Alene Paone 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. His newest book is The Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution. His newest DVD is Golden Touch: Beat Craps Using a Controlled Throw!

Atlantic City can be very dangerous and we are not speaking about the muggers and snot dripping, alcoholic, drug addicted, spitting, cursing, pissing, smelly and aggressive beggars of the Boardwalk. You get these types just about everywhere in civilization, not just in casino towns.

Now while Vegas has awful heat in summer and some fire ants here and there, nothing compares to the wildlife you find in Atlantic City.

Many of you already know about the feral cats that live under the Boardwalk – hundreds of them, romping, meowing, and doing the dirty deed, which creates even more cats. Now while most of these cute felines are not dangerous in the "let-me-try-to-claw-you-to death" mode, these cats poop all over the place – usually on the white-sanded beaches, where happy swimmers and surfers, step in it and wonder, "Is this tar or crap on my feet and between my toes?" It’s crap. Smelly cat crap.

The wonderful citizens with hearts of gold feed these cats – and cat food smells, well, it smells like cat food, which is, as you know, a truly disgusting smell. If the cats want special treats they kill and partially eat the various bird life that infests the shores – assorted and incredibly fat pigeons and seagulls. The part that is not eaten rots and smells almost as bad as the beggars and bums on the Boardwalk.

Speaking of birds, the Atlantic City ones are the most aggressive creatures you will ever meet. They are like welfare recipients who think they have a right to your money. If you should be partaking of food on the Boardwalk, these birds feel that they have a right to it as well – all of it. They will swarm you, surround you, fly around your head, and whether you give them some of the food or not, many of these birds will – let us say this gently – shit on your head! At least the cats leave it for you to step in it if you decide to walk barefoot on the beach. With the birds, you have no choice.

We have seen many a patron of the Atlantic City casinos walking happily on the Boardwalk; not knowing a big, white gooey mess is slithering down their coats or shirts. That’s a stealth attack. When they hit you on the head or in the face, you know it immediately. It’s wet and gritty.

Aside from their aerial liquid assaults, the birds will often just dive bomb you with their bloated bodies; we’ve both been hit by seagulls (truly hideous birds) flying too low. The pigeons are also not quite as accurate as they should be when they fly because most look like Weight Watchers candidates. It’s hard to handle all that lard in the air.

Of course, if the birds don’t hit you directly with their craps and their behemoth bodies, they leave all sorts of garbage for you to step in as well. The Boardwalk is the birds’ toilet and landfill – except nothing is covered up. It all just sits there waiting for the next rain to wash it away – actually to wash it onto the sand where it joins the cat crap.

In days gone by many of the food joints on the Boardwalk were serving the leftover cat kills but that has now changed with the gentrification of the whole city. The outdoor food marts are now serving good stuff but unfortunately many AC visitors have not learned how to eat in public. They have nauseating eating habits, not the least of which is food dripping down their chins onto their chests. Maybe it’s bad dentures.

And many of these unsavory eaters have no idea that the garbage cans that festoon the Boardwalk are actually for putting their wrappers and other garbage in. These people are for the birds. In fact, these people are just like the birds.

And then there are the GREEN flies, the nastiest bugs on earth – except maybe for those rampaging ants that can eat whole wildebeests in Africa. These flies exist for only one reason – to bite you! And their bites really hurt. They don’t seem interested in your food, your wine, your personality – they just want to bite you to death. And unlike bees, these monsters don’t bite and kick the bucket; they bite and bite some more.

And yes there is blowing sand in all seasons that gets into your eyes, ears, hair and genital areas. There’s the occasional "smell of the sea" that occasionally comes wafting in to make you want to throw up your delicious lunch.

While Atlantic City is still a very beautiful place to visit, these dangers we have listed are a real and present, uh, danger. Beware!

Big changes!

Just kidding.

