Hello all, been a long time player at Foxwoods but never thought to look up a discussion until now. Could have something to do with becoming unemployed and thus having more time/commitment to playing.
I'm fortunate in that I live just outside Hartford now, so the trip is not too long. I've been playing at the Woods since 2001, starting out at 4/8 Holdem and eventually getting involved with 1/2 NL.
That is where I have stayed with the exception of the occasional 4/8 Omaha game. I was about to move up to 2/5 right before they increased the max buyin for 1/2 and just decided to stick with what I knew. It's worked out pretty well, and if you've played or checked out the 1/2 tables consistently you've probably seen me. The only real defining characteristic is my dark beard and the fact that I like to bring my Oakley Thump glasses (the ones with the headphones). I also like to talk to the dealers a lot (especially the cute ones). Now that the introduction is taken care of...
The last couple of weeks I've been there roughly between 1am and 3am and staying until whenever. I prefer this simply because there is no list, a lot of my favorite dealers/floors work swing, and I am usually there while my family is sleeping rather than missing time with them. (Sleep while my daughters are in school, wife is in work) If you happen to notice me, feel free to say "hey". I can often come off as being quiet or not wanting to talk at the table (sometimes exact opposite and been asked to shut up), but all I really need is someone else to start talking.
As to the actual purpose of my posting, I had a question for you all. Fairly recently (couple months maybe?) they instituted a new policy regarding called hands. Now when a hand makes it to showdown only the winning hand MUST be shown. In other words, if I call a bluff and the player wants to muck, the dealer won't show it even if specifically asked. This to me is mostly about etiquette; I am the kind of guy who if you call my bluff I will usually show first or at the very least tell you what I have in a general sense (ie "Ace high"). You paid for that right, and I'll show.
But the real killer to me is that after the bluffer mucks you are forced to show your hand to claim the pot. It seems to be redundant if the other player has already mucked, I obviously have the winning hand, I am the only one with cards! Furthermore, you are forced to expose your play to the entire table, while the bluffer gets off showing nothing despite being the one who bet last. Obviously we know he/she bluffed, but I handle people who semi-bluff on draws a LOT differently from how I handle people who fire three bullets on air.
It just seems a bit uneven to me. It should be one or the other. If the winner must expose then they should have the right to force the bluffer to expose. If the bluffer is allowed to muck, the winner should be able to take it down with no cards up. I realize they may be trying to protect against teams by forcing the winner to show, but again, force the bluffer to show and I am fine with this.
Opinions?