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ATLANTIC CITY BLACKJACK REPORT─ March 2011

by Frank and Alene Scoblete

 

Alene Scoblete is the CEO of Paone Press, which sells gaming books and tapes at discount prices. She also writes for www.scoblete.com. Her husband, Frank Scoblete, is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. Frank’s books and tapes have sold over a million copies. For a free brochure call: 1-800-944-0406 or write: Frank Scoblete Enterprises, Box 446, Malverne, NY 11565. Frank’s websites are www.goldentouchblackjack.com, www.goldentouchcraps.com and www.scoblete.com.

 

The Golden Nugget Comes to Atlantic City

The name has changed over the years. It was called the Castle, then Trump’s Castle, and then Trump Marina. It is in a beautiful location, right on the bay, with spectacular views of the Atlantic City skyline on one side, and of the endless bay on the other side. It is a great property.

Moreover, it has been essentially a failure for the last 15 years or so.

In recent years, the property has not been updated; 1970ish chandeliers light the main entrance and the entire casino has a used-car look. The hotel rooms, while still comfortable and quite nice, need some fixing up here and there.

The company that owns it (Trump Entertainment Resorts) has been trying to unload it for several years now and it has finally gotten a taker. The Associated Press reported that "Landry's Inc., a Houston casino and restaurant company that recently abandoned its bid for the struggling Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort, plans to invest significantly in the Trump Marina and rebrand it as a Golden Nugget."

Atlantic City once had a Golden Nugget casino, which changed its name to Bally’s Grand, then The Grand, then the Hilton. Steve Wynn, of Las Vegas fame, owned the original Golden Nugget.

In 2008, Trump Entertainment Resorts priced the Marina at $380 million. The recent sale was for a mere $38 million – a huge markdown and an indication of how much casinos are hurting in the city.

Landry’s Incorporated intends to put $150 million into renovations. The Associated Press reported: "Our plan is to transform the Trump Marina into a luxurious and exciting hotel and casino with the highest level of service," said Tilman Fertitta, Landry's chairman, president, and CEO. "It's going to be great. We're really excited about it."

This property is one of our favorites and has been for many years. It is not a large property but it does have the potential to become an elegant and welcome change from the whale-sized properties that bookend it, Harrah’s and Borgata.

Can it succeed? Well, right now the property has excellent dealers, totally friendly and professional, and our favorite host, Alan Korman; along with terrific restaurants and a nice dance club. A refurbishing, a brightening of the casino and maybe, the new Golden Nugget can achieve its full potential. However, a word of caution; if the new owners decide to revamp their personnel, that could be a big mistake.

Of course, we’d love to see the Golden Nugget offer better blackjack games and try to get some of those Pennsylvania players to make their way back to the Queen by the Sea, but today’s casino owners never seem to think in those terms.

Well, who knows, I guess we just have to wait and see…and hope.

Revel Hotel Casino Back on Track!

From the Associated Press: "Word that Revel Entertainment got the final $1.15 billion needed to complete its half-finished casino is welcome news for Atlantic City's casino industry, which has been suffering for four years….And neighborhood residents are hoping for one of the 5,500 permanent jobs the casino-hotel will create. Some of them lost their jobs with other casinos when out-of-state competition and the recession hit."

 

Our Readers Report

If you wish to contribute your reports or observations, we need to receive them by the 24th of the month for the next month. Write to: fscobe@optonline.net

We have many readers who send us their reports on various aspects of Atlantic City and we do have some that give us reports just about every month – so we have decided to give them the fame and glory (as opposed to "fortune and glory") of their own columns. I also give them a free subscription to my private web site at www.goldentouchcraps.com.

You will note that our correspondents tend to have somewhat different views. Always it is up to you to decide which games you want to play by scouting them for yourselves.

The Jon Report

Dear Frank and Alene,

What a month for AC.


