Looks like it's gonna be productive. We have 9 on the list for a 10/20 Holdem game. We will have a game at 6pm. Maybe 2 if more people show up. If interested, come on down and see us!

Is the 10-20 LHE going to be raked or time charge? How much?

In the OP FAQ:



So it would seem to be 10%. If not, someone should change the FAQ

Well 10/20 isn't below 5/10 so you can't assume 10%. It needs to be answered, and will be added to the FAQ.

10/20 LHE was raked and Bad Beat eligible last Monday.

On Dec. 26, there were 122 on 1-3. 2 hours later when I arrived, I was 30 on the list and 15 minutes after that it was open seating. 1-3 players seem much more transient at this room. I wouldn't assume that you should give up after an hour unless you checked and hadn't made it far. At Live, with 120 on the list, they seemed to move about 1 name a minute or slightly faster, but at MGM, it seems at times like the list moves twice as fast, with about the same number of tables spread.

A few pages back, Johnny commented that he is used to running about twice as many 1-3 as 2-5 tables, but that doesn't seem to be holding here. I don't think I agree. After watching a while, it looks like 1-3 has a shorter time wait than 2-5. If I sign up for both and get seated at 1-3, I will likely stay there, so this will make 1-3 run a little higher. If I divide the waiting list by the number of tables spread, often there will be 3 or 4 waiting per table at 1-3, and 4 or 5 for 2-5. In addition, the 1-3 players at MGM seem to spend much less time playing than the 2-5 players, so even a list of similar length (per table spread) appears to result in a shorter time wait to play 1-3. If Johnny wants more 2-5 versus 1-3, perhaps they should just spread one more 2-5 and one less 1-3 and see what happens to the lists. Also, look at the wait time for the top person on each list. I suspect you would often see a noticeably longer wait for 2-5.

Yesterday, I went to the room for the second time. I have plenty of thoughts and impressions but I would like to give it some time until they congeal.

But since there is a conversation about waiting lists, I do want to note that I would really appreciate it if you can call in advance in order to register for 2/5. Yesterday, I arrived at the casino at 12:15 am and I got seated at my table at 12:59. I am not exaggerating when I say that had I driven 25 minutes longer to Maryland Live, I would have been seated 20 minutes earlier than that, partly because I can call in advance.

I hate roaming aimlessly while waiting for a seat. Being closer to MGM is a major reason for going there, but if I have to wait that long that benefit is completely negated and then some.

Just to be clear, the 44 extra minutes you waited at MGM was not as ideal as 50 extra minutes round trip driving would have been just to be seated immediately at MDL?

So you got seated 1 minute faster than you would have if you had driven up to MDL?

You saved gas money and a shorter trip home.

I'm confused, what are you complaining about really here.

If anything sit on the floor in the poker room and listen to music with earbuds, and imagine driving to MDL. same thing except you can look around and not wreck.

Look. It's not a groundbreaking observation that no one likes to wait. If a casino is 25 minutes closer, you should be able to be seated 25 minutes sooner. And I am talking about time of day when it's not supposed to be hectic. What if I had come at 7 or 8pm? How long would I have to wait then?

Another thing. Because the drive back and forth to MD live is so long, I try to get there when I play for a long time, like 7 or 8 hours at least. The allure of MGM is that I can get there on a whim at the end of the day. If I have to wait an hour to get a table, I am not going, period.

It's obviously good the casino is doing well and the games are bountiful. All the same, I don't think that asking the casino to accept phone or web registration is unreasonable. The other two casinos do it. MGM can do it as well.

"not supposed to be hectic" - except for the fact it was @ midnight on a holiday weekend when most of the region had the day off. So, other than that...c'mon now.

Well, on my first visit on a Thursday in the middle of December, I waited for an hour and a half I think. And the past few weeks, I have been checking bravo a lot. I believe that last Friday they had waiting lists even as late as 2 or 3 in the morning.

But let me put it this way. You can make a very good case that even with the waiting, MGM, for a NoVa customer like me, it's still a better value proposition on this front than MD Live. Not all of the time, but a great deal of time. Fair enough.

What I am saying is that a. this relative value proposition can be improved upon with a change that doesn't seem like a major drag on casino resources and b. that for me as a customer, it's the one area out of all of those that I observed that if improved upon would make the bigger difference in the enjoyment of the service.

Beyond that, I don't think I have anything to add. We can agree to disagree and let the powers that be do as they see fit.

You seem to be forgetting that it is near the capital.

Where so many military and DOD civilians have use it or lose it leave. Besides the fact that most of them are off from last Friday till tomorrow anyway.

Sure they CAN do it. No one has implied otherwise. The fact is that so far they choose not to allow call ins. This may or may not change after the initial rush.

The real question isn't can they, but should they. There are good reasons and logic on both sides of that discussion. Just to make it easier better or faster for you specifically would be one of the weaker ones. Trying to satisfy a broad set of patrons is a much stronger one. But how to do that gets back to the prior discussions mentioned.

This week and next week will be the real test for waiting list since most of the folks will be back to office form vacation /holidays.Holiday season is over. Lets see how long will be the wait at peak times ( after 4 or 5 pm ) and weekends.
I live in Northern Virginia 40 miles away from MGM and work in DC. I can visit MGM after work if I want to for couple hours of play.If I want to wait for one to 2 hours I can not do that. I can as well go to Hollywood,Charles Town which is 35 miles from my home. But Only 2 or 3 tables play 1/2 at evenings on weekdays at Charles Town

Is there a max amount of comp dollars that you can get at one time? I have been saving mine up for nice dinner with the Mrs. at one of the restaurants.

One of the dealers told me their is a maximum $ amount that the floor will print vouchers for per meal. They said they thought it was $20-$40.

JG is it possible to display the Current Bad Bead Jackpot info on Bravo?

Please make that info available on Bravo.

Look MGM demand at the moment is being influenced by 3 separate effect that have all come together:
- poker is generally busiest in the winter months
- it's been holidays/end of year when people are off work
- it's a brand new casino that's attracting people who want to check out the new place

The holiday effect is pretty much over (hopefully Johnny knows to staff up for MLK/Presidents Day which tend to be big days around here). The new shiny casino effect will slowly wear off over the next few months (most of the Baltimore folks who normally play Live/HSB will have gotten their "check it out" visits in). If there are still huge lists in March or April I suspect they'll look to address it but for now this is pretty much what I (and I expect Johnny and team) expected for the room.

As for allowing call-ins - I was there yesterday and there was nearly always a line waiting to talk to the brush. You really think it's fair for those people to turn away from live customers to take a call from someone who is going to jump ahead of 3 people who've been waiting a couple minutes in line already?

The response from Johnny here has been so incredible I don't think people even realize how rare it is and how lucky we are. I'm sure that when it makes sense for everyone to allow call-ins he'll allow call-ins.

I dont know if MDL pays for this feature but some rooms allow you to signup through Bravo without calling in. This would be great for the players as well as the brush who doesnt have to answer the phone.

Are there $20chips for the 60 game?

Affirmative

This is more likely to happen that allowing call-ins.

Yes. They are a lovely canary yellow with mexican rose edge markings. LOL

It is possible, and requires a daily update.