*** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Who will be there? Playing what? When? Are we going to get a 2+2 rotation game going?

I have Saturday-Tuesday off from work. I'm leaning toward a Sunday day trip for some 10/20 or a 5/10 rotation game if there is something similar going.

[ QUOTE ]
BORGATA UNVEILS $200 MILLION EXPANSION ON JUNE 30, 2006
BORGATA: AMPLIFIED
BORGATA UNVEILS $200 MILLION EXPANSION ON JUNE 30, 2006
Borgata Continues to Lead Atlantic City Hospitality Development

WHAT: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City will unveil its $200 million
Phase I Expansion on June 30, 2006 with an opening ceremony.

Borgata will now feature:
Three celebrity chef restaurants – Bobby Flay Steak, Wolfgang Puck American Grille and SEABLUE, A Michael Mina restaurant
An additional 36,120 square feet of casino floor space including Atlantic City’s Largest Poker Room (85 tables) and state of the art Racebook (90 seats)
A multi-concept, quick service dining option named The Cafeteria, features a number of beloved national and regional outlets including two original dining concepts: Lettuce Head and MiniBar.
Bread and Butter, a 30-seat cafe featuring signature sandwiches, a variety of gourmet coffees, espresso drinks, and organic ice-teas open late until 4 am.
And more to come after June 30th when Borgata debuts a new nightclub experience, Mur.Mur.

WHEN: Official Public Opening: June 30, 2006
Opening Ceremony commences at 10:30 AM, June 30th.

WHERE: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
North Entrance (Adjacent to Surface Parking Lot)
One Borgata Way
Atlantic City, NJ

WHY: Borgata - a joint venture between Boyd Gaming and MGM MIRAGE - ignited Atlantic City’s revival with its 2003 opening as the first new resort in 13 years. Borgata continues to lead and help grow Atlantic City’s hospitality redevelopment efforts with its $525 million two-phase master plan development. Borgata’s investment into the $1.1 billion property accounts for one-third of the $1.5 billion in capital improvements planned by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority for Atlantic City’s revival over the next three years.

RSVP: To pre-arrange media coverage, contact Katie Rogers or Josh Rosenberg at M Booth &amp; Assoc., 212-481-7000 ([email protected]; [email protected])<br />
[/ QUOTE ]

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I will be staying there Friday through Monday.

I'll be playing a lot of blackjack but do anticipate playing the Saturday morning $300 tourney and if there's a good 15/30 or 20/40-ish O8 game going I'd love to play that as well. I know a few others have mentioned interest in a game like this, so we should definitely try to make it happen.

Oh, and I'll be reaaaaally drunk too. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Oh Yeah! It's finally here! All our hopes and dreams finally answered?

This isn't to be missed. I'll probably be there on Sunday playing 10/20...

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

bump for superexcitement

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

"I will be staying there Friday through Monday. "

Straight from here? :P

"Oh, and I'll be reaaaaally drunk too"

STARTING here, I hope? :P (jk, with the driving thrown in)

I'll have to hold my official game report until I get these juicy trip reports from everyone who gets to go down.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Dammit.

I can't possibly hit AC three weekends in a row, can I?

*fretting*

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

[ QUOTE ]
"I will be staying there Friday through Monday. "

Straight from here? :P

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope... it goes golf, your place, golf, then AC.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I'll be down the following weekend for the Summer Open.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I think I'll be there Saturday during the day. Anyone interested in a 5/10 (or maybe 6/12 in borgata's case) or 10/20 mixed game? Thinking about some holdem, 7stud 8, omaha 8, 2-7?

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think I'll be there Saturday during the day. Anyone interested in a 5/10 (or maybe 6/12 in borgata's case) or 10/20 mixed game? Thinking about some holdem, 7stud 8, omaha 8, 2-7?

[/ QUOTE ]

No 2-7 in AC. Thinking at the beginning they are going to want to spread only new games that they can expect to spread on a regular basis. Two-way games are already popular at the Taj, I was hoping to get a three-way (aka HOE) game going at the 10 level. If there is a game going I'll definately be in it unless there is a 10,15 or 20 O8B.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Just a note the poker room will be extra busy on Friday from 3-7pm as Philly sports radio station WIP will be broadcasting live from the poker room as they hold a $25k one-table tourney.... should be interesting, but just a heads up. (and your chance to talk junk to howard eskin if you so choose)

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

If the governor has his way, no one will be playing poker in Atlantic City on Saturday if he shuts down the government.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I think the chances of that happening (no one gambling july 4 weekend) are just about nil.

