Having started playing live poker in 2010, just as table games were coming to East Coast casinos, I have noticed a significant amount of developments and changes in the past ~5 years. Originally, Atlantic City was the only option between Maine and Florida (with the exception of upstate, small Indian casinos in New York). When table games came to Delaware and Pennsylvania, and ultimately Maryland as well, the game started to change altogether.
Today’s Poker Scene in Delaware and Pennsylvania
Harrah’s Chester (now Harrah’s Philadelphia) and Delaware Park were the first on the scene in 2010. Both rooms were flooded with action. At the time, they were the only option. There were several games, up to at least 2/5, that ran 24/7, with rare exception, especially when considering Harrah’s.
As time went on, Parx would open. Parx is in Bensalem, PA, about 20 minutes outside of Philadelphia. Today, Parx is one of the most active rooms in the country. Parx took a good portion of Harrah’s player base, and Delaware Park faced competition from Maryland and other miscellaneous Pennsylvania casinos.
Fast forward to 2014. Today, you would be fortunate to find a single 2/5 game running at Delaware Park on a typical weekday. Harrah’s Philadelphia usually has a few 2/5 games running, but they tend to play fairly short, and you won’t find a 5/10 or larger game running.
If you travel to Parx, you will usually find around 30 games running, with the bulk being 1/2 NLHE, a few being 2/5, and usually one 10/10 game. On the weekends, Delaware Park will usually have a 2/5 running steadily, Harrah’s will get a deep stack 2/5 game, and Parx will have a handful of 10/10 games and the occasional 10/25 NLHE table.
Sands in Bethlehem, PA, is another option if you’re looking for deeper games, though they are not as well trafficked as Parx. In terms of game selection, Parx again wins. Harrah’s Philadelphia usually has a few PLO games, but only Parx will have other variations and the option to play in bigger limit games. Of course, most limit and mixed games usually focus on a particular group of players that tend to stick together and are not of much interest to the average player.
Live Poker in Atlantic City
Before the advent of table games in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, professional players on the East Coast were centric to Atlantic City. Whether you look at Phil Ivey or a small time grinder, many of them originated in AC. Between The Taj, Harrah’s and ultimately Borgata, there was never a shortage of games in AC. After all, it was the second gambling capital in the country.
Today you will find a decent poker scene in AC, but it is largely dependent on the day of the week and any events that may also be running. For example, WSOP Circuit events at Harrah’s AC or WPT Events at Borgata (pictured, left) provide the most action in the cash game area.
5/10 had been running fairly often at Borgata, but into middle-late 2013, the action had been slowing down. If a 5/10 game ran on a weekday night (and sometimes it didn’t), you would often run into short handed games that also played small. Borgata is only a $2k max buy in to begin with, so the games got small rather quickly.
On the weekends, games in Atlantic City remain both strong and diverse. You can find big games at Borgata, and you will be able to play 2/5 games ($1k max) at Harrah’s and Ballys.. You may also catch a 2/5 game at Tropicana and Taj Mahal on the weekends. Caesars AC recently closed their poker room. If you are interested in forms of poker beyond NLHE, Borgata will always be your best choice. If you are wanting to play in higher limit, bigger games, Borgata is again your best choice. If you check Bravo Poker Live on a Friday or Saturday night, you will be impressed by the variety of games and limits running at Borgata.
Final Thoughts
The poker scene is hardly dead on the East Coast so much as it has been watered down and spread out. Where there used to be one option (Atlantic City), there are now closer to 10 in the area, between Philadelphia, Philadelphia Suburbs, Bethlehem, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Maryland, Delaware, and so on and so forth.
If you know what sorts of games you are looking for, you will be able to find them on the East Coast, assuming you are willing to travel. If you want a weekday game, check Bravo Poker Live and see what is running. If you have a weekend to spend, you can safely bet that Atlantic City will have the action that you are looking for.
My name is Jonathan Wanchalk and I am a professional poker player and guest writer for 4Flush.com. Please don’t hesitate to follow my blog at JonathanWanchalk.com, where I regularly update my readers with posts about poker, life and business.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.