The new kid on the block has opened its doors as the much-anticipated luxury resort Revel is open for business, and the patrons have been flocking. Revel has reshaped the night’s colorful skyline and revamped the Atlantic City beach area, making it a luxury resort in every sense of the word. The feel and look of the room is being compared to that of player-favorite Aria in Las Vegas.
The staff, led by popular manager Frank Foti, is top notch and had no problems spreading various games of all limits during its opening. If the players wanted it, Revel delivered it. With tons of shops, eateries, ways to gamble and a look that is easy on the eyes, Revel is poised to be something special in Atlantic City.
BORGATA $100K: The Borgata held another installment of its $100K guarantee Saturday Series on March 24 when 654 players each put up $350 to more than double the guarantee, creating a prize pool of $228,900. The top-three finishers were proof-positive the Borgata can draw from all over the country. Ian Lee (Union City, N.J.) took down the tournament for $53,312, followed by Robert Edelstein (Chicago, $29,974) and Benjamin Starkweather (Salem, N.C., $18,873).
The Borgata continues to attract huge numbers for its events and expects to be the East Coast’s World Series of Poker alternative when the Borgata Summer Open gets under way soon.
BIGGER LIMITS: Harrah’s has upped the ante on one of its popular games. The $7.50-$15 Omaha-stud/8 “pink chip” game that had a loyal, regular crowd, recently changed it to $10-$20, and in doing so has attracted more players, spreading the game over multiple tables. While some were sad to see the pink-chip game come to an end for the higher limits, the change has brought in more players as the game pretty much runs around the clock.
Pennsylvania
The big news coming out of Pennsylvania is that soon Harrah’s Chester will be no more. Now calm down, the casino and racetrack isn’t closing its doors. It’s simply changing its name. Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack is rebranding itself as Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack. This more nationally recognizable name could draw in some bigger numbers than the casino has seen in the past.
“We can confirm that we are working on changing the Harrah’s name as part of new developments in entertainment and dining, which will better position the casino as a regional destination,” senior VP and general manager for Harrah’s Chester Ron Baumann said.
The poker room also named Bruce Dixon, the former head of poker at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, its new manager.
— Cris Belkewitch is the Ante Up Atlantic City Ambassador. A member of Team Bustout, his insight can be found at thepokerjourney.net.