However, if it does.... I'll run a few games from my room, half-rake [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Here is an article from the Asbury Park Press
[ QUOTE ]
ATLANTIC CITY — A space between the ceiling and the blue curtain covering the next phase of the Borgata Hotel Casino &amp; Spa from the public until Friday morning reveals a hint of what the $200 million expansion will look like.

The clue is a multicolored glass chandelier, the kind of fixture that's all over the Borgata and is synonymous with the casino's modern decor.

A look behind the curtain reveals more slot machines, more restaurants run by celebrity chefs and, overall, more of the casino, which opened in July 2003 and has already set revenue and style standards among city gaming venues.

The same could be said for the new poker room.

With white columns and elements of Italian design, the room looks much like the one downstairs, except it's nearly three times the size, and with 85 tables.

There are larger poker venues elsewhere. With 243 poker tables, the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles bills itself as poker capital of the world.

But at the Borgata, the poker room behind the curtain and protected by security guards will become the largest in Atlantic City. It is a sign of the casino setting itself apart as a poker destination, according to casino officials.

Players will have more choices when it comes to what games they want to play and how much they want to bet, said Ray Stefanelli, director of poker marketing at the Borgata.

Meanwhile, managers in the city's other poker rooms are bracing for a hit.

"I think it's going to impact everybody," said Vincent Alonge, a shift manager in the 63-table poker room at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, which will soon give up its title as home to the city's largest poker room. "But whatever impact it has on all the rooms in town, with the growing demand, everyone will still do fine."

Although the Borgata will not unveil the expansion to most reporters until Thursday, and to the public until 10:30 a.m. Friday, the casino on Monday gave the Asbury Park Press a special tour, including the 21,500-square-foot poker room.

With 58 tables and high ceilings, the size of the room's main section looks more like the layout of a department store than a typical poker room in Atlantic City.

In the back of the room, partitioned from the main section, 18 tables will be dedicated to those who can afford to bet the most. Borgata Babes, waitresses in black uniforms resembling lingerie, will offer food service there.

Another nine tables to the right of the high-limit section will become the room's tournament area. During the final rounds of a popular competition, the casino could pull out retractable bleachers for spectators.

Throughout the room, dozens of plasma-screen televisions are set near the ceiling for players who want to check a score when it's not their turn.

Automated shufflers will mean more hands per hour.

Behind the action, a computer system will enable poker room managers to know where each player is sitting at any time, allowing them to notify players in person when a type of game they've been waiting for has opened up.

"It's only going to get better," said Shaun McNeill, a 27-year-old construction worker who lives in Middle Township and plays poker at the Borgata about three times a week.

The new room will replace the Borgata's existing 34-table poker room. Plans for that space have not been announced.

Stefanelli said the room will attract players interested in experiencing other aspects of the Borgata, which includes a spa, several restaurants and bars.

Outside the poker room, celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck and Michael Mina will each debut a restaurant.

For less formal dining, players can head down an escalator to The Cafeteria, which might resemble a food court if not for the white marble floors.

Mur.Mur, the Borgata's second nightclub, is expected to open later this summer.

Despite its large size, Stefanelli said the number of players who gamble at his casino and at others in the city will make the room a success.

"Supply has risen year after year in the market," he said. "I truly feel that there's enough demand to open an 85-table poker room."

Stefanelli and managers at other city casinos agree that Borgata, at least at first, will take players away from other poker rooms.

"To be honest, I think it'll hurt us a little bit," said Anthony Previti, a manager at the Arena, one of the city's newer poker rooms at Caesars Atlantic City.

But Alonge, from the Taj, predicted that the "Cheers" factor, referring to the classic television show about a bar, will keep poker rooms full across the city.

Players, he said, like to go where everybody knows their name.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Here is a link to the official opening announcement, which lists an 11 am opening time.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Corzine puts shutdown off til after July 4

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Am heading down tomorrow for the $250+30 tournament at noon. Will be there by 11am so it looks like I'll be one of the honored 1st visitors. Hope they have door prizes! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

i'll be there pretty much all day/night saturday. playing some 5/10 or 6/12, hopefully. pm me if you wanna meet up. looking forward to it.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Hmm. Looks like the various methods to get a full day of $2/hr comps might be dead now with the new computerized system that keeps track of where players are sitting.

