Forty Boats in for Atlantic City Poker Run, Real Housewives Out

According to Dave Patnaude, the president of the New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club, 40 boats are registered for the Atlantic City Poker Run this Friday, June 24. The event is limited to 50 boats.

“It’s only Monday, so I think we’ll end up in the mid-40s, maybe even 50, with our boat count,” said Patnaude. “Marine Unlimited (of Mt. Laurel, N.J.) actually has 11 of its own customers coming.

“Ian Hawkins from Ilmor Marine (NJPPC’s title sponsor this year) and Randy Garcia of Cobra Power will be here,” he added.

The couples from “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” however, will not. A proposed plan for the husbands to ride in one boat and the wives to ride in another during the run for an upcoming episode of the popular reality show fell apart this weekend.

“I met with the producer on Saturday night, and it would have been unrealistic for us to try to do what they wanted us to do,” said Patnaude. “We would have had to change our entire schedule to suit their production needs, and we just couldn’t do that.”

According to Patnaude, ongoing renovation of the former Trump Marina—the host facility for the poker and its Friday evening banquet—by new owner The Golden Nugget is extensive. The sale closed in May, and the Harbor View restaurant has already been replaced by a Charthouse restaurant. The well-known Wave nightclub has been upgraded and renamed The Redroom, and two “contemporary-style” lounges have been added to the casino floor.