The decline of the Trop...
 

I used to be a fan of the Trop in AC, decent games & room overall, quieter than Taj & Borg...

...That has all changed now. On a midweek session recently I noticed that the Trop is in serious need of upgrades.
Their old sign-in dry erase board was falling apart, the desk person then yells at the top of their lungs asking the floor if there's an open seat. The place has always been knocked for being dimly lit, but it's getting darker. The little green carts that they put the food on are just everywhere for you to trip over, and they're usually covered with trash also. The place looked like it hadn't been vacuumed in a month, there was garbage all over the floor. There were A LOT of grouchy dealers too, they were all griping about a mass firing of floor people/managers.

Autoshufflers on all of the tables would be nice, and maybe have a designated tournament area, away from the racebook. How about another beer besides Natty Light ? Oh, BTW the "legendary" pink chip game had only one game going all day. They mainly spread 1/2NL, 2/4, & 1/5 7CS. They had one table of 4/8, 5/10 7CS, & pink chip. I used to really like this place, but in the matter of a year or so it has really gone downhill.

BTW, the Taj with it's recent upgrades (new chairs, carpet, TV's, autoshufflers, electronic sign-in list) looks like a palace compared to the Trop now. If they could only get some new clean chips...

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Trop has never been one of my favorite places, but at least you can still get poker rate rooms there....$99 on Friday night is a pretty good deal.

I will be there most of next week....hopefully playing in the pink chip game when it's running. Were they not spreading 2/5 NL? Because I was hoping to finally move up from 1/2 NL if I run good my first couple days.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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BTW, the Taj with it's recent upgrades (new chairs, carpet, TV's, autoshufflers, electronic sign-in list) looks like a palace compared to the Trop now. If they could only get some new clean chips...

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Apropos of nothing, the last time I was at the Taj it looked like they had rotated in a new set of red chips. The key clue was that the chips no longer stuck together.

On a whim, I once took two $1 chips home from the Taj and spent about an hour cleaning one with alcohol and a little bleach and then comparing it to the other, uncleaned chip. The uncleaned chip was a dull to dark gray and the cleaned chip was blindingly white. The moral: always wash your hands after playing.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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The uncleaned chip was a dull to dark gray and the cleaned chip was blindingly white. The moral: play at the Borgata.

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FYP

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Cmurl,

The Trop has a cult like following. The Trop has more of a "club" feeling than the other casinos.

The Trop will continue to do well. They have created their own niche and despite the rooms archaic nature the room will always attract players.


They had one table of 4/8, 5/10 7CS, & pink chip. I used to really like this place, but in the matter of a year or so it has really gone downhill.

Its more than a year. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Rgold79 you are to funny man,lol.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Nick,

The Trop spreads 1-2 2-5 5-10 no limit on a daily basis. The Trop speads a $10-$20 game most weekends. The game fluctuated between $10-$20 and $10-$25 depending on who starts the interest list.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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spent about an hour cleaning one with alcohol and a little bleach

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The Taj chip crud may be icky, but it doesn't require an hour, alcohol or bleach to remove. (And alcohol and bleach are probably quite bad for the chip itself once you've stripped it of its protective crud.)

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

I've always thought the Trop was kinda trashy, but continued to go there anyway. I feel like I play my best game there. But you're right, lately it has been getting kinda gross....drinks NEVER come (and I drink water + soda...wtf?)....and the past two times I've gone they had some temperature control problems. Like it was literally freezing at one table for like an hour...I was playing with my jacket on, lol.

I started playing at the Taj, which is a little better I suppose. Still dirty. Not a fan of the Borg's chips, which is the primary reason I dont like playing there.

I need a regular room, Trop used to be it... [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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The Taj chip crud may be icky, but it doesn't require an hour, alcohol or bleach to remove. (And alcohol and bleach are probably quite bad for the chip itself once you've stripped it of its protective crud.)

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I was using hyperbole.

By the way, if memory serves me correctly, the Trop was known at one point for having the most generous benefits to players - something like $4/hr. Anyone know if that still continues?

I play almost exclusively at the Borgata now.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Anyone know if that still continues?

