What a great setting for a poker room, just off the Boardwalk in Atlantic City and right next to valet parking! That's where you will find Tom Gitto, the Director of Poker for the Trump Taj Mahal. Gitto is a 26-year veteran of the Atlantic City casinos. He got his start where it all began: Resorts International, where he served 10 years. Then when the Taj Mahal opened, he walked across the street, supervising all games until 1993.

"I started as a dealer," Gitto explained, "and then I moved on to supervise all games. I have dealt to some of the highest limit players in the world," he added. In 1993 when poker was legalized in Atlantic City, no one had any experience with the game. "So the Taj hired a management team from out West to teach everyone here the game," Gitto explained. "I then transferred over to the poker department, and they liked my work; so I kept moving up to where I am today."

Gitto, an energetic 46, was born and raised in Atlantic City. His parents, too, were born there, and he still lives on the same street where he grew up. "I love Atlantic City," Gitto explained.

"I know the game is growing," Gitto observed, "because I go so many calls and e-mails every day from players who want to get into the game. Many want to know how old you have to be to play poker in New Jersey. The answer is: 21 years old."

The Taj poker room, with 70 tables, was built in an area designated as a pre-function room for the Ettes Arena. "There's a lot of history here," Gitto said, "lots of stars played the room, before the poker tables were put in place." Now the room is being redesigned with a $2,000,000 facelift that will also provide more room between the tables.

According to Gitto, this is just the latest step in a never-ending process of tweaking.

The best comps in town are offered at the Trump, Gitto said, pointing to the legendary Taj restaurants and events. "Plus we have two fabulous players' clubs for our most loyal customers, which are surrounded by big-screen TVs," he added. The Bengal Club and the President's Club offer buffets with open bars, "a great place for our loyal players to enjoy a snack, beverage and dessert," Gitto said. "The players can use the clubs as often as they want," he pointed out, "and they're a good place to cool off or cool down."

The Taj selects its dealers from local schools, Gitto said. "They take an audition, and if they pass, we send them through an orientation program where the entire focus is on customer service."

The Taj Atlantic City is the only place on the East Coast to where you can always find midlimit stud, outside of Foxwoods. "We deal 85% hold'em," Gitto said, "and the rest is stud. We deal all the games," he added, "with no-limit the most popular. We also run three tournaments a day, seven days a week, plus an Omaha h/l event on Fridays at 3 PM."

Gitto is rightly proud of his innovative poker room. "The Taj," he points out, "was the first poker room anywhere to go non-smoking as well as to offer six-handed maximum hold'em games. This game," he continued, "is offered to limit and no-limit hold'em players only. These games are very popular online, and now we offer them here at the Taj. A lot of players are very excited about this game," he added, "because they prefer to play shorthanded." The idea, he explained, came from Joe Moon and Mike Suconick, famous players in this area who are not seen very much on TV because they mainly play cash games.

"At the Taj, we run two major poker events per year," Gitto explained.

"The first is the U.S. Poker Champtionship. That will finish October 7 and air on ESPN in December. ESPN started with a one-hour show, but last year they expanded to 12 one-hour shows, and this year they want to do the same."

"The other major event we hold is the Trump Classic," he added, "which begins on the first Monday after Thanksgiving and finishes with a 5K event on Dec. 16-17."