Borgata & Taj Mahal Packed Today...

[MMan710]

I just got back from an Atlantic City day trip today. As I had imagined, it was quite crowded given the holiday weekend.

My friend and I started at the Taj Mahal. The first thing I noticed about the Taj Mahal is that their walkway from the parking garage to the casino has been extensively renovated (no more ugly purple carpet), and it looks a lot better. Of course, the rest of the casino is the old motif. I am not sure if there are plans for further renovations (I am sure there are), but it looked a lot better.

Their room was pretty crowded. I played 1-2 NL and they had several games going. There were also quite a few limit and stud games going as well. I started at a newly started table (oddly they called it as a 2-5 table, and then suddenly changed it to a 1-2 table). The dealers were alright, but nothing spectacular. I know some people decry automatic shufflers, but most of these dealers were DEFINITELY not as fast as the machines. That said, they didn't really make mistakes. My biggest criticism of the Taj Mahal dealers is that they don't call out the action, and they are usually pretty passive about things.

The Borgata was really packed. My friend and I actually went there about 1:30 and the wait list for 1-2 and 2-5 NL had about 50-70 people on it. It was crazy because the $50,000 guarantee tournament was in progress, and there were over 500 players (meaning most of the tables were being used for the tournament). We decided to leave for the Taj Mahal so that we could get into a game and then come back later.

We went back to the Borgata around 5:00. The room was still packed, but the wait lists were a bit shorter than earlier (though not much). My friend and I put our names on the wait list (which had about 50 names on it) and went to eat at the cafeteria (try Fatburger if you get a chance - very tasty, even if it's unhealthy).

When we got back, they were starting two new 1-2 tables, so we were able to sit down after about a half hours wait. The table started out pretty tight but the players weren't great. There was one guy who was had on a big diamond ring with a dollar sign symbol (think Ted Debiase) and a Rolex who made a few way oversized $100 bets at the beginning but he calmed down.

The Borgata definitely was strained as far as efficiency was concerned. Our table often had 1-2 seats (sometimes even three) which were not filled quickly, even though there was a long wait list. We were at the table closest to the bathroom, so the distance away from the floor people could have been a difference. It did get a little better as the night went on.

The room was pretty much full. The tournament was still going on at 10:00 (the one from earlier!), but they started to use the tournament tables for cash games. There was little to no wait in most games by the time I left around 11:00. There was a lot of variety for the higher limit games. There was a HOSE game, and a few higher limit stud games (which aren't that common usually). I am pretty sure they were not running any 1-5 stud, even though the interest list was huge, probably because it's not very profitable on a day like today.

Another problem at the Borgata was that the Auto Shuffler (Deskmate), kept jamming. Certain dealers could finesse it a little more than others, but it kept jamming. The dealers were very proficient at shuffling by hand when necessary, but it was a bit of an annoyance. It was disappointing that nobody seemed to even report it to a floor person, even though it was a continual problem.

Anyway, I know this isn't much, but I am exhausted, but wanted to give a short recap of the day. I ended up a good amount, so I was happy. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ReidDeCardes]

I was at the Borgata too. I got there around 6:00. The wait for 3/6 was bad, I was 11th on the list. My boss had asked me to place 2 roulette bets for him. I called him and told him the lowest limit was $10, he said go ahead. I placed $10 on 17 and $10 26. 17 came in, nice! I let the original bet ride, but that lost. So after his $20 buy in, $10 tip for the lovely Valerie, he has $320 profit. Good thing I warned him that the house edge on roulette is about 5 1/4%!

After waiting about an hour, seemed longer, I was on a 3/6 table. The table was tighter than I expected for a holiday weekend. It was about as tight as the 3/6 I encountered the last 2 times I've been here, but since this was a holiday weekend I assumed looser. Most winning hands were not being shown.

There was one player who I remember from a year ago when I first wanted to try poker. He constantly gets up and misses blinds, gets mad and walks away. I noticed a race sheet, so he is playing the ponys too. He also made sure he informed a new dealer that 2 players that just sat down hadn't posted the blind. And he also made sure he said "I'll check to the raiser" on the flop, that was about me. At one point he switched chairs, but I couldn't see why. The players he was next to weren't particularly aggresive or talkative. I think he just thought the chair was unlucky. He is annoying, he has a full head of white hair. I was happy when he left. I may not be the life of the party at the table, but he is a downer.

Later a very loose player entered, and then his friend who was equally loose. This was good and bad. Good because I made money, but of course there was some times they got lucky with garbage.

