I think the reality of all this is:

If smoke odor at any level is annoying or intolerable to you - then you may have a problem with the current policies of this cardroom.

If you are indifferent or can accept the odor - then you most likely will not have a problem with the current policies of this cardroom.

Personally, I'd prefer the building to be 100% smoke free. However, I understand the reality of the situation and I can deal with it. If it gets annoying to me, I'll leave. That has not happened yet, nor do I expect it to, based on my observations.

But, smoking is allowed in the building and you will smell the odor - more or less, depending on a lot of factors.

Everyone needs to deal with it in their own way. Management is aware of the mixed feelings around this issue. It remains to be seen what, if anything will change, policy wise. In the mean time, make up your own mind and vote accordingly.

A rational conversation with Ari would help present your case. Ranting and raving incessantly about it, not so much.

There is no "right" or "wrong".

Blinders do at times make the horses run faster and more focused.
Maybe they will make dealers deal faster too.You may be on to something.
Gelding also works

played at parx 4 or 5 times 2/5 and overall a great start. Harvard Business School could do a case study on 2 corporations essentially offering the same service and one gets it and the other does bot. Harrahs Chester decides tp put a poker room where they have extra space and jam the tables together and hire rude and incompetent floor people (by and large dealers were getting better and nice). Parx has a vision to be the poker destination in PA and perhaps the entire east coast. Beautiful spacious room, competent and friendly floor people and they trained the new dealers well and hired some terrific expereinced dealers....amazing what good management and a vision can do!

A couple of random thoughts:
1. Time on 2/5
2. I LOVE the fact that you cannot rebuy at the table. Think how many times the dealer has to break the flow of the game to let players rebuy, top off, fills....why hold up the game for 9 folks so 1 person can rebuy. If you go bust or want to top off you have several choices, keep extra chips in your pocket (this is not brain surgery), wait for a chip runner or go to the cage. So if you miss a couple of hands big deal (and this is easily avoided by buying extra chips and keeping in your pocket).

3. Blue chips gotta go at least in a game that is predominanantly a red chip game. Way to many dirty stacks mostly unintentional but we know there are people out there doing this on purpose

Pro tip:

I play 2/5 and keep my bankroll mostly in $500 chips. When I go to parx I bring about $2500 in purples and keep them in my pocket. This has two benefits:

1) I'm able to reload quickly.
2) I can reload another player, especially a fish, quickly who might be on tilt after being stacked
3) By keeping a roll in high value chips, I'm less tempted to spend money frivolously when I've been winning.

The biggest risk I take is that parx may be shut down and my chips be rendered worthless.

How long are the lists for 1/2 and 2/5 on weekdays (Thursday) at about 4:30pm?

Looking to make my first trip tomorrow.

Is anyone else starting to get the idea that Frankie M. and Jonathan M. are related? It seems like they have the same level of tolerance for others' viewpoints. That could be a family trait.

As for people who say a $5 rake is too high, that's all well and good, but aren't Harrah's, Sands, and MS (PA) the same $5 rake? If so, then that's just the going rate. And I know that Delaware Park and AC are the same too, so it seems likely that they'd all be $5.

BTW, as others in this thread have said, you obviously include a BBJ drop or promotions drop in the rake calculation. The fact that someone at a 2/4 table gets tens of thousands of dollars every so often from the BBJ fund doesn't change the fact that the rake at the tables I play is $5.

Doubt you will be waiting - 1/2 you will find a seat right away, 2/5 might have to wait a few minutes.

But how much do you pay in gas/tolls extra going to AC?

Being from Philly I save $11.50 in tolls plus another $8 or so in gas. (Not to mention time lost driving that I could be playing).

