Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas

Wanted to wish everyone a great holiday. I hope you got everything you wanted this year and your aces never get cracked.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Showboat to change bad beat

I was at the Showboat tonight and was told that once the current bad beat jackpot is hit, which is around 70K that they are changing the requirements to quads over quads.

Right now, the bad beat is aces full of jacks or better, but it should hit pretty soon by the law of averages.

However, there aren't many games going on at the Showboat as the bad beat at the Taj is at 180K right now.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Picture: Revel Construction Site

This isn't the best photo. I took it with my camera phone from the 10th floor of the Showboat.

All Aboard

ACES, the express train from New York City to Atlantic City is nearly ready to start running.

Here's the article from The Press of Atlantic City:

The train is finally at the station, just about ready to bring gamblers and their money to resort casinos growing increasingly anxious for more dollars.

Atlantic City Express Service, or ACES, will begin weekend express service between Penn Station in New York City and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal - with a stop at Newark Penn Station - on Feb. 6.

The service, starting about a year behind schedule, will carry passengers in bi-level rail cars outfitted with leather seats, a private lounge, and custom-designed food and beverage kiosks. First-class seating is found on the upper deck of the train with servers available for food and beverage options.

Introductory one-way ticket prices for the two-and-a-half-hour trip are $50 for a coach seat and $75 for a first class seat.

“After careful planning and collaboration with our partners, we are thrilled to be able to launch this service for New York and New Jersey residents to be able to experience the best of each city through the comfort and convenience of the ACES train,” Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa President Larry Mullin said. “As Atlantic City continues to evolve into a world-class destination, we believe this service will convince more New Yorkers to get to know our city.”

ACES is a joint venture between Borgata, Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, NJ Transit and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, or CRDA.

This isn’t the first venture for an express train involving Atlantic City: Amtrak’s so-called “Gamblers Express” ran for about six years and turned out to be a financial disaster.

Casino and NJ Transit officials are more optimistic about ACES, saying riders will find more to do in Atlantic City than those who took the “Gamblers Express.” It also gives the casinos the chance to further tap the New York market and woo younger, free-spending gamblers to a city that’s reinventing itself from a low-rolling daytripper town to a more affluent overnight tourist destination.

“The New York market has always been a leading market for Atlantic City and we see the launch of ACES as an opportunity to penetrate that market further,” Caesars General Manager Dan Nita said. “This direct service will make it easier for our current customers to get to Atlantic City and will give new customers yet another reason to visit.”

ACES is running on a three-year trial basis.

The three casinos are paying $15 million for eight bi-level cars. CRDA is providing $4.8 million to lease four diesel locomotives from Amtrak. ACES and CRDA will jointly provide another $4 million for operating costs.

There is currently no direct route between New York City and Atlantic City.

Travelers have to take Amtrak between Penn Station and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, and then transfer to NJ Transit’s Atlantic City rail line.

NJ Transit runs between Penn Station and Trenton, but is denied access by Amtrak to the line between Trenton and 30th Street Station.

More information about ACES can be found at www.acestrain.com

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Press of AC: Four plead guilty in Borgata sports betting ring

MAYS LANDING - Two of the alleged leaders of a multimillion-dollar sports betting ring at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa pleaded guilty Monday to bankrolling illegal loans and money laundering.

Andrew Micali, 32, of Ventnor, the man who allegedly controlled the day-to-day operations of the 23-person ring, pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal usury, according to Peter Aseltine, a spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office. Micali admitted before Superior Court Judge Michael Donio that he bankrolled loans while knowing the interest rates for those loans were in excess of what the law allows, Aseltine said.

Jack Buscemi Jr., 50, of Harrison Township, Gloucester County, the alleged boss of the ring, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, Aseltine said. Buscemi admitted that he possessed money that he knew was the proceeds of illegal gambling - money that was generated as the result of a conspiracy with Micali, Aseltine said.

Under the terms of the plea deals, the state will recommend five-year prison terms for both Micali and Buscemi. Micali agreed to forfeit $150,000, and Buscemi must forfeit or pay fines totaling $50,000, Aseltine said.

Also pleading guilty Monday was one of two casino poker room supervisors alleged to have been agents who brought in gamblers and bets for the ring. Joseph Wishnick, 43, of Brigantine, a former Borgata poker room supervisor, pleaded guilty to the third-degree charge of promotion of gambling, Aseltine said.