1. A new tourism district is established.


2. Casino reinvestment money spent around the state will now stay in AC to make improvements.


3. Revel is fully founded and will open mid 2012.


4. Trump Marina is sold to the Golden Nugget for only $38 million and the Golden Nugget plans $150 million in improvements by the end of the year.


5. Hilton is officially up for sale. Perhaps someone will buy this property for next to nothing and make improvements here too.


6. Here’s one I bet a lot of people missed. Regulatory requirements were relaxed for casinos. Casinos in AC now can reduce the number of pit personnel on duty. Fewer eyes watching your play has to be good news for counters. I’m sure the casinos will save more than they lose, so it’s win/win for both of us.

 
7. No snow!! AC has shown monthly declines for almost two and a half years straight. I predict this February will beat last February because we had two major snowstorms last February.

Playing Condition Updates:


Borgata: Their penetration has settled back down to a more normal 75%.

Wild Wild West: WWW has joined Resorts and the three Trump properties in offering $1 blackjack with a 25-cent fee per hand.

Trump Plaza: About a month ago the entire main floor went H17. They have switched the 6-deck tables in front of the high limit room back to S17, but the 8- deck games remain H17.

Tropicana: Six-deck games in front of the high limit room have been converted back to S17.

So here’s to main floor S17 review: Borgata – entire floor, Trump Taj – 8 deck in front of high limit room, Resorts – 6 & 8 deck in front of high limit room, Trump Plaza – 6 deck in front of high limit room, Tropicana - 6 deck in front of high limit room, Hilton - 6 deck in front of high limit room

H17 on entire floor – Caesars, WWW, Bally’s, Claridge, Showboat, Harrah’s (Yes, that would be the entire Evil Empire!) and Trump Marina.

Hope this helps,
Jon

 

 

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Here are our ratings for blackjack for March 2011. We thank many of our readers for helping us to stay as updated as possible. There may be some disagreements in ratings among our correspondents but all these reports are based on individuals’ experience. A word to the wise: it’s always best to check out the casinos for yourselves.

Rating system:

***** = Excellent

**** = Very Good

*** = Good

** = Fair

* = Poor.

 

BALLY’S PARK PLACE: No change from last issue. The deepest cuts in AC as we write this. Could be a happy time for card counters. This might be a good time to check this casino out. All 8-deck games except for the high roller room action. The hitting on soft 17 is now a fact all over the place. Crews are friendly. Craps games are quite good. Three stars: * * *

BORGATA: The 6-deck games are now almost everywhere again and the penetration is a decent 75 percent. This is a happening place and caters to a swinging young crowd. You’ll enjoy the night clubs and the beautiful people. Three stars: * * *

CAESARS: No change from last issue. You can now expect about 75 percent penetration with most of the dealers. The main floor of eight-deckers has some of the upper-limit tables ($25 and $50) with no mid-shoe entry. All the games in the high roller pit are also no mid-shoe entry with $100 and higher minimums. Six-deck games in high roller room have 75 percent penetration. The craps games here are good with 12-foot tables. The tables are high so smaller controlled shooters should wear their "special shoes." Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *

CLARIDGE: No change from last issue. Deep cuts in the casino. We have fond memories of this place but we have avoided playing here since a pit boss named Francis went animal-crackers on some Golden Touch dice controllers. Maybe we’ll actually play on our next trip instead of walking through and looking. A 20 million renovation is planned for this historic hotel. Casino is now penetrating deep into their 8-deck shoes. Can this place rebound from its recently sad past? Who knows but we are happy with the new attitude. Two and one half stars from a zero a few issues ago: * * ½*

HARRAH’S: We don’t know why Harrah’s is hated by inveterate players, although it is an empire. Many folks call this company the Evil Empire, as in the dark side of the force. This is Darth Vader’s casino corporation. The hit on Soft 17 on all games. One star: *

