I agree, I am working towards getting those chips but it is a long process. The chips first have to be approved by PGCB. I will keep everyone posted as it comes closer.

Thanks

Ari

Thanks as always. Keep up the good work.

Just a thought, and I'm not sure if this is feasible, but it would certainly be nice if only the better dealers were sent to the bigger time games. I complained to one dealer last night about her speed and lack of concentration (she was very slow overall and pushed the pot to the wrong player for example) who proceeded to call me "rude" while I was in the middle of making a decision in a big pot. Another dealer didn't understand that Ax and Ax chop on a KQ22x board, even after we repeatedly explained it to her--this caused a big delay as I'm sure you were aware of.

I think the Borgata might have something like this where only the better dealers get sent to the high limit area. Again, just an idea.

Hey, does anyone know any buses that go from new york to parx casino daily?


Especially buses that dont just leave from Manhattan, but also brooklyn, queens, long island, staten island...it would be greatly appreciated if someone can reply with some options...i called parx, and they gave me one phone number to call...it wasnt the best of options...i was wondering if there were better options out there.

Thanks.


Also,

I think a Pot Limit Omaha HI/LO game would be a great addition to the parx poker room...with some push by the casino (basically just letting players know it is available,) it can be a juicy game...limit is nice...but pot limit would be a great game...i also recommend the advanced players of the game to be as nice as possible to the regulars who are willing to try something new.

PLO HI/LO is more of an online game, than live (specifically in lower limits,) but if parx can get it going, it would be a unique option for many poker players.


Thanks again.

Yes there are daily buses form all those locations, well maybe not long island, but all 5 boros. I don't know the schedule, but I always see them picking up and dropping off, so I think its fairly frequent. Call and ask.


Its hard enough to get a PLO Hi game going, so i don't see a HI/LO one going in the near future, especially with a daily limit game going in the same room.

Hey all,

Since we are supposed to get hit by that big snowstorm on Tuesday night I was wondering when we should reschedule the PLO game for? Any chance people can make it out tonight? If not, maybe Thursday? Also, I am willing to try and get a $2/5 or $5/5 NLHE/PLO game going. Hopefully it would entice some NLHE players to dabble in some PLO. Let me know what you guys think.

- Jason

Sup Poker Roaaaaaaaad?

I'm going out tonight with some friends to watch the Nat'l Title game but I'll be around Thurs to play that mix.

This is a good idea.

The higher stakes poker players should definitely have the privilege of the best dealers. And they should most certainly pay for that. Double or perhaps triple the time drop rake and make sure you get the best dealers over there to maximize the amount of hands they are dealt and reduce the chance of errors. After all, they would then be paying for that service.

Just make sure you keep the all less experienced dealers on all the 1/2 tables running that keep the Parx poker room in business.

Yay Mondays.

Here is my perspective on PLO, which hopefully would prove useful to those trying to grow the games. I've dabbled in PLO with mixed success at the Borgata 1/2 game, I've often been one of the trailblazers playing short with other regs just to get the game started. Here are a couple of things that put me off the game:

1) People who like PLO are downright fanatical about it. I get it, you think PLO is a better game than NL, so so better than NL that NL puts you in a coma once you discover PLO, and surely everyone else who tries PLO will likewise be converted.

Not everyone feels the same way, and those who don't are getting very annoyed, especially when the fanaticism translates into 20 discussions at the table about various rules to help the game play better.

2) The stakes are too high even at low limits. Everyone talks about the blinds, but the buy-in size is at least as important. The max buy-in of $500 is too much, and this more than anything is probably what makes the regs itch to turn it into a 1-2-5 game.

Even if I buy in short, if I run good, I have a very strong temptation to hit and run, because I know that even with 300 bb's, I'm covered by all the good players, and I'm dead money just waiting to get free-rolled for the whole thing.

1/2/5 PLO plays as big as 5/10 NLHE.

In my opinion, PLO isnt even interesting below 200 big blinds, and is hardly playable below 100 big blinds.

If you buy in to the 1/2/5 PLO game for $200 and you're not all in multiple times in the first hour, you're probably playing way too tight and usually a mark at the table.

If you really want to get a PLO game populated from the 1/2 NLHE pool, .5/1 would be a better blind structure.

If you want the game to grow, you have to suck it up and play in less than interesting structures. Regs wanting to create an "interesting game" is what kills the game for the rest of us. One of the reasons NLHE took off is because low stakes buyins were capped at 100-150 big blinds, even though those are not the most interesting structures for NLHE either.

