going to AC - Taj mahal - how is it?

i heard the taj is kind of far away from the general main strip area of the boardwalk, and you have to take a cab ride if you want to venture to other casinos.

i also heard that if you're into poker (which i very much am), no other cardroom in AC compares.

Is this true? and if so, how big is the poker room at taj? Table side food menus? bad beats? anything?

[Jeffage]

Taj is the premiere place to play poker in Atlantic City, with the Trop coming in as a second place you will probably want to check out. Other rooms in AC are really small, and not worth visiting IMO. The Taj is a little off the main drag, but you can walk on the boardwalk to other nearby casinos (Resorts, for example). There are Jitneys which are free shuttles that stop at just about every casinos (don't know their schedules, ask the front desk), and cabs are actually a real deal in AC at $8 max no matter where you go (usually it will cost less). I wouldn't walk the streets of AC at night, but that's just me. The Taj Poker Room is very large with about 58 tables, and all limits. Don't know what limits you like, but for Hold Em, 2-4, 3-6, 5-10, 10-20, 15-30, 20-40 and higher go just about 24/7 (esp. on weekends), and for Stud there is 1-3/1-5, 5-10, 10-20, 15-30, 20-40, 30-60, 75-150 and higher. Omaha8 and Stud8 also can be found. The games are generally action packed on weekends, but there are a few tough customers at 5-10 and above. Bring a seatbelt for the middle games. When you get there, get a Taj Card and get $1 an hr for 3-6, 5-10 and $2 an hr for 10-20 and up...this can be redeemed at the restaurants. At the Trop, it has a smaller, quieter club like atmosphere. For Hold Em, they have 2-4, 4-8, 7.50-15 (pink game...all 2.50 chips, crazy action), sometimes 10-20-30. For Stud, they have 1-3/1-5, 5-10, 5-10-15 (sometimes), 15-30-45 (sometimes). A pot limit game also goes on weekends. If you're at Taj Saturday, you may see me at the 10-20 table....Good luck, let me know if you have other questions.

Jeff

[Jeffage]

No tableside food at Taj, but there is a Poker Snack bar above the poker room that is quick, and decent. Other good restaurants as well. No bad beat jackpot. There is tableside food at Trop, but IMO it sucks. Trop does have a bad beat jackpot for low limits, but it is real hard to hit which stinks, but is funded by the house and not rake which is good.

Jeff

Tanks for the feedback jeff, thats really helpful.

One more thing, how much is rake at taj?

I wont be there this weekend, but first weekend in dec. Will try to say hi if i see you, but how do i know who u are?

[Homer]

Hey Jeff, do you know when they are running Sats/Super-Sats for the US Poker Championships (I think that is what it is called)? I was thinking of entering a satellite for one of the hold 'em events. Anyhoo, I figured you might know since you are down there a lot.

-- Thanks, Homer

[Jeffage]

You still didn't tell me what limits you like! =) The rake at Taj for low limits is 10% to $4 max. At 10-20 and up, there is a time charge instead of a rake. At 10-20, it is $5 per half hr, $6 per half hr at 15-30, $7 at 20-40, on up. This rake is uniform in AC not just Taj, though bigger Hold Em rarely goes at Trop so most of their games end up raked (except for the big stud games, though I'm not sure how they are raked). Before you go, shoot me an email or post on here if you like and we can make arrangements to say hello if I'm there...you really should register for this site, you get a lot more out of it!

Jeff

[Jeffage]

Satellites start November 1st and I think they pretty much go on demand (call Taj to verify this however)..they set up a woman that is like a satellite brush and she calls the single table ones when they get enough names (often I think). Buy-Ins depend on how many tournament dollars are at stake. As for Super Satellites, they start on November 15th and apparently run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday only. Not sure of buy-ins or other specifics, as I'm there at the time for the juicy midlimit side games (bankroll willing). Lots of tilted people who just busted out sit 15-30, 20-40 etc so I'm saving up my collection of Franklins =). Where do u live Homer? Go to AC often? Below is the complete tourney schedule.

http://www.trumptaj.com/casino/PokerTournament.asp

Jeff

[Homer]

Thanks Jeff. I assume that Super Satellites are single table events and the regular Satellites are multi-table. Is this correct? If so, how many tables do the regular Satellites consist of? I'm not sure if you know this information or not. Maybe I should just call the Taj as you suggested.

I live near Allentown, PA (about an hour north of Philly), so I am about 2 - 2.5 hrs from AC, depending on Philly traffic. I get down there about once a month, but haven't been down for the past few months because I have been busy with other things on the weekends. I might start heading down a bit more now as I have more free time, and I just found out about a bus that runs down there that is quite convenient (It costs $23, but you get a $13 voucher, so really it is only $10).

Good idea about getting in on the side games with the bustouts. You think any of them will make their way down to the lower limits (3/6, 5/10)? Probably not. Oh well...I could go for some of that action.

-- Homer

[Jeffage]

Actually I thought the super satellites were the multitable ones, but I could be wrong (I'm no tourney guru). I don't want to give misinformation though, so maybe you should call to confirm all this. I was thinking of buying an entry to one of the $300 events, but I'm not sure. I'll prob. just do the side games. As for Allentown, wow...small world. I'm actually from Bucks County PA originally, and often ventured to the land of Dorney Park during the summers =). Love the water rides and rollercoasters. I moved out to the VA/DC area after I went to school here and never left bc I love it, though I do miss the closeness to AC. And I'm still there about 2 or 3 times a month with a 3.5 hr bus ride! Stop slacking =). Seriously though, let me know when you head down, maybe we can do lunch at Bombay or something (I have more comps than I know what to do with). =)

Jeff

Well heh jeff, if you got more comps than u know what to do with, i'll meet up with you for sure!!! LOL....

SIDENOTE: is Bombay an indian restaurant? If it is, i'll definitely go there, never heard of a casino with indian food.

I normally play 3/6 online, and 5/10 live. Will also partake in one or tow of the tourney events that weekend. Can't be there for sattelites, so i'll have to pay full entry fee.

Guess i should register here......i'll lokk into it

[Homer]

Sounds good...it would be nice to meet up with a fellow 2+2er. I'll let you know in advance the next time I'm heading down (most likely next weekend or the weekend thereafter). It is a small world, it seems. I live/work about 3-4 miles from Dorney, on the same road in fact. I've been in this area pretty much my whole life, actually. I went to school out here (Lehigh) and grew up in Montgomery County (right next door to Bucks)...

-- Homer

p.s. - I assume Bombay is in the Taj somewhere, right? I have never seen it, probably because I go straight from my car to the poker room, then straight back to my car (with an occasional pit stop at the snack bar). I should really check out the rest of the casino sometime. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

[Jeffage]

Work? What's that? =). Bombay Cafe is a 24 Hr diner type place in the Taj, and the food is ok (I recommend the eggs benedict). There are other better places, inc. the Steak House which is pricier. Of course, if you've seen Rounders you will want to visit the Noodle Bar at some point. I will plug the best NON-CASINO restaurant in AC...Tony's Baltimore Grill which is right near the Trop and has some of the BEST pizza I have ever had as well as other Italian treats at great prices. Def lemme know before you come down, and hopefully we can meet up.

Jeff

<<is Bombay an indian restaurant?>>

sure, if you consider hamburgers and meatballs and spaghetti indian food.