Since it opens monday and there is no thread on this in Poker Venues.

Can't wait to hear all the trip reports. Good luck to everyone = )

I've got a friend there now, he said 0 wait

LOL - someone asked in the hype thread what I'd do with my chips if the casino closed.

I'm going back tonight obv.

There were a couple dealers from there, one from WV that I know of.

You could definitely tell the dealers who knew what was up from the ones on their first day.

Bravo's definitely awesome. One thing I was disappointed in was that it didn't auto-update. I had to go back to the main page, reclick Columbus and get the updated info, but the wait-list was accurate - which surprised me with how the check-in desk was so slammed.

Hype thread is now closed. Last few pages have good operational info IMO (even the stuff I submitted) ....

link

Found out tonight that you can't bring a backpack in - even though there were tons of other people with them. Security wouldn't let me, and I'd just valeted. So I had to go get a valet to go get my car so I could put the backpack back in. I wasn't pleased.

This thread is actually about 15 posts longer. But the posts keep getting deleted.

UDbrky, they are selectively enforcing the backpack rule? Is the TSA there patting people down and feeling them up?

That sucks if we can't bring backpacks don't want to carry around an iPad.

Why are posts getting deleted? Seems like a super low traffic thread like this should be let go

A few posts have been deleted in this thread because they were no-content or violated other forum guidelines. If anyone has further questions/comments, please send me a PM or post in the Moderation Discussion Thread. (Both a link to that thread and all the guidelines can be found in a sticky thread at the top of the B&M Forum.) Thanks!

For those who have been, how crowded has it been? I remember reading about Cleveland having lines just to get in the door ... but I don't hear things like that aboutColumbus. I'm also not hearing 2 hour waits to get in the poker games.

That's really strange I walked in the main entrance at 8pm last night with a messenger bag on my back and they didn't say anything. I also walked around the floor a couple times and even came back in once more (around 11pm) before I left (through the ID-check) and they didn't say anything. I remember seeing no less than 3 other people with backpacks too. Might have just been a one-off thing.

Monday I didn't go but looked at Bravo app a few times through the night and they had all 30 tables full with a 30-40 person waitlist for 1-2NLHE (which was 21 of the 30 tables). Last night I walked in at 8pm and there were probably 9 unused tables and they just sat a new 1/2NLHE game. There was a bit of a queue to get chips and talk to the brush for a seat but wasn't bad as the stories I heard about Cleveland. I would expect Columbus to be similarly full Friday/Saturday/Sunday as it was Monday for the first few weeks.

Overall I had a good couple hours there, dealers were a tad slow but you know it is what it is (actually no misdeals now that I think back on it). Originally the new table they called 10 people, only 5 people sat down in the first 10 minutes. We asked for reduced rake and the floorman said they do not offer reduced rake at all. Then in about 30 minutes we had a full table. You can buy chips at the brush area but cannot sell them. I was able to color up to large denomination chips at the brush I think more out of fluke then anything, so I wouldn't take it as always available.

As for concern about action with the 100% buy up to the large stack rule... I didn't see it. Very few people bought in for the full $300, a lot of $200s, $150s, etc. But this is one night, so who knows. I'll be back.

I got in about 11:30 - it was a blond security woman.

I also saw several people with them. I talked to one of the floor guys about it and he said he'd ask.

The backpack thing would be good to know. In CLE they are cracking down and now checking purses. They go through my backpack everyday though, sometimes its fast and others they really go through every pocket. A few guys even opened my pill bottles (asprin and stomach med). I guess someone was selling drugs in the casino.

In Cleveland - I was told I couldn't bring in food - I had like breakfast and granola bars type things. We were just going back in to help the guy who was trying to validate parking, so he just let me go.

I recall the "no backpacks" and "no food" restrictions were announced in the media prior to the opening - but I couldn't find info on their website/fb page.

As far as the max buy-in experience (and a bit of a brag) - I was at the same table on Monday for most of the day and into the night (1/2NL), and I was the only one who bought in for $300. I left with $700 and no one ever asked how much I had in front of me to match. There were many $200 buy-ins during the day - with most buying in between $60 and $100.

With $8 a hand coming off the table how long before the rake empties the place out?!

Same amount of time it takes to get the the center of a tootsie pop.

This is the standard for Ohio so it really SUCKS@ Makes playing 1/2 anything a horrible idea.

And similarly, "the world may never know" why people continue to play in these games if alternatives are available. While that may or may not be the case here (I have no idea), it definitely is the case in IL. I guess the recreational players simply don't care or don't know any better. The question is how much does the deterrence to good players make up for the additional rake? Whoops, trick question, as everyone knows there are virtually 0 good players at 1/2.

the rake is $6 max and $1 on pots over $20, not $8 per hand.

$6 rake + $1 BBJ + $1 tip = $8. I'm not sure if you're shilling for the casino here or weren't getting at what was being alluded to, but the drop (in however you'd like to qualify it) is $8 most hands, well above national averages (60% higher than most Vegas rooms) I would guess.

Thoughts on the possibility of maintaining a $30-40+ hourly at 2-5? I think it's going to be very possible for a solid player for at least the first few months, but my knowledge of the effect of the rake on the longterm health of casino cash games generally is limited. I know such an hourly was possible for even solidly above average players (i.e., not the very best) at the clubs the last couple of years.

No need to guess on a lot of places if you read the threads in Poker Venues.

LV has rooms that are between $3+$0 and $5+$1, iirc. Huge range because of rampant competition.

Near me, Delaware Park has the lowest rake at $4+$1, which is the same as Atlantic City casinos. Charles Town, WV is $6+$1. PA casinos range between $5+$0 and $6+$1.

I think that other casinos across the country are a lot closer to Hollywood Columbus than you think. If I had to guess at an average drop assuming full rake, BBJ, and tip, I'd say it's slightly more than $6.

Btw, time rake for 2-5 PLO is $8 per half hour, as established yesterday. So, at a minimum, players are paying $16/hour (not even including tips). IMO, that's so unreasonable that they're going to have a difficult time making the game last, especially in light of the fact they are competing with the tank for PLO regulars. Casino should seriously consider moving down to $6 per half hour if it cares about having a longterm PLO game.

More money to be made playing vs fish w/ rake than against regs w/ 0 rake.

Just running some rough numbers on rake (maybe I'm missing something) ...
I think NST is $20/day? Gemini is $25/day. So going with the lower one, if you play 5 days/week, 50 weeks/year (2,000 hours) as full-time job, you pay $5,000 in "house fees" to the club over the course of a year.

Ignoring tips for the moment, b/c I assume you are tipping the same at HCC or a club, HCC is raking up to $6 + 1. So assume an average of $5/pot? If you drag:
2 pots/hour = $10/hour rake, or $20k/year
2.5 pots/hour = $12.50/hour rake or$25k/year.

So the full time player will have to earn 15-20k more a year at the casino than at the clubs just to break even. Of course the argument is that the casino will have many more fish than the clubs had, and the games will be that much juicier. Time will tell on that one.

And this is assuming that the clubs even stay open.