I am planning on coming out to Dover for the first time one day next week while I"m in Ocean City, MD. Can you please tell me when I would need to arrive in order to be safe in getting a seat on a weekday? Is there any wait there?

nowhere near the wait at Charles Town, WV, especially on a weekday, so I hear. probably 15 minute wait, if any.

I played there last Fri from about 4pm-midnight. Four 1-2 tables (one might have been 2-4, not sure), no wait when I got there, enough people came in throughout the night to add 2 more tables, 1 of which was 2-5 i believe. I like the room: clean, young waitresses, mostly competent dealers, close restrooms.

My first table seemed a little reg-gy so i switched after an hour, if you switch tables make sure you give the floor your card again. My second table unfortunately was worse, but I was lazy and didn't feel like switching again. It seemed to get rockier as the night went on. Now I'm a huge nit live, but towards the end even I counted 5-6 rocks and no real live ones. I may also be biased because I got coolered a bunch or maybe I was just playing bad.

I remember one hand specifically where 3 players made it to the river on a board of J 7 7 3 3. The hands were exposed as: J7, J3, and 75, yet somehow NO ONE GOT ALL IN. Another hand in was limped around i had T9. Flop T 9 7s. Shortie bets 12, youngish good-playing guy calls, I make it 36, shortie allin (68 of course), guy says he folds T7 cause he cant put me on anything he beats. I also lost 2 pair vs. bottom set (lucky for me the river 3-flushed so he checked behind), 2 pair vs. straight (also saved $ b/c of flush cards), AcTc all in on a board of Th 2c 3c (vs 23s) and AJ v AT on AK3AT board. Hey I did manage to get quad nines though and have some guy call with tptk on the end, that was cool. One guy even commented how it was the tightest 1-2 table he'd ever been on and moved tables, wish I had done the same obviously. I gotta remember that Profit > Ego.

However when I played there a week earlier, around the same time (4pm-8ish) on a friday, completely different story. Then I had a typical great 1-2 table where raises of 10-15 would get called in 3-5 places. My 2 hands of note then(short session as i had to leave unfortunately): I make it 12 in EP with QQ, 3 calls. flop Q 8 7 rainbow. I bet, guy calls. Turn J, I bet he raises and I push he calls with AJ lol. Later this lady made it 12 in EP, bunch of calls I make it 75 with AKo she calls and a shortie calls, they flip up Q9s and Q7s, and q 9 flops.

Overall I like the room and will be back, just be prepared to switch tables if it seems like a rock garden until (hopefully) like someone said earlier, everyone comes back from the beach/comes back to college/goes to NASCAR for who knows why.

P.S. careful, those little rolling food/drink tables tables tilt over very easily

I was there last Sunday (8/8) evening and found it a bit weird. 3 NL tables (2x1-2, 1x2-5). I would categorize the play as LAG. One guy went in for over $100 with 6-4 offsuit and rivered a full house. Had to laugh/cry as I also had 6-4 offsuit. Left the table after about 30 minutes when a 2-4 Limit table started up.

Only 6 players at the 2-4 table. Three had never played live before and 1 was not sure on the rank of hands. Learned quickly that luck is part of the game as good starting hands fell apart on the river when the new folks called all the streets. Probably should have stayed longer but promised my wife that I would return at a reasonable hour. Up $30 on a $60 buy in was not too shabby at Limit.

Bump. Looking for more feedback on DD - how's the action? are they doing any tournaments? What's up with the betting line there?

AW

The betting line enforcement is typical/militant, although the dealers were giving the newbies a break with the "all chips in hand over the line must play" when a player cut from a stack and returned some behind the line. I had this interesting situation come up during my visit last week:

Limps like 6 ways to the BB, who tosses in three redbirds over his 2 whites. Dealer announces action: "Raise to $15". BB tells him that he raised to $17 ("see, these two chips were my big blind") but the BB was posted *slightly* behind the line so dealer wants to exclude them from the pot. The BB (and myself, the SB, backing him up) insist that the $2 was already in the pot, line or no line. Dealer agrees but calls the floor to determine the correct ruling. Floor rules the action is $17 total, including the two BB chips, "because they were already in the pot when he raised $15." Bravo, floor!

That dealer was clearly the least experienced of the four I had that night. The other three were quite good.

The games were good. They had four 1/2 games spread on a Tuesday night and a short 2/5 interest list. A couple of home game buddies that were donating $60 at a shot or riding a rush. A super LAG that busted shortly after I joined the game. A very loose woman who bet by grabbing a random amount of chips and tossing them in without counting. (I know because when a player asked her how much she bet, she just shrugged.) A calling station that gave me all of my $400 profit from the session. A couple of solid regs (two TAG and a LAG).

