Originally Posted by dave7613

What is the official comp rate? I play 2/5 and know I'm getting $1/hr even though every person keeps saying it's $.70/hr. Is 5/10 NL any higher? At Parx you get $2/hr comp rate at 5/10NL and higher.

Originally Posted by layemdown

Finally my visit and TR to the Sands.

I rolled my car into the Sands and couldn’t help but be impressed with the look of the place. Using a “steel city era” theme and quite likely renovating part of the actual old steel mill, the management has transformed the property into a first class hotel/casino. I remember the days after Bethlehem steel closed operations when it seemed like the only thing missing in Bethlehem were tumbleweeds. It was a ghost town without any spirits. An area only comparable to Detroit has been transformed into a first class casino while still maintaining the theme of the old boom town days.

Everything is new; the garage had a safe feel to in. Glass elevators dropped my off at the front entrance were they were paging the owner of the “Red Lamborghini” at the valet lot. Not mine unfortunately. The Sands is a really nice setting, tastefully hyped and suitably happy.


The poker room was easy to find, but it’s not as much a poker room as a poker area. The space is surrounded by other table games, slot machines and electronic black jack. Like some Vegas rooms, it’s not a quiet area. Dealers have 2K in their tray, but I was sent on a mission to get chips at the cage around the corner before they would seat me. Once chipped in, you can rebuy at the table. Pretty good dealers and floor staff, though the floor spent most of their time at the desk talking to one another….. Fine by me as we didn’t call for them. On a Tuesday afternoon/night, the Sands had (7) 1-2 NL,
(2) 2-5 and (1) 5-5 NLHE and 1 or (2) 3-6 LHE. The players were nitty or “not good” at my table except one LAG player to my right, where I wanted him. I asked a dealer what the comp rate was and he told me he “thought it was .70 an hour, but it fluctuates”. How could it fluctuate? You’d think he’d know exactly what it is. I got a card anyway, swiped into the bravo system and played almost 3 hours. I used my card for part of the buffet price and received a whopping $1.10 off the bill. I have no idea what the comp rate really is, but my math worked it out to .40 hr. The rake is 5 plus 1 and their BBJ is any quads beaten and well over $250,000 now. If you’re at the Sands, you might skip the limited buffet in favor of one of the many other restaurants and food court in the place. I wish I had.

I was impressed with the room, but did notice a smoker or two just outside the rail, but I never smelled anything. I had fun, won a modest amount and will surely go back. The only down side was all that noise and no place to escape to when my boss called me on the phone. I didn’t want to explain my poker needs at 5 PM so I ignored that call. I hate it when I can’t get away when a customer/boss or associate rings me. I need a door outside without music to talk sometimes.

I counted 22 tables in the room, though I may be off. No tournaments yet, but I was told they’d start in February.

Nice place. I like it.

Originally Posted by ShipThatIsh

Anyone grinding?

Originally Posted by Mike_The_Mad

errday

Originally Posted by ShipThatIsh

You here? What are you playing?

Originally Posted by layemdown

though the floor spent most of their time at the desk talking to one another

Originally Posted by cockpit

Great report/summary, layemdown.

As for the staff sitting and standing around the podium...many of them came together from the AC Showboat to Sands and brought some of their bad habits with them. It was a problem at the Showboat then and generated a lot of discussion on 2+2 (it has since been largely corrected under new management) and is one now at Sands.

Originally Posted by ShipThatIsh

when i left last night at 11pm the waiting list for 1/2 was about 50 people long and about 30 people long for 2/5

lol