While the infusion of Revel and the Golden Nugget are expected to add to the local poker economy, there’s another addition geared toward the game’s elite and those with plush bankrolls. The Borgata recently opened its high-limit room.
Aria has the Ivey Room; Bellagio has Bobby’s Room, and now the East Coast has a high-stakes room, too. In the area formerly used for tournaments there had been a lot of construction going on for quite some time. The final product is a gorgeous room, separated from the main poker room by a pane of glass. It has two tables for nosebleed action, couches and giant flatscreen televisions.
For those who have seen Bobby’s Room, it has a similar feel in that when you step foot in the high-stakes room you know you’ve crossed over into a different game. While the Borgata Winter Open was running, there were players from all over the country in town looking to earn their chunk of the $2 million guaranteed prize pool, and as a result the new room had some heavy hitters. During the week, a plethora of railbirds were treated to a ringside view of a high-stakes mixed game with the likes of John D’Agostino and Team Bustout pro Chad Brown. The Borgata is no stranger to high-limit games or big pros, but the added touch was a nice way to christen the new room.
NO-CAP NUGGET: Speaking of new and attractive rooms, the Golden Nugget has started with its soft opening and the feedback has been exemplary. The room is easy, arguably the best looking room in the city. The cash games got off to a fast start by following the model of its Las Vegas counterpart in offering a $1-$2 no-limit hold’em game with no cap. When inquiring if no cap did in fact mean no cap, it was confirmed if someone wants to buy in for $10,000 they are more than welcome.
A number of players took advantage of the no cap in an effort to have a hold on the table. There were a few games over the past few weeks that saw players buying in for and rebuying for thousands of dollars. If you want to see or participate in a low-stakes game that may have $10,000 on the table then drive over to the Nugget and take a shot at some serious money.
MAN-UP: Josh Mancuso of Mandevilee, La., captured the $3,500 Borgata Winter Open Main Event on Feb. 3, good for $542,771. He bested a field of 730-plus players, which generated a $2.42 million prize pool. Our Louisiana column will feature Mancuso next month.
For complete results, be sure to go to theborgata.com.
— Cris Belkewitch is the Ante Up Atlantic City Ambassador. A member of Team Bustout, his insight can be found at thepokerjourney.net.