How come there are never any very loose women at my tables?

I see according to their website tournaments start on Sept 8th

LMAO

I'm a regular at Delaware Park as most who follow this board know, But, I thought I'd make the 30 mile drive to Dover Downs to see their room.

1. The parking is good and lighted and has a safe feel to it.
2. The dealers were all pretty good.
3. There was only two tables running when I arrived at 6 PM. A 1/2 NL and a 2/4 limit. I was lucky in that there was an one seat at 1/2 so there was no wait.
4. They hid the room on the the third floor. Though the atmosphere is a lot like a private room, there's no chance to get table game stragglers into the poker room, short of announcements through out the casino. It's a flaw in their set up that they'll have the difficulty overcoming. A poker room should be easily accessible to casino patrons or new players won't come and sit for the games unless they are looking for the room.
5. Nice tables, room between them and confortable chairs.
6. BBJ is AAA JJ, but i think they take a drop on every flopped hand, regardless of pot size.
7. Good rake of 4.00

All in all, a good trip because I won over 300, but I felt bad that the dealers who were forced to work two downs and sit for two at empty tables, then take a break and work two more downs. The floor was competent enough, but it's obvious that the action at DP is better and much more varied.
They say they get 1 2/5 game going late, but still only two tables at 9PM when I left....maybe I'm wrong and there were three.

I'm glad I went, gladder still I broke a four session losing streak and really happy I was able to fold a small flopped flush to a higher flush on a good read with the winner showing his queen high flopped flush which beat me. I only had 42.00 in the pot at that time, and the player, though on tilt and down on sick loses, was not the sort to make that bet without a completely made hand. As least that's how I worked it out and how it also turned out.

The bet was 215 more on top of my 30.00 bet with my 12 in pre flop. When I think more about it, it was an easy fold and I shouldn't pat myself on the back too much. I'd have been kicking myself if I had called. The bettor said, "OK, this is my tilt" all in. Sure tell he had the goods.

Sickest hand I've seen in a long time.......The guy who made the bet which I folded to with my baby flush had lost 400 earlier with pocket AA on a A k k flop. Remember, AAA JJ is the bad beat..... unless he gets the 400 in and the board comes 8, k and a donk turns over k 10 No bad beat......gee.

There was a guy or two at the table, who'd I snap call with a flopped made baby flush and the biggest action donk was in the hand. This guy made every pre flop bet 10.00 regardless of his cards. He was still winning when I left. I saw him crack aces with 17.00 pre flop call with 8 3 off. Saw him crack qq with a 75.00 pre flop call, heads up with 89 He turned a flush draw and gutter ball and called the turn for 125.00 heads up and hit the river straight. And I saw him call and win 200.00 with a 45.00 pre flop call with q 6 off. Ugh, I almost made that call myself. I had 12.00 in the pot with 78 and 3 guys in the hand in front calling 45.00. It was 32.00 more to make 150.00. That gave me some odds, but I folded it away, mainly because the hand didn't feel right and I thought with the action, I didn't want to have to make big draw decisions. Most of the money I won was off him and he was taking it from other guys with rags. He'd go all the way to the river with middle or bottom pair. Exactly, the guy you want to play with. He was fishing every hand and hooking in a few big ones.

One of those nights, where I wish I could have stayed, but I absolutely had to be somewhere at 9:30.

Trip Report for Sun, Sept 5: Got to the poker room around 5:30pm. There were about 6 active tables although I do not know how many were 1/2, 2/4 etc. There was no wait and I was immediately seated at table 5. Dealers were not too bad....one dealer nicknamed Marco Polo was really cool. One other younger dealer made a mistake and pushed the pot to one guy with K8 when the board read KJ939 and the other two players had K7. Obviously it should have been a split pot. It was interesting though as a younger player in the pot near me found out soon after but said he didn't care, might as well help the short stack out lol.

Everyone at the table seemed pretty friendly, no super degens, which was nice. Table I had seemed pretty easy to play, as it was mostly weak-tight and a little more on the calling-station side. Lots of open limping and cold calling with sub par hands. On a couple occasions people did stack off with top pair. I had some big pairs and flopped a boat but didn't get into any real big pots. Unfortunately I had to leave around 9. Played real tight and ended up almost 1/2 a buyin up. I had a real tight image and probably could have used it to my advantage had I stayed longer. I heard tourneys will be starting the 8th.

Overall I really liked the room. The whole casino is smoke free, everyone seemed pretty jovial and well-mannered. It was quite an enjoyable experience. Also, the lunch buffet was pretty cheap and decent, 43.50 for 3 people. I hope to come up there again in the near future.

