Hi,

I am from the UK but will be in FL on vacation for the first two weeks of may. I am staying about 90 miles below Tampa.

Anywhere near that I can play the odd tourney or cash game? NLHE is my normal game.

Thanks

Managers probably realize that there is no shortage of players, on 2p2 or in their rooms already, that are willing to be prop players for their games. I'd obviously be interested too, but maybe they could take a lesson from some of the Vegas rooms and offer gracious comps to those players who put in 4+ hours. Then anyone could be a prop player, per se.

Wil? Noah? Anyone?

I know this'll grate most of the ballah's in here like nails on a chalkboard, but how about a kiddie pool/training NL game? .50/1 or even 1/1. MGM seems to be having some success with it.

Spare me the "Oh, noes! It'll kill the 1/2 game!" It hasn't at the MGM.

As far as rake being too high to make it unprofitable, the same can be said for 3/6FL. Don't make it BBJ-eligible, so there's no rake for it, that'll encourage the jackpot-seekers to play 1/2 where they can be properly fleece.

For all the poker room managers please look at these links, it isn't something new, these are tried and tested ideas that do work. also stop the non sense of charging for bottled water, you rake more then enough to give a customer a bottle of water (ISLE). Also what is up with a .25 per hr comp rate? It isn't like the food is priced fair in a casino anyway.

Venetan Bellagio Aria Caesars
Caesars is proof what bad management can do to a room, if you have ever been there it is one of the nicest room, a true smoke free room with its own A/C system, the easiest room for cocktails, they have very well spaced tables and a service bar so the servers don't have to fight the crowds at the other bars, and management walks around with sour faces all night. they also have easy access for locals to get to, just come in the back off Dean Martin. I wish this wouldn't happen here but this is the path that seems to be chosen. The servers are the worst, looks like a senior center hiring policy, they rake the most in the city plus have a Bad Beat which the players don't seem to care about. So for one of the best locations, best layed out room it shows you you need to be looking at what works and doesn't. This plan clearly does not because they are one of the slowest rooms on the strip, it is a shame.

IMO the best local casino, something the Florida casinos should look at for ideas, it is about 5-6 miles west of the Strip.
Red Rock
Another busy local casino, very close to the strip, less then 1 mile
Orleans

CA Poker rooms, they also have strange laws
The buy in is the minimum buy in not the max
commerce Bike
Reviews of all CA poker rooms

Hello All,

I have been reading a lot of your posts and your input. There will be a lot of experimenting at first to see what works best. I also agree that we need to look at what works in other jurisdictions as well.

I will keep reading and posting, in between writing training manuals, and internal controls, and house rules, and...

Wil Herrera
Director of Poker Operations
Mardi Gras Casino

Hi Teddy,

It's been a log time! Not sure what the division will have to say about props at this time. They will likely shy away from anything like that, but we shall see at the rule making sessions.

Wil

This is an excelent idea, they did this at the Bike, they had high roller night, so if you wanted to play 100/200 limit you knew there was a game on that night.
This would work for PLO, Mixed limit games and other types of games, crazy pineapple night, maybe a mixed draw game, some Duece to Seven, 5 card draw and badugi days.

Great idea, I might have to claim it as my own, kind of like how Eskimo Clark tried to claim he made up Badugi, he didn't either.

While the rest of FL poker rooms may have gotten their acts together the couple up here in North West FL have managed to come up with differing ideas:

1. Ebro charges for everything except coffee and iced tea while Pensacola includes free soft drinks.

2. Neither comps for food.

3. Ebro doesn't allow chopping while Pensacola does.

4. Ebro rakes $1 per $10 ($5 max) plus a $1 Jackpot rake at $10. Pensacola rakes $1 at $6 and $1 per $10 thereafter ($5 max) plus a $2 Jackpot rake at $10.

5. Ebro limits each betting round to a bet and 3 raises. Pensacola allows unlimited raises.

6. Ebro allows a $4 straddle which counts as the first $2 raise (min raise is to $6). Pensacola allows a $5 straddle which counts as a $5 blind (min raise is to $10).

7. Ebro enforces a betting line so any chips brought over the line must be put into the pot as a bet (you can't hold a stack over the line and drop or cut out a bet). Pensacola has no betting line.

I'm sure there are more differences, but these seem to stand out as players have to remember to adjust when playing at each poker room.

A guy sitting at my table tonight at Pensacola told me he chopped the tourney ten ways last Saturday when only nine paid. Is this common in a live event? Was he jiving me? It sounded funny but I've not played live tournaments but a couple of times and never gone deep.

One or the other of these might work for you:

http://www.naplesfortmyersdogs.com/poker.html

http://www.skcpoker.com/ (I think this one will be the closest for you)

http://www.seminoleimmokaleecasino.com/casino/poker

[QUOTE=dozer;18243317]Managers probably realize that there is no shortage of players, on 2p2 or in their rooms already, that are willing to be prop players for their games. I'd obviously be interested too, but maybe they could take a lesson from some of the Vegas rooms and offer gracious comps to those players who put in 4+ hours. Then anyone could be a prop player, per se.

Dozer,

The state has clearly defines no prop, or house players. We will be working on changing that when we go to the rule making session in June/July.

Wil and I will be keeping you all updated on how that process goes. It is usually very tedious and frustrating. The state throws in rules that make us scratch our heads sometimes.

Take care,

Noah Carbone
Cardroom Director
Palm Beach Kennel Club

So what is going on in Palm Beach? Are they going to be opening a new room soon, if so what part of the county are they looking at building it? My father lives in Stuart and he hates the ride, he complains any time he has to go south of Northlake.
The 45th st Jai alai is now the tri rail head quarters so that is not an option is it?