Robert Mackie, 39, of Staten Island, N.Y., also pleaded guilty to third-degree promotion of gambling. Both Wishnick and Mackie admitted in court to being "agents" of the gambling ring, Aseltine said. Under the terms of their pleas, Wishnick and Mackie will face probation, but the state will ask that county jail time be served, Aseltine said.

All four men will be sentenced Feb. 13 before Donio.

The ring, which authorities say operated out of a poker room at Borgata for 20 months, was busted in November 2007, when a multi-agency investigation, dubbed Operation High Roller, led to the arrests. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram previously said the ring took in $60 million in bets, but Borgata itself was not involved.

The indictment handed down in April charged Buscemi, Micali, and Anthony Nicodemo, 36, of Philadelphia, with racketeering, conspiracy and money laundering, as well as third-degree promotion of gambling. Nicodemo is accused of also exercising leadership over the ring. He is scheduled to appear in court - along with the remaining 18 defendants - Thursday at 1:30 p.m., according to Nicodemo's attorney, James Leonard Jr.

The ring took in illegal wagers on sporting events using password-protected Web sites and a Philadelphia wire room where bets were taken by phone, authorities said.

The investigation, which began in March 2006, revealed that Micali relied on a network of agents to take in millions of dollars in bets on college and professional football and basketball games. Micali and Buscemi allegedly received a percentage of the gambling proceeds collected by the agents.

Deputy Attorney General Kerry DiJoseph is representing the Division of Criminal Justice Major Crimes Bureau, Casino Prosecutions Unit.

Micali's attorney, Louis Barbone, had no comment regarding the plea deals Monday. Buscemi's attorney, Robert Messick, and Mackie's attorney, Carl Poplar, did not return calls for comment Monday afternoon. Wishnick's attorney, Holly Bitters, could not be reached for comment.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Sports betting taking another step

A New Jersey state senate panel is urging Congress to lift a federal ban on sports betting in the state. The panel hopes sports betting will be a big boost for the economy down in Atlantic City.

While I agree with it, I just feel the intentions are bad.

Before no one in Congress wanted sports betting because they were afraid of the mob ties it would bring to Atlantic City. Now, that the city's revenues are falling, no one seems to have a problem welcoming this type of environment.

It probably would help the poker rooms. Most sports bettors enjoy the occasional orbit or two at the table. While they are paying more attention to the game they have bet one, they are playing less attention to the felt, which leads to mistakes.

Seriously, though, it's not like there is no sports betting going on in Atlantic City anyway.

There was the big sports betting ring over at the Borgata poker room, which the people involved have just laughed in the face of the law over this one. Guys that have been arressted have been seen in other poker rooms around town and don't really care about the charges.

In fact, if you see one of them, just ask. They will gladly tell you how they are going to beat the charges and go back to their lifestyle before the fallout.

People bet everyday on sports while playing poker in Atlantic City.

For many, it's a huge leak in their game. But guess what that means for the regular player?

More money on the game. If the bettor loses a game, he'll want to win more back and get stuck on the game for longer. If the bettor wins on a game, perhaps he'll put more money on the game.

One place you won't catch me is at the betting windows.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Harrah's on a Saturday Night

Saturday night the World Series of Poker Circuit Tour was in full swing at Harrah’s. The room was packed and action was crazy. There were enough $1-$2 and $2-$5 No Limit games to keep everyone happy. Even a $5-$10 NL popped up.

Yet, I was hanging out in the Eden Lounge with a few friends who came down from New York, and one who didn’t gamble. Since table games are out for me, the two of us walked around and hung out in the Lounge and Exhibition (a bar in the middle of the casino floor).

I can’t go into a casino and not play poker.

I’m not addicted, but the people on the casino floor are just too weird.

While in the Eden Lounge, a 65-year-old woman was dancing so hard and so much, I thought she would have a stroke before the end of the night. Worried can’t even begin to describe my feelings.

Horrified.

Frightened.

Frantic.

Eventually, her grinding on a few gentlemen made me burst from the Lounge.

Exhibition wasn’t any better. Perhaps a younger clientele, the amount of foolishness and debauchery was the same.

A Harrah’s employee (he had his nametag on) was working his magic on two women. He danced with the both the entire night, except for the time when he had to go back to work.

