IMO, you will develop more of a novice customer base from developing some LHE games. Which you need to do, naturally, as any business needs to find new customers.
It was a very famous MGM family employee who pretty accurately described a no-limit poker room as one that will run through its customer base much quicker that a room with a limit/no limit base. (Donna Harris, author of the Poker Dealer Handbook)
But as a player who plays LHE with my wife, during the day, to keep her off the slots machines, its a much different customer who plays limit than the NLHE player. I did have a great discussion yesterday with a retired room manager as we played our usual 6-12o/8. He posits that despite the vast, incredible array of info, books, internet sites, play chip sites, et al, that are available to people, especially low limit (LHE) players, they refuse to learn more than they already know. We're talking senior citz., most women, etc..sorry, but I'm typecasting here. Younger people learn poker by playing limit, and then will advance to NLHE after the sufficient learning curve.

Where a lot of places miss the boat is not spreading enough limit, or any at all, that entices a pool of newer players, players that are not going to jump into no-limit, not at any level. Of course, MGMNH (I've yet to visit, see you in March) right now is breaking the doors down, and the last thing you need to try and do is spread some 2-4 or 3-6 limit. But you may find in the near future that this is precisely what the room may need to cultivate an ongoing customer base. It seems to work in LA, LV, and Florida. Borgata and Foxwoods also have tons of limit, along with stud.

You could stack magazines to the moon that have written on this subject. Each room, and city is different. In the last 10 years, since moving to CA, but working nationally, I've played poker in over 150 rooms. It does seem that the biggest and most successful ones have a solid, if small, LHE base. (Notable exception- Aria) Good luck in this endeavor, JG.

I still don't see this bell. Where did you put it?

The lone promo for February is a royal flush promo. We will be giving $500 to anyone who hits a royal using both cards, and everyone else at the table dealt in gets $100.

As in it ends 02/28/17?

No specified end date....

You answered your own question.

Full scale promotions will begin in March. We wont be stealing anything. There's not enough there to ruin a career...

Johnny -

New to this forum but not to poker. Played 4-8 limit a few weeks ago and loved the room, etc. One question: I was surprised that the dealer said I couldn't put chips back in my pocket after I had bought in and won some money after about an hour. I can understand this practice for NL games, but this was limit. I've never seen this in all the times I've played limit cash at Borgata. Is there a different rule here at MGM or was the dealer misinformed? I didn't want to argue or hold up the game so I just placed my winnings back on the table with my original buy-in. Thx!

As far as I know, all table stakes rules are the same. Any money you win or lose in a particular game is considered part of your table stakes. It must remain on the table, with the lone exception of incidentals (tips, etc). If you want to take money off, you need to cash out, take the cash off, and return 2 hours or more after you left the game.

Thanks. Appreciate it.

Couple of notes from tonight:

- Its still bizarre that the opening fill on a new table is $200+ in $1 chips. I guess on the 1/2 NL or maybe even the 4/8 LHE games that makes sense. But it *really* slows down the 1/2 PLO game. On a $700 cap game it seems like there is a better solution than having only $100-150 in red and $500 in green. Almost once an hour we had to get a fill. Considering each player *might* have $5-10 in whites, having 4.5 of the six slots in the tray filled in whites seems like a lot.

- I wish there was an actual rule about using a phone without headphones. Guy two away was watching Korean game show clips on YouTube that were really loud. Asked him a couple times to turn it down but I honestly dont think he understood what that meant. Because 10 minutes later he was back at it.

Game broke after 4 hours or so but it was another fun night.

Random MGMNH degen VP note:

My pit degen game of choice has always been $1 Triple Play JOB. Now everywhere else I've played in LV or AC or others - and there've been a lot - thats a $15 play. 3 x $5 is the max bet. Well at MGMNH thats a *$45* bet. The same "3 play / 5 play / 10 play" that you've seen at every other casino, with no additional notes on it or anything. Thankfully I hit 3OK on my first hand and rolled out but sheesh, thats crazy, I've literally never seen another machine like that. (and yes this was a $1 machine - 15 credits per line was the max bet). But I'm sure there are no other pit degens here that would need this heads up...

So don't max bet. 5 credits/hand is all you need to get the 800-1 Royal payout on machines where the max best is > 5 credits.

Which none of these are (1500 RF at $5/hand). And yes the usual "check your machine" warning applies. Of course. Just saying I've *never* seen the 3P/5P/10P machines set up like this. Never.

There is no bell, johnny got us again

Is there not an actual rule about this? At other casinos, I've definitely had floors tell other people they couldn't play out of their phone speakers if another player objected; I'm surprised MGM would be different.

Heard rumors there is a poker room expansion already in progress. Any truth to these rumors, or are they just rumors?

They are rumors. We are looking at options right now, but no formal plans are in motion to expand the poker room.

Rumor was my guess. Do you see an expansion 6 months or a year out? Or is that one of those corporate overlord decision that would be just to much speculation at this time?

Too early to speculate. If we make any plans to expand, and they get approved and finalized, I will be sure to share the details. There is nothing to share at this point.

NO doubt you will.
Thanks for all the feedback and info you provide on this thread! It is always greatly appreciated. Even if I'm not always in agreement at least I always know whats going on in your room.

I hope that any expansion is an expansion into a new physical area I.E. the slots between the poker room and the bathroom or removing the baccarat tables across from check in. Unfortunately from an economics standpoint neither of those seem likely.

Really praying that expansion ideas do not include cramming more tables into the existing footprint.

Just IMO.

Replacing the slot machines between the poker room and the bathrooms with poker tables may be more plausible than you think. In Maryland, the tax rate on slots is astronomical, while the tax rate on other games is much lower. So, while slots ordinarily offer a higher revenue per square foot than poker, that calculus may not be the same in Maryland.

But those are basically the only penny slots in the casino

Is anyone willing to try to get a low limit HORSE with 2-7TD game going tonight? I'm talking 4-8 low. Trying to foster a non entry intimidating game for some newer players who may be interested in playing? If this does go have it play without a jackpot drop and a max rake of 4? JohnnyGrooms would you allow that?

I'll check on here throughout the day and see if anyone is interested, if so I'll head that way after work today. I'm willing to get it going short as well.

I won't do a $4 max rake, as the pace of those games is pretty slow anyway. We would do $5 max no jackpot if that's what is requested.