This Spring, the ATLARGE group (a subset of the BARGE group) will be celebrating 30 years of fun get togethers, tournaments, and ridiculous pink chip games. The group has varied in size over the years, but I’d say there will probably be 70-80 people showing up for what will likely be a ToC (Tournament of Champions format of Hold’em, Omaha 8, and Stud), a NLHE tournament, and some variation of an Omaha tournament.

My Personal ATLARGE History

I remember when I attended my first ATLARGE. It was in the Spring of 2009 and it was held at the Taj (RIP). I happen to know the year specifically not because I cashed anything and it is recorded in Hendon Mob but because my then wife and I were recovering from a miscarriage and trying again for our one-and-done. Little did I know that my pitseleh was already baking on board and would change my life forever late that same year.

While I was hanging out in Atlantic City, I got word from my best friend that he and his wife were pregnant with triplets! 2009 was a crazy year for me as I was also considering quitting my corporate job and starting a new business, I just hadn’t figured out what it would be yet and a few months later I got laid off “thanks to the economy” so the decision was made for me.

So there I was, a 34-year-old guy with a mostly freshly minted bachelor’s degree thanks to a 13-year lack of direction and floating through life like a leaf on the wind. I had a mortgage, a wife, and was trying for that one-and-done and at the same time, I had a growing passion for poker.

I’m not ashamed to say I was influenced by the Moneymaker Effect. One of my friends began hosting home games after Moneymaker’s win. I played in my first home game tournament because of him (and made my first Royal Flush that night, which led to me winning the tournament). After that, I got hooked on this crazy card game that allows you to make money!

I attended BARGE for the first time in 2007 and decided this was a thing I would never miss. By 2009, Goldie — the organizer of ATLARGE — basically said I have no more excuses for not attending ATLARGE since it is on the East Coast, just like me.

Atlantic City or Bust

It turns out that Atlantic City is not all that easy to get to if you’re from outside the Northeast. That first time I attended, I flew from South Carolina to Charlotte, then to Philadelphia. I took a train from the airport to the train station, then switched to another train to take me to Atlantic City. Finally, I was able to take a Jitney (a short bus) from the train station to the Taj. All told I think it took longer than for me to fly to Vegas! 🙂

Since then, I’ve mostly kept that same kind of route, though I do experiment occasionally to see what’s better. A few years ago, I took Amtrak up the coast to Philly and then transferred to Atlantic City. One year, I drove. Sometimes, I fly into Philly and catch a ride with a friend. There are no direct routes, but the journey is always part of the adventure.

This year, I’m going to be flying into Philly and then taking the American Airlines bus from the Philly airport to Atlantic City. That’s right — American Airlines runs a direct bus from PHL to ACY! It even gets a flight number, but you are riding a bus.

It’s Not the Stakes; It’s the Experience

Getting back to my 2009 ATLARGE experience, I busted out of the poker tournaments early and had a very limited bankroll. It was around Saturday evening that I was basically moping around on the periphery of the poker room, not playing, just hanging out. A friend of mine named Alex told me to get over myself and sit in the pink chip game and have some fun. “How much is it?” I asked. “Blinds are $7.50/$15. It’s a great game!” He said.

I had never played that high. I was a $2/4 or $3/6 guy and mostly just Hold’em up until then. Alex told me he would take half of my action if I would just sit in the game. How could I refuse?

Let me tell you… that was an amazing game! We ended up sitting next to each other. I think I had position on Alex, which was awesome because not only was he bankrolling half my action, but I could raise him with his own money! Many folks who sat in that game were acquaintance-friends but several of them would go on over the years to become extremely close to the point that even now I talk with them every day. However, that night I don’t think they were finding me endearing.

Alex would raise or 3-bet. I would re-raise and these folks would be sitting in good position with good cards and inevitably either Alex or I would win at showdown with some garbage because we weren’t just aggressive but also got lucky!

More than one frustrated player called me an a—hole that night, but I didn’t take offense. Instead, I just clapped with unabashed glee and gave them my biggest dumbest grin and collected pot after pot. Thank you Sir, I’ll have another! Don’t get the wrong idea… there are truly no hard feelings in the ARG community. Maybe you bad beat someone and it annoys them, but 5 minutes later they will invite you out for a meal or a cocktail.

At the end of that first trip, I was probably down a little or breakeven, which for me was a win. I had a great time and met so many new people who really were there to not just play competitively but to enjoy themselves. No hats and sunglasses, just smiles and friendly verbal jabs.

ATLARGE 2026 DATES

Come on out to ATLARGE 2026, taking place from April 17-19 and experience it all for yourself. We will be at the Borgata poker room. You should register in advance at https://atlargepoker.com. Registering gets you a name badge (makes it so much easier than having to remember everyone’s name) and the ability to play in our tournaments. Goldie will probably give you a card protector, too! If the website hasn’t been updated for 2026 by time you read this then check back shortly. This is a one-man not-for-profit show, so give Organizer Goldie some grace.