That's a "We don't want to, but if people don't come back, I guess we might try it."

The casinos are raking in almost the same gaming revenues as pre-covid with reduced labor. I don't see poker coming back to Encore. MGM might bring it back solely because they are under pressure over low employee counts.

from what I understand, they have 24 or 25 tables and the buffet is the target location

Yep April was the 4th best gaming revenue month Encore has had since they opened. That’s with 50% capacity at their tables and slots

https://massgaming.com/regulations/revenue/

I couldn't resist to answer to the Twitter post. I love how EBH said that in the meantime we can come and play video poker - in what world is it even remotely similar!

Also really curious to see if they end using the buffet area with 25 tables (instead of 80-ish upstairs). That would probably result in such a **** show with long wait lists. Pain!

Idiots pissing away unemployment and stimulus money on idiot table games and slots.

I think Encore is clearly telling us that they don't want our poker business, but I can understand them waiting to reassess, because right now, our entire economy is kind of bullshit.

Is buffet a money-loser for them? Seems like the majority of buffets in Vegas are fully reopening, so not sure why Encore would ditch that, too

IMO people are looking for something to get out and do now that covid restrictions are dying down. Encore probably wants to concentrate that type of customer on their highest revenue games, and doesn't want someone looking to throw chips around to lose them at a poker table as opposed to a blackjack table. Once that sort of customer traffic recedes for Encore is when I expect them to bring back poker and other lower-revenue portions of their casino.

Just my opinion...

You think that is going to continue though? Surely right now is a post-lockdown post-stimulus spike

"Both Encore and MGM Springfield said they won’t bring poker back right away. But they told casino regulators that they are evaluating and will get back to the Gaming Commission by the end of 2021 with a plan for reopening poker."

Paywalled article at masslive.com

Why do I get the feeling that come 2022 there will officially be no poker in the state? But hey, there's always 6-5 blackjack...

If last month's issue of Boston magazine is to be believed, Wynn is on record as saying they plan to repurpose the Buffett space, but didn't specify what it will become.

I was told by an Encore dealer that the buffet space would eventually become a sports book whenever it become legal

This state is embarrassing

Yeah. Hardly seems to be the state's fault though. I mean, that poker room at encore was hopping. It's these friggen vegas outfits running the show here, that have decided they don't want poker players' business.

Any chance someone opens up a charity poker room in MA down the road if casinos are never going to spread poker again?

Virtually zero. Both MGM and Wynn are paying big bucks to the government. Part of the deal is to limit any competition. To them, poker is just another casino game.

Well the Mass senate just nixed sports betting for the time being. They won't be accepting sports bets. Good fu-k Encore I hope the politicians let the sports betting sit idle for years. What they did to the poker players who supported them was despicable.

What about all the bad beat and high hand money they have? I contributed quite a bit and didn't win a single bit back.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Where did you see this?

https://www.gamingtoday.com/news/mas...senate-budget/

Saw something that we can play keno on our phones now but no sports betting? **** baker. He has to take 4 million years to approve anything fun.

State sucks, guess the right politicians haven't been greased yet. I'll continue spending my money in NH and RI.

Just got back from Encore in a (successful) attempt to convert all my poker points to Comp Dollars. I brought my work (hospital) badge just in case I needed to play some sort of sympathy angle since I was told over the phone that it would be a "case-by-case basis on whether they honor converting poker points to comp dollars". Worked out with the conversion, as well as getting upgraded to platinum tier for being a healthcare worker.

Interesting that they had partitions in the old poker room area ranging from the bathrooms through the part that overlooks the central bar area, with all machines and other things removed inside those partitioned-off areas. No updates from any employees on what may be, though.

Unrelated - blew all comp dollars on the Dry Aged Long Bone Tomahawk Steak at Rare, 9/10 would recommend

This seems odd. When I emailed them several months ago, they converted my poker points to comp dollars without any issue.