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ATLANTIC CITY BLACKJACK REPORT─ December 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.
Note: Frank’s article this month covers John "Skinny’s" recent monster roll in craps in Atlantic City. Click here to read.
Our Readers Report
If you wish to contribute your reports or observations of playing conditions in Atlantic City casinos, we need to receive them by the 18th 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,
Well, AC continues to struggle amidst falling revenue and visitors. However, the Hilton, oops ACH, has managed to postpone closure for another year now, and Revel appears to be ahead of schedule and might open in April instead of May. Conditions in AC really haven’t changed much recently so I’ll just touch on things briefly.
Showboat: Still all H17, eight deck and 75% pen on the main floor.
Trump Taj: Still all H17, eight deck and 75% pen on the main floor.
Resorts: A few S17 games on main floor. Pen is variable but can be up to 85% on some games.
Ballys: Still offering some of the best pen in AC. Most of the floor is H17 with a few S17 games outside high limit room.
Wild Wild West: Same as Ballys. Offering one table of Blackjack Switch.
Caesars: Still all H17, eight deck and 75% pen on the main floor.
Trump Plaza: This place was dead when I was in there during the week. Fewer and fewer games open. A few six- and eight-deck S17 games on main floor with the rest being eight-deck H17. Standard 75% pen.
Golden Nugget: Still all H17, eight deck, and 75% pen on the main floor. Surrender is no longer offered in the high-limit room.
Borgata: A split between six-deck S17 and eight-deck H17 on main floor. Still has the most six-deck S17 games on the main floor by far. Pen was a little better on six-deck games. ... mostly around 75%.
Hope this helps.
Jon
The Herbert Report
In Frank’s report in the last issue of BJI on AC casinos, he commented on deteriorating conditions at Trump Plaza. It is even worse than he writes. Just a few additional items here.
First, amenities are fast disappearing. Late check-ins are now the rule and slow maid service due to fewer staff. There is no room service after 7PM on weekdays. The 27/7 dining room now closes several days of the week (late night). Buffet: forget it!
Food in Chairman’s club is more and more one tasteless mush. It certainly is the worst of its kind in AC. Most of the really player-friendly dealers/hosts have left or been fired. Some with 20 years service, then offered a job with 50% pay cut. Thanks guys!
There are many angry dealers, some of whom take it out on the players, others not. There is an underground recruitment system going on, so if you had a host, find out where he/she is now, and use the connection. Several people I know have been guaranteed a continued higher level player’s card if they latch on to the casino where their host is now, i.e. through the next cycle.
However, if the playing conditions are good, then so what? Stay at Caesars and play at Plaza. But not so fast. A couple of weeks ago, Plaza introduced a $3 minimum come bet at the dice table. YES! 3 (three) dollars.
Well, if you thought they catered to the "under the boardwalk crowd then" wait until now. More players who have no idea how to play, payoffs are slower due to mounds of white chips, so the whole game is slower. Rationalization: Well, people are hurting and so we want to help them stretch their dollars. So far no rule changes but do not hold your breathe. Ahh sucker, move to a different table—HA, HA there is only one dice table going, except weekends after 12!
The Press of Atlantic City in the Wednesday edition (Oct. 19th) reported in a front-page story ‘Trump Plaza adds low-stakes stables." Picture of roulette table where new minimums are $5, with 50 cent incremental bets. Again, you should see who this drags in.
Currently, half the slots are penny games. That same Press story also reported that Harrah’s is planning to add poolside gambling. It worked in Vegas, they are crowed, yes, but AC is not Vegas. Buzz heard is that Plaza is looking to sell and so wants to cut expenses to the bare minimum to show acquirer that it can be profitable. Rotsa Ruck!
I often visit AC with a group of friends. We go as a varied gang, which includes dice players, slotties, and cardies. What follows is an amalgam of a recent visit to Resorts as culled from comments on the way back.
Slotties were the happiest group. Lots, and lots, and slots, of machines pretty much up to date, and some not readily available elsewhere in AC. Not a lot of jackpots, but some machines with reasonable payoffs keeps you going. One real problem, not enough cashiers at flood times. This is a problem everywhere as they lay off people. We counted 37 people in line to cash chips/machine markers at one point. Yes, the automatic machine had gone off, but if you only have one (yes one) cashier site open, guess what?
Cardies had one consistent complaint. Not enough tables. Maybe 9-10 in all for all games. Which means if you run bad and want to move, you can’t. Dice tables are not bad (yes, that is a plural). Lots of players, but few seemed real stayers, but come and go types. Dealers were mixed a lot. I had a horrendous run so may be prejudiced. Would like to try in the AM before writing it off, one of my group reported.
--- Herbert
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Dear Frank and Alene:
I have always wondered why Atlantic City doesn’t just go for it and make its blackjack games two and four decks. Get the crowds back. What about really loose slots, like 98 percent return and advertise it? I just don’t get why Atlantic City’s games stay flat and dull when other areas of the country are learning to jazz them up.
