I see they are hiring dealers. Does the rake create an atmosphere where the turnover is unusually high? Who would want to deal when all they hear are players complain. I'm interested in visiting, and giving a trip report.

Theyve been hiring for months now but not many applicants. I know some who applied and auditioned got passed over.

The woman who was running the room is no longer employed there as of this past weekend. Doesnt mean anything will change but hopes are high amongst us dealers.

Most of our dealers came from hollywood aurora(where the rake is the same) or from blackjack where they have no basis for comparison. To most its just a job that pays better than the table games or other casinos.
Most of them only know this room, they arent concerned with the rake, they dont realize how some of our rules hurt the game.(in my opinion)

As for me i got a wife, two kids and one more on the way. I need the medical and the full time hours. Every other casino hires part time, including the horseshoe.
Complaints from players will happen everywhere you deal, no way around it. I dont hear much of it, but i also try to let the game play as much as i possibly can.

Are you plannin on a trip during the day or night? I work grave shift so i hope to see you ginpalace.

It will probably be during the afternoon into the evening mid week. Sounds like you have your head on straight for your position, and wish you the best. Dealers aren't the enemy IMHO, and am glad you have a good attitude. Makes for a better environment to play poker.

quick trip report:
Just played there for the first time. I live about 30 minutes away (northeast) I'm purely a recreational 1/2 player, the dealers and the floor people were all very nice. I called ahead and when i got there, was seated within 5 minutes (this was at 6pm on a Saturday night) The action was good. A lot of people play shortstacked. I'm sure that annoys regs but I dig it because I get annoyed when my overpair gets check raised by someone with top pair and 150 bb's. Anyone have an opinion on this vs Rockford Charitable Games and Pottowattomi? Hammond and Aurora are far away and there's squat to do in the area outside of the casino.
I defintely noticed when I raised pre and won the pot on the flop, I was hauling in much less than my initial rise lol.

so sum up, I could see regs not digging the profitability of the place, but fellow recreational players will dig it.

I've played there over 20 times and I'd agree. Rake is a beeotch, and action is generally juicier than the Shoe on weekends. I've only played there and at the Shoe.

Anyone know how often their freeroll tourney goes? Apparently it's everyone gets paid, and first is 5k. Not bad.

The tourney runs every other sunday at 10 a.m. You have to qualify thru the High Hand promotion. Sunday thru Thursday points are rewarded for full houses or better.
Small Full House (2s full thru 9s full) = 3 points
Big Full House (10s full thru Aces full) = 5 points
Small Quads (2s thru 9s) = 7 points
Big Quads (10s thru Aces) = 10 points
Striaght Flush = 12 points
Royal Flush = 15 points and 100 dollars

The points leader from each day, open 830a.m. to close 6 a.m., gets a seat into the tourney. If there is a tie then both get the seat.

Its set up to be a 10 man sng, but almost everyone so far has been 11 handed due to a tie in the two weeks before hand.
Everyone gets paid, first has been between 5k and 5500 each tourney.
7-10 pay the same (or 7 -11) which is usually 550 -600 dollars. Pay then jumps each spot starting at 6th on up.

This promotion runs until May 27. On that day we're having a tournament of champions type tourney for each player who won one of these freerolls. First for that is expected to be around 50k.
Pay outs will most likely be the same at the freerolls, just add a zero.

Thanks for your help.
Just a suggestion if you have any pull there, lift the no talking rule if the pot is heads up. That's pretty standard, plus its fun and strategic.
gh

Goldhouse i agree 100 percent about the no talking in a heads up pot. We very recently got a new poker room manager. He and I have talked about numerous things that need to be changed, but only time will tell if it happens.

He just took over about a week or two ago.

i will stop in Elgin (on my way to Horseshoe, from Madison) if traffic in the city is bad.

Play a couple hours, till 9p or so, then finish my trip.

Regs here are oblivious to the bad rake, etc.

also typically oblivious to poker in general.

How many points does it generally take to qualify? Also, if this goes off every other week, isn't that around 14 people who qualify?

You can qualify SUN - THU. On FRI and SAT, the rake is the usual $8.

