Best Way from NYC to AC

[mgd150]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get to AC next Friday (staying at ballys), and I am wondering what the best, cheapest way to get there is. I don't keep a car in the city, so driving is out of the question.

I'm guessing a bus would be my best bet, I've heard some busses give vouchers for slot dollars, etc. Im just looking for some feedback on what carrier go to with, any response is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Hi all,

I'm trying to get to AC next Friday (staying at ballys), and I am wondering what the best, cheapest way to get there is. I don't keep a car in the city, so driving is out of the question.

I'm guessing a bus would be my best bet, I've heard some busses give vouchers for slot dollars, etc. Im just looking for some feedback on what carrier go to with, any response is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Just the buses from the Port Authority- they run every half hour at least.

 

[shadroch]

Greyhound from Gate 79 or 80 on the lower level of the Port Authority. It's non-stop to AC, and leaves every 30 minutes,or less. You can get one that will take you directly to Ballys, and you'll get most of your farte back in cash when you arrive.
You can take any bus back for the next 72 hours. Greyhound has limited service to Brooklyn, as well, and at least one AM route from Queens Village, but I'd stick to the PA ones.

 

[Tarzan]

Amtrak direct line

There is a new amtrak direct line train that runs to and from AC/NYC called the "acestrain". They have a website acestrain.com also that you could look up fares and such.

I know this from seeing it on the billboard on highway30, so I have no idea if it's any cheaper or any better than a bus. I drive in so I can't give any further details since I have never traveled on it nor do I endorse it as being any better than a bus since I just don't know one way or the other.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

There is a new amtrak direct line train that runs to and from AC/NYC called the "acestrain". They have a website acestrain.com also that you could look up fares and such.

I know this from seeing it on the billboard on highway30, so I have no idea if it's any cheaper or any better than a bus. I drive in so I can't give any further details since I have never traveled on it nor do I endorse it as being any better than a bus since I just don't know one way or the other.

I've checked that out, and the service times seem totally unreasonable for anyone with a job or who is planning on traveling other than on a weekend. It's almost like they tried to make the schedule inconvenient.

 

[kewljason]

I totally don't understand THAT train. It's expensive and only runs on weekends, as monkey said. I live in Philadelphia and my regular mode of transportation to AC is The New jersey transit train from Philly to AC. It is a very comfortable ride, not crowded, has a place to plug in my computer, very reasonably priced at $8, and has no smelly homeless riding back and forth as the buses do. That said. Can't understand why aces which is also NJ transit cost 60 bucks round trip and only runs on weekends. You NY folks should bitch like hell.

 

[FLASH1296]

Greyhound and Academy buses leave frequently from Port Authority.

Without an advance purchase Academy will charge you $35 (round trip) as a walk-up.
There is a chance of finding no seat available and having to wait an hour or more.

I have not taken a Greyhound bus, but I bought a (roundtrip) ticket on an Academy bus for $5 (that cheap only because
I bought it more than a week in advance) on-line via (Dead link: http://megabus.com). You will probably have to pay triple that.

Their buses leave from Gate #1 right at 9th AV and 41st ST.
I got off at Bally's and received a $21 Free Play for the machines.
I invested that $21 in a V.P. machine and won more than the face amount.

Academy has a sort of frequent users club where every 10th ride, I think it is, is free.

In response to someone else's comment, my experience on the Academy bus turned up no undesirables whatsoever. V.M.M.V.
.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

...In response to someone else's comment, my experience on the Academy bus turned up no undesirables whatsoever. V.M.M.V.

Can't say I've met any outright undesirables on the AC bus, but it sure can get silly sometimes, especially if you're sitting with a bunch of drunk ghetto girls. Fortunately they like guys like us, we're a pleasant curiosity to them.

 

[Thunder]

I have enough stories about riding Greyhound buses to AC and back to fill a novel. Suffice to say, you'll never know what kind of crowd or adventures you'll have. You name it, I've seen it happen from bomb threats to assaults. I will say though that if you do ride the bus, don't take it to Tropicana. Tropicana used to be the best in that they gave $20 in cold hard cash but now they're only doing $20 in slot play for me. given that I haven't been able to find any .25 or .50 J o B machines there, I will now avoid getting off there and go to Resorts. Bally's is useless to play in as a BJ player so forget that and Caesars.

 

[FLASH1296]

Trump Plaza gives a nice $25 CASH voucher; cashable at the cage for anyone with a player's card. No I.D. needed.

 

[Thunder]

ehh too bad none of the buses from where I live stop there.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I have enough stories about riding Greyhound buses to AC and back to fill a novel. Suffice to say, you'll never know what kind of crowd or adventures you'll have. You name it, I've seen it happen from bomb threats to assaults. I will say though that if you do ride the bus, don't take it to Tropicana. Tropicana used to be the best in that they gave $20 in cold hard cash but now they're only doing $20 in slot play for me. given that I haven't been able to find any .25 or .50 J o B machines there, I will now avoid getting off there and go to Resorts. Bally's is useless to play in as a BJ player so forget that and Caesars.

What's the problem with $20 in slot play? It's worth $19 cash even if you put it in a slot machine. Find a $5 machine and yank-yank-yank-yank.