--- Joey
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Here are our ratings for blackjack December 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:
Good cuts of about 80 percent. 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 sad fact. Crews are friendly. Craps games are quite good. Three stars: * * *BORGATA
: Same as last issue. The 6-deck games are now almost everywhere again and the penetration is starting to look like the old Borgata, if you can call a relatively new casino "old." There is a mixture of S17 and H17 was found. Didn’t see any $5 games; although I was told that one or two tables have such limits during the day during the week. This is a happening place and caters to a swinging 30-something crowd. You’ll enjoy the night clubs and the beautiful people, although more competition is coming in with the New Golden Nugget. We’ll see what happens. This is still a good casino for blackjack. Not a good casino for craps. Three stars: * * *CAESARS:
No change from last issue. 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 just as most of the regular floor does. High roller room is S17; the main floor is H17 when we were there. 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:
They are doing all right in their games. We’d say this is an average Atlantic City casino when it comes to blackjack. When we were there it was all eight-deck games with about 66 percent penetration. We wonder if Harrah’s is considering closing this place completely during the winter months? Two stars: * *
HARRAH’S:
The more things change the more things change! We are re-thinking our attitude towards this particular Harrah’s and that is based on one single incident where a floor person was very friendly to Frank and his Golden Touch teammates Jerry "Stickman" and John "Skinny" – knowing full well who they were. Over and above everything else, casinos are (or should be) people-oriented businesses. Frank puts a lot of stock in this. The blackjack games are so-so with eight decks and penetration of about 70-75 percent. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *
HILTON:
They are in deep, deep trouble; the casino is now rumored to be this close to a sale or, worse, a full closing. Wild swings in penetration with more eight-deck games throughout the casino. Penetration is between 70-80 percent depending on the dealer. The hitting of soft 17 brings this place down a peg as well. 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. For craps, we are dealing with 13-foot tables and a couple of 12 footers. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *RESORTS:
They have ghosts of the past and a new theme that goes back even further. Resorts is now going all out for that 1920’s look! The reports are in and out about this casino’s games. Many H17 games on main floor; high roller room is S17. Penetration on all games is about 70-75 percent which is not bad considering this is AC. Decent craps games. Has opened the first Atlantic City gay nightclub and is courting the gay community, which is a smart move as gay vacation resorts and nightclubs seem to make a good go of it.. Two stars and one-half stars: * * ½*
SHOWBOAT
: Animal house time! Stay away from Resorts if you aren’t a lover of smelly slobbering canines. Showboat is now the animal friendly casino-hotel. Yuck! Slots dominate this place now and we are guessing they will be making some slots look like fire hydrants. The blackjack has deteriorated considerably with little penetration – maybe you play 60-66 percent of the shoe. All games are hit on soft 17. High roller room is passable with better penetration, about 75 percent, and some slow times the minimums are $25. Pass this place by unless you are walking Fido. One star: *TROPICANA:
No change from last issue. Bringing the highest rollers into AC. The rumor is that they are inviting the high rollers who hit them for millions in the spring to their tournament games. 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: Three stars: * * * (for penetration)THE GOLDEN NUGGET:
No change from last issue. So far this "new" casino has continued with the gaming policies of Trump Marina but has, in the blink of an eye, transformed many areas into vibrant, with-it places – a new party pit with sexy dealers (I got to see a sexy young woman interviewed: "Do you know how to deal?" "Yes." "You start tomorrow night!"); the superb restaurant The Chart House; and new rooms that are small but beautiful. The blackjack games in the high roller room are excellent with penetration of 80 percent and top rules such as splitting and resplitting; and standing on soft 17. The eight-deck games in the casino are ho-hum and basically the same as all the other casinos in AC. The craps games are excellent and – as always – this place has the nicest and most professional dealers you will find. Give it a whirl. Three stars for a good beginning: * * *TRUMP PLAZA:
No change from last issue. We kid you not, it is starting to be called "Dump Plaza" but it does have fairly good games. Still something has to be done with the dark casino and the low-life scum slithering through it. Maybe the time has come to raze the place? Six-deck games are back outside the high roller room. The penetration is 70-75 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 and friendly down to arrogant and ignorant. Two and one-half stars: * * ½ *
TRUMP TAJ MAHAL:
No change from last issue. Now they are hitting soft 17 except in high roller room. 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, great dealers and pit personnel. Too bad it isn’t the premier place to play any more because it is a great place to stay. Two and one-half stars: * * ½*WILD, WILD WEST:
The penetration has gone deeper lately and this is a very, very good thing – you might find 80 percent. Crews are friendly. All games are 8-decks; mixture of H17 and S17 from latest reports. 100X odds on craps but the table is as long as an aircraft carrier. Three stars: * * *
THE BEST BLACKJACK IN ATLANTIC CITY: Look for three starred casinos (we now have a few).
Best Craps in Atlantic City: All except: Borgata, Trump Plaza, Taj Mahal, Showboat and Wild, Wild West.
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Frank Scoblete and Dominator’s
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