JG, any update on requiring the first buy in at the cage? The racks at the table are very shallow compared to the buy ins, and there are not enough chip runners when the room is busy. Every floor, dealer, and player I've spoken to about this agrees that it would be best to require the first buy in at the cage. Any info is appreciated, thanks for your time.

Yesterday I heard players had been hoarding bottles of water to take home when they were available in the self-serve area (this is why we can't have nice things). Would it be crazy to suggest an ice/water dispenser of some sort next to the coffee machines? There are already water lines fed into the area, it would really help to be able to dispense non-scalding hot water. Having players fill their own cups would prevent them from hoarding bottles (and hopefully from filling multiple cups as others behind them become annoyed).

I know it cuts into the drink runners' tips a bit to offer water, but to be honest I only saw 2-3 runners during a 5 hour session yesterday so that doesn't really help the situation. I actually wandered onto the casino floor to find other drink runners just for a couple of waters.

Thanks for listening.

When I played last Friday they had chip cart at the front. I'm pretty sure they are making sure people get their chips before sitting down. The main problem is you have poker players in there own world walking around not giving a crap about any rule. Thus will sit at a table with a blank stare about chips. Ex : Poker player sits at table and throws cash on the table. Dealer says hey first chips need to be bought at cage. Player just stares at him. Might have been language barrier. Dealer ask again, player just sits there and stares. Dealer says forget about it basically and has to give this guy chips bc of just pure ignorance. Either way the game is slowed down. Lots of degens in the room are lazy, ignorant, and could care less about any rules. Having them go to the cage for first buy in is like getting my dog into his cage. There has to be a treat involved.

JG,

Any insight on may promos, tourny and cash?

Just saw Bravo, for cash, it is a repeat of April's promo.

I agree I do see this often. However, in cases like this it's a dealer issue. If it's the policy then the dealer shouldn't give in. Explain the rule, let the player sit there until he comprehends or call the floor over to explain it to them. If players are allowed to do it over and over again, it just reinforces the fact they can get chips at the table.

Except first buy-in at the cage is not the rule in this room.

Honestly about the best system is what most Vegas rooms do. First buy-in at the brush stand. You have to go to the brush stand to get a table assignment anyway right? If they have chips available right there then it's just - hey Joe your 1/3 seat is available how many chips do you want?

Given the physical setup at MGM they'd likely have to just keep a cart right near the brush stand. If it's really busy might even need a runner manning the cart.

I recently played 1/2 PLO at MGM NH. Had an observation I wanted to get input on.

At my table there was a husband and wife also playing. They seemed like nice people and noting appeared out of the ordinary. I was told they play there often. However I can't help but wonder what are folks' thoughts on couples playing together. Also I will be returning soon and wanted to know if I should be worried whether this couple could be conspiring or not. Just curious for now.

I used to play with my wife too but she stopped playing two years ago.

I know who you are talking about but unfortunately there isn't much you can do and they've always been nice to play with.

IMO its no worse than the groups of friends - incl a handful of MDL dealers - that seem to end up at the same 2/5 tables together. Personally I've never seen anything worth talking about other than the usual softish play. But IMO there's nothing to do or nothing you really can do other than be aware and if it really ends up bothering you get a table change.

Hi JG,

The room as usual has plenty of action and well-lit with mostly competent dealers.

However, the table transfer system needs some tweaking. Last Saturday I requested a transfer, when I was called the floor @ the podium in the middle couldn't tell me where to move and the brush was busy with a long line of folks. It took quite a while to get info and I saw one guy just table change himself. Wish I did that instead of waiting.

The old system of floor directing table changes seemed good. Has that been discontinued?

Thanks.

I hate to be the guy who always comes on here with a complaint, because overall this is a fantastic room (and will continue to be so even if the issue I'm about to bring up isn't addressed), but I had yet another frustrating experience last night with the rake reduction policy...

We got down to 6-handed, and I promptly asked the dealer for reduced rake. Dealer made a less-than-full-throated attempt at calling the floor for approval. Floor didn't immediately acknowledge. Four of them were standing around talking (about legit business, from the looks of it) at the middle podium not far from table 12, where I was. Dealer made no immediate second attempt to get their attention, and proceeded to set aside full rake for the hand in progress. I asked the dealer to please not drop the rake until we get a floor to approve my request (pausing the game to do so if necessary). At the completion of the hand, dealer dropped the rake anyway and told me there was nothing he could do about it. During the next hand a different floor walked by our table and we got our approval.