Not even close to $4 an hour.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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Not a fan of the Borg's chips, which is the primary reason I dont like playing there.


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Glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. Borgata is by far the best place in AC for tournaments, but they are my third or fourth choice for cash games because the chips are so difficult to handle.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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Not a fan of the Borg's chips, which is the primary reason I dont like playing there.


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Primary? Really!?

So you avoid a room that many players consider the best in the country because the chips are a bit slippery?

I don't get it. Perhaps you can explain more...

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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Not a fan of the Borg's chips, which is the primary reason I dont like playing there.


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Primary? Really!?

So you avoid a room that many players consider the best in the country because the chips are a bit slippery?

I don't get it. Perhaps you can explain more...

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I'm not the one who posted this, but I agreed with him.

If you are playing in low limit games that are spread everywhere, and are fishy everywhere, what exactly is a better reason to like or dislike a room than the chips?

I can play 1/2 NL in a comfortable, nice looking room and get bottles of free Corona at both Borgata and Hilton. But I love the chips at Hilton and hate the chips at Borgata. Where do you think I am going to play? Of course, for those times when I want to play 10/20 Limit, I need to make a different choice.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Can't disagree with anything your said. But... since I can get the poker rate for a room at the Trop without much trouble and not at Borg or Taj (and my significant other likes to be close to the beach in summer), I'll keep playing there

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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On a whim, I once took two $1 chips home from the Taj and spent about an hour cleaning one with alcohol and a little bleach and then comparing it to the other, uncleaned chip. The uncleaned chip was a dull to dark gray and the cleaned chip was blindingly white. The moral: always wash your hands after playing.

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Somebody told me the story once of a player who always took home a rack of white $1 chips at the end of each session. He'd run 'em through the dishwasher. Then he'd return with his spanky clean chips to play with 'em next session. You could apparently follow his chips around the table; they were so much whiter than other chips you could spot 'em in other people's stacks.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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Not a fan of the Borg's chips, which is the primary reason I dont like playing there.


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Glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. Borgata is by far the best place in AC for tournaments, but they are my third or fourth choice for cash games because the chips are so difficult to handle.

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Yeah, but the Borg chairs are way more comfortable for my fat butt, so this more than makes up for the chips.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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Not a fan of the Borg's chips, which is the primary reason I dont like playing there.


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Glad I'm not the only one that feels this way. Borgata is by far the best place in AC for tournaments, but they are my third or fourth choice for cash games because the chips are so difficult to handle.

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Yeah, but the Borg chairs are way more comfortable for my fat butt, so this more than makes up for the chips.

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Oh and the eye candy too. As a matter of fact, the Trop waitresses match the decor and condition of the room.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

they don't always have poker room rates on the weekend...sometimes you can't get a poker room on the weekends

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Lots of luck getting Columbia Sussex (current ownership) to put any money into the joint. It's only going to get worse.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

I'm a relatively new live player and the Trop was the only place I've played in AC until last weekend. I was undefeated my first 9 trips to AC(trop) so I really had no desire to play elsewhere, but finally lost on Thurs and decided to check out some new scenery. So I hit up the TAJ on Friday and I have to say that their room is a lot more enjoyable for me. I will not return to the trop until they install auto shufflers. I realized how damn slow the games are without them, I can't see a reason to sit through that torture anymore. The accessibility of the bar was one reason I liked the Trop but the waitresses bring the drinks so fast at the TAJ that it's not even a concern. They had a lot of action and players coming in one after another. I do like the atmosphere at the trop but I won't be back anytime soon.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Is AC trop getting a new room? I have been hearing this for awhile.... I know a lot of live players in AC that don't play at the borgata regularly because of their chips.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

It's only going to get worse.

The room has had a steady decline for the past 10 years [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Does the Trop in Vegas have a room as well?

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Is AC trop getting a new room? I have been hearing this for awhile

I have heard this rumor since December 05.

Not too long ago the Trop replaced the louger area with slot machines. Doing away with the lounge angered myself and my friend John because we used to enjoy taking a break listening to music and watching the "pros" work the "johns".

