Hard to hold a poker game with no poker tables! Word is that FK has removed the rest of the tables from the room in lieu of slots after having removed about half of them for slots already.

Obv not a good sign for short-term poker. GL

That's not a good sign for poker starting up anytime soon. Yes, on-call staff could remove the slots and replace them with full tables within an hour, but this info in conjunction with retooling poker dealers as general table games dealers isn't a good sign for the *short* term. MSPT postponed on all upcoming circuits... See you all in 2022 and hopefully online sometime before then!

I've been south for the winter but I've heard from a few poker buddies the word is FK is opening the room back up. Anyone know the details?

Looks like a bunch of posts got deleted .. Mods?

Word was this Thursday.. GL

Very interesting that it's nothing but radio silence. 'All' the casinos in Ohio got the green light and were back open to some degree on Saturday. THAT was a Gaming issue, but I'm not sure what Keepers may be going through internally that they wont make an announcement. Perhaps they want a softer opening? GL

Are we still looking at a May 1 opening date for the FireKeepers poker room?

Tony Paul tweeted today that May 1st is still the target .. he usually has decent facts. GL

Announced just now-- https://firekeeperscasino.com/casino/games/poker/

"The Poker Room is Reopening on May 1!"

"In addition to the existing property-wide safety measures, the following precautions are in effect for the Poker Room:

SOCIAL DISTANCING BETWEEN EACH OF THE 13 TABLES
A MAXIMUM OF SIX GUESTS PER TABLE
FACIAL COVERING OVER THE NOSE AND MOUTH REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES
TOURNAMENTS WILL RESUME AT A LATER DATE"

https://firekeeperscasino.com/wp-con...Guidelines.pdf

New table limits at FKC:

$1/$2: $50-$300 (Wish it was $400 {200bb} like before)
$1/$3: $100-$500 (wish it was $600 / 200bb)
$2/$5: $200-$1000 with Match the Stack

They have been spreading a $1/$3 PLO and $1/$3 Round by Round with a $100-$500 starting stack on occasion, as well.

The action has been pretty regular in the 8 days since they opened the room back up. There have even been some new players coming into the room and trying poker this week!

The sentiment that I have heard is that lots of players want 9 handed back and tournaments for that crowd. The floor has said that the MSPT stop is still on the schedule for October. The room has been full at 13 tables numerous times this week, and there is usually a decent-sized list during primetime.

Drink service has been pretty crappy for the most part, unfortunately. If you don't like waiting for a drink you might want to consider asking for 2, because you will be empty on both before they come around again.

Huh, I wonder if the change in stakes and buyins is to try and get bigger games more often to pay for the 6 handed tables. It may work. It always seemed like there were enough players with deep pockets to get regular 1/3 or 2/5 going but most were happy with deep 1/2 and a button straddle.

Going by the governor's orders I think 9 handed and MSPT can happen when we hit a 70% vaccination rate. There is easily enough vax supply to hit that mark in a few weeks, but I worry we have too many anti vaxxers in this state to ever get there. IMO you have to say at some point "we have hit vaccine saturation. If you wanted it, you could get it today. If you haven't gotten it yet, it's your own fault, we are removing all restrictions."

It seems like most of the country is planning a full opening this summer. I don't know a single person who actually wanted a vaccine that hasn't gotten at least the first shot by now. I say let's ****ing go.

For sure. Anyone who wants the vaccine has gotten it, or at least will have it very soon, within a few weeks. After that, it’s basically everyone who wanted one got one, and everyone that hasn’t is cool too. So reopen 100%. And if the people who haven’t got the vaccine are a threat to hasn’t gotten the vaccine, then what is the point of the vaccine at all? Either way, we should fully reopen instead of the governor holding us hostage.

Because people not getting the vaccine ARE a threat to people who have gotten the vaccine. As a virus spreads and replicates, its genes undergo random “copying errors” (i.e. genetic mutations). Over time, these genetic copying errors can, among other changes to the virus, lead to alterations in the virus' surface proteins or antigens. The current vaccines help against the current virus, but if it continues spreading, replicating, and mutating, the vaccine won't be as effective and people will start getting new COVID, causing this whole ****ing cycle to continue.

Bro that’s gonna happen regardless. It’s something we gotta live with. No one is making you leave your house if you just want to stay inside and wear a mask the rest of your life. I’m a healthy person. I eat well, exercise, it’s not a realistic threat to me or any healthy person.

How many of the people playing are regs? I'm just wondering if there are any n00bs wandering in from post-legalization online play.

Is PLO more often (than maybe once or twice a week) now?
I figured out a long time ago that getting your own drink at the bar is faster. Even if you walk to the furthest bar, which usually has a shorter line. Also gives you a moment to walk away from the table.

This will be my last post on the subject in this thread but I can't let this one go.

You're mostly right in that the risk of you dying from COVID as a healthy sub-50 year old is very very low. However very serious cases requiring hospitalization and some with long term effects do happen at a rate much higher than the death rate.

But it's not just about you. Everyone you come in contact with, and everyone they come into contact with, is potentially exposed. We don't live in a world where at risk people can shut themselves off. The analogy has been made to drunk drivers. The idea that if you're afraid of drunk drivers just stay home is absurd. Same with COVID.