I talked to a floor away from the table and he confirmed that dealers are not allowed to reduce the rake until it's been approved by a floor, but he also confirmed that they will never NOT approve it if we are in fact short-handed. My concerns about the policy as stated are the following:

1. Dealers and floorpersons all work for the casino, which means if they're company-minded employees, their ultimate job is to help the casino's bottom line. With that in mind, and with the policy as is, it would behoove dealers and floor to conveniently be a few hands late getting a reduced rake request approved. That way they can keep raking $3 more per hand in the meantime. I'm not saying this IS what's actually going on. But the explanation of the policy combined with dealers' often half-hearted attempts to get the floor's attention AND a bunch of floormen standing around not hearing the request do not make for good appearances.

2. As players, if we are attentive enough to ask for reduced rake the moment we get short-handed, we've done our part and it should be granted. If it can't be granted immediately, we the players get screwed, having an extra $3 stolen from us collectively every hand. It's not fair that just because the floor is too busy to acknowledge our request, the players are the ones who pay the price, even though we've done what is needed from us on our end (asking). I'm not delusional, I know that the floor has more pressing issues to tend to and won't always be able to immediately acknowledge such a request, but expecting players to eat that extra rake in the meantime doesn't sit well with me.

I've also gotten different policy explanations from different people. One dealer told me they had been instructed in team meetings that when a player asks and a floor isn't immediately available, they actually ARE supposed to proceed with REDUCED rake in the meantime and just let the floor know asap.

I've asked about rake reduction policy a few times on here and have never received an answer. It's possible my questions just got lost in the clutter of this thread, so let me try again...

Johnny, if you would answer the following questions I'd be greatly appreciative.

What is your official policy regarding reduced rake? Must it be confirmed by a floor before dealers are allowed to do it at all, or do dealers have the leeway to proceed with reduced in the meantime with the caveat that they must continue trying to get the floor's attention for official approval?

If the policy is indeed the former, why? If a request is never NOT approved, then why must the players be punished by having more money taken from their pots until the floor is able to tend to our request?

If a player asks a dealer to hold off on dropping the rake until we get it approved, pausing the game if need be in the meantime, should the dealer grant such a request or is he free to blow the player off and drop it anyway?

I've played way more hours at Maryland Live over MGM, and no matter how busy they are, granting reduced rake never seems to be an issue like it is at MGM. They just throw up the hand signal and a floor from across the room gives them the thumbs up and we're good to go. Yet, sometimes even on a slow Monday night at MGM, it's like pulling teeth trying to get an approval. I don't understand the disconnect from one place to another.

I don't know, maybe I'm the only one who cares about such things, but as someone who plays the game for profit and not necessarily recreation, it irks me to no end to see this money leaving the table needlessly and unfairly.

Sorry for the length of that drivel. Just want to make sure my concerns are accurately and exhaustively communicated.

This HAS to be a limit game right? I can't see anyone else writing a tome over 1 hand of full rake.

But it's not one hand. This has happened more times than I can count. And several times it has carried on for multiple hands before getting approval. Yeah $3 here and there is no big deal. But I see no reason why I won't keep playing here for years to come, and that will add up to a significant amount. Players scoffing at $3 and saying "who cares" effectively encourage the casino to continue such practices.

None at this time.

ok, i'll bite...
why was the bell removed?

Anyone wanna chime in on this?

Bell was there today. I rang it 4 times and I think they ignored me LOL

+1

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Chime.


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In regards to half rake, a hand motion signalled by the dealer and an acknowledgment by floor is considered as an approval at the other location.

May be that might be a solution than physical appearance.

It's a legitimate and worthwhile concern. I can't think of any good reason why reduced rake wouldn't be automatic as soon as the threshold number of players dealt in is hit, other than making more $ at the expense of customer satisfaction when dealers and floors don't react efficiently to player requests. A change to automatic reduced rake would be a noticeable improvement that wouldn't be difficult to implement.

Good reasons include confusion for eye in the sky and there can be times when the room would prefer to deny, such as they'd prefer that particular game to break. Also, of course, rake more from the blissfully unaware.

I'm not sure about at MGM but at MDL when they approve reduced rake the floor (often at least) radios to security that table X is on reduced rake. What I gather is that security does at least occasionally check that dealers are raking the hand properly and this is a way to let them know that the proper rake on this table is now $3 max instead of $6.

Dealers have an incentive to under rake. Specially if they make it known to players that they're under raking. If a dealer is raking $3 instead of $6 the player might tip $2 instead of $1 and then "everybody wins" except for the house.

Having decisions about deviating from standard rake go through the floor seems perfectly reasonable to me.

I thought of the first and third reasons you identified and I don't consider them to be good ones, but I hadn't thought of the second one and that's legit.

Four eyes principal.

No dealer should reduce rake without confirmation it is appropiate to do so.

The last thing a dealer wants is to be accused by mgmt of under raking - for many obvious reasons.

The last thing a casino wants is a dealer on their own deciding when too reduce the casino cut. Let the boss confirm and know that reduced rake is appropriate and occuring

Rake counting policies vary from room to room, but the four eyes principal is there for everyone's protection. No one wants a short count