Once John spotted a girl who worked at a supermarket he shopped at.

I know a lot of live players in AC that don't play at the Taj regularly because of their chips.

When did this chip conspiracy start? Bring a bottle of Purell if the chips look dirty.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

It is clearly obvious why the tropicana has been on a decline..

The loss of...
- 80% of their great staff and strong dealers going to Borgata when they first opened in July 2003. (TK also left about a year ago)
- $1 hotdog, bag of chips and soda Deal.
- Carlos Mendez as a railbird.
- Patches moving to Vegas.

Joe V. taking all the dead money in the Pink Game has finally taken its toll on all the losing players.

These reasons are clearly why the room has been on a decline.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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I know a lot of live players in AC that don't play at the Taj regularly because of their chips.



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That's funny you say that about the Taj because I know alot of players that don't like Borgata because of their unshufflable chips. The overly aggressive kids and the good looking girls make up for that.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

- Carlos Mendez as a railbird.

You mean Augustine Mendez [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Joe V. taking all the dead money in the Pink Game has finally taken its toll on all the losing players.

Dante did the same thing before he went away. No limit also had taken a bite out of the pink game.

- Patches moving to Vegas.

Some of the gypsies still player there like Jimmy and his crew.

I play at the Trop from time to time.

I still see the same players playing $1-$5 stud in the games I started playing in 7 years ago.

(TK also left about a year ago)

Hilton baby Hilton.

Prodigy you continue to have your finger on the pulse of the AC poker scene.

One more thing to consider, The Trop used to spread $10-$20-$30 hold em and $5-$10-$15 stud. The Trop also hosted the original only big bet game AC had at the time. The $5-$5 pot limit game that started at the Sands.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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- Carlos Mendez as a railbird.

You mean Augustine Mendez [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Joe V. taking all the dead money in the Pink Game has finally taken its toll on all the losing players.

Dante did the same thing before he went away. No limit also had taken a bite out of the pink game.

- Patches moving to Vegas.

Some of the gypsies still player there like Jimmy and his crew.

I play at the Trop from time to time.

I still see the same players playing $1-$5 stud in the games I started playing in 7 years ago.

(TK also left about a year ago)

Hilton baby Hilton.

Prodigy you continue to have your finger on the pulse of the AC poker scene.

One more thing to consider, The Trop used to spread $10-$20-$30 hold em and $5-$10-$15 stud. The Trop also hosted the original only big bet game AC had at the time. The $5-$5 pot limit game that started at the Sands.

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Yeah, TK is at the Hilton. I hope he does a good job there. He's a great guy.

They also lost the hi-low stud game to the Taj. Boris and Nicky D used to run that 5-5 Pot Limit Game.

Thanks for the compliments Mike, but you know just as much as I do. However, I do know alot about Atlantic City, for someone under 25 years old. I've been in the card rooms since i was 18 years old. How old are you Mike?

Even though I don't know you or Jeffage, I'm pretty sure we had to have run into each other before. Maybe later on down the road, we can all meet up and hang out.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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- Patches moving to Vegas.


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I saw him at Orleans a few weeks ago. He was playing in a 4/8 kill with my husband.

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

They also lost the hi-low stud game to the Taj.

2002 WSOP champion Robert Varkoni used to donate to that game whenever he played in it. The Taj turned the game from a $15-$30-$45 game to a $10-$20 half kill $15-$30 two way game.

How old are you Mike?

A generation older than you [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I turn 40 in January.

I'm pretty sure we had to have run into each other before.

No doubt.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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- Patches moving to Vegas.


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I saw him at Orleans a few weeks ago. He was playing in a 4/8 kill with my husband.

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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I visited Vegas in March and ran into Flip, Mike and Eddie Fishman at the Venetian. I have known Mike and Eddie since 2000 and first started playing with them at the Trop in AC. After Eddie won a bracelet at the WSOP in 2002 they never came back.

We gossiped about back east for a while and they told me Patches came here to deal for the WSOP and never left.

I have always had a soft spot for Patches.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

Regarding the chips, Borgata chips are unshufflable, and that means I'm alot more bored at the table. Chips stick and you look like a nervous moran cutting out chips.