That's like saying, for example, that limit holdem is not interesting below 30-60. While it might be your opinion - it's far from accurate.

As with any form/game/limit structure... the "game play" may change, as cost of the playing increases, however, the interest factor is not part of that equation... for the people that are playing the limits that they are comfortable.

Not everyone plays the game the way you do. That neither makes you correct, nor them wrong.

If you sit 1/2/5 with $200 you are in the wrong game. However, a 1/2 game with $200 would be interesting to people that are comfortable playing, with that amount of exposure.

Almost... but not quite.

In this particular example, I think the discussion is about a group of players that want to grow THEIR game, with players who want to play similarly. That's OK... for them.

The rest of the people, who do not want to play in that "interesting" game, will need to start a "boring" 1/2 game. The million-dollar question is: Can poker rooms sustain multiple PLO limits, as with NL and LIMIT.

"Interesting" is relevant to different people, for different reasons. I honestly don't think there needs to be such a black & white difference.

Ari,

Any idea when you will release info about Tournaments ? I know it has been talked about for Jan / Feb. Can you tell us when we might find out more ??

Thank you

Not only do you need the $10 chip, but you should insist that the blinds are $20/$30. That is a big part of what makes this game different from 20-40 & 40-80 (besides the obvious $$$ differences). Just like with 15-30.

The 2 chip & 3 chip blinds are an integral part of the limit.

Until approval of the $10 chip happens, this may be difficult to enforce, unless the game plaque states the blind structure (which it should).

Or, they could just ferret out the dealers that are not competent (after reasonable time expectations) and improve service for the entire room?!?!?

I see the same ineptitude in split pot games all the time. Not just at Parx, but almost everywhere. So, should we keep the best dealers for those games, too?

I expect a well dealt game all the time - regardless of the type of game, or whether I am paying time or rake.

Not so sure about this one... when I look at the dealer rotation board at the Borg, there is no differentiation in the table cadence that is special for the HL room.

That doesn't mean they are not doing it, however.

This is a really, really bad idea. Why would you want to punish the best dealers like that? Higher limits = less tips because you don't have lucky donkeys tipping redbirds on $50-$100 pots. Also, the lower-limit games need the skills of the better dealers to control the games and keep them moving, whereas higher-limit players usually are capable of running their own game.

Competent dealers should have a chance to deal every game running and incompetent dealers should be retrained or fired and replaced with any one of the many qualified candidates out there who would be elated to get the opportunity to deal @ Parx.

And you spoke with a supervisor away from the table about the dealer you mentioned so that corrective action could be taken, right?

Can we do Friday instead? I've got a lot to do Friday Morning, so I'd only be able to stay till 11 on Thursday.

I just asked Stan in the Borg thread about dealer rotation. He said all dealers rotate through the HL room.

As it should be

I can vouch firsthand that the high limit games at the Borg get just as many incompetent/slow dealers as the rest of the room.

I guess I'm a cynic, but I have to imagine that this is not true, but that Stan is only saying they rotate all dealers in hopes that Parx rotates all dealers and it annoys the HL players enough that they all decide to go to the Borgata instead of Parx ;-)


All kidding aside:
I couldn't agree more with this post....

If the PLO game has interest tonight I can go. Any idea as to a start time?

I have Friday off. Going to start it around 11am

I think we might be arguing the same point. I don't think the game is interesting when played shallow, and I think the regs are trying to make the game less deep.
PLO is a funny animal. The game plays about twice as big as NLHE, and thus needs about 2x the starting buy-in. While I agree that new players don't want to sit down and risk too much money, there also has to be some play involved as well. I don't think that players taking a shot -- in a new game -- with a couple of $200 bullets want to have it all in the middle and out of the game in their first couple of orbits.
No, it's not. I'm saying PLO (of any stakes) with 40 big blinds isn't interesting, especially to rec players expecting a few buyins to last an evening. It doesn't matter if it's $500/1000 or $0.01/0.02
Completely agree. And by increasing the blinds without increasing the buy-in, you are going to make beginning players uncomfortable. If someone has a couple of bullets of $200, and sits down at a 1/2(/5) PLO game, they're going to be unpleasantly surprised how quickly that money gets in the middle.
I think you are arguing the same point that I am. I think $200 is a good (minimum) stack size at a $1/2 PLO game, but it's very short stacked at a $1/2/5 PLO game.

We are in the process of hiring dealers, once we do, tournaments should follow shortly. We are looking at Mar/Apr.

Thanks

Ari