliano said of the turnout. “But it’s also a real source of pride for the whole town, for the gaming community...”

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...cc4c002e0.html

FINAL GOODBYES SAID TO SLAIN TAJ MAHAL SHIFT MANAGER

ATLANTIC CITY--Thousands of people gathered in Atlantic City today to say goodbye to the slain Taj Mahal shift manager, who was gunned down inside the casino last week. Casino executives explain why they temporarily shut down table games.NBC40 South Jersey - Jun 02 3:24 PM

http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=9467

Anyone who would like to donate to the fund set up can do so by making checks out to:

ATTN: Trump Taj Mahal Ray Kot Memorial Fund to benefit Drew Kot

and visit or mail to:
TD Bank
15 N. Pennsylvania Ave.,
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

or send to

ATTN: Trump Taj Mahal Ray Kot Memorial Fund to benefit Drew Kot
Trump Taj Mahal
1000 Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

Did anyone else get this mailer?

"Congratulations! Even though you did not quite reach the points necessary to become an Executiv player, we have upgraded your status because of your loyalty."

I might have come close, but I'm guessing they gave alot of these out. Or perhaps they know I might start playing at Borgata, and want to keep my business...

What games do you usually play there? How regularly?

Went to the Taj for the Friday 7:15 $172+25 a week ago expecting a mob and we had exactly 11 at the start. Eventually we got to about 28, but for a Friday night in the summer a poker tournament with the best buyin ratio there is under $340 I was expecting 100. Disgraceful if you ask me. I guess they just don't care as much about tournaments at the Taj. For me I don't see why anyone plays there. It's dirty, is full of degenerates that don't shower and they scream over the PA system non-stop. I also loved how they had only Bud Lite and in a tiny cup. Literally no other types of beer. Won't be back.

Got mine today....upgraded to Chairman Club status. I play an avg 2 weekends a month so i guess they gave them out to alot of people.

no way! I am pretty sure I know who you are talking about. I play every once in a while there, and it would be sick if they were taken aside. I have seen the husband actually bet into his wife before anyway, though she didn't look all to happy about it.

About 90% 2/5, occasionally 1/2 or 5/10 omaha. Probably ~150 hours of play spread out of over 8-10 trips to AC. FWIW, I stayed at the TAJ (using the 2 free nights comp) 4 or 5 of those times.

It says its 4000 tier points to get the upgrade, so if 2/5 got 20 points/hr it would be ~3000 points total. Of course I probably forgot to clock in/out a couple times, and I always seem to be there when the system is "down" for maintenance or whatever...

same here, i play 3/6 about 3 times a week, for maybe 7hrs each time... the one night i had 3900 tier points, and the next night i went back and i was up to the chairmans level.. f'n sweet!! the chairmans club is very nice to, for a 22 year old guy like me its a great deal!. (plus it makes the friends a little jealous lol)

Yeah, that couple cheats like crazy. LOL J/K

I was there at the time. IIRC what the husband told me, one of the players (not a regular) was in a hand 3-way with them. The guy folded, and after the couple split the pot, the accusation was made. Both the husband and wife play a bit loose and are often in the same hands together. That's what might make someone think collusion. But NJChick comments are on target, no collusion.

The "incestuous" thing, tho, I'd disagree.

Am devastated to hear about the murder of Ray Kot. He truly was the sweetest, nicest, most accomodating person you'd ever have the privilege to meet or deal with on the poker floor. He always had this brilliant smile.

Once, this lady accused a dealer of telling her to stfu after she called him every name in the book because she delusionally thought he must have been complicit in her losing lots of money. Everyone at the table was on this woman for being so nasty to the dealer. This dealer finally lost it, responding to her stfu with his own, "No, you stfu." It was not brilliant on his part but you kinda had to be there. She shot up, finally having baited him, and ran to get Ray to file a formal complaint. I rose as the dealer was pulled from the floor and asked to speak to Ray, who was the floor manager.

