Thinking Atlantic City solo on the cheap.

Re: Thinking Atlantic City solo on the cheap.

No insult.
I may do as you say.

However, I find a good bit of fun in going on the down and frugal.
I'm retired and have more time than money, so whatever my budget is for a gambling trip, I can go longer and more often if I can pare down expenses. Generally, I budget so that even if I have a losing trip, it costs me no more than going somewhere else for the same time period. By forcing down the price of food, drink and housing I have a larger gambling budget.

Harrah's is now recognizing poker players' play and offering good rates.
Last March driving North with a van I bought in Florida, I drove up to a buddy's place in Lake Charles, played a while, and then up the Mississippi and played in every casino that spread a poker game. Harrah's in Biloxi and Tunica offered me $35 rooms and in between I might hit some poker room rates like Paragon in Louisiana where $80 rooms went to $19 when you played a few hours of poker. On that trip my goal was to average $40 or below for the entire trip including a stay in Hannibal Missouri that was not gambling but a search for Mark Twain.

I had saved enough on the van here in Florida to pay for that entire trip.

When I used to play 10/7 DB, I'd use that to give me a good edge with free rooms in Vegas. Also chasing that pay table meant staying downtown and finding all those frugal deals there. The Orleans was good too in those days. Or Laughlin. I used to be able to do a half month for an average room expense of $12 a night.

Now with my focus on live poker that strategy has flip flopped. I want to be closer to tables of tourists. And perhaps I want to schedule my trips at times other than my traditional August and December (cheap Vegas rates), so I am not so likely to get stuck at tables filled with just the daily regulars.

I am trying that in April where I have booked 16 nights for an average of $32 even with two weekends and the National Broadcaster's Convention. I have a weekend at Vegas Club for just $29 and the ACG coupon at El Cortez for $30 for two.
The most upscale is Flamingo. My Harrah's poker managed two free nights there. I have not stayed in a strip place for five days before. I've only bunked in with friends when they had free rooms.

As for the room itself, it never matters as long as it is clean. I am alone, rarely in the room, and an old camper. So hot water and a bed off the ground seems luxury. Actually, in Akwesasne, far North in NY, I once slept in a TeePee at SitnBull's Indian place. That was a bit too frugal even for me, but I had to try it. In the morning the mosquitoes would swarm in the hole in the top, so I was always up early bass fishing in the back while waiting to head to the casino.

Last trip I did like a couple nights at Eastside Cannery with two walls of windows. It was very delicious. And perhaps I'll get addicted to more upscale lodging, but it has to make economic sense. If I save $20 a night over 16 nights in Vegas, I have $320 more with which to gamble. I'd rather have that than a good room.

Most folks go for a few nights and so their bankroll is larger. Many people could not manage Vegas for 16 nights. I do that to stretch my SW Rapid Rewards free flight into more nights in Vegas.

However, the live poker drives me in other directions. I need a close bed so I can nap in the afternoons and play through the early mornings. I need to be where the tourists who say "It's only money" are playing because their bets make pots large enough to overcome the rake. That puts me more center strip. I'm calculating that in April, whether I win or lose, the size of the pots will offset the extra $20 a night for rooms. I'll manage to win $20 more or lose $20 less each day.

It took me a while to begin to nail down how Atlantic City works. It is easy to get advice on how it works for well bankrolled players who either get comped rooms or expect to get them comped on their play at exit. I am neither. The best poker rate I found was $59 for five hours. That can be a tough price if the players are tough players. So the $27 rooms at the Irish Pub seem a good deal. Perhaps the Harrah's deals will be better, however the Irish Pub only offers rooms during the warm season when rooms at AC are pretty high.

The walking I want to do anyway. I'll need to find a game close to the room for very late night/early morning, but in the daylight, the walking is my excercise to make up for sitting 10 hours. Walking gives me permission to eat. And that Irish Pub as I remember it had some good food at cheap prices. A good cheap breakfast right where I stay will get me going. Maybe there will be some food comps at the poker table, but as I remember, it was nothing like food in Vegas. What is the AC equivalent of Feel Good Soup at the old Henderson Fiesta?

Well, thanks for taking an interest in these posts Stungazed. I have always enjoyed your posts and information. Sorry if I rambled too long, but if you figure any down and frugal deals for a fellow who pays for the rooms, I'd be interested.

Re: Thinking Atlantic City solo on the cheap.

Originally posted by dewey089 View Post

So I am least considering an Atlantic City trip if I get too much rain for good fishing in May. Seems a good time to try out a trip on the dirt cheap.

The Irish Pub starts renting in April, but they might not have last minute opportunities. The cheapest rooms have shared showers and no air conditioning for $27. I could drop off my luggage and then go park at a Casino where I can pay $5 going in and just never move my car.

By the way, if you are interesting in AC and not reading this blog, you are missing some good stuff.

Atlantic City Casinos Blog - Blog about Atlantic City, Casinos and Gambling. Read our current events and up to date news about Atlantic City.

Dewey,
Don't take this as an insult because it's not meant to be but I really don't understand why you would insist on staying at the Irish Pub, even if it's $27 a night. I'm sure if you shop around and you're going during the week you can get a decent room rate at one of the casinos and have nice room with your own bathroom. I mean to park over at Bally's or Resorts and then to walk over to the Irish Pub to check in and go back to the casino and go and forth every time you want to go back to the room seems a bit much to save a few bucks!

I'm not sure where you play but if you have a Total Rewards card Room comps are pretty easy in Atlantic City at the Harrah's properties and I do well at Trump Plaza with minimal play.

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