Personally I was frustrated with my own play at times. Once I flopped the nut flush aand there was 4 players plus me. I wanted to generate more money, of course, but I don't think I was successful. I didn't bet on the flop, hoping someone else would, they didn't. On the turn, no bets, finally on the river I betted and I got one of the loose guys to call me. I let it get to me because I thought I didn't play it well.

The dealers were mostly good, but a couple of times they were distracted . Also empty chairs stayed empty too long.

On a personal note, I came out ahead. I liked my starting hand selection and was aware of position and number of people entering the pre-flop pot. I was also somewhat aware of game texture and a little hand reading. I need to work on post flop play in order to build the pot when I have good hands. My table image was good in that I think people, at my 3/6 low limit table, thought I knew something. But I know I have tells, and any good player would see them.

Well this went from Borgata to my poker development. I'm in the middle of reading "Weighing he Odds in Hold Em".

[Matt Williams]

[ QUOTE ]

Personally I was frustrated with my own play at times. Once I flopped the nut flush aand there was 4 players plus me. I wanted to generate more money, of course, but I don't think I was successful. I didn't bet on the flop, hoping someone else would, they didn't. On the turn, no bets, finally on the river I betted and I got one of the loose guys to call me. I let it get to me because I thought I didn't play it well.


[/ QUOTE ]

Don't ever slow play in 3/6 limit. People don't know better and will call you to the river anyway. You missed out on probably 10 extra bets.

[jively]

I was at Borgata Friday as well. I got there at 2, and got on the lists for 1/2 NL, 6/12, and on a 2/4 Omaha HL interest list. 6/12 was called in an hour, so I sat at 3.

I was told at one point the list for 1/2 NL was 110 long. I enjoyed the 6/12, and I must have missed when my name was called for 1/2 NL. I took a 1 hour dinner break and played more 6/12. I also got on a list for 10/20, but I missed my name being called there as well. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Around 7 PM it was actually pretty slow. There were 5 tables for 6/12, but our table had 3 open seats for a long time (open seating, no list). I was card-dead and frustrated, so I got up to get some ice cream. When I got back, everyone remaining at the table left. I switched to another 6/12 table, which actually stayed stable for about 3 hours. That was a really loose table with 7 to the flop a lot.

I left at 2 AM; I played 10 hours and ended up losing $29. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I was swinging up $100 and down $100 during the day, but was just too tired to wait for another hopeful upswing.

The best hand was when I had KQo in the SB. There were 6 limpers to me, so I just completed and the BB checked. The flop was KKQ. Yum. I don't remember if I bet out, but I think it was 4 or 5 players for 1 bet on the flop. The turn was a 3. I bet, a call, and a woman raised. I 3-bet, other person folded, and she called. The river was another 3. I bet, she raised, I 3-bet. She raised, saying we were probably going to chop. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I 5-bet, but unfortunately that put her all in. She had a K, and thought she had the nuts. I need more live instances where I have the nuts and my deep stacked opponent thinks they do but don't. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

-Tom

[jjshabado]

I was at Foxwoods yesterday and it was insane there too. I got to the room a little before noon and I was 55th on their list for 4/8 and every table was being used. Needless to say it was around 4 hours before I got to sit down.

One floor said that the Friday after Thanksgiving and Labour day are their two busiest days of the year.

[LasVegasMichael]

This isn't exclusive to east coast. Though TG day and the day before were dead as could be, yesterday and today the poker rooms in Vegas are packed as well, from what I have seen. Very surprised, as usually, this is a fairly slow weekend in Vegas.

[ReidDeCardes]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Personally I was frustrated with my own play at times. Once I flopped the nut flush aand there was 4 players plus me. I wanted to generate more money, of course, but I don't think I was successful. I didn't bet on the flop, hoping someone else would, they didn't. On the turn, no bets, finally on the river I betted and I got one of the loose guys to call me. I let it get to me because I thought I didn't play it well.


[/ QUOTE ]

Don't ever slow play in 3/6 limit. People don't know better and will call you to the river anyway. You missed out on probably 10 extra bets.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the advice. I should know that by now.

[punkass]

[ QUOTE ]
My table image was good in that I think people, at my 3/6 low limit table, thought I knew something. But I know I have tells, and any good player would see them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also, don't worry about this. No one at 3/6 notices.

[Mick3772]

Friday was the first time I've seen the Showboat using every table in the room. (there might have been one in the corner that horseplayers were using to watch the tvs, now that I think about it) There was a lot of traffic both ways between AC and Philly as well for a Friday night.

[jar]

Trop isn't jammed, but we kept the pink game going through the night. Man is that a great game.