He took me inside his office and I told him that the dealer bore the brunt of this woman's unending attacks before finally responding. He asked if I'd file a formal statement on the dealer's behalf, which I did. I was worried because the dealer was sent home and this dealer was a young man with young children. Ray assured me that the dealer would be fine and then so graciously thanked me for coming to speak to him about it. He was so sweet, so sincere in his gratitude.

The dealer stopped me the next day and thanked me as well so I knew Ray was a man of his word and didn't punish the dealer because of this low-life person that couldn't take beats she brought on herself. The dealer also told me that Ray counseled him about cutting off player abuse immediately by calling the floor and not letting it elevate to where it ended up, which clearly he knew he should have done.

He cared about his employees and he cared about the players. Anything he could do for a player he would do with a smile. It breaks my heart to hear of his passing. My deepest, most sincere condolences to his family and friends. I'm so very sorry for your loss, for our loss.

"There 's not a joy the world can give like that it takes away." Lord Byron

Rest in peace, Ray. Heaven is a much lovelier place with a man of your intelligence, integrity and kindness gracing it.

I think I've played with that couple; the woman annoyed me a bit with her incessant lectures on the sophisticated concept of "kill".

On one session I had the misfortune of sitting between the two with husband to my left and wife to my right. A couple of hands followed the pattern of: wife bets, I call, husband raises, wife three-bets, I fold, husband calls, and check-check. Perhaps I should have moved as soon as this teamwork became evident. I'm glad someone finally called them out and the floor got involved.

Said couple also tossed each other chips when one of them lost a hand. Doesn't this violate the house rules at the Taj? I've been playing there since 2004 and that was the only time I've ever seen chips (openly) move from one player in a table to another.

I've seen all three of the things you mentioned happen all the time, and while technically against the rules (well...except for the raising), their presence alone isn't really grounds to scream "COLLUSION." When you see all of them happen at once I would say something, either to the players or to the floor.

I can't really think that they were deliberately and knowingly colluding. I am 99.99% sure they have lost significant money in that game over the years, so they are obviously not pros trying to con the other players out of their money.

Table games go silent in tribute to slain casino supervisor

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...db85c8de5.html

also see:

#
Table games go silent in tribute to slain casino supervisor

ATLANTIC CITY - Al Lospinoso, a customer at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, gazed at the rows of empty table games in the middle of the casino floor and shook his head in amazement.

Press of Atlantic City - Jun 03 12:58 PM
#
Viewing Held For Slain Casino Worker

Gamblers won't be able to play table games for six hours at an Atlantic City casino Tuesday to honor the memory of a slain worker.

CBS 3 Philadelphia - Jun 02 8:38 PM

http://cbs3.com/local/raymond.kot.trump.2.1027824.html

#
Thousands attend viewing for slain Taj shift manager

The Trump jumbo-tron on Atlantic Avenue was dedicated to Raymond Kot's memory Tuesday.

Press of Atlantic City - Jun 02 6:02 PM

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/n...cc4c002e0.html

#
FINAL GOODBYES SAID TO SLAIN TAJ MAHAL SHIFT MANAGER

ATLANTIC CITY--Thousands of people gathered in Atlantic City today to say goodbye to the slain Taj Mahal shift manager, who was gunned down inside the casino last week. Casino executives explain why they temporarily shut down table games.
NBC40 South Jersey - Jun 02 3:24 PM

http://www.nbc40.net/view_story.php?id=9467

that doesn't sound like the couple i am thinking of. the ones i am thinking of, the husband wears a hat, she has white hair (duh?), and her first name starts with a b.

anyone gonna be at the taj this week....i have 2 rooms on wed and thur so ill be looking for a good game...more lower limits for me...also the snack bar is it free to poker players as ive heard...or after so many hours?? im gonna try taj i used to play at hilton a while until they cl osed there room...now you have to play on the casino floor terrible

The snack bar is not free to poker players. You can redeem your comp dollars with your Trump One card, so it's not free per se. You will have had to accumulate enough points for whatever you ordering. The little asian guy who runs around yelling "Snack bar" will just take your order and your card for you.

Are the snack bar comps 1:1? I'd guess they are because the snack bar seems to be Taj-owned, but wanted to double-check with regs who'd know for sure.