Well, maybe it will also mean the end of the 6AM rollover and losing points ecause you were too tired/drunk to checkout.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

i'll be playing 2/4 on friday

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

anyone playing in the tourney saturday morning? send me a pm if you want to meet up, holla

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I will be wearing a blue "I love duran duran" visor with a broken brim. I'll also be at the allman bros. show wherever.

Should be around late friday and most of the day saturday. Remind me not to take my ambien if I am drinking and vice versa.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Any updates?

Did they really close the old poker room down completely at midlight last night (no poker overnight)?

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Looks like I'll be there with MaxPower and DrDoesntLikeSexSavage on Saturday.

If you see me say hi. I'm the Asian guy.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

So....? It's been open almost an hour! Where are the reports?

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

[ QUOTE ]
So....? It's been open almost an hour! Where are the reports?

[/ QUOTE ]

i will pop in with a report later tonite if someone hasnt already

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well, maybe it will also mean the end of the 6AM rollover and losing points ecause you were too tired/drunk to checkout.

[/ QUOTE ]

That alone makes it +EV.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I'll be playing 3/6 and/or 1/2 NL on Sunday. If anyone wants to say hi, I'm the guy who looks like Jimmy Fallon.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

[ QUOTE ]

If you see me say hi. I'm the Asian guy.

[/ QUOTE ]
i think ive seen you before. you have black hair, right?

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I was listening to WIP and they were interviewing Charles Barkley and the Borgata. So maybe you guys have a chance to take him out in the high level room. I am guessing that you can take lots of money off of him.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I was the guy in the passenger seat of the green Chrysler pulled over at 9 AM on the AC Expressway [86 in a 65].

I was also the guy that told "Big Jerry" (holy crap! he's 'the pope of 2/4 and 3/6'!!) 's friend to STFU when he asked me if I wanted to play him heads-up for better stakes than 2/4 'play money' after raising him with 'censored-poop cards' (mid pair, gutshot draw and flush draw) and taking down the pot.

60 year old nits piss me off.

(Big Jerry is the guy who is always playing 2/4, probably 280 lb, 70 yrs old, &lt; 5 teeth, glasses and ratty hair, had on a gray shirt with red shoulders today)

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

The only non-80/160 Omaha game that got going was a 3-6 O8B w/full kill for a while. Quite a young line-up for an Omaha game so I am guessing there were trout at the game (I was tall guy w/ Penn State hat). Played 10 HE the rest of the night, game ranged from nitty to pretty good but still quite far from the loose passive action at the TAJ. Another serious effort to get 15-30 O8B going tomorrow evening between 7-9. 10-20 HOE seems like a long shot at this point since even the O8B didn't go but we shall see what tomorrow brings.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I just got back. Pulled a 7 hour session playing 10 holdem. It was nice getting quad Js at the table twice. Was kinda disappointed at first because the floor didnt really know what they were doing for most of the time. After they called my name from the list, they kept sending me to different floor people, each one saying they didn't know where the game was. When I said I was just gonna go to Taj, one of them actually helped to look for it. Table was great though, definitely some donators in the game for a whole 7 hours. One asian guy bought in for 900, and he was up to 2100 at one point and proceeded to lose it ALL by playing every single hand. He fed the game the whole time, as it tightened up when he left. I liked the automatic shuffles, because they had several newbie dealers (and some others they took from Taj and Trop). Not really a big fan of the digital screen at the table, because you can't really see what game it is walking by. Most of the dealers at my table kept banging their tokes on it. I do like that its upstairs now because I get service on my cell now. I think this place will eventually grow on me. I plan on returning some time between now and the 4th, hoping to get some kind of hi-lo game running (maybe we can convince them to run a pink chip 2way?)

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

How were the wait lists?

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Played 12 hrs yesterday from opening...

The pluses - the room is gorgeuous, lots of tables, etc

the negs - chaos. The table check in system was not familiar to many floor or dealers (this will clear up in days I'm sure) and the lists were not organized well. At one point on my table there were four empty seats and over 40 names on a list and we couldn't get any players. Finally we were told teh list was dead and there was no list. They then broke a game to fill in spots at the other tables (which i'd asked them to do ten minutes earlier)
The tourney took up so many seats early that the lists were long with people that ended up leaving by the time the tourney started to break down and open tables up...
All in all the floors and dealers worked hard and will have it all perfect in a few days I think...
the lines should be very manageable if a friday nite was any kind of indicator...like I said once the tourney broke there were plenty of tables left over

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Stopped in from 4:00 until 7:30 on saturday.

