Feb 16, 2015  Atlantic City’s bankrupt Trump Taj Mahal casino closed its iconic poker room on Sunday, but the CEO of the casino’s parent company said that it will reopen in July, the Associated Press reported.

[toc]The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City will close its doors early on Monday, Oct. 10. It will leave the seaside gambling town with

Visiting The Taj Mahal

justseven brick-and-mortar casinos.

Gamblers who currently have casino chips from the property can redeem them there for two hours after the gambling ceases, the casino said on its Facebook page.

The Trump Taj Mahal’s cage will be open until8 a.m. on Oct 10.

Closing timeline for Trump Taj Majal

Though Trump Taj Mahal casino chips won’tbecome worthless after Oct. 10, here’s a brief look at the schedule for this upcoming weekend for poker players looking to prepare:

• All register hotel guests must check out by noon on Sunday, Oct. 9.
• Comp dollars can be redeemed until 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 9.
• Gaming vouchers and casino chips can be redeemed at the casino until 8 a.m. on Monday, Oct 10. After that point, you can redeem them at Tropicana Atlantic City.
• The property will close and cease casino and hotel operations on Oct. 10 at 5:59 a.m.
• Self-parking will end at 5:59 a.m. on Oct. 10, and cars can be retrieved until 5 p.m. on Oct. 10.
• The valet entrance closes at 5:59 a.m. on Oct. 10, and cars can be retrieved until 1 p.m. on Oct. 10.
• All promotional offers with valid dates after 5:59 a.m. on Oct. 10 are canceled and invalid.

Why is the casino shutting down?

Despite gaming win falling significantly, the casino’s owner, billionaire Carl Icahn, said that the casino can’t be profitable without cutting its labor costs. The labor union fought back and with no resolution, Icahn moved to close the facility.

Icahn acquired the casino through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2016 for roughly $300 million. At the time, he said he was “confident” he could turn around the casino’s business.

Taj Mahal Albuquerque

Trump Taj Mahal gaming win in 2016

According to figures from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the casino won $116.5 million from gamblers through the first eight months of this year. That was a 7.9 percent decline compared to the same period a year prior.

The casino was the worst performing in Atlantic City. It wasn’t involved with regulated NJ online gambling.

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The poker room

The casino closed its storied poker room in February 2015. It reopened with 24 tables (down from 48 in the past) in May 2016 and raked $112,000 for the month.

In January 2015, the last full month the poker room was open prior to reopening this year, rake was $178,000. Trump Taj Mahal poker revenue fell to $80,000 in August.

The casino originally planned to reopen the room just months after it closed, but it took over a year for it to do so.

Golden Nugget NJ had poker revenue of $75,000 in August (the least among the city’s poker rooms), but it had just 10 tables.

Citywide, poker revenue (both live and online) was $4.52 million in August. About $2.35 million came from live poker, while $2.17 million came from internet poker.

The Trump Taj Mahal’s poker room was once a decent draw for the property. It raked $3.57 million in 2014, the last full year it was in business. That put it in fourth behind Borgata ($19.87 million), Bally’s ($4.4 million) and Harrah’s ($3.8 million).

At this point, its second closing will have a negligible effect on the Garden State poker market.

Image credit: Paul Dempsey / Shutterstock.com

The Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City has what is surely the busiest, the biggest, and the most bustling poker room on the Atlantic City boardwalk. The Borgata, off the boardwalk by a mile or so, may have more tables and be physically larger than the Taj, but the Taj seems to have more action because of all of the players, crowded together in noisy chaos.

Taj Mahal India Closing

It also has the distinction, in my opinion, of being the dirtiest, the most disorganized, the loudest, and the messiest room in Atlantic City. But for the serious poker player these are near irrelevancies. This is the place for poker action – especially stud action.

Taj Mahal India

I'm a stud player. Outside of Foxwoods, my home casino in Ledyard, Connecticut, there is no place for stud action like the Taj. When I was there early on Saturday evening, they had about fifteen stud games going, not counting low spread-limit games. There were spreading the following limits: $5/10, $10/20, $20/40, $40/80, and $80/160. The $5/10, $10/20, and $20/40 games had a few tables at each level as well while I was there – allowing for some game selection. Though I had been told that the bigger games tended to be at the Borgata, I was also told by some regular players that later that night they would have a $150/300, a $200/400, and a $300/600 game. They also had a $3/6—$15/30 'two-way' Stud-8 and Omaha-8 half-and-half game (30 minutes of each game, alternating) and a full compliment of low-limit hold'em. I also noticed $1/2, $2/5 and $5/10 no-limit.

In my mind, the Taj more than compensates for its somewhat seedy reputation with great comps that range from $1 an hour on the lowest stakes tables to $2 and $3 an hour on the bigger games. My $20/40 game was comped at a little better than $2 an hour (I was quoted $2.17 by one dealer and $2.25 by another). There are nearby eateries for spending these comps as well. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner consisting of an oversized chicken with rice noodle soup and kim chi for about $14.

Taj Mahal Facts

Though there is the allure of action that comes from so many tables and so many players, I have found the mid-limit stud games to be relatively tough. I've played $20/40 stud a few times and the $15/30 mixed game as well. There are always at least three or four excellent players in these games – and rarely the awful fish that I've seen at Foxwoods. That's not to say that a good player can't profit in these tough Taj games. I managed to win $277 during my four hours of play there during my last visit. But they tend to be games with at least a few tight/aggressive players and a couple of loose/aggressive players – meaning that you have to be willing to ride the roller coaster.

The $10/20 games, on the other hand, judging from my limited experience, tend to be very rocky affairs indeed.

The $20/40 game is a timed game. Players pay $7 a half — $3 a half if the game is short. The lower-staked games are raked at 10% with a $4 max. There may have been a bad beat jackpot but, frankly, I didn't ask about it – so intent was I on my stud play while I was there.

There are also tournaments regularly. My advice is to call first to find out the latest schedule, as it tends to change regularly. The Taj is also the site of the annual United States Poker Championship. It has, in the past, been a national ESPN event – and it is one of the few big tournaments that still has at least one stud event.

If you're a serious poker player, this is a place you must visit while in Atlantic City. With so many other rooms to choose from, that's high praise indeed.

Trump Taj Mahal
1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 449-1000

Taj Mahal Virtual Tour

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