HILTON: No change from last issue. Wild swings in penetration on blackjack games and many more eight-deck games throughout the casino. Penetration getting worse even as you read this. Place is in trouble. The hitting of soft 17 brings this place down a peg as well. Resplitting allowed except aces. High roller room is 6-decks; rest of the casino is 8-decks with a few $25/$50 6-deckers on occasion. No mid-shoe entry on the six-deckers. High table minimums, especially on weekends, a lot of $25 tables, rare $10 tables. Penetration about 70 percent. For craps, we are dealing with 14-foot tables and a couple of 12 footers. Two stars and one-half stars: * * ½ *

RESORTS: Casino is not yet rebounding with its new owners and its new theme. Still getting complaints about the lighting in this casino. Resorts has decided to go with a "Boardwalk Empire" theme for its casino. That means everyone will mimic the roaring 20’s. The blackjack game has added a new feature – you can play for $2 up to $5 but you have to pay a 25-cent fee per hand. Why not just write the casino a check and forget about playing? Otherwise the BJ games are about the same as they always have been. Decent craps games. Two stars: * *

SHOWBOAT: The blackjack has deteriorated considerably with little penetration – maybe you play 60 percent of the shoe. All games are hit on soft 17. Go elsewhere. One star (for cleanliness and rooms): *

TROPICANA: Now the place is H17 on all games except those outside the high roller room. Still has some good penetration, maybe 75 percent; sometimes excellent penetration of 80 percent. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *

TRUMP MARINA (Soon to be the Golden Nugget): Could have the friendliest pit personnel and dealers in all of Atlantic City. Okay, we agree that the high roller room action is at the top of Atlantic City now with all games standing on soft 17. But they also have those rotten games where you pay 25 cents for $1 blackjack. Do they know the meaning of shame? Yes, those low-limit commission fuelled games are total rip offs. Floor games now have $5 minimums during the week with 8-decks, H17. Excellent penetration as well. No mid-shoe entry on the high roller room six-deckers but you can jump in and out on the eight-deckers. Craps tables are 12-footers with 5X odds and good crews. Three stars: * * *

TRUMP PLAZA: No change from last issue. Same as Marina, you now can "buy" your way into a rotten game by paying 25 cents for $1 blackjack. Do they know the meaning of shame? Yes, those low-limit commission fuelled games have arrived. Complete rip-off of blackjack players looking for $5 and under games. This place has fairly good games but something has to be done with the dark casino and the low-life scum slithering through it. Something should also be done with its ploppy management team. Maybe the time has come to raze the place? Six-deck games are back outside the high roller room. The penetration is 75 percent. No mid-shoe entry on games outside high-roller pit but you can find $25 (a few) to $50 minimums on these. Allows resplits, except aces. All tables are $10 and higher. Craps tables are 12-footers. The dealers range from professional to friendly down to arrogant and ignorant. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *

TRUMP TAJ MAHAL: As with Marina and Plaza, you now can "buy" your way into a rotten game by paying 25 cents for $1 blackjack. Do they know the meaning of shame? Yes, those low-limit commission fuelled games have arrived. Complete rip-off of blackjack players looking for $5 and under games. Now they are hitting soft 17 except in $25 or higher games. First they screwed up the craps tables so the dice go flying off the table every third roll and now they have decided to give the blackjack games a wicked colonoscopy with barbed wire. Great hotel and great restaurants and great entertainment. Also, generally great dealers and pit personnel. Too bad it isn’t the place to play any more. Two and one-half stars: * * ½*

WILD, WILD WEST: The penetration has gone deeper lately and this is a very, very good thing. Crews are friendly. All games are 8-decks. Three stars: * * *

THE BEST BLACKJACK IN ATLANTIC CITY: Look for three starred casinos (we now have a few) and if you are a high roller check out the Marina.

Best Craps in Atlantic City: Trump Marina

The Best Hotel/Casino in Atlantic City: Borgata / Taj Mahal

 

 

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