Tropicana has dumped its six-deck games. Sands has dumped all its games – and is also dumping itself on November 8^th we think. Good-bye. No loss. Taj has also dumped its six-deck games outside the high roller pit. And Steve Wynn and Donald Trump are going to build the ubber-casino on the site of the Trump Plaza and, we believe, on the site of the old Playboy-World’s Fair casinos, which has been a big concrete monstrosity for the past half dozen years. The Trump Plaza is going to be torn down – just after it was renovated! Great planning there. Also, didn’t these guys hate each other?

If you have money and can afford the six-deck high roller room action, AC is not a bad place to play. The eight-deck games are still monsters and some more tables have the hitting soft-17 rule. Borgata has $5 games on several tables even on the weekends and is still setting the standard for elegance by the Bay. Mark our words; Claridge is going to be the next casino to be shut down – although it won’t be torn down. There is no need for it as a casino anymore.

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All the ratings of casinos are based on the blackjack games.

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Or buy our new book The Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution! and learn the easiest advantage-play method ever developed for blackjack.

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Here are our ratings for November 2006.

Rating system:

***** = Excellent

**** = Very Good

*** = Good

** = Fair

* = Poor.

BALLY’S PARK PLACE: No change from last issue. Lucky Ladies bet has been added to some of the games. No mid-shoe entry in high roller room and on a few of the main $50 tables in casino, otherwise you can usually Wong here if you wish. Mixed reviews about how deep the penetration is but we found it in the 75 percent area. For craps players, this is a good casino for the game. There is one 5X odds table, usually a $25 minimum; the rest are 2X odds. Crews are friendly. Tables are somewhat high so short shooters get your platform shoes. There are many more carnival games than ever before. Looks like Three-Card Poker rivals blackjack! Two and one-half stars: * * ½*

BORGATA: Always at least two $5 tables available and there are seats as well! Hotel rating is an A. Penetration is pretty good right now. Casino is all six-deck games, which is great – for AC, that is. Penetration on games varies between 75 and 80 percent so you can get some good games here. Match the Dealer bet is available on many tables. Craps has long tables, 14-footers, and very bouncy, although there is talk of two smaller tables - somewhere. This is a happening place and caters to a young crowd. Great casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Three and one-half stars: * * * ½ *

CAESARS: No change from last issue. Excellent restaurants but you have long walks to find them. Cheerful place and worthy of the name it bears. Hotel/casino rating is A. They are going deeper. You can expect about 80 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 minimums. Table game action has improved and that is very noticeable in the blackjack pits – which are all 8-deck games. Six-deck games in high roller room have 80 percent penetration, as do the eight-deckers on the main casino floor. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. The craps games here are good with 12-foot tables and friendly crews. The tables are a little high so smaller controlled shooters should wear their "special shoes." Three stars: * * *

CLARIDGE: No change from last issue. The blackjack games are becoming fewer and fewer. Penetration has improved to 75 percent. Two stars: * *

HARRAH’S: Harrah’s Atlantic City properties are excellent. Hotel/casino rating is A. In the casino you will find very friendly dealers and pit personnel. Penetration now ranges in the 75 percent area. Resplitting allowed except aces. No midshoe entry. High roller room is 6-deck action, the rest of the casino was 8-decks. Play here and at Showboat and your play counts all across the nation. For those of you who like to go to Vegas you can get some good comps from your AC action in the desert! A room that would be discounted for $80 in AC would be free in Vegas based on the same play – this is not official but based on our calculations of the offers we’ve received. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Friendly crews and decent tables at craps. We haven’t played there but reports are good. But we must warn you, this is a big slot place too. However, Harrah’s properties in Las Vegas are getting very bad reports about how some of the boxmen treat customers who practice a careful shot. Three Stars: * * *

HILTON: No change from last issue. Those 6 to 5 blackjack games are now here as well. Reports are that comps are very tight. The blackjack games here are getting good reports from some of our correspondents but you must pick the game based on the dealer because the penetration is dealer dependent. 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 75 percent, sometimes up to 80 percent. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. For craps, we are dealing with 14-foot tables and a couple of 12 footers. Three Stars: * * *

RESORTS: No change from last issue. Match the dealer bet has been added to some of the tables. Resplitting is allowed at all tables but penetration barely makes it to 75 percent now. Casino also offers multiple-action blackjack and Spanish 21 at $10 minimums. Avoid the single-deckers that pay 6 to 5 for blackjacks. Excellent place for craps. Mostly small tables, with some games 5X odds. Two Stars: * *

SANDS: Bye-bye Sands. R.I.P. A dump has been dumped.

