Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyGroomsTD
In recent weeks we have been very aggressive in policing the list jumpers and seat jumpers, and have 24 hour banned at least 10 people. Is this issue improving?
Johnny,
Posting the big signs was a good decision and is a welcome addition to the room. This helps set a precedent of expectations and consequences and makes it easier for staff to kick seat-stealers out when caught. The signs should definitely stay and MGMNH should definitely maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy on this issue (I actually think a 24-hour ban is not enough...a ban of at least three days or so would be a much stronger deterrent). Thank you for sending the message that you are serious about punishing people for seat-stealing.
However, just because you have gotten stricter about punishing people does not mean you have solved this issue. Seat-stealing still happens quite often, and I would estimate we aren't even able to catch and punish more than 10% of occurrences.
Putting up signs and being more strict does not change the following facts:
- It is very difficult to catch seat-stealers. Since it's so easy to just walk up and sit down at an open seat with no proof you were sent there, it's very easy for seat-stealers to get away with it. Most of the time, players and dealers have no idea if the new player/transfer was legitimately sent there or not – it will look the same.
- It is unreasonable to ask players to police this issue. It is very difficult to catch people and even trying to do so is a huge distraction. Furthermore, it creates arguments/grudges/awkward situations between players and among players and staff. Players should be able to simply focus on their game, not on catching and reporting the seat-stealers.
Like I said in an earlier post, you can't solve a problem by simply treating the symptom. Using seating cards to make everything fair and transparent would make it near impossible for seat-stealing to happen in the first place, which should be much preferred over having to police this issue and kick people out.