HERE'S A COPY OF AN ARTICLE IN TODAY'S AC PRESS.

Sun, fun and 21
Trump Marina takes the action outdoors with blackjack tournament on The Deck
By ELAINE ROSE Staff Writer, (609) 272-7215, E-Mail

You've heard of swim-up roulette tables in Las Vegas pools. Now there's outdoor blackjack on The Deck at Trump Marina Hotel Casino.

It's not a regular game, but a tournament with play-money chips held weekends until Labor Day weekend. For Atlantic City, the outdoor game with a view is a first. People sitting at one of three tables can look up and see the bay and boats docked at the nearby marina.

On Friday, as live rock music blared from a stage and people crowded to watch the Miss Deck-adence bikini contest, a group of players tested their luck and skill at Atlantic City's first outdoor gaming venture.

One of them was Louie Cosenza of Somers Point, who came to The Deck with friends after a fishing trip and saw the tournament in progress. A regular blackjack player, he signed up. He lost all his "money," but wasn't complaining.

"For $20, how could you have so much fun?" Cosenza said.

James McGill of Carlstadt, Bergen County, was the first person to sign the registration list. He is a member of the band that was playing on The Deck, and he decided to do the tournament at break time.

"I never played blackjack outside before," McGill said. "Let me give it a shot. Let me get lucky on my birthday."

He finished with $850, not enough to get real cash for his efforts. But he was also happy.

"This is by far the most inventive thing they've done here," McGill said. "I had a great time, so that's all that matters."

As far as the play itself goes, it's the same-old, same-old. People buy in for $20 and get $3,000 in tournament chips. Play ends after 15 hands, and staff record how many chips each person has left. The top 10 scorers at the end of the session get a cash prize, which range from $1,000 for first place, $200 for second and $50 for third through tenth. The games continue all evening, and players can buy in again if they want.

But it's the setting that makes this game unique in Atlantic City.

"We wanted to bring the excitement of gaming to the excitement of The Deck," said Todd Moyer, senior vice president of marketing for Trump Marina.

Trump Marina wanted to hold the event last summer, but it was a yearlong process to get approval from the Casino Control Commission, Moyer said. A couple of other properties indicate they may soon follow suit.

There were a few technicalities to fix before the games could begin, Moyer said.

First there's the problem of wind. It can get pretty breezy out on the Deck, and the cards might blow right off the table. Solution: string piano wire across the table and dealers put the cards underneath to hold them in place.

Think you can add chips to your bet after you're dealt a good hand? After all, there are no security cameras out here. Guess again. A set of wires strung up over the playing area hold one small camera over each table and a larger one to survey the entire area. They also keep the gulls and pigeons away from the action.

Plenty of people showed up to play last weekend, and casino managers expect the numbers will increase as word gets around.

(The blackjack tournaments take place on the Deck at Trump Marina from 7 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Entry fee is $20, and includes a t-shirt. Players must be age 21 or older.)