I'm sure this has been asked before, but what is the best place to play poker in AC. I'm a small stakes player, looking for the best deal on rake, good dealers, good comps, etc.

Thanks for the advice...

Stan's Room. /thread

General consensus seems to be the Borgata (and I agree). It's the gold standard by which all AC poker rooms are measured. However it's not everybody's favorite. The best thing to do is experience them all for yourself and decide.

Personally I would rank the rooms as follows:
#1 Borgata
#2 Showboat
#3 Harrah's
#4 Tropicana
#5 Bally's
#6 Caesars
#7 Taj

This thread also might give some insights...

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27...d-room-373668/

My personal opinion a year ago would have been...

Taj
Showboat
Borgata
Bally's
Caesar's
Harrah's
Tropicana

A couple of things before I move on to my current ratings: even the bottom of the barrel in AC is OK to play in if you're just looking for 2/4 LHE or 1/2 NLHE. They all have decent comp systems (although I don't know what Trop's comp system is) and you'll have good and bad dealers wherever you go.

My ratings currently would be:

Borgata & Taj (tied)
Harrah's
Caesar's
Tropicana
Showboat
Bally's

The Borgata has gotten a lot better for low-limit players since Stan has made his presence known on 2+2 and the 1/2 PLO game runs regularly on the weekends. Additionally, they have the best game selection in AC in terms of # of tables available for each game they spread.

The Taj still has lots of action players and a great variety of games, plus their comps are the best I've seen in AC.

Harrah's has a nice room and I've had a lot of fun playing there. They sometimes get bigger games and they have the best game selection (# of tables) of the Harrah's properties in my experience (although maybe Caesar's is comparable).

I've always had success at Caesar's. Three negatives: don't bother asking them to spread anything other than 1/2 NLHE and 2/4 LHE; a couple of their dealers are bad to the point that I've spoken with floor managers about them; and it's like pulling teeth to get a rake reduction when the table is shorthanded. The last time I was there, we were playing four-handed while the three other players at the table were on a walk. I asked for a rake reduction and the floor said, "No, there's seven players here." I said, "OK, I'll wait." And we sat there for almost two minutes before the floor came back and approved the reduced rake.

The Tropicana has good game variety at the low limits. Lots of times you'll find stud, O8, 3/6-5/10 LHE, etc. The dealers are sometimes terrible but the floorpeople and waitresses are friendly and competent. Also, if you want to do anything other than poker, the Tropicana has tons of fun stuff to do.

The Showboat was once my favorite room in AC. The energy and enthusiasm of the staff in the room when it first moved to its current boardwalk location was infectious. The room was bustling. The floor was willing to spread any game that had enough people to run. But somewhere along the way, I think upper management stopped listening to poker management and the room fell off. That story is chronicled well in the Showboat Atlantic City thread here in B&M. The Showboat still has decent dealers and decent 1/2 and 2/4 games if that's your thing, but don't expect anything else to run in that room.

Bally's has a 1/3 game that is decent, 2/4 LHE, and 1-5 stud. They do a good job of tracking your comps and everyone is usually friendly. The times I've played there, the room was pretty dead so that's the real reason it has the bottom spot on my list.

Personally, I prefer the Boat due to the friendliness of the dealers, and because I get comped rooms in Harrah's properties.

I'm gonna be trying the Bally's room for the first time this weekend to check out the $1/$1 game.

You really need to be more specific about what you are looking for. The rake is the same everywhere (by law), and comps are pretty much the same everywhere as well (although what you can spend them on varies). I also have seen no significant difference in dealer quality. If you are interested in comped rooms for future trips, it is definately easiest to start getting offers at any of the Harrah's owned properties.

If you're looking for 1/2 NL or 2/4 limit, the Showboat is a decent room.

Any higher limit Holdem games, or any PLO, O8, Stud, the Taj or Borgata are pretty much it.

taj or borgata are best...better action for low-middle stakes at taj but a nicer room at borgata.....tropicana a distant third and the rest of the casinos are ur typical 1-2 nl all in fests.....but the taj or borg are equal just depends on the atmosphere you want...i alternate i play at taj twice a week for a month or so...then switch to borg..whoever has the best stud games going or giving me the best comps at the time

Showboat, Ballys and the Trop shouldn't even be mentioned....

#1 Borgata
#2 Harrahs
#3 Caesers
#4 Taj

Yall got it all wrong best place to make money is the Tropicana.



HANDS down

when you have two pair bet it
when you have a set bet it
what you have quads check lol

How so?

I should have specified willingness to give free rooms based on poker-only play. But like I said, Borgata is catching up with Stan's presence here.

Do they give Friday or Saturday night rooms?

I have midweek free room offers from the Borgata - but they're pretty useless to me.

It depends on your play. A lot of people only get Sunday-Thursday, but I also get Friday, and some get Saturday. I'm sure you have to play a lot to get weekends though. It is somewhat easier to get the $85 weekend poker rate (when it's not summer) and you can pay for it with your poker comps if you have enough.

I used to be one of the people that would say play at the borgata end of story, but recently I think I have changed my tune alittle. If you are looking for bigger games then yes I would say go to the Borgata end of story. But for the average 1/2 nl player Im starting to think borgata isnt the best choice. Pretty much every room will have 1/2nl running with their fair share of donks(borgata may have more games to choice from but usually all 1/2 games are juicy) so the action isnt really a factor. So moving past that, the Borgata will not give you anything to play there other then the standard 2 dollars an hour. Comparing this to a room like Harrah's that will give you free rooms, a breakfast served in the poker room, and sometimes free meals ontop of the 2 dollars an hour I would say harrahs is a great place to play and stay for as low stakes player.