All we've ever asked is some basic precautions. Mask wearing, distancing, and avoiding large indoor gatherings have been very effective. These vaccines are incredibly effective and safe. Much much safer than COVID itself, even for the young and healthy.

No one is suggesting wearing masks forever. I am as anxious as anyone to burn mine when the time comes. And I agree these restrictions can't and shouldn't last much longer. These vaccines work. Get one, for the love of god please get one. They are free. They are available nearly everywhere. Many of our restrictions are tied to the vaccination rate, and for good reason. Every person who gets one is one step closer to getting us out of this mess.

I don't know what the point is in the post because anyone who still feels like you probably isn't changing your mind after 14 months.

A couple of things here, and I respect your opinion first and foremost. For one, I am actually getting the vaccine tonight and was very opposed to it early on, so I guess you should have some optimism that people can change their minds. I like to think that I'm open to both sides of an argument which is rare these days.

I would argue, however, that mask wearing and distancing have been effective. Michigan has some of the worst performance of any of the states, and states like Texas have fully reopened and done significantly better than Michigan. I strongly, strongly oppose any further restrictions or our governor giving us rewards like we are puppies for getting the vaccine. I've yet to see any significant study that shows that people are at high risk AFTER getting the vaccine from those that have not got the vaccine. As far as poker goes, because that is what we are here to discuss, I can't imagine a more voluntary place of business than a casino. It's one thing to make masks and other precautions mandatory at essential businesses such as grocery stores, but absolutely nobody needs to be in a casino to play poker so why do we need to shut it down for 9 months or however long it was? If you really need to play poker, you can play online. In fact, there are alternatives for just about every form of business if you somehow are still terrified of going out in public, but that's another story. We've gone from "15 days to slow the curve" to almost a year and a half later and the goal posts keeps being moved. Yes, I remain skeptical by the government just continuing to dangle a carrot in front of our face and say if we are all good boys and girls than we can do XYZ by a certain date. I think it's convenient that there is a provision about variants of the virus on the Vacc To Normal website. Meaning, we withhold the right to change the rules and we know better than you do.

Just my opinion.

Healthy people have gotten COVID and some have died. It’s not a matter of wanting to stay home, but wanting to not to have health unnecessarily at risk. Peace.

Nope. Texas’ health care system was basically maxed out after the state was opened. Many factors play into whether states or people are doing ‘better’ than others. Peace.

Sigh....here we go.

Yes, healthy people get covid all time, but it is extremely rare they die. The median death is 80 years old, 73% obese, and have an average of 2.8 pre-existing conditions. Doesn’t sound very healthy to me.

In regards to Texas, I would zero deaths in a day for a state with 30 million people is pretty good, no? https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hou...y-16182915.php

By the way, I got the vaccine. But that doesn’t change my opinion that it’s not a real threat to me. I get the flu vaccine too, and I don’t consider that a threat. I’d rather just not get sick because being sick sucks. My only argument is that the response has way overshot the problem and now the response has become the problem.

No, here we don't go. This is not the thread for covid discussions, we have a thread in CCP for that. Keep the topic about the casino.

Masks are optional for vaccinated people starting Friday, May 21st.

Except that it is an "honor system" and staff isn't allowed to ask if you have been vaccinated.

Interesting. So, im wondering if they are going back to full 9 handed or 8 handed now as well?

I think the only thing holding it back is the casino capacity limit. Michigan is still only allowing 50% capacity inside. Once it’s no capacity restriction, my guess is they go back to 9handed.

9-handed poker is back!! GL

The 'Red Sea' parted and I was able to put in a real session at FK Saturday night. Played a short 1/2 .. a short 1/3 .. and a very long 2/5 NL. The games were pretty normal for FK and the 2/5 had a stretch where we didn't lose anyone at the table for close to 2 hours, maybe more.

Most all of the Dealers/Floors were familiar faces and there really wasn't any poker issues. I think the same Dealer called Floor three times, twice at the same table (not sure for what reason).

I did get dealt out twice for not being in my seat even though I was 'very close' to the table. I didn't make a fuss over it, nor did I ask if the Dealers had been instructed to 'keep the bus going' per se.

We did have a spot where a Player tried to raise $100 to $200. But one of the stacks was missing a chip, so it was made only a call .. didn't really change the outcome since 'lots' of chips went in later in the hand anyway.

Two aggressive Players were having their way .. both generating $5K stacks. One lost a bit, got it back and cashed out while the other crashed to the felt over a series of variance and a 3-way AA v KK v Flopped Set hand where the KK turned a set also.

This 2/5 session was very enjoyable and pretty much everything I'd like to see at a 2/5 table. Plenty of PF 3 and 4-bets while still going to the Flop and LOTS of 'poker' playing, not just waiting around for cards.

Drink service was adequate via a cart with some pre-poured cups and coffee and the person(s) seemed dedicated to the poker room. Not sure how many tables were going at it's peek .. I was focused on the game! PLO never had a chance with the list maxing out at 8.

Good to be back, not sure when I'll return, but definitely a very good first time back. GL