Borgata is nice and has the best restaurants, but it's all alone and not on the boardwalk. I know nothing about it's poker room. If you only want to stay in one hotel I guess that's fine. For anything on the boardwalk, you would need to grab a taxi or the bus thingy.
The best poker rooms, imho are at Tropicana and the Taj. They have a couple tourneys a day usually if you are into that and lots of choices for other games and they are usually the busiest.
I know both also comp poker players and if you play the higher stake games it might help you get a cheaper or even free room. Trop usually puts the poker players in their newer west tower. Basic rooms, nothing fancy. Plus you can get food for the comps at the table.
Taj has another benefit. They have a bar located on the casino floor that still allows cigar smoking! No ****. I've been there with a couple botl to play poker and we go there to sit back, drink and enjoy a cigar or two. I think for some reason in was grandfathered in, or Trump blew someone, but last time I was there you could still smoke. One big plus.
As far as room rates go, I can't help really as I don't pay, so you'll have to check that out yourself.
