Retrocalcaneal bursitis. It's a painful inflammation at the back of the heel, brought on by my weightlifting routine. Not a good time to go off on a game research trip, but what better way to spend a weekend than limping around in agony on a filthy boardwalk.
As soon as I came into the city blocks I knew something was wrong with this place. A young male street person made eye contact with me from a streetcorner. He was wearing a key on a string around he waist. He turned around, held the key against his backside, made a turning motion with it as he smiled at me over his shoulder. Ah yes, he's offering me the 'key to the city'! Disgusted as I was by this proposition, the most disgusting sights were yet to come.
As non-encouraging as my trip report was from last Christmas time, playing conditions have gotten even worse in Atlantic City. No apparent opportunities on the 6:5 SD games, they all use autoshufflers. If you wanted to attempt to play them straight up you can't because they are always filled with ignorant gamblers. Most of the Double Exposure games have been pulled out and replaced with "Double Attack" BJ, which is just like Spanish 21 but with a sidebet. The crowds are oppressive as ever, 24 hours a day. Worst of all, the single-pass shuffle which existed in the city is now gone.
I didn't spend too much time playing, wanted to look everywhere for something good first. There is a VP machine in town with a 100.7% return so I spent a few hours abusing it, enough to get myself some food comps. I hit a SF on it and that covered my trip expenses.
The best game I found to play for counting was still at the Hilton. The Hilton is way at the edge of the casino area, it kind of gets overlooked by the crowds. 6D, decent pen, reasonable table limits and friendly staff. Still, hardly worth a trip to play. I finished the day up 3 units in 4 hours (plus my VP win) and counted my blessings, could hardly walk by that point.
I can't overemphasize what a terrible destination this place is for a counter looking for a road trip. There are no longer any redeeming features, and unless you live right in town, no reason to play there.
Most shocking was the condition of the city. It was worse than I've ever seen it before, and I've seen bad. Something is going on down there. On the sidestreets drug sales and prosty were going on openly in broad daylight, I swear to you, 200 feet from a marked police cruiser. Street people walking around with neurological symptoms, either zombified or with the animated hand motions associated with brain damage from drugs. I wouldn't be willing to walk anywhere in that city other than the Boardwalk anymore, and even that is ugly late at night. Donald Trump should be ashamed to have his name on three casinos in this city.
As soon as I came into the city blocks I knew something was wrong with this place. A young male street person made eye contact with me from a streetcorner. He was wearing a key on a string around he waist. He turned around, held the key against his backside, made a turning motion with it as he smiled at me over his shoulder. Ah yes, he's offering me the 'key to the city'! Disgusted as I was by this proposition, the most disgusting sights were yet to come.
As non-encouraging as my trip report was from last Christmas time, playing conditions have gotten even worse in Atlantic City. No apparent opportunities on the 6:5 SD games, they all use autoshufflers. If you wanted to attempt to play them straight up you can't because they are always filled with ignorant gamblers. Most of the Double Exposure games have been pulled out and replaced with "Double Attack" BJ, which is just like Spanish 21 but with a sidebet. The crowds are oppressive as ever, 24 hours a day. Worst of all, the single-pass shuffle which existed in the city is now gone.
I didn't spend too much time playing, wanted to look everywhere for something good first. There is a VP machine in town with a 100.7% return so I spent a few hours abusing it, enough to get myself some food comps. I hit a SF on it and that covered my trip expenses.
The best game I found to play for counting was still at the Hilton. The Hilton is way at the edge of the casino area, it kind of gets overlooked by the crowds. 6D, decent pen, reasonable table limits and friendly staff. Still, hardly worth a trip to play. I finished the day up 3 units in 4 hours (plus my VP win) and counted my blessings, could hardly walk by that point.
I can't overemphasize what a terrible destination this place is for a counter looking for a road trip. There are no longer any redeeming features, and unless you live right in town, no reason to play there.
Most shocking was the condition of the city. It was worse than I've ever seen it before, and I've seen bad. Something is going on down there. On the sidestreets drug sales and prosty were going on openly in broad daylight, I swear to you, 200 feet from a marked police cruiser. Street people walking around with neurological symptoms, either zombified or with the animated hand motions associated with brain damage from drugs. I wouldn't be willing to walk anywhere in that city other than the Boardwalk anymore, and even that is ugly late at night. Donald Trump should be ashamed to have his name on three casinos in this city.
