Earlier this week I took a business trip back east. We hit up Foxwoods,
Mohegan Sun, various AC spots and Philadelphia Park. Real quick - by the
time we were through at Foxwoods, it was 3:30 AM so I didn't even get a
chance to look at the Poker room, much less play, unfortunately. I passed
by the Poker tables (not even a room) at Mohegan Sun. I couldn't play but
it didn't look like anyone was really having fun. They had a couple of
tables open.
The Borgata is the newest major Atlantic City property to be opened, I
believe. There Poker room was nice, and it was fairly large. I eventually
was tabled at 57, and it looked like there could easily be at least 100
tables in the room.
The first indication that the place was run by a bunch of idiots was
looking at the electronic board which tells you what tables are open and
what the wait/interest list is. There was absolutely no way to
differeniate from limit or no limit, which was mildly annoying but isn't
usually a problem unless you're a beginner. They also labelled the
Sit-n-Go tournaments as "satellites," proving again that they didn't know
what they were doing.
In case you're interested, they had limit up through 100/200 running, no
limit up through 5/10 running (and possibly higher, I wasn't paying
attention), and 2-way running at 10/20. There was some interest for Omaha
and a bit of interest for higher limit limit hold 'em. This was on a
Tuesday night.
I walked up to put my name on the board. There were two girls sitting up
there next to a computer not doing anything, so I walked up to them. Oh no
no, I had to talk to this other guy, who was standing next to them. I got
in the back of the line and eventually registered for a couple of low
limit hold 'em tables and a $100 + $20 "satellite" sit-n-go.
The satellite filled up before the low limit seats opened, so I played
that. It was a 10-person SNG with the top 2 paying at 70/30. I was told
that the higher buy-in SNGs had the top 3 pay, but I'm not sure at what
ratios.
We're signing our names and the guy asks me for a card. "Well, I don't
have one." And I didn't plan on getting one, because I'll likely never be
back there again. "Oh, you have to get a card."
"Fine, where do I get a card."
"Up at the front podium. Leave your buy-in here."
So I walk up to the podium where the first two girls were. One was helping
someone and the other was flirting with the security guard. I started
shuffling and trying to make noise, afraid that the cards would be in the
air before I got back. Finally, after about 2 minutes, she managed to tear
herself away from guard and help me. She gave off the distinct impression
that I was bothering her.
It took this idiot about 10 minutes to enter in my name, address,
birthdate, and DL info. The other girl finished helping that first
customer, so they were talking to each other which made the slow process
go slower.
"Hey, his license doesn't expire until 2047. What do I put here?"
[Other girl, squinting at the computer] "Ummmm...... you put in 47."
And it went on and on.
Finally, time for some poker! I managed to get back to the table before
they started dealing. I was in seat 8 and the button was in seat 10. I was
going to play very tight until I could feel out this table.
We started with 3,000 chips and the blinds started at 25/50. I believe the
rounds were 20 or 30 minutes.
The first hand, I got some trash but there were about 5 or 6 limpers. The
BB looks at his cards and announces, "700!" "Whoa," I thought to myself.
It folded around.
Second hand, I again got some trash and folded. It folded to the SB, who
was the guy who bet 700 last time. With 75 in the pot, he looks at his
cards and announces, "700!" The BB calls.
The flop comes A34. The SB made some pitiful bet, like 1/10 of the pot or
something. "All-in!" announces the BB. "Call!" announces the SB.
The SB shows A3 for two pair, and the BB shows AJ. The A3 holds and the
guy who bet 700 to win a pot of 75 with A3 ends up winning.
This was pretty typical of the game play. There were 2 or 3 players who
made overbets to the order of 2 or 3 times the pot after the flop. Many
players would raise 4-6x the BB and have 4 or 5 callers preflop. And
10-20x BB raises preflop weren't uncommon.
So that's how it went. I decided I would just wait to get some real cards
and try to trap. The first round I didn't play anything. The second round
I was still card-dead but managed to steal a few blinds. Into the 3rd
round, where it's 200/400 with 25 antes, I was hovering between 2500 and
3500 chips. With the blinds climbing so rapidly, I knew I had to make a
move.
In this round when I was UTG+1. We were 7 handed at this point. UTG looks
down and pushes all-in for about 1800 chips. I look down and see KK and I
reraise all in. It folds back to the original pusher who shows 33. My KK
holds up and I win.
All while this is going on, I had the two worst dealers I've ever had in a
row. The first one couldn't talk and deal at the same time, and she kept
insisting on talking. Fortunately, the guy to the immediate right of her
wasn't afraid to be rude about it. "We're on the clock!" "Deal the cards!"
She also had a hard time reading the board. There was one hand where the
board had 4 to a straight. At the showdown, one player had 2p and the
other had the straight. She started awarding the pot to the 2p when
everyone started to object. She managed to misread the board about 3 or 4
times in her down.
The cocktail waitress also liked to talk **** to the patrons who tried to
tip her. The guy to my right ordered a coffee and all he had to tip was a
$20. "I can't break that!" she said impatiently and walked away.
Apparently intent on tipping her, the next time she comes around he tries
again. "I. DON'T. HAVE. CHANGE. FOR. A. TWENTY." As if she were talking to
a retard. "I can give you change in chips."
"Yes, chips are fine. Just give me the chips." She walked away and most of
us at the table were just shaking our heads.
"I can't believe you tipped her," I said to him. The guy to my immediate
left chimes in and says, "Yeah, no way I'd tip her either."
She comes around again and the guy who wouldn't have tipped her orders a
Corona. When she gets back, he tries to give her a $2 with a $5 and we go
through the same thing. So much for not tipping her. I was thinking about
ordering a drink and not tipping her for spite, but didn't.
Back to the game play, I was at about 5,000-6,000 in chips when, again, I
was UTG+1. The UTG, with about 3000 in chips, pushes. We were 5 handed at
this point. I look down and see AQ. I reraise all-in. Folds to the
original pusher, who shows TT.
It was a good old fa****on race. Flop came KTx. I needed a J to complete my
straight, but I missed it. I was badly crippled.
I stole a few blinds and misplayed a hand or two and I was eventually at
2,500 in chips with the blinds 300/600 with 75 antes. At 5-handed, there
was more than half of my stack in the pot. I was UTG and I knew I had to
make a move. I look down and see A7. I push. Folds to the BB who calls. He
shows AQ.
Flop comes JQK. I needed a T to split the pot. Turn comes 8. River is
another blank. I ended up going home in 5th.
I was tired after that and ended up going back to my hotel room after
briefly walking the casino floor. If you're in AC though and you're
looking for a soft field, I would highly recommend the Borgata, assuming
you can put up with the attitude and incompetence of the personnel.
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