On the other hand, the Taj chips were featured on Rounders. Who cares if they're dirty! They make me look like a superstar, DUCY?

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

All three rooms have certain player styles, in my experience:

Taj - Lower-class players that like to gamboool, swear, curse at the dealer, etc.

Trop - Nitty regulars who never get the money in

Borg - A lot of BAD players, some good players

When I choose a cardroom, I want two things: make money and have fun. I play where I can maximize my profit. I also play where I can play my A game and mix it up. At the Borgata, I just never feel like I can play my A game cuz of their chips. Not being able to shuffle sucks! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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- Patches moving to Vegas.

Some of the gypsies still player there like Jimmy and his crew.

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Patches playing 4/8 at Orleans is shocking. He was playing 20/40 last time I saw him (he was also in charge of a BJ team at the time, everyone was playing out of his pocket).

The Gypsy crew all play in AC now because they were mostly banned in the private games for collusion, creating disruptions, and debt. Some of those guys were kinda cool, but in general that crew is bad news.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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- Patches moving to Vegas.

Some of the gypsies still player there like Jimmy and his crew.

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Patches playing 4/8 at Orleans is shocking. He was playing 20/40 last time I saw him (he was also in charge of a BJ team at the time, everyone was playing out of his pocket).

The Gypsy crew all play in AC now because they were mostly banned in the private games for collusion, creating disruptions, and debt. Some of those guys were kinda cool, but in general that crew is bad news.

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Yep, there in AC...

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

First thing first, Patches now deals at Caesars Palace in Vegas. He works grave. Go in for the 11pm tourney and you'll find him.

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Lots of luck getting Columbia Sussex (current ownership) to put any money into the joint. It's only going to get worse.

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I have first-hand knowledge that Columbia Sussex is only out to boost the bottom line, no matter the damage to the casino.

My friend was set to become the room manager of the Trop Vegas room back in February, all the way to being named manager in front of all the staff, getting the business cards, the nice little name tag, the whole nine... but then came time to negotiate his salary.

And then things got screwy.

Management wouldn't set a concrete date to go over a potential contract... questions to the man, Larry, who was overseeing Trop Vegas got vague answers... and then my friend finally cornered him for a meeting to hack out the financial details.

The offer they gave was embarrassing. They only wanted to give him a 3% increase of what he was making as a floor to run the entire room. My friend had done all the research on what comparitive room managers around town made and what potential applicants had asked for (has a source inside), and the final Trop offer was about only 60-63% of what the lowest salaried room manager in town was making.

The Columbia Sussex rep, Larry, said he wasn't allowed to offer any more money for the position of room manager. My friend told him to go screw himself and took off out of the meeting, relinquishing the room manager title in the process, but not before telling Larry that with the money they were offering, only a desparate schlub or a complete hack would take the job.

And sure enough, the room is now being run by a goof that got fired from Gold Coast who's completely killed the momentum my friend had going in building the room into a nice little tourist room.

We had plans (I was to be involved also). Columbia Sussex [censored] it all up.

Things won't be any different in AC.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

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- Patches moving to Vegas.

Some of the gypsies still player there like Jimmy and his crew.

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Patches playing 4/8 at Orleans is shocking. He was playing 20/40 last time I saw him

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Patches may be chasing freeroll tourney entries. I saw him hanging out at MonteCarlo during their $100K freeroll qualification period. Not sure, though.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

the trop pink chip has payed my rent the last 4 months (i go about once a week) since I started playing it in january. and i dont live cheap.

conditions and all, im not complaining.

Re: The decline of the Trop...
 

I can't believe this thread has gone this long without one mention of Bernie. I've been playing at the Trop off and on for about 5 years, and he always makes the game great, whether it be 5/10NL, 10/15NL (stupid structure btw), or 10/25NL.

Also, what ever happened to Nicky? He was kind of a dik, but used to be the class of the game, which isn't saying much, but he still did well. Now it's a bunch of decent (but not great) 22-30 year olds waiting around til Bernie comes in.

Lee