 

[Tarzan]

Bus rides with Jason

I think we should all dress up like smelly homeless people and ride on the bus with Jason just for humor's sake and to have a little fun with him! Wait, for real... smelly homeless people are riding buses to Atlantic City? For... panhandling expo/convention at boardwalk hall or the convention center?

Seriously though... there are in fact lots of smelly homeless people meandering about Atlantic City and I doubt they drove in in their mercedes 450 SEL when I really think about it....

 

[Thunder]

What's the problem with $20 in slot play? It's worth $19 cash even if you put it in a slot machine. Find a $5 machine and yank-yank-yank-yank.

Because I'm spending a lot of time trying to find a 9/6 J o B VP machine sometimes and then spending additional time playing the machine. Playing $5 a spin on $20 isn't smart. Sort of like playing $500/hand in BJ off the top of the shoe as a bs player when you have a $2000 session bankroll. You're basically hoping for a good hand before you bust out and in VP sometimes I go like 10-20 spins without getting better than a pair. This time could be spent playing a + expectation game for me such as BJ

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Because I'm spending a lot of time trying to find a 9/6 J o B VP machine sometimes and then spending additional time playing the machine. Playing $5 a spin on $20 isn't smart. Sort of like playing $500/hand in BJ off the top of the shoe as a bs player when you have a $2000 session bankroll. You're basically hoping for a good hand before you bust out and in VP sometimes I go like 10-20 spins without getting better than a pair. This time could be spent playing a + expectation game for me such as BJ

Ah that's the problem, you're going about it backwards. This is free play you're talking about, I assume you play it through once and then cash out whatever's on the machine.

You can play it in a 9/6 JoB machine and have an expected return of $19.91. You can play it in a 95% slot machine and have an expected return of $19.00. Now is the time you spend finding and playing those full-pay VP machines worth less than 91 cents to you? It's true at a $5 or $10 slot after a couple of pulls you will usually walk away with nothing, but sometimes you will walk away with $100 or $200. If you don't have that extra $20 in your bankroll will it really make a difference to your BJ session? God I hope not. Better to just get the coupon played and go do what you came to do.

 

[FLASH1296]

Slot returns

IF you are playing a SLOT machine, your best move is to play for the most money, preferably one spin of $25.

That is because the House Advantage is not unreasonable, and occasionally it is even POSITIVE to the player, when the stakes are HIGH.

The law in N.J. sets the minimum return to the players at an absurd 83%.

A review of the 2009 revenue reports, $5 slot machines, in A. C. median return fluctuated between 96% and 93%.

Big slots ($25 to $100) sometimes return OVER 100% to the players. In one A.C. casinos the $100 slots returned 135.0% in March !

If you doubt this, I refer you to the monthly Casino revenue Reports that are published at 2:00 p.m. on the 10th of each month.

 

[shadroch]

Putting your money into a $25 machine becomes a one spin, all or nothing risk. As the only $25 machines I've seen are the old fashioned three reel type, the majority of spins you'll win nothing.
Thats got to be the worse advice I've ever seen you give, and thats saying quite a bit. The 135% payout you refer to was skewed by someone hitting one jackpot. Just because a machine paid more than100% in the past does not mean you are playing at an advantage. If a $100 machine was set to return135%, don't you think it would have been exploited to death?

 

[FLASH1296]

Think

Permit me to point out something to you, as you hasten to criticize me.

If you play a full-pay 9/6 JOB V.P. machine what is your expected return?

If you say anything remotely near 99.5% you are referring to the long-range expectation only ?

That high figure is heavily keyed to hitting a Royal Flush.

Obviously, if you play VP for a few minutes (or hours) you are very unlikely to hit one.

Similar to a Slots Jackpot, eh ?

So ... you ignore the Royal Flush.

Now your return is perhaps, at most, 95%

Similar to the slots, eh ?

The difference is that the higher the stakes are at slots the lower the House Advantage is.

That does not hold for V.P. that is already at Full-Pay.

 

[kewljason]

I think we should all dress up like smelly homeless people and ride on the bus with Jason just for humor's sake and to have a little fun with him! Wait, for real... smelly homeless people are riding buses to Atlantic City? For... panhandling expo/convention at boardwalk hall or the convention center?

Seriously though... there are in fact lots of smelly homeless people meandering about Atlantic City and I doubt they drove in in their mercedes 450 SEL when I really think about it....

The greyhound from Philly cost $19 roundtrip and returnes $20. Some of the private companies like sheppard bus co was even cheaper at $16 roundtrip and provided bonus of $20. These buses are almost always full. They almost always have a number of passengers traveling back and forth from Phila to AC several times a day, sleeping and making a few dollars each trip. What's even worse is they carry several bags containing all their belonging including food. You can make lite of it Tarzan, but try sitting next to one of these "folks" for the trip, as there head continually falls on your shoulder and their aroma is transfered to your clothes.

It's not worth it to me. I'll take the train, which as I said is comfortable and not crowded. The $8 cost represents about 12 minutes of expected value for me. I'll gladly play an axtra 12 minutes in exchange for my comfort. As an extra bonus, at certain times of the day the train is occupied by many casino personel, including dealers and pit people. They are not shy with their discussions, which has added a bit to my education of the enemy.

 

[FLASH1296]

I do not doubt that this is the case for Philly but NOT for N.Y.C. as the Philly trip is perhaps 45 mins. and the NYC trip is more than triple that.