New location is quite a walk from the parking garage. No big deal tho.

New room is very spacious, open. High limit section seemed to have a little more light. More space between all tables. Main signin area and main podium (where you lock up your seat) are not well labeled. Brush didn't do a good job of directing me to my table.

Digital table screens were actually in use, unlike foxwoods.

They need to upgrade the borgata card to rfid so you can just leave it at the table and get clocked in, so that they can free up the floor to do their actual jobs. As it stands, the floor spends half their shift directing people to tables and swiping cards.

TV screens might be a little too high up. Lots of reflections from lights and stuff. I was just mad because the world cup was on about 1/2 of the TVs, but none of them were close and within my line of sight.

Tourney bleachers are cute. Good way to keep all the railbirds up against a wall.

Table numbering is pretty stupid. Tables need to be labeled much better than they are. They need the signs above the general groupings like foxwoods. You have to actually get behind the dealer and read the sign on the side of the table because the usual plastic markers near the drop box are gone. The only indication of the table number on table/horizontal service is a 1/4" high font on the LCD screen at the table.

Saturday afternoon waitlists were minimal. They tried to open a 6/12 with 11 names on the list at 430 but failed miserably. 2 people sat. Overall wait for 6/12 was 20 mins. 2/5 nl 10 mins. 1/2 nl 20 mins. 5/10 nl ~none.

More stalls in the bathrooms. Yay.

Logged 3-3.5 hours of 6/12 for $180 profit. Very soft. I was the second youngest player at my table at 24, and one of the only two players under 35.

If my review seems overly critical, that is not my intent. The new room is a nice improvement and it kicks the rest of ACs ass.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

[ QUOTE ]

New location is quite a walk from the parking garage. No big deal tho.


[/ QUOTE ]

Surface parking is the nuts, entrance is about 50 ft. from poker room.

The games I played were pretty good today, 2-5, 10 HE, 10 Stud. Had aces 6 times and they held up every time, pretty sure that is a record for me, +450. There was a list of interest for 10-20 SHOE but no names. No small/mid Omaha game went at all today which is a bit of a disappointment. The chaos is slowly coming under control but it's still there.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Around 6 tonight servers came by with food (chicken satay, small sandwiches, cookies, brownies) in the high limit room. Good stuff.

The room is nice and holy crap Zidane is just effing awesome.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

I'm en route. I'll be the loud guy with a Vince Young jersey.

Re: *** OFFICIAL Borgata Opening Weekend Thread ***
 

Played in the 10 AM tourney yesterday (7/2). 225 runners, I missed a 15 outer against an all in player ("this is my first live tourney") early and got crippled. Played short stack poker for another 2 hours before I finally got knocked out with ~100 remaining.

We had a few obviously new dealers. One had a stick-on name tag and ran the game very well - I think I've seen him at the Trop before. There were about three that were clueless and SLOW. One had to get step by step instructions from the floor on how to run a chip race (OK, you have two Jacks, which one gets the chip? J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] or J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]? J[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], very good!)

Cafeteria looks nice; thankfully they added seating as trying to scope a seat near the grill in the old room was like trying to get a parking spot at the mall on Dec. 24. Fatburger - the only thing open at 9 AM - was SLOW but they'll get the hang of it soon enough.

(I personally think the "How to order a cheesesteak" display at Tony Luke's is hilarious. I love taking my out of town friends to Tony Luke's in South Philly and make them order before me.)

The new room is HUGE as has been stated before. Lots of room to walk around, even between tables. They used the auto-shufflers for the tourney and all the dealers said they liked them (we asked every one when they started their down at our table). Didn't have one jam the entire 3 hours I played.

The Tournament Registration desk wasn't operational yet; we had to register at the main cage. I was told that was only temporary.

The TVs are too small for how high they are. They also weren't adjusted properly and looked very washed out.

Drink service was slower than I've seen in the past. I think the cocktail waitresses are still adusting to the volume of tables and the size of the room.

All in all, once the bugs get worked out (I guess they'll have time on Wednesday) this will easily become the cream of the crop for AC poker rooms.