There won't be any tournaments until they can hire cashiers to register players and dealers to deal.
Many people, especially lower paid people, would rather sit at home and collect unemployment than work.

FTFY


Speculating on the potential of tourneys is kind of pointless until after Labor Day, which is when the federal unemployment ends. Then let’s see how many dealers come back. This has been problematic for Parx as well, which pre pandemic used to have 40+ tables going many days, they basically never get above low to mid 30s right now, so we shall see

It's very in vogue right now to blame this on laziness and higher unemployment payouts, but I think that's a small part of the problem and that it goes way beyond that. I'm Facebook friends with maybe 15-20 dealers, and among them... One started a business and isn't going back, one expanded a side business and made it full-time and isn't going back, three became realtors and aren't going back, and one left the east coast for a poker market that re-opened sooner.

Small sample, but if it's at all representative, that's a big chunk of the workforce that is not coming back and it's not due to the expanded unemployment. Hopefully poker room managers aren't just sitting back waiting for Labor Day as if the end of this expanded unemployment is going to be the silver bullet for this problem.

Meanwhile, rake/time went up during the pandemic almost everywhere in some form or fashion and tons of player equity in comps/rewards was nuked almost everywhere (both previously earned and currently given, depending on the casino chain). So it seems like they should be operating at a higher profit margin now than before, and thus should be equipped to go hire and train more new dealers/servers... We'll see if that actually happens, though.

There are/were many people trying to get out of the casino business. This could be what got some out. Nevermind the fact they keep opening new casinos in relatively close areas which spreads them out even thinner, notably a recent one in Philadelphia.

If poker room and table games directors think there's a trove of dealers to be found in September, they're likely going to be disappointed (outside of the Bethlehem was area since poker didn't open yet)

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Also, they are only even hiring part time casual poker dealers (not sure what the casual thing means). Shocking they can't find anyone. /s

Prediction: borgata will be short staffed until business slows down in the fall.

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I liked the 2-5 NLH game at Borgata about fifty times as much as I like it now when it was $5 per half hour time charge!

sure but i said i'd be surprised if they NEVER got tournaments again

You had it good as time rake for 2/5 is obv an anomaly. Are they keeping the 2/5 fewer than 10 handed going forward?

The games are 8 handed now. The maximum rake is now the cost of 1 full big blind ($5).

They don't seem to have an trouble finding dealers for tournaments in Vegas!
The Venetian & The Wynn just had two very large ones....

It's a bit of a joke that they don't allow call-ins for the wait lists yet.

lmao wow i assumed they did by now

are you allowed to wait in the room and do they announce names or is it still text only?

Yesterday security was asking people that were sitting at empty tables to leave the room. Some games get announced but most are text only.

anyone see MGM as China and Borgata as Hong Kong?

At the rate things are run (into the ground), Borgata might become the next Taj Mahal

I went up to the podium yesterday and asked politely “Does my poker play still impact my future room offers?” The shift boss responded, “It should it’s just taking a long time to get the tier credits updated. Once we get that straightened out your room offers should return to normal.”

Not sure if that’s true, I see my tier credits go up in my account leas than a week after playing but still not seeing room offers pop up :/

I think he meant that they aren’t allowing people to phone call in to be placed on the wait list like they do at Parx.

Not sure if that’s true, I see my tier credits go up in my account leas than a week after playing but still not seeing room offers pop up :/


I'm pretty sure room offers are based on tier credits, so the fact that they are being updated slower than previously plays a part but MGM/Borgata seems to be giving out rooms way less freely than pre Covid.

I still haven’t gotten my tier credits updated since my play at the room from 2 weekends ago. So frustrating.

Any word on when tournaments might be coming back?

Excellent grunch.

My tier credits haven’t been updated with pay from Memorial Day despite me having them move the Express Comps over manually.

Yes, that's what I meant. All the Philly area rooms and MD Live have always allowed 1 hour call-ins since reopening. Used to be able to call while driving in and hop into games much faster...

You can still do text or email notification once you get on the list in person.

On the plus side, my room availability is actually pretty good for July.

Question: If my friend books a room (not comp) and puts my name on the room, can I check in and check out without my friend? Are there kiosks for check in? Do I need my friends ID or Credit card to check or I can use mines?

In my experience (pre mgm), if you get the room on a player rate (even if not totally comped) no one can check in except you, but you can put someone else's name on the room so they can get a key card without you after you arrive (if you're busy playing or something). and there's no need to check out; just drop your key card in the box (or don't ) and leave.

if you check in on a normal rate, anyone can check in (obviously)