You can only qualify sun thru thurs. Ive seen 34 points win and ive seen as high as 78.
45 to 50 is about avg.

Player1 the rake is 8on Fri and Sat, but they still take the promotional dollar.
So in reality its $9, since you cant qualify on these days.
This was set up by the lady who was running the room. Shes gone now but i doubt they will change it with 2 months to go in the promotion, since theyve been taking the extra dollar for the past three months.

That tourney is a joke......if you play through the promotion days you will find yourself with idiots galore but then again it is profitable.
This place is fish city I would say the 1-2 is tougher than 2-5

I have a few questions... what happened to albert?
and are they going to add more tables and allow headphones ffs?

the rake just has to change for me. elgin is 30 mins from my house and a shuttle to shoe is about 40 mins from me. i will wait the extra time on the shuttle to avoid paying an extra $4 in rake per hand and id guess anyone who plays regularly or cares at all about their profitability would make the same decision

I havent heard anything about more tables recently. There were some rumors about a month or so back of expanding to 12 tables, but i havent heard anything about it since.

Headphones is not up to GVC. No electronics at the table is state thing.

The dealer you asked about was let go.

No electronics at the table is state thing.

Not really. Headphones are allowed in Peoria. Its probably an issue with an overly zealous dockside gaming agent misinterpreting the rules. Same issue in Joliet.
This needs to be changed.

Illinois still has a lot of catching up to do as far as poker goes. They're slow learners I guess.

I prefer the Charitable Games "Circuit" but when I do play @GV I always win. #theleastinterestingmanintheworld.

Confusium say: Gwind at those wakes for wots of hours and bwite the dust.

I FINALLY got to play the Elgin poker room.
(such small things make me happy)
Now my "collection" of Illinois poker rooms is complete again.

Not a whole lot to recommend the Elgin room to a downstate tourist. Not worth a trip and probably not even worth a stop. A few tables of 1-2 NL and a few tables of 2-5 NL ---- and THATS ALL they play. Probably thats all they know how to play.

Typical rude suburbanites in the boat basement in the same room as the slots. And of course there is the $8 rake.

Can't I say ANYTHING positive? OK, the games was not very tough. A couple chip spewers and some old tight passive predictable regs. And --- there was an Excellent dealer named Lily. Great pitch technique, zero mistakes and she really moved the game along.

SO --- heres my complete and updated rating of Illinois casino poker rooms:
Elgin -- terrible
Joliet -- both terrible
Aurora -- not as bad as the others, but still bad
Peoria -- terrible
Rock Island -- new and pretty. otherwise terrible
Metropolis -- terrible

DesPlaines -- no poker
Alton -- no poker
East St Louis -- no poker

Poker in Missouri, Iowa, Wisc, and Indiana -- much better

Thanks for post. Have not done much traveling lately.

[QUOTE=Abe;32707936]I FINALLY got to play the Elgin poker room.
(such small things make me happy)
Now my "collection" of Illinois poker rooms is complete again.

Not a whole lot to recommend the Elgin room to a downstate tourist. Not worth a trip and probably not even worth a stop. A few tables of 1-2 NL and a few tables of 2-5 NL ---- and THATS ALL they play. Probably thats all they know how to play.

Typical rude suburbanites in the boat basement in the same room as the slots. And of course there is the $8 rake.

Can't I say ANYTHING positive? OK, the games was not very tough. A couple chip spewers and some old tight passive predictable regs. And --- there was an Excellent dealer named Lily. Great pitch technique, zero mistakes and she really moved the game along.

SO --- heres my complete and updated rating of Illinois casino poker rooms:
Elgin -- terrible
Joliet -- both terrible
Aurora -- not as bad as the others, but still bad
Peoria -- terrible
Rock Island -- new and pretty. otherwise terrible
Metropolis -- terrible

DesPlaines -- no poker
Alton -- no poker
East St Louis -- no poker

Poker in Missouri, Iowa, Wisc, and Indiana -- much better[/QUOTe

Sounds like Abe doesnt like much

Nope, Abe's got it right except for one thing. NL hold-em is all they play, but most of them sure don't know how to play. Of course they'll suck out on a big pot playing J-4 "sooted" after calling a $10-15 preflop raise.