Atlantic City Poker Scene Part II

BY: Ashley Adams
Contact at: (Asha34@aol.com)
Author of Winning 7-Card Stud

My first stop on my Atlantic City poker trip was The Borgata. It's generally regarded as the most luxurious place to play - but without he highest limit games. I can attest to the former, though I'm still not really sure about the latter - except in regard to stud. For the most part, this is an entirely hold 'em room.

The place is, in fact, beautifully appointed - with very comfortable chairs, excellent lighting, nice, new, well spaced tables, a convenient bathroom, very helpful and attentive floor people, nice carpeting and, in general, a very relaxed and warm d�cor. It was a most inviting place to play poker and I'd gladly play there again.

The Borgata is not located on the boardwalk or near any of the other casinos save for Bally's. It is in an area of Atlantic City known as the marina -away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. This is a good thing and a bad thing. On the one hand, it's inconvenient if you don't have access to a car - since you can't just walk up and down the boardwalk to find new games or tournaments as your whim dictates. On the other hand, many might like being away from the somewhat seedy downtown area. The Borgata itself spreads many limits of games, and many tables of each, with a full schedule of daily tournaments. So one might feel totally happy to stay and play only there.

I arrived a little before 8:00 AM. There were twelve games going at the time including no limit tables of $1/2, $2/5 and $10/25 blinds and limit hold 'em of $2/4, $3/6 $10/20, $20/40 and $40/80. Not too shabby I thought. But there was no stud - not even a lowly $1-5 game. The floor assured me that if I wanted to play stud I need only wait until 10:30 AM or so when the core of a great $15/30/45 game usually arrived. (I later called back and can now confirm that there were, in fact two tables of this game at 3:00 PM). They mentioned that they generally had a $1-5 game, but none was going when I arrived.

I went to the $2/5 no limit game with a minimum $100 and maximum $500 buy-in. I bought in for $500. It was the only seat available at that level though there were two games going. I asked the floor for a table change when one became available. I recommend that all new players do this. It gives you the option of moving in case your game is too tough, too tight, or otherwise less desirable than the other table. If you find that you like your game, on the other hand, you just decline the option of moving if a seat opens in the other game.

As it was, my game seemed fine, with a nice mix of tight timid players and wild players. I was only slightly disappointed that the players didn't seem to be suffering the effects of having played all night. In fact, I might have been the most weary of them all from my overnight drive. I hoped it wouldn't show up in my play - generally a delusion tired players maintain while they play poorly. Children, don't try this at home!

It's important when starting out in a no limit game to quickly access, if you can, two details about the game that you'll need to rely on when you're dealt playable hands. First, you must determine what the threshold pre-flop raise is. That's the raise that causes the typical player with the less-than-strong hands to fold most of the time, that has become the standard raise made by the standard player with the hands that are at least pretty strong.

This amount, this threshold raise, typically inflates as the night goes on and as the players get looser and wilder. It may start off in the early evening as three or four times the big blind -- $15 or $20 in a $2/5 no limit game. But as the night wears on it's not unusual for this to be increased to $30 or even $50. Anything less than that and players tend to call even with very weak hands. Anything more than that and everyone but the strongest hands tends to fold. Minimal observation is usually needed to figure out what it is.

The second observation you need to make is of the type of player you're up against - generally and simply. I tend to divide players into four basic types: timid-weak, solid-strong, wild, and clueless. Just knowing and remembering this when I am making a betting decision is a large advantage, I've found.

At this game at 8:00, with most of the players having played over night, I quickly noticed that the threshold raise was $20. I was somewhat surprised that it wasn't more. But it was what it was. Less of a raise than that meant weakness or seduction. More than that meant strength, bluff, or overplay depending upon the player.

The first serious hand for me was when I was big blind with ATo (o=off suit, s=suited).Three players called and the button raised to $20. He was generally a loose and somewhat wild player. He might have had almost anything. The small blind folded. I had an ultra tight image, having folded all eight or so hands I'd been dealt up to that point, being content to fold bad hands while watching the other players play. So I decided to either isolate the wildman or win the pot right there. I raised to $60. All folded but the button who reluctantly it seemed called for $40 more.

The flop was the unappealing three spades: J83. Neither of my cards was a spade. However, I figured that there was a much better chance that he didn't start with two spades than that he did, so I bet $120, hoping he'd fold and not wanting him to get a cheap or free look at the turn. He didn't fold; he called.

The turn was the Qs, about the worst card for me. I thought about trying to win the pot with another bet but quickly discarded that notion because of all the ways that he could hold a very strong hand. I checked. He bet all in as I expected he would - either because he made his hand or because he correctly knew that I would have to give him credit for having made his hand. I folded. Down $180.

The very next hand there was a major money transfer as Ts full on the flop lost to Kings full, made on the River. I wasn't in it but it provided me with just the right touch of caution - helping me decide not to fully reload to a complete stack of $500. Hey, anything can happen instantly in this game and I didn't want to leave this room stuck $800 with some bad beat.

A few hands later and I was on the button with JcTc and called a raise to $15 that had already been called by three players in front of me. The small blind folded and the big blind called.

The flop was the enticing AcQs8c. It was checked to me. With the second nut flush draw and a double gutshot nut straight draw I raised on the come into the weakness to $75. For an instant I was feeling very smug about my raise. Then the Big Blind raised me all in to $200, A player raised him all in for $400 or so. Though I was getting about 4:1 pot odds for my call, I figured that I must be hugely dominated so I folded my lovely drawing hand.

As it turned out, I was against the nut flush draw and trip Queens. If you're interested in the math, I was a 17% dog to win the hand. Pre-flop I was an even bigger dog at - 13% -- but my raise was justified, in my book, because I thought that I would knock out my opponents. If I had known what they held, of course, my raise would have been absolutely horrible.

The turn was a spade, giving the nut flush draw the nut flush. The river was a blank; and I was lucky to leave the hand with my $255 stack still standing - if somewhat diminished.

I stayed a little longer before leaving the Borgata to check out the action next door at Bally's - and eventually checking out the action everywhere else in Atlantic City. I'll save those stories for another column.

Here's some additional information on the Borgata.

All players in live games who have a free Borgata Card earn points good for purchase of rooms, food, or gifts. $.50/hour for the lowest stakes games. $3/6-$10/20 limit and $1/2 no limit earns $1/hour. Above that and players earn $2/hour. Palyers pay a rake in the lower stakes games of 10% up to a $4 maximum. Higher stakes games like $2/5 and $10/25 no limit pay $5/hour. That's a very good deal (though not the best in AC as I was to find out). There are currently 35 tables, 12 of which were going at 8:00 AM. They're planning to move into an 85 table room by July. There are daily tournaments except for Saturday that range from $50 to $250. Check with the room to find out the latest schedule.

All in all, an excellent room, run well, with plenty of hold 'em action.

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