The room is nonsmoking, downstairs. Overall visual aesthetics are lacking in this room. Decor is very red, and in my opinion, the lighting is a bit too harsh. Tables are 10-handed, just adequately sized, and drink holders are the movable plastic things. Very good space between tables. Chairs were mediocre (too bad, because it looks like they tried for better). They need to double or triple up on the TVs - very few of them. No movable tables; they're on order. Many cell phones don't work in the room. For those who care, the chips are new sharp-edged Paulson Tophat and cane (as expected), but the color combos and edge patterns are flat-out ugly - Oh where is the artistry?
Staff is friendly. Floor did a fairly good job filling the seats/moving the line. Biggest problem there was dealers not updating their Bravo records (false positives and false negatives). Dealers were generally pretty solid; most have experience. There were a few that needed help. Cashiers were slow, but not amazingly slow (as was experienced during the WV poker startup). Drink service was spotty. As expected, beers aren't free, but unfortunately they're too expensive to justify. Drinks are served in real glassware; can that last? Food service to the poker room seems to be a future, and there isn't much in the way of food selection near the poker room. Restaurants in the casino close pretty early, but apparently you can get hot dogs all night long (oh joy!).
Lots of familiar players from Wheeling/Mountaineer scattered throughout the room, but even more unfamiliar faces. The competition was much softer than the norm in the WV casinos. To be honest, it felt like I was in Vegas for an evening; hopefully this will last for awhile. An overall friendly atmosphere of normalcy prevailed. Some players were contrasting this with Rivers, which apparently was infested with an outbreak of PSC (Poker-Slacker Complex) - ipods, hoodies, sunglasses, comatose deaf-mutes texting their way into walls.
You can buy chips from the dealer; I saw that repeatedly during my visit. New players do not post. Many dealers weren't requiring missed blinds to be posted by returning players (that should tighten up once the angling starts).
Lots of 1/2 NL, a few 2/5, one 5/10, a few 2/4 and 3/6 FL, and there was a stud game 1-5 spread running Fri night. Despite the crazy exuberant confidence expressed earlier in this thread, the mythical 25/50 game never happened, of course.