I am sorry, my intent was not to clutter this up with something so silly. I'm in CE, which you did not know, and the difference is more like 2.25 vs 3.5. 2 1/2 hours more total is certainly much more driving. For some reason, I was also thinking of the drive from Orono to Portland, another error on my part.

As someone else posted, I'd much rather go to FW given the enormous rake (if someone would like to point out the current rake/per hour charge for FW it would be appreciated) and overall experience but yes, I was clearly wrong.

My apologies and thanks again.

This casino would be of great importance to people like me for that very reason, but I suppose that's for the Oxford casino thread...

First table got going around 9:30am today. Broke at ~12:30 when half of the players left to go play a local tournament, resulting in zero tables running on a Saturday afternoon.

Upper management should be absolutely humiliated with how quickly they've managed to run this room into the ground despite so many players/customers constantly trying to lead them in the right direction to keep the room active.

Wow, maybe management will start getting the hint! Any word on turnout last night?

Didn't think it would get that bad, but I'm glad the players are starting to vote by not showing up. Maybe they will offer some comps to poker players like with slots and any other casino, maybe lower drink prices to 1$ (illegal to make it free in Maine), and/or the most important thing imo, maybe reduce the rake by 1-2$/cap.

Anyone still going any updates would be cool.

I emailed oxford casino, they plan on putting poker in, but sometime in the future.

I was on the first table this morning which got going around 9:40 am this morning. Second table probably didn't get going until around 11 maybe? Maybe 11:30.

When I left around 5:30 pm they had 3 tables going strong, with little or no wait at all. Furthermore, they had 2 or 3 guys on a list for a 2/5 table (which apparently did get going on Sunday, and there is seemingly more interest in getting it going).

Whats the rake on the 2/5? I will prolly go this week a few times, can't help but feel like I'm getting raped with the rake + no comps though. How are the games on the weekdays now? IDK if its worth playing for me with the rake, without alot of people spewing chips

No idea on rake of $2/$5. I have never been there when they get the table going. Weekdays is very hit or miss in terms of action. It is also greatly based on the weather. If it is raining/poor weather, the tables fill up faster and it seems to drive in the more action players. But at times the room is just over-loaded with the older population and just wicked nits.

The $2-$5 game almost never goes, but if it does the rake is the same 10% of the pot up to $6 max with an additional $1 for the bad beat jackpot. I believe any game they get going will have the same rake. They may even pay out the bad beat jackpot in a PLO game. If they take the $1 for the bad beat jackpot they have to pay out if a hand meets that criteria. I have never seen a PLO game go either but have seen interest and heard about a game going before.

Busy poker room today! First table didn't get going until about 9:30 but they had 5 tables of 1/2 going by 3:30-4. Rain/bad weather = PACKED poker room.

Whoever has been so dead set on a six dollar rake despite seeing the drastic results of such a rake over the course of the last two months needs to be shamed within the company and used as an example of how not to run a poker room.

On the bright side...

From what I hear, SnGs have been approved by the state and it looks like the standard buy in would be 75+15 instead of 60+15, which is still lol20%STTrake but I understand that's standard and for the effort, it's sincerely appreciated by the players.

With starting stacks of 1500, there's also talk of a voluntary $5 1k-in-chips add-on right at the start of the tournament, all of which would go to the dealers () as "dealer appreciation" because obviously Hollywood isn't going to give their dealers an extra dime for their missed opportunity cost of dealing an SnG instead of cash games.

It's seriously not too late for this room to recover*, but it's very close, so hopefully this all goes down smoothly.

*If they don't lower the cash game rake by the end of September, it's already too late.

Cstone your obviously passionate about these issues and seem to have internal knowledge. Do you have the ear of someone who can make any significant changes?

My husband and I are making our way from NB, Canada to New Jersey, and decided to stop in Bangor tonight for some poker and some rest. Funny question - can anyone tell me if there's ample leg room in seats 2-3 & 7-8? My husband perfers those seats but is super-tall, and isn't very happy at those weird tables with the wraparound legs.

Looking forward to some 1-2 action tonight!

I'm quite happy with 75+15 over 60. I'm guessing these will fill quick and often. Any news on the others? I imagine maybe 150 and 300?

Unfortunately I don't think anyone who works day to day in the Bangor location has that kind of authority, but the company's VP of gaming comes by somewhat frequently so I'm hoping to set up a chance to talk to him for like 5 minutes next time he's in town.

What's been eating at me the most as of late is the excuse-making on their end. Before summer, they said, "just wait until summer, people will have way more free time, it will be packed."

Given the massive interest level in March and April, they SHOULD have been right, but the caustic combination of a six dollar rake, she-who-shall-not-be-named, and extending an unabashed middle finger to loyal regulars has made the poker room a ghost town the vast majority of the time.

And now that it's Summer and the room is still dead, all I'm hearing from them is "It's summer, people want to be outside, it will be packed this winter..."

It's the middle of June, the place should be packed wall to wall with only six tables. It's not the time of the year that's killing the room. It's the rake and the customer service.

I once played in a local home game ($3 max rake) on Christmas Eve and it had two tables running all night. People around here love playing poker; Hollywood isn't letting them.

2,3,8,9 are all no problem for me (6'3"). 5 and 6 are second tier. 1, 4, 7, and 10 are brutal.

Thanks so much! And I'll be happy to trade for your 5/6 if needed - from most other seats, spades look EXACTLY like clubs to me!

Wow, I wish I had read this thread a little deeper before we stopped in Bangor. $6+1 rake?!

Edit: and the floor has told the dealers not to let the blinds chop. WOW.

Can you elaborate on the blind chopping situation?

The floor has instructed the dealer to allow the small blind to call the big or to fold, but left no option to allow the blinds to chop. Some dealers follow this, and some do not, but the floor ruling is that chopping is not allowed. Our table last night was right behind the podium and the dealer looked a bit nervous the one time it did come up, but did allow it. This is when the topic came up.

Also: $2.50 for a small bottle of water. Hollywood Bangor HAS to be one of the most player-unfriendly rooms in the US.

I could care less about blind chopping either way. I understand the reasoning behind it with concern to rake, but really that's such a minor gripe. Play heads up if the table folds around to you. I'm rarely if ever going to elect to chop blinds if given the option.

While I agree with you, this is just such a nit-picky thing on the part of the casino. When you have such high rake and no perks for players, to be told you can't chop is just another insult.

You can remove "one of" from that second bolded sentence.

I'll lay anyone ITT 20 to 1 that I can pick which of the three floor supervisors adamantly refused to let two consenting players chop the blinds.


Exactly.




Let them know that they way they're choosing to run things is completely unacceptable. Vote with your wallet.

I did. I canceled an upcoming 3 night stay I made earlier after reading into this thread and let them know why. Hopefully they eventually see the impact these decisions are having on the overall business. I do not expect them to be as competitive as Foxwoods when they only have six tables, but to be so player un-friendly is a disgrace.

No, it's a floor supervisor. You'll know her the second you see her make a ruling. It's really awful that 90% of the poker room employees are extremely good with customers, but she's just so unforgivably bad that the entire staff gets held accountable for her behavior.

Additionally, unless they're all completely lying to my face, no one in Bangor has the authority to do anything about the rake.

Because of how negative I've been about Hollywood in the thread, I want to add that in the two months I spent playing there everyday, I really enjoyed myself and thought that the vast majority of employees were friendly and good at their jobs.

It's brutal that such a generally great staff gets punished for the behavior of one bad apple, but she's seriously that bad.