I just wanted to reiterate how impressed I am with the folks at Parx, especially the floor. As a small example, late last night at my table a few players (completely in fun) repeatedly joked with the floor guy about having an open seat, when we had about 3 seats that the floor was well aware of, and no list. (Sorry I don't know the floor's name...but a tall white dude. ) I could really see this annoying the crap out of him, but he just gave us friendly smiles each time. Well done! Just a little example of how they have been dealing with us "customers" with a great attitude, even when we might not deserve it.

Anyone happen to have an update on when the expansion phases are going to happen? Two more expansions ending up with about 60 tables, right?

Should be 45 tables after Dec. 20th (assuming table game room on first floor is done on time). 61 is early next year (though have not heard a solid date).

Not to make any bones...but if u play 1-2 w/ a $60 buy-in...why would u care about a 30-60 game???

Michael of NJ

^Because a lot of people in this thread have shown interest in the 30/60 game and have been discussing if it would get off the ground. He was nice enough to let those people know that there was a list with a few names on it.

The eventual total will be 100. According to the staff, it will go ~45>~60>~100

That is the first I am hearing of 100. I don't think that's right.

It's 24 (current) to 45 (in December) to 61 (in 2011). At least, that's how I heard it from Ari several weeks ago.

^That's what I was originally told as well. On my most recent visit this past Sunday, two dealers and a floor both mentioned the eventual goal of 100 though. I'll try to get some more concrete plans the next time I am there.

I wasn't going to raise this issue again in this thread, but that is simply not true. First night they were open, I was at a 2/5 NL table about as far away from the bar as possible and I could still smell it. Are there clouds of smoke, no. But it's a stale, noticeable odor nonetheless no matter where one is in that room.

Even Harrah's Chester, bad as that room is, doesn't have this problem. There is a plentiful outdoor smoking area at that casino that you can see from the poker room. In fact, does ANY casino in the US have this problem inside their poker room besides Parx?

It's getting to the point where I don't feel like going there anymore, even after work where I don't have any other casinos close enough to me to make a short session worth the drive. I tried to live with it but it's really friggin' annoying, plain and simple.

Yeah I know, if I don't like it then I should go elsewhere, I'm too sensitive to smoke, Parx is cleaning up on business and they don't need me anyway, yada yada yada. It's just a shame though.

I too have heard the goal of "100, eventually", which I believe will coincide with moving the poker room to a not-yet-built area more near the main casino floor, 2-4 years down the line. That's what I've heard from a dealer or two, at least.

FWIW I certainly can smell the smoke while not at the bar, just in case you were looking for more data. Also, the extremely short walk from the smoking area back to one's table means that players who take frequent smoke breaks are assured of still reeking of smoke for a while when coming back to your table and sitting next to you. So, for me, there's a constant light smell of smoke (not a dealbreaker for me) punctuated by an occasional strong smell of smoke.

For reference, how many tables does the Borgata have?

80 to 85 i believe

85 - largest (and indisputably best) room in AC.

I am thinking of checking out Parx tomorrow afternoon, probably gonna play 1/2NL, anyone know how many tables of that run on weekdays, would there be a wait? Thanks!

Stupid question, but do you keep them in a rubber band, a plastic bag, or something else? I would be afraid I would lose some chips out of my pocket somehow.

Even if Parx were to close tomorrow, there must be some provision in the law that gives people a time limit to cash in their chips, so I wouldn't worry about that.

If we were on the ground floor it'd be no problem, but I'm not about to ask people to go all the way downstairs and back every time they want a smoke. I'm sure something will be done to address it by the time they're expanded to 60 tables. It just annoys me to hear poker players complain about a tiny whiff of smoke. Proper poker players are supposed to be more badass than that.

Rightfully so. You weren't there. Why should someone who is there have to get bumped, because you didn't make it in time?

...and if they blew through 20 names in the 15-20 minutes it took you to get there, your wait shouldn't be that much longer, since the list is moving fast.

This is a good policy and avoids conflicts. it's easy - be there when called for your seat or you lose it.

If you were a walk up and put your name on the list and did not respond when they called you - you'd get scrubbed.

Why is this different for you?