ESCAPE KEYS

Atlantic City

GETTING THERE: Atlantic City is about 175 miles northeast of Washington, or 3 1/2 hours by car. Take Interstate 95 north to the New Jersey Turnpike, then Route 40 east to the Atlantic City Expressway east. Most of the casinos are along the boardwalk.

POKER LESSONS: Resorts Atlantic City (1133 Boardwalk, 800-336-6378, http://www.resortsac.com) has Texas Hold 'Em clinics at 2 and 8 p.m. daily. Also, ask nicely during slow times and a floor manager might pair you with a dealer for a quick tutorial. At Trump Taj Mahal (1000 Boardwalk at Virginia Avenue, 609-449-1000, http://www.trumptaj.com), visitors can go to the poker room and ask for a free lesson. If you're really serious, the World Poker Tour (866-978-2668, http://www.wptbootcamp.com) organizes two-day poker boot camps around the country; the Borgata will host one March 14-15. Cost is $1,695.

PLAYING THERE: The casinos' poker rooms vary little, except in size -- the one at Resorts Atlantic City is small; Taj's is enormous. Novices should start at tables where the bids are limited at $2-$4 or $3-$6. When you feel more confident, try your hand at a no-limit game, where the bids -- and wins and losses -- can go sky-high. The games are held 24-7.

TOURNAMENTS: Anyone can enroll in a tournament, no experience required. The casinos feature scheduled tournaments as well as ongoing ones called Sit and Go, which are ideal for beginners. Sign up at the front desk of the poker room and the house will place you at the next available table. When there are enough players, the dealer will start the game. Borgata (1 Borgata Way, 866-692-6742, http://www.theborgata.com) has set competitions daily, one in the morning and one at night. Players "buy-in" for a stack of chips (e.g., $50 for the Sunday morning tournament at Borgata) plus an entry fee ($10).

INFO: Atlantic City Convention and Visitor's Authority, 888-228-4748, http://www.atlanticcitynj.com.