Yeah Saturday was a revelation for me on how bad it is. I was around 40th for both 1/2 and 2/5. Luckily they opened another table of each and the majority of the list ahead of me went home already. I only had to wait an hour but it would have been far worse had I came in earlier.

What time was this?

I got there around 8:15 and I was seated on the new 2/5 after they cycled through 10 names at 9:40ish.

Do you know if one of the 3 limit tables running closed? Or these were brand new table opens with new dealers.

One thing about this place is for some reason most players go on most lists -- limit and no limit. So a 40 person list isn't really a 40 person list, it's realistically more like a 15-20 person list.

I believe they all were still running.

That is absolutely HORRIBLE. If people are driving out there then driving home cause they don't want to wait hours, they will not be back. That was me at Brantford. Drove an hour there, was told that they probably won't open a table until the evening dealers come in three hours later. I drove home. I went back though. But I'm a degen. They absolutely need to fix the shortage of dealers ASAP.

Yup it was bad. From the initial 9 called for the new 2/5, 1 showed lol. I was 17th on the list at the time and made it on. It took over 30 mins to fill and start.

****** Ontario poker. This is what happens with no competition. Is there any chance...at all...that Durham Live will have any poker, or is it for sure not happening?

Obviously in the distant future there is a semblance of a chance lol but as of now the talking line is "absolutely, positively no poker ever."

Drive to Niagara wait an entire 15 minutes and then play.

It sounds like Blue Heron opened poker back up, in order to get players to drive there (i'm not sure where it is really, not from the area) and wait. The idea being that If they get people waiting they'll start playing blackjack,crap...whatever, which are of course higher margin activities for casinos.

In order for this to be a place where actual poker players can play, the Casino must realize that people that drive there to play poker won't all of sudden start playing blackjack,craps or whatever. On the other hand, each time someone puts there name on a list then starts playing pit games, it reinforces the idea that if we get them here (poker players that is) they'll play whatever and in turn make money. A vicious cycle for sure.

At the end of the day, Casino exec's don't give a **** about poker!! and if players start driving out there and when faced with a long wait for a poker table, start playing pit games they win!!

This is obviously not the case. Staff issues take time to get sorted. I just hope they have a ramp up plan to get most of the 10 tables there running consistently because its clear the demand is there.

Bingo!

Bingo

The fact that they are making poker training mandatory now ensures they are going to attempt to do this.

I actually took some time to go back in this thread, to get some back drop on their opening.

''It's definitely not obviously the case'' as you state

I agree it takes time to get staffing issues sorted out, but they decided in October to open the 1st week of December, so that makes it 4 months to get things ''sorted out''. That's quite a bit of time get things sorted out. Plus the fact that if your short on staffing why open a segment of your operation that you can't adequately staff (Shortage of dealers)

Meanwhile, while getting things sorted out, is there any place to play blackjack? In other words, if I go there tonight and want to play blackjack will there be a dealer available? Yes of course there will be. If I wanted to play poker would I get a table to play at The answer is no.

If 4 dealers called in sick (staff absent ism is a constant problem at service jobs such as this) , where would the shortage of dealers be felt, in the pit or the poker room? Yes, the Poker room.

I was referring to the idea that they opened a poker room solely to create a large waiting list of people who would then be encouraged to play in the pit. If you believe that, then I don't know what to tell you.

And to the point on staffing, they are short on poker dealers, not staff in general. Hence the mandatory training for dealing poker. I also believe poker dealers earn more than pit dealers so its only a matter of time before the poker staff grows.

But yes, if they had the option to put a dealer at a blackjack table over a poker table they would choose blackjack. Tables games earn higher income for the casino. But the reason they brought in a poker room wasnt to maximize current revenue streams. It was to add another.

Give it a few months and we'll see where were at.

Live Poker is officially viewed as a loss leader by the Great Canadian Gambing corporation, not an additional source of income. Yes that's right a loss leader.

They used this exact term in replying to questions regarding Pickering(durham live). This also applies for Woodbine.
They said we will not have a poker room when Pickering opens, and there is no poker room in the future plans. They also said the cost of labour and commission they receive from the province does allow then to offer live poker.

Then they stated that their is a chance great blue heron would add live Poker as "a Loss Leader." This letter was written by Craig D. the executive vice President of operations.

So enjoy the long waits at their loss leader, and blast away your bankroll on table games and in the slots. There will never be a wait on the slots or tables. They will always be there with open arms.

This or simple incompetence/poor planning, or a combination of both.

popcorn

Personally, i'm cheering for Canadian poker overall. I will say that anyone that actually wants decent places to play poker in GTA, don't go to this place to play poker, find a long wait and visit the pit!!

If poker was considered a loss leader, there would be a poker room in every casino. There just isn't enough overlap of the poker customer base and the typical table game/slot machine customer.

What can't be argued is that poker is not as profitable by the square foot for the casino than most other games. But, that only actually matters if the casino is operating at or near capacity and utilizing a high percentage of their current floor plan.

With the new casino opening up in Pickering and the threat of a large portion of customers going to Pickering, GBH decided to open the poker room to capitalize on a revenue stream that will not be affected by the Pickering casino opening. That's what this is.

It's the same corporation for great blue heron, Pickering, woodbine, Brantford, flamboro, & mohawk. The corporation itself considers poker a loss leader at best, and generally non profitable.

I think we're just arguing semantics here. For something to be a loss leader, there needs to be an overall net profit as a result of offering a break-even or net-loss proposition. It's been proven that poker is not an effective loss leader for casinos.

Corporation certainly views it as low profit, though. But the hope is that as Pickering swallows up some of GBH's customers, the poker room will supplement some of those loses.

All that we can do is provide relevant criticism and hope that the room grows. Gotta imagine its been tough getting staff with the amount of hiring Pickering is going through.

This is what happens when people show up in hoodies and shades with a back pack full of their own lunch

There is a reason rich whales stay in the pit- because it's a lot more fun than being squished at a table full of headphone wearing wannabe pros, grumpy stuck losers, strategy talkings morons and people complaining abt a hand from last week