I was just wondering if there are any 2+2ers out there playing here and what you think of the 2 additional tables that are coming April 1, 10.

I've played there several times in the last month and the action is pretty good and the players are pretty bad. Dealers are not terrible although the floor and house rules are.

Ex: Last night a ruling was made that you can only raise 3 times. so if some one opens for 10 and you make it 25 and someone else raises, that is the last raise, no matter the amount. Crazy I know.

I'm not really looking to discuss this ruling, just an example.

Supposedly there is going to be a "Feature" game once the new tables are in, but I see it only being 1/2.

Any thoughts?

What is going to be so special / different at the "feature" game from everything else going on ?

LoL at a "feature" table. And ohhhhhhhhhhh ahhhhhhhhhhh my, they are adding 2 more tables to a 3 table room. I see absolutely nothing changing here. They used to offer one of the best 2/5 games I have ever played in, but once they introduced the 1/2NL game, it killed the 2/5 action.

This room is pathetic for what it offers to the players. No comps, high rake, slow dealers, long wait lists, and (apparently) poor floor / rulings. The room is also tucked away into a tiny corner in the back of the casino.

However, The extremely poor quality of play (and closeness to my house) keeps bringing me back. I mean, the regulars here (who all think they are hot ****) are just as bad if not worse than the fish. I have some funny stories about the regs there, but lets just say that they are reallly bad and leave it at that.

Isn't the rake up to $8?

Maybe it'll go up for the privilege of sitting at the feature table?

Rake is still at $6. They have asked for a BBJ but it has to be approved.

I thnk also a comp is coming too. It looks like they are trying to make it better. And its 10 mins from my house and my home game is kinda dry right now.

It can only get better. I heard most of the 2/5 players are at the horseshoe and it was a crooked game anyway. not enough turnover, although i loved playing friday and saturday nights.

I'm hoping for a 10/20 Omaha 8 feature game or a 1/2 PLO feature, but we'll see.

That's a pretty serious accusation. Do you have some sort of hard evidence to back it up?

Just heard some guys would chop up their winnings.

They plan on bringing back 2-5 when the new tables are added in April. Every time I have played there the games have been soft with a lot of locals playing. I know many regular players there and find it surprising to hear the games are crooked. With only three tables the poker room managers do an excellent job staying on top of issues.

When will the "addition" be complete?

They say April 1.

the play is so rediculously bad you wont believe it........... 2 more tables being added lol.

"Rediculosly bad" is purely subjective and depends on time of day, and what day, just like other places. Some of those games, can be tight, to the point of absurdity. I just cannot take the corner, in which the room is located. That is the second time, that joint has placed poker in a bizarre corner type spot. Then, there is the issue of table construction, with no leg room, beneath the tables. I use Empress as a short craps vacation, to get out of Chicago, for a few hours.

Is the game a 200max or 100max buy-in? I usually play at the Majestic Star, but the Empress is currently only 20 minutes away from where I'm staying for a bit, so I'm just curious.

The 1-2 max buy-in is $200.

Thanks for the response, and the rake is 10%/$6 max or $6/half hour?

10%/$6 max

HMM.. so $6 rake with bad players, soon to be 5 tables with a bbj coming and eventual comps too. I think this will be my home base for a while.
and a feature game..wtf? lol

5 tables open today with comps, will be heading up there later tonight

Saturday Empress had five 1-2 NLH games going. On Tuesdays and Thursdays they plan to start running 2-5 NLH games starting at 12:30 pm. Also the poker room managers are hoping to start running 10-20 and 20-40 limit games again. It is my opinion that this is the best run poker room in Illinois. The rake is still reasonable at $6.

The poker room now has .50 an hour food comps for 1-2. They will offer a higher comp rate for higher limits.

Do you really think a $6 per hour rake is reasonable? That is somewhere between $150 to $200 and hour leaving the table.

For an Illinois casino, it's probably the best we could ask for. Obviously there are charity rooms where you can get a $5 rake, but for a casino in Illinois, $6 is far better than the $8+1(bbj) at Hollywood.

Bluesdog compare Empress’s 1-2 rake with Hollywood and Grand Victoria. After you do that than see who offers the best comps. Than after you do that let us know what Illinois casino in the Chicago area is best.

All the rakes at IL casinos and charity games are too high. You can't beat a 1/2 game with even a $5 rake (plus $1 per hand tip). Anyone who thinks they can doesn't keep track of their wins/losses. Over say 100 sessions which is really a small sample no matter how good you think you are and how bad you think the other players are you will not come out ahead. These casinos and Grand Vic is the worse keep spreading games with outragous rakes and people like you just go there and play and make silly comments like it is reasonable or it's the best we can hope for. You desrve to lose.

You're dangerously close to personal attack / trolling territory here.

Why do you think it's a good idea to flame other users on this board for expressing their opinions? Just because you disagree with them? If you really hope to change something, you're going to have to organize a boycott or talk to management and give them some solid research on how lowering their rake will help them raise their profits. Flaming another user isn't part and parcel of either of those things.

How does what you quoted even come close to a personal attack or trolling?! He's just pointing out the obvious.

The more people that let these greedy casinos take advantage of them, the more they will, and the worse it will be for poker in Illinois. I agree these rooms should be boycotted.