This is what was posted on their fb page:

"TABLE GAMES TEST NIGHT INFO - Monday, June 14 from 2pm-10pm & tentatively Tuesday, June 15 from 2pm-10pm. Limits are $5-$25. Live official opening (tentatively) is Friday, June 18th."

Also, up to 10 poker tables to start with. I might go on the 19th.

1. Fact: Cash does not play in Atlantic City 1/2 games.

2. Fact: Chip runners do not exist in Atlantic city, as far as I know.

Result: Cash not playing as a rule does not require chip runners.

In addition, I don't know about other casinos, but Harrah's this past weekend had counterfeit pens at every table to check bills with to process cash. That added 5-15 seconds to the process of changing cash for chips, at most.

I just don't see why cash not playing means you need chip runners. I understand some places like chip runners, but I'm totally happy with how they run things in AC and I have seen no legal reason discussed why Harrington could not be that way.

That said, I don't really care how they do things there as it is unlikely I would go. But I just hate to see these logical fallacies unchecked.

AC dealers have banks with at times over $3,000 in front of them and a slot to push all cash down into a box.

The Harrington room, as well as the DP room, will only have $500 in the rack, and no said "cash box" in the table.

Chip running will be needed.

A few random thoughts ...

If it goes well enough on Monday, since it is only "tentative" on Tuesday, they might cancel Tuesday? Maybe that is for all table games, so maybe only some table games will be running on Tuesday? I was thinking of maybe checking it out on Tuesday, but now I know to phone first to make sure the game is running (or at least check this thread). If someone goes early on Tuesday and has some sort of Internet connection (like a SmartPhone), please post an update about the poker.

Limits are $5 - $25? What does that mean? This doesn't say it is $3/$6 LHE. That's just speculation on this thread, right? I guess those are the limits for all table games, not just poker, but that doesn't mean there is a minimum of $5 bet at poker, does it?

$5 - $25 is in regard to standard table game limits like BJ and craps. The state-imposed soft opening rule caps wagers at $25, but they have to set a table minimum, and $5 makes sense. 3-6 LHE will obv keep all wagers under $25.

Harrington Hold-em : headed over to harrington from Annapolis Wednesday morning, quite possibly the slowest time possible. Nice drive, 45 minutes from the Bay Bridge and only $2.50 once for the one toll as opposed to $347 in tolls to AC. Arrived around 10:15. Caisno was a ghost town, but very clean and very friendly, obviously way overstaffed at the time since no one was there. Interesting self serve complimentary beverage bars on the casino floor, no booze of couse but I'm guessing you could BYOB as long as you were discreet. There is a charge for drinks from the waitresses.

Poker room had no games running, zip, zero, nada, but staff was most congenial and assured me that they would get a 1/2 nl game running soon, I was 5th on the start list. They then gave me a pager and told me to check back in half an hour if I hadn't been paged yet. OK no biggie, just take a walk and check out the rest of the facility.

So back "downstairs" walking around and, hey look, the elusive, rarely seen (in AC) $5 craps table ($5 blackjack too)! Me and one other guy playing for 1/2 hour, 3x odds, friendly if somewhat bumbling crew, good times, so long $100. Hmmm, haven't heard from poker room so let's head back up. As soon as I get about 15 feet from the craps table the pager goes off. Apparently they have been paging me for a while as the table has already started without me but they do have a seat for me. Turns out there are "a few dead areas where the pagers don't work" like around the craps table. Coincidence? I think not.

The room itself is pretty nice. No smoking (huzzah!) and some funky things as mentioned in posts above. The "chip runners" are more like "chip walkers" and everyone seemed to be running in sort of slo-motion. Dealers were adequate but new and apparently their customer friendly catch phrase is "whenever you're ready sir" instead of "action is on you". Fortunately the pace did not seem to bother the players as their was no whining about the speed of play.

Players were mixed but play definitely leaned towards loose/poor (as in good for me!). A couple of guys who would rather have been playing 2/5, a couple of locals waiting for the nuts, and a calling station or two.Play was 9 handed and a second table was opened around 11:30, also 1/2 nl. Saw a couple of familiar faces and I am just a "serious" recreational player. Looked like a third table was setting up when I left aorund 3.

Can't really say too much about the play as I was fortunate enough to get more or less run over by the deck for the 3&1/2 hours I was there. There were plenty of callers though. Ended up cashing out for $600 on a $200 buy-in. Made up for my craps leak and then some.

All in all a positive experience helped by the fact that I wasn't expecting much due to what I had read here previously. The other posts here are pretty much spot on. Since it is so close and seemed soft I will definitely be going back. I see some potential once they are more established though I don't know how the soon to be open competition will affect them. Also I didn't really think of it at the time but saw no scanning or swiping of players cards in the poker room. They did rate my montrous $5/bet craps action however. Oh, also free parking though they do have valet.

I know, tl/dr, whatever. That's it for now.

AW

Ok, with all this talk of chip runners at Harrington... is there any reason you can't just go to the cage and buy your own chips before being seated? It sounds like there is pretty much always a list, so it's not like you don't have time to do it.

It depends on the room set-up and the problem is not totally about getting chips when you initially sit down.

If you have a small room and you have a dedicated cage in the poker room then you don't need chip runners.
If you have a small out of the way (in relationship to the rest of the casino) cage close to the poker room entrance then you might be able to squeek by.