On their website they talk about having tournaments starting September 8, with no other details. Someone in the thread a while back said something about facebook so I went searching!! Obviously it's easier for non-techies to do facebook updates rather than update an actual website so here is a quote from Dover Downs facebook page:

Dover Downs Hotel & Casino® The Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournaments beginning Sept. 8 will be Sun-Fri 11 a.m.- $40 + $15 and 7:00 p.m.- $60 + $20. We will also have Sit and Go's with $40 + $15 buy-ins. Saturday tournaments will be added very soon...more info to come soon. (posted August 30 @ 5:00pm) by http://www.facebook.com/DoverDownsHotelCasino

Hopefully they will post a structure for the SNGs and tournaments.

They replied to one person's concern about what the starting stacks would be...reply:
Dover Downs Hotel & Casino® Nancy- 11 a.m.- 6,000 7 p.m.- 8,000 and Sit and Go's- 1,500.

Obviously the starting chip stacks don't matter whatsoever without an idea of the blinds or level minutes LOL

Went to Dover Downs to place a sports bet and decided to stay for some cards. It will be my last time ever going there. I got there around 5 and only 2/4 LHE and 1/2 NLHE were running. I asked to be put on the 2/5 list and took a seat at the 1/2 game. All but 2 of the dealers were horrible. Didn't know what in the world they were doing. Slow, not controlling game, misreading bets/boards, etc.

The floors were even worse. One guy sat down with like $600 (1 purple, 4 greens, $300 table max). I didn't give a ****. No other player at table nor the dealer says anything. About an orbit later him and another player get it all in. Now the dealer realizes guy bought in for too much and the floor is called. Floor rules that only the 4 greens are in play, purple chip is treated as a scrap of paper. Later on I ask the floor to call the book to see what time they closed. She refused.

Then they finally call 2/5 around 9. Only me and one other guy show up. A dealer is seated at table and they have plenty of extra dealers. We decide we want to play a HU freezeout for $500. Of course we will pay the casino time and also give the dealer a nice toke. The floor refuses to allow this and instead the two of us and the dealer sit there BSing for the next hour until the game gets going after 10 p.m. Cost the dealer $20 and the casino money too.

Finally I get in a hand and make a bluff on the river that gets called. I say nice hand and muck. Player to my right (not in hand) says IWTSTH and the dealer immediately flips it up. I am livid and call the floor. The floor states that any player can request the hand be shown for any reason. I tell him that I have a right to muck my hand and its BS to require my hand to be shown in cash games. He shrugs his shoulders and leaves. Then the dealer gets on me saying "I dealt at Borgata for X years and that is the rule." My reply was easy "There is a reason you are a former Borgata dealer and are dealing at this ****house now." I proceeded to rack up and book a $300 profit for the session.

Also, for those that drink alcohol is still not free.

damn dude that sucks. I had a lot of fun there, but I definitely agree than some of the dealers are not exactly tip top, as there were 2-3 mistakes made when I played. The place is new though and the other players were friendly so fortunately i had a nice time and will prob be back. Hopefully the dealers will get better in time. Surprised they refused to call the book.

How are the tournaments going and how many people are they getting?

Actually, players can request to see your hand in this situation in most casinos because it's a "called hand." It's still poor etiquette though and the privilege can be revoked if it's abused.

I personally would never ask to see hands unless I suspect collusion.

Jeff

The tournaments are getting around 20-25 in the mornings and 30-40 in the evenings if they run. Sometimes everyone shows up and no one will actually sign up because they are afraid they will end up playing a 1 table tourny.

I have not played on friday evenings or sundays so they may get more people on those days.

I was told they will start saturday tournaments when they get more tables in, and I heard the room manager say that it will probably be a deep stack game.

The tournaments are a resonable structure since they changed the blind levels after the first day. The only problem I have is that they make the dealers hand shuffle and some of the dealers are very slow.

I was curious if anyone had a chance to play here during the races this weekend.

I played friday night of race weekend and there was maybe 10% more people than the previous friday. It is impossible to get near dover downs on saturday and sunday and you have to pay to park so i did not go.

Harrington was packed in comparison to usual

Come to Delaware Park with me!

I'll Go! Whats your Wed. schedule like? I am free all day. So Tuesday night or wednesday anytime.

So who has been to DE Park and Dover. I went to Harrington one of it's first nights. Kind of a long haul for me. Been a regular at DE Park since it opened. Haven't been to Dover Downs yet.

Are 1-2 NL games significantly softer than those at DE Park? (Not saying DP games are always tough. Depends on table.) But, in general, is there more money to be made at Dover?

Dover Downs Bad Beat jackpot is over $100,000

Going there to try and win a piece of that!!!