SHOWBOAT: No change from last issue. Good casino-hotel. Excellent blackjack in high roller room and sometimes the game is just $25 minimums. The penetration is about 80 percent now. A game worth looking at. Rooms are all full-sized and spacious; suites are great. Hotel/casino rating is A. Resplitting now allowed up to three hands. No mid-shoe entry. Eight-deck games have 80 percent penetration and allow mid-shoe entry, although there is not that many tables available. We remember when this place had great table-game action. Can now find $25 games in high roller room at those very good 6-deck games. You can get great deals in other venues by using your card, as it’s a part of the Harrah’s Total Rewards program. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Craps is fine here too. All the tables are now 12 footers. There are 5X odds on all tables.

Three and a half stars: * * * ½ *

TROPICANA: Hotel/casino rating is A. Blackjack games are now decent and so is the new "Quarter" shopping area. Those main-floor six-deck games are now gone. High roller room is 6-decks with no mid-shoe entry. Penetration is about 75 percent on all games. Big improvement here in all areas of play. Craps tables are 12-footers. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Three stars: * * *

TRUMP MARINA: No change from last issue. Six-deck games in high roller room and 8-deck games on the main floor have penetration of 70-75 percent mark, but you won’t find any dealers going much deeper. Games are mostly $15/$25 and up, especially on weekends. No mid-shoe entry on the 6-deckers but you can jump in and out on the eight-deckers. Craps tables are 12-footers with 2X odds. Haven’t played here in years.

Two Stars: * *

TRUMP PLAZA: This place might be going out of business. It also might be torn down if the partnership between Steve Wynn and Donald Trump comes to fruition. Gee, it was just renovated. Getting good reports on this property’s face lifting too. Some of our Golden Touch craps players love this place – they will be unhappy to see it go. The eight-deck games have penetration at 75 percent, depending on the dealer. No midshoe entry on eight-deck games outside high-roller pit but you can find $25 (a few) to $50 minimums on these. Allows resplits, except aces. Most eight-deck tables are $10 and higher. High roller room is six-deck games. Craps tables are 12-footers. Very friendly crews. Good casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. Three stars: * * *

TRUMP TAJ MAHAL: Six deckers outside of the high roller room are a thing of the past. Lucky Ladies bet now available, no thanks. Good game with 75-80 percent penetration, dealer dependent, throughout the casino. Some writers have said that the Taj staff – one floor woman in particular – are a little paranoid. That would be a sign of insanity on the part of this woman! In the high roller room all games have $100 minimums. Excellent casino for Golden Touch Blackjack. This is the best casino for craps in AC as well. All 5-X odds tables. The crews have been universally pleasant in our experience. Tables are all 12-footers. Three and a half stars: * * * ½ *

WILD, WILD WEST: No change from last issue. All 8-deck games with about eight tables now offering H17 games. This is a part of Bally’s Park Place. Penetration is about 75 percent on all games. For craps this is a fun place to play with one 5X odds table and one 2X odds table. I remember when this place had many more tables. Crews are very friendly. Two Stars: * *

THE BEST BLACKJACK IN ATLANTIC CITY: Borgata, Taj Mahal, Showboat

The Best Craps in Atlantic City: Taj Mahal

The Best Hotel/Casino in Atlantic City: Borgata and Showboat

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. His newest book is The Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution. His newest DVD is Golden Touch: Beat Craps Using a Controlled Throw!