Thanks for the info.

Hopefully the volcanic ash would have gone by the 30th and I can actually get on a plane!

ATTN MIKE SMITH -- ISLE POKER ROOM MANAGER -- THIS ONE'S FOR YOU BUD!!!

I was just in Vegas and played at Wynn, Bellagio and Venetian. I actually think what you point out about Bellagio is what makes it great. Tourists do want to play there, to say that they did, and can sit down at a 2/5 game and buy in for 200 and not have to worry about the other players having huge stacks. It's less intimidating to them. Wynn and venetian seemed to have more locals/better players. Just my opinion fwiw. This is my first post BTW. Glad to be here! And glad to be getting real poker in FL.

The V has more games partly because it's just plain a bigger room, and partly because it's so much nicer in every other way than the B. But the games are not as good as the B, which is why the B still has so much business that they have to squeeze tables in too tightly. The median pot at the B in 2/5 and 5/10 is probably higher than at the V, as a generalization. Certainly the median pots in Cali at those limits are much higher than at the V. The $300 min/max 3/5 at HG, for example, might be double the median pot of the V's 2/5. Might be hard to believe for anyone who hasn't played there, I admit.

Hey, folks... I've been following the compact thread but missed out on this one.

Anyway, I posted re: chops memo that went out recently.

Hoping to find out what happened. I'll check back here. Thanks!

Nick Sortal

Nick,

This is all sorted out. We were asked to add a line item in our internal controls in regards to this item.

Chops are available at PBKC.

Take care,

Noah Carbone
Cardroom Director
Palm Beach Kennel Club

The memo from the DPMW on chops seems to indicate that you have to pick a particular time when the chop is offered, along with exact payout info. How do you handle this?

I wonder if the DPMW would accept a formula method, i.e. chops would be available at the final table whenever all remaining players agree to do a chop, using a set formula for figuring how much each player will receive from the prize pool.

My favorite method is the one used at some of the LA cardrooms, like The Bike: Every remaining player is assigned an amount equal to the bottom remaining payout (e.g., if five players remain, they are each assigned the amount of the 5th place payout). The remainder of the prize pool is split among the remaining players in exact proportion to each player's chip count.

Here is a simple spreadsheet I wrote which accomplishes this method of chop. You just have to plug in these values:

# of Players Remaining
Payout for Last Place (for the remaining players)
Total Prize Pool (for the remaining players)
Chip Count for each remaining player.

It should take only about 10 minutes to figure such a chop. The tournament clock should be suspended during this time, imo.

Thanks, Noah... but had you ever chopped above 12 before? The way this memo reads, you can't do that.

Nick

This is a reason the poker rooms here should follow the Venetians way, the Bellagio survives on tourist, not locals. The poker rooms here are going to be going after locals, not tourist, the tourist are the gravy where the locals are the meat and potatoes. Most of us posting here are locals so why not cater to the locals? The main reason the Bellegio is busy is the star factor, if the tourist had no chance of seeing the big name players it would be much slower.

Also why is everyone afraid of the other players big stacks, if you have 100 BB you can lose 100 BB to a player with 100 BB just as easy as to a player with 200 BB, you just can not win 200 BB is you only have 100 BB. There is no rule you must buy in for the full 200 BB.

The reason the pots are larger in the rooms with low buy ins is there push fest, not much different the the monkey poker that has been played in Florida the last 10 years. There is no real hard decisions to be made, top pair is top pair, getter in and hope it holds, can't lose any more so jam and pray. Also I think the Hawaiian Gardens offers all different buy-ins, some have a low and some higher, short stack tables and deep stack tables with the same betting structure, but they have the option to do that since they are much bigger then the Florida poker room/casinos today

Hi Wil,

I play there 3x week. I also play at Gulfsream Park. For the most part I enjoy playing there. However I have some recommendations:

1) Increase the hands per hour. When there is a dealer change there is always a lag while the new dealer counts the tray. Also some dealers allow the players to control the game. This slows the game down.

2) The $2 BBJ drop is too much. Gulfstream has a big sign saying we will never institute a $2 BBJ rake. Players grumble about it. Also you take out $1 at no pot and then again at $20 pot. If you are going to do that maybe you should take out $1 once there is a flop and then $1 at maybe $50.

3) Get better lighting. It's very dark in the poker room.

4) More comfortable chairs are important. After a few hours the chairs are not comfortable.

5) For your regulars allow the ability to call ahead and reserve a spot. You can do this at Gulfstream and it is great when you have an hour to play only.

6) Offer games players want. Always have enough dealers to begin a game.

7) Don't rake a hand if there is no flop. I know people who drive 20 miles to the Isle because of this rule.

8) Offer real comps. $0.25 per hour is a joke.

9) Have runners get chips for players. Not having dealers counting cash at the table speeds up the game.

Thanks Wil. If there are others I will let you know. Keep up the good work.

Nick, others:

I played in a tourney at Dania this weekend (I know, I know ...). When we were down to 12 someone said "chop?" and the TD there immediately said no because of a new state law. Even when we had 11 left we couldn't cram 11 on one table to discuss chop.

When we went to the final table chop discussions began and continued after two players were eliminated.

Still waiting on when and if the PBKC is going to open another location. I really hope they do and soon, some where in the north end of the county.

Only a short time before you need more help, CLICK HERE and see the count down, Hiring yet?

How many poker rooms are there in the Tampa area and sort of surrounding driving distance area, and I would appreciate a list if you could do that. I've searched but I just want to be sure I got them all since I plan on being down there in a few months.