If you go down to Borgata on a weekend and try and get a room on the spot it will never happen for low staks players, period. If you call in advance you might be able to get the 125 weekend poker rate plus tax. During the week it depends on availability, and it 79 I believe

Edit: I forgot to mention the Borgata charges you 2:1 for comps/dollars in a lot of places , not sure if other casinos do that. I doubt anywhere but Borgata could get away with that

Harrahs is a decent choice. Esp cause its become a bit of a younger crowd hot spot. The Pool draws in a ton of young kids just lookin to gamble

I understand people ragging on the Taj because they always do. But it is one of the better places to play poker in Atlantic City; I have a hard time hearing that it is on the bottom of some poeple's lists.

Let me throw in my two cents. Borgata and Taj are the two nicest room in terms of spaciousness and selection of games. Since OP is a small/mid stakes player I think a lot of casinos will suit his needs. But some of the time places like Caesars, Harahs & Showboat (Ballys too) run short of games in the wee hours of the night. If you are interested in playing 2/4 then Taj is the only casino that runs it 24/7. Borgata may have 2/4 late at night but I don't know if it usually runs around the clock and I know that it does at the Taj. For a first timer I would suggest using either Borgata or Taj as your first room you visit on a first trip to AC in terms of cash games.

For tournies, Borgata's sturcture cannot be beat and their Wednesday 7PM & 11AM tournies routinely get around 300+ runners. Showboat's tournies have good structure too an they run around $65 to enter on the weekdays and about $100 on the weekends. The Taj midnight madness ($50+$15) is fun and usually gets 100+ runners nightly. It's structure doesn't beat the Borgata but it is still fun and if your a good player you've got a shot. I would suggest these three casinos for tournies although I have heard Harrah's has a nice midnight tournie but I have never tried it.

Try sticking to Taj or Borgata for your first time and maybe hit a tourney at the Boat if you want. Go ventruing to other casinos for future trips if you like and check out the other rooms yourself. Trop is ok but has gone downhill in recent years but they do have a lot of 1/2, 2/4, 3/6 and low buy-in tournies with very mediocre and fishy players. The structure is pretty bad though even for 20 minute levels. Have fun and post us a trip report when you get back.

This is absolutely untrue and i hope the 1-2 players that receive comp rooms, even on weekends, will chime in here and say so.

Stan

I'm a huge supporter of the Borgata (and am very vocal that I think its far and away the best place to play in AC), but I don't think its unfair to say that the Borgata does not treat its casual players as well as other casinos. Maybe it is, but I know of players playing 1/2NL a similar amount of hours as I play poker (over a year it works out to about 15-20 hours a month) at the Borgata getting a free Friday room at other casinos. I've never gotten that and only recently started getting free weekday offers.

So moving past that, the Borgata will not give you anything to play there other then the standard 2 dollars an hour. Comparing this to a room like Harrah's that will give you free rooms, a breakfast served in the poker room, and sometimes free meals ontop of the 2 dollars an hour I would say harrahs is a great place to play and stay for as low stakes player.

This is the statement that I believe is not a fair statement. Thousands of guests were sent out free room offers, free parking, poker rate offers. We give away thousands of dollars each month on cash giveaways to our guests. I am not saying that we will give the same package out as another casino, I am just saying that I can not stand by and let that statement stand without some type of argument that we do not give our 1-2 players anything but $2 comps per hour. I know better. I see the offers and how many we send out.

Stan

I know I'll probably get ripped for this but...Taj is the #2 room in AC (unless you only play 1/2NL) and it isn't even close.

I play mostly 2/5nl at the Borg, ave 1-2 days per month, long sessions. Last two trips up I received fully comped room on a Friday night and (last Friday) a $125 poker rate. I find Borg comps very fair, especially considering us poker players are competing with pit game players for rooms etc. Just always remember to have your players card swiped out when you end your play.

Great rooms, great buffet, very convenient surface parking right next to the room.

Now if they could somehow market to attract more 22 yr. old females to play poker it'd be perfect!

Changes week to week. On some nights, the Borgata is filled with nitty, nut-peddling regs that check-call two pair and don't put a bad dime in. Other nights, there are a bunch of maniacs with 600-1000bb that are jamming every pot and giving lots of action.

If you are a 1/2 or 2/5 player, Tropicana probably has the softest games. Not as much money on the table, but the regs are pretty bad and there are more bad players than @ the Borgata.

Whoever said Harrah's must have gone on a good night. Every time I've gone there it's been a nitfest.

Taj- You will be one of the only players under 50. Big room, but action isn't great.

If you put a lot of value on a clean, well-lit room with attractive cocktail waitresses and (for the most part) good dealers, then the Borgata is the place to go.

If you want the softest games, I'd probably hit up Tropicana.

I just can't take any statement like this seriously. If you want the softest games go to the place with the most games and find the softest game there. Its just common sense.

I am not someone who says one room is by far better than the rest. But to say that the Borgata doesn't offer anything more than the $2/hr comp is ridiculous. First, the selection of games at any given time will be best at the 1/2 NL level. The comfort is best in their room. By that I include the chairs, spacing, bathrooms, and wait staff.

Now, if you are only looking for what they will offer you in freebies, I will say that other rooms may be more inclined to offer more for your business. This shouldn't be a surprise, since they are losing to the Borgata and the Taj. It would be crazy for them not to offer you free rooms during the week and lower poker rates.

Given that, I still think the Borgata is very competitive in the offers you receive after you give them a little action. Many have posted that they received free parking and various room offers. I imagine that many of their regulars would still visit the Borgata as their #1 room even without these offers. And if you give any weight to how nice a hotel room is, then you will not be disappointed in a Borgata hotel room.

btw...have I been mistaken all this time? I thought you only got $1/hr at 1/2 nl. I thought this was the case in all casinos. I never know these days.