But if you are trying to start a new game, or someone busts out at a NL table and wants to rebuy --

Instead of handing your money to a chip runner and "playing behind" in a NL game without missing a hand,
or having a chip runner bring racks of chips for everyone starting the new game --

If you faced with walking halfway thru the casino and standing in line behind 29 slot players cashing in their "Lucky Tuesday" $10 slot promotion coupons, you might find that after busting out with your Big Blind river shove you arrive back at the table with your new buy-in chips just in time to post another big blind.

You might find games start breaking because they are short waiting for busted players to return
or players leaving to "get chips" and never returning -- meaning a seat stays open longer than it should be.

I guess once the rooms in PA actually open, and a lot of posters see how things actually work, then there won't need to debate on every detail of running a card room.

Yes you can buy your own chips/bring them from the casino floor. The cashier at the poker cage dropped the first $200 she tried to give me all over the floor, first day on the job etc. I thought the "playing behind" was awkward especially when there was more than one player "behind" involved in a pot.

AW

Oh, there are plenty of $2-$5 NL players in the Harrington area. I was there the first day and a game opened up within the first 2 hours. The major problem with the room (other than the exhorbitant $6 rake) is that the players are pretty bad, and they like to drink while they play. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except that when they inevitably get drunk, and inevitably lose, they inevitably get loud and ornery. My advice - either don't say anything while you play, or sooner or later you'll be meeting someone in the parking lot.

I didn't see any drinking but then again I was there Wednesday morning. All I ever said was "nice hand" and "I got lucky".

AW

Just to clarify, its actually a $5 rake + $1 BBJ.

when saying "They'd rather be playing 2-5", are you referring to pre-flop raises to $15 and higher? I encountered this almost every hand, the first time playing at Harrington, and usually the players had terrible hands to raise at that level.

DELAWARE PARK

OK - first a disclaimer as the following info is from a friend, who got it from a friend of a friend who supposedly will be working there, so take it all with a grain of salt, but it seems pretty consistent with other reports. Some new info about tourneys and BBJ's. I am not able to answer any questions about this info - cutting and pasting it from a handed-down e-mail.


Interesting about the two BBJ's. Hoping that doesn't mean $2 from each pot. No word about the rake. Really hoping it is $4 as reported earlier.

$4 rake, $1 BBJ in BBJ eligible games.

Stations Casinos in Vegas do the same thing. They have the large city-wide linked jackpot, and most have an in-house one as well. DP is using that format, where the "city-wide linked" jackpot would be the DP "mega" jackpot that everyone in the room gets a piece of, and the "in-house" jackpot would be the DP "mini" jackpot that only the one table gets a piece of.

Even using the Stations method of having the hand that needs to be beaten decrease once a week until the "mega" jackpot is hit.

If the $4+$1 is true, Delaware Park will be AWESOME. It will blow away Harrington's $5+$1. It will destroy Charlestown WV $6+1. Also Delaware Parks BBJ will only be dropped after $20 pot, unlike the crappy Harrington room BBJ drop.

Sounds like Delaware Park Poker Room managers know how to run a great room. I'm looking forward to it. Fingers crossed that all this info is true.

Agreed.

As a casual TAG low limit hold'em player who usually plays 2/4 or 3/6 in AC to play against the very worst competition, I am completely in love with the lowest game being 3/6 with a $4 rake. The fish will be forced to start at 3/6 instead of 2/4, where the rake impact on a solid player will be much lower than it is at 2/4.

Also love that they will be willing to spread any game - hoping that our proposed Thursday night 3/6 HORSE game gets started.

Agreed. If true, I'll gladly drive the extra hour to DP.

Damn why couldn't be June 12th when I am driving up to the Philly area.

Maybe this sounds lazy but with all of the different poker rooms opening in the PA, WV, and DE area I wish there was like some calendar showing the important dates

I spoke with one of the supervisors today. He said that they will be dealing 3/6 limit on Monday 6/14 @2pm. If they get approval from the inspectors, they will deal 1/2 nlh on Tues, along with the 3/6. Once the commission approves, they will deal whatever the players want. This will take place no later than 6/18. They will then be able to stay open 24/7. The room looks great. He said that it will probably take a month to work all the bugs out. Let's hope that is all it will take. I forgot to ask about the rake.

Anyone playing at harrington today? hows the action?

The Delaware Park poker room has a "soft opening" tomorrow June 14 at 1PM to 7 or 8. 3-6 limit games only with state evaluation going on. They plan their grand opening on Friday June 18

Harrington is the worst casino I've ever been to. Don't feel like writing tr. I will never go there again. That place sucks

the Delaware Park soft opening is tomorrow at 1 PM. Can anyone play or is that some special thing. I heard it was open to the public, but that they'd play 3-6 limit only until Friday.

a Couple of more things about the Delaware Park room, if anyone has confirmation. I hear they have 20 tables and a cage in the room, but that they also have chip runners. But, what I really want to know about is their Mississippi Strattle. I've never played a room that played a strattle under those rules. In fact, I'm only guessing at what they are. I believe that it's an action strattle, where anyone in any position can strattle and the action post flop begins to the left of the last strattle. In effect, like buying the button. So, if I understand this, the button can always take the button back by also startling a strattled hand. Does that make sense?

in every game I've ever played only the under the gun player can strattle