First, he danced with the chubby one while the skinnier friend shimmied next to them and rubbed her ass all over his leg. Then, he danced with the skinny chick and even picked her up while the chubby woman yelled, ‘Yeah, get her cowboy.’

I’m sure that wasn’t the last time she said that.

An older woman, probably in her 50s, was dancing with anyone who would let her. She was shaped like an upside down snowman. The big part was her boobs, the medium part was her bulging stomach and the other bump came from her FUPA (email me for what it means if you don’t know). Yet, she had the skinny, skinny legs.

After she was worn out, she sat in the lounge chair next to mine about five feet away.

She pulled out a matchbook from her purse and lit one of the matches.

“You see this,” she said. “I told this guy earlier tonight that I could put fire out with my hand, but he didn’t believe me.”

She takes her index finger and thumb, puts it over the match and turns it out.

“See, I can stop it with my hand. And you know why I do that because I have the power.”

“IT MAKES ME POWERFUL.”

It was 1 a.m. and I looked at my friend and said, “I’m going home.”

I learned Saturday night that people scare me. Sure, I see strange things in the poker room, but usually it’s always the same kind of weirdness and you get used to it after a while. People on the casino floor just have way too much to drink and way too much time to make fools of themselves.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Harrah's WSOP Circuit Event

The event kicked off tonight with the overflow having to fill up the regular poker room. I haven't gone over there, but I got a text message from a regular dealer who said they have to go to four tournament tables in a row on their string.

Thrilling!

I love playing at Harrah's (minus the bad dealers) and I may find myself there again this week.

In other news, Borgata announced its Winter Open events. However, as one of our readers noted, the main event is no longer a WPT event and has been lowered from $10K to just a measly $3K.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Michael Phelps in Atlantic City

This is from the Casino City Times. I'm too lazy to rewrite it so I am just copy and pasting, but most importantly, attributing.

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- As reported by the New York Post: "Once soft-spoken Olympics champ Michael Phelps has turned into a party and poker animal.
"...A source says Phelps spent much of Thanksgiving weekend playing 10-20, no-limit hold-'em at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Although a dealer reports he lost several thousand dollars on Thursday, Phelps was back at the tables Friday.


"Phelps, who won more than $5,000 in a tournament at Caesars in Vegas, has spent his free time hanging with poker legends like Doyle Brunson..."

So, here was the joke.

My boyfriend: Do you know what a $10-$20 no limit game plays like?

Me: No.

Boyfriend: Neither does he.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Calendar Updated

I updated the calendar on the sidebar with the Trump Classic information.

Trump Classic Poker Tournament
Taj Mahal: Atlantic City
December 15,2008-December 31,2008

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
(All events are 2-days except where noted. Play will halt at 2 a.m. or when final table is reached, whichever comes first.)
BUY-IN/DATE.... EVENT.... ENTRY FEE
Dec. 15 Mon. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $300 + $50
Dec. 16 Tues. 11:15am 7-Card Stud $500 + $60
Dec. 17 Wed. 11:15am 7-Card Stud Hi/Low $500 + $60
Dec. 18 Thurs. 11:15am Omaha Hi/Low $500 + $60
Dec. 19 Fri. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $300 + $50
Dec. 20 Sat. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $500 + $60
Dec. 21 Sun. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em (Seniors Only) $300 + $50
Dec. 21 Sun.1:15pm No Limit Hold’em (Ladies Only) $260 + $40
Dec. 22 Mon. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $300 + $50
Dec. 23 Tues. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $300 + $50
Dec. 24 Wed. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em Turbo (1-Day Event) $300 + $40
Dec. 25 - No event.
Dec. 26 Fri. 11:15pm No Limit Hold’em $1,000 + $80
Dec. 27 Sat. 11:15am Act 2 Super (1-Day Event) $500 + $50
Dec. 28 Sun. 10:15am Last Chance Super (1-Day Event) $500 + $50
Dec. 28 Sun.3:15pm Main Event No Limit Hold’em (3-Day Event) $4,800 + $200
Dec. 29 Mon. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $300 + $50
Dec. 30 Tues. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em $500 + $60
Dec. 31 Wed. 11:15am No Limit Hold’em Turbo (1-Day Event) $300 + $40

SAVE YOUR SEAT!
Visit ptseats.comto reserve your tournament seat now.
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