* For those who don’t know, the Sands AC was demolished after beeing sold to a company called Pinnacle.  They were to build a new mega-casino but these geniuses ran ot of money.  On the spot now stands a blighted vacant lot!

I loved the Sands and played craps there often.  Here are five reasons why:

5. It had that “old time Vegas” feel.
4. It was small and intimate and people knew each other.
3. Craps dealers were friendly and very experienced.
2. The “Geator with the Heater” Jerry Blavat, spun oldies on Friday nights in the summer at the downstairs bar.
1. I once made $1500 in 35 minutes at a very hot table while swaying to the Geator’s tunes.

Cheers,

Bojangles

Sands is where I had my first “big” win ($500 is a lot of money to a college student.)  It’s also the first place I ever counted cards playing blackjack.  But for whatever reason, I seldom played there and it was the only place in AC where I never bothered signing up for a player’s card.  When they had that moving sidewalk tube, I always seemed to take it to Claridge.

Mr 7-11:

I remember the magic carpet people mover from the boardwalk to Sands & Claridge very well.  The challenge was getting from Sands back to the Claridge using those hidden stairs.  Do you remember them?

Also I loved the Claridge when they had 3 or 4 floors of gambling, with craps at the bottem.  Now they have just one craps table tucked back in a section called “The Ridge” and it’s only opened on weekends.  Kina of sad really.  Still miss the Sands!