TROPICANA

The Tropicana is the Rocky Balboa of casinos. It’s taken some shots that would floor any other casino, but it’s still on its feet and fighting. Here’s the plot in a nutshell: new owners came in and ran the place into the ground. Tales of bedbugs, garbage-filled hallways and demoralized staff abound. (Tropicana hits the mat.) Trop looses its gaming license and is now run by a trustee. (Trop gets a glove on the rope and starts to pull itself up.) Ownership is still uncertain, but the operations are back to normal. (Trop stands up just in time to beat the ten-count). The ongoing ownership issues are transparent if you visit the Trop these days. The staff is happier and the casino is humming. If you visit the Quarter on the weekends, you’ll see packed restaurants and clubs, happy people and smiling faces. In time, the Trop will end up walking away with a black eye and a good story. After all, the Trop will always be one of the better casinos in town - it just has too much going for it. The casino is supported by the Old Havana-themed Quarter, a great shopping and dining complex that has restaurants such as Cuba Libre, Carmine’s, P.F. Chang’s and Red Square. You can also find a bunch of great nightlife spots including Ri Ra Irish Pub, Planet Rose karaoke bar, the Comedy Stop, 32 Degree Lounge and the Providence dance club, which is quickly making waves in Atlantic City’s nightlife scene. On the boardwalk level you’ll find the Marketplace with restaurants like Hooters, Corky’s BBQ and the Firewaters bar. Table players are sure to find their fun as well with everything from traditional games like Blackjack, Craps, Roulette and Baccarat, to the newest trends like 3 Card Poker and Boston 5. Adding to the gambling excitement are the Tango Gaming Pit and Jade Palace, featuring all your favorite Asian-inspired games. The casino's Poker Room is notable, as a specially designed photo identification system is used to ensure that players receive the "comps" due them. Round it all out with Tropicana's Turf Club boasting more than 100 monitors showing races from every major track around the country. If you get stressed out going through all the options, you can relax at the bluemercury spa.