Apparently eating is allowed at time games now too? That's cool.
Is it possible to order something from a waitress and use comp $'s without going to the front to activate my card? 'Cause that seems to sorta defeat the purpose of giving the waitress my card (I might as well just pick up my own food at the bar too). Also is that system ever going to get fixed so that your card just works at the noodle bar or wherever?

I'm not sure if eating is allowed at all tables, or just in the "high limit area," but it does indeed appear to be allowed now.

at the moment, you still need to first have comp dollars transferred from your poker account to the main account before you can use them. (And at that point they are only available for 48 hours, and whatever you haven't used at that point allegedly disappears. Ugh.) Obviously, no one likes this. As far as I know, they are still working on integrating the two systems, and it will eventually work the way we all wish it did.

Well said, sir. Well said!

While I would greatly prefer the "time away with absent button" to be an absolute maximum of 30 minutes (because if you need more time - pick up) this may work... if (big IF) it is not constantly abused. Sadly, I suspect that it will be abused, however.

I have zero desire to play 7 handed all night because there are constantly 2 people away from the table for >30 minutes at a time. Especially, when there is a list of people who are waiting to actually PLAY. I don't give a rats ass whether that game is raked or time-charged.

If you need longer than one dealer down to take care of your business, then you should go on the dinner list.

Remember we are talking about 9-handed tables going to 7... and then off and on down to 6 for brief periods of time. This makes some games potentially brittle and the recreational player will find that uncomfortable.

The 3MW rule as re-written is great and will make a difference.

However, allowing 2 players to be away from a 9-handed table for 60 minutes is bad for the game... at 90 minutes it is (with all due respect) just ****ing stupid!

Eating at the tables is a wildly debatable topic. My two cents:

Personally, I'd prefer that it not be allowed. People are inherently slobs. And, it's bad enough that they cough and sneeze all over their chips and their cards. But, if allowed to eat, they will manage to get their food all over the place, too.

I really don't want to smell your food. Even if I enjoy it. Worse, if it is something like tuna fish or some other (IMO) disgustingly smelly food.

Are we that uncivilized as people and is the game THAT important, that we can't get our asses out of the seat for <30 minutes to go grab a bite to eat?

I've even gave Stan **** about allowing food in the HL room at the Borg. Bad decision. I hope Ari will reconsider this one. What's next? Getting pizza delivered to your table? Go play at the Taj!!!

Eating at the tables is one of the (many) disgusting things that is allowed at the Taj. Let's not turn this place into the Taj-West.

I agree. I hope that Ari considers making the rule one absent button + a dealer change = immediate pickup. The dinner list solves the issue of people needing more time.

FYP. I also agree that there's no need for people to eat at the table. That's what the dinner list is for. If you really have to have a small snack, e.g., fruit, energy bar, etc., you can eat that during your next bio break or when you leave to stretch your legs or whatever.

My personal preference on food is the same - I wish it weren't allowed at the table. As you say, I'd rather not have to smell everyone else's food (last night was like a chinese carnival at our table), nor get their greasy transfer onto the cards, nor have to put up with the delays as people try to play and eat at the same time.

I did hear that the reason for allowing it (and possibly this is why it may only be an option in the high limit area, if that is indeed the case) was so that short handed games wouldn't break as easily around mealtimes. I can certainly understand the sentiment here, but I think it's the 5% case, and it misses the forest for the trees.

Having said all this, I don't really feel very strongly about it. Not to mention, I too have taken advantage of eating at the table in rooms that have allowed it.

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My personal preference on being absent is also at the second absent button, or 31-60 minutes. 31 minutes feels a bit too short, but since the player can control when they leave the table, they can just wait until right after a dealer change to maximize their time allowed away.

It begs to be added... please don't compromise the "time away from the table" policy, by shortening it and also allowing table side eating as the quid-pro-quo.

Two wrongs do not make a right!

(One absent button + a dealer change = immediate pickup) + (no food at tables) = WIN!

Parx has shown they will spread whatever game their is a demand for.
1/2 and 2/5 are the lifeblood of all poker rooms if you thought different you were misguided.

Eating at the table is nasty on multiple levels. 1. Don't want to smell someone's food. 2. Never understood how the Guy eating at the table counts out and splashes chips into the pot, then dives into a bag of chips with the same hand! Nasty nasty nasty. 3. Decorum - this is a nice room, and food at the table only means mess.
In summary, if you want to twirl chopsticks or break out a tuna wrap, do it 30 feet away at the bar. We will gladly hold your seat for the 30 or 60 mins... and wash your hands before you eat or the dic% chips will be nasty!

Here is cool link for live uopdates
http://www.taeyeonkim.com/parx/index.php?game=all

I strongly disagree with the last part. I would rather a person not eat at the table, but I would much prefer someone eat at the table to leaving an unattended stack there for an hour. If you want to eat dinner, go on the dinner list. If you are just having a snack, I think eating at the table is OK.

Not to quibble, but Parx really hasn't shown that they will spread whatever game there is a demand for. As one can read from the many posts on this topic there is still a big demand for 2/4 LHE. Until Parx offers it, they really aren't addressing everyone's needs.

As for PLO, no one really cares. That's why the games rarely run. It's just fodder for the blabbermouths on this website.

Where do you draw the line with a "snack"? Either you allow all food, or no food. I think "no food" is the right line.

This is precisely why you should only be allowed 30 minutes (Max) away from the table. It doesn't take that long to eat a fast meal.

If you think that you can eat your hoagie, pizza, or whatever in <30 minutes at the table... then why do you need to leave the table for >30 minutes to do it? Get up, go the bar/snack shop. Get a <insert food item here>. Eat it. Wash your hands. Come back to the table. You've missed a couple orbits - max.

If you want to fine/leisurely dine - go on the dinner list. Otherwise, go grab a bite and get back.

Why is this so hard?????

Actually, there is quite a demand for decent low stakes (4-8, 8-16) games. By not spreading 2-4 bingo, they are protecting that demand. Most of the card rooms that spread 2-4 cannot keep any other limit game below 10-20 going, on a sustained basis.

But, we've already had this discussion.

This is patently untrue, unless you count three people here as a "big" demand. The largest market group for 2/4 is average age 60+ and as a numerical majority are not really hanging out on internet forums making their preferences known.

There is a reason that 4/8, 8/16, & 15/30 are all healthy at Parx, and that is the spread of the games, and managements focus on keeping them that way. Go read some of the posts in DP and look at those guys begging to get even a 4/8 going and see what 2/4 does to a card room.

Seriously, if you want to play 2/4, Chester and DP are there for you.

On the food at high stakes areas topic, I firmly support the allowing of it. It is a huge buff for people help starting a game or playing short handed on life support. Most people playing the higher stakes are pretty focused and wolf their food down anyway, it generally doesn't slow the game down at all.

Also once games are full, do you really want the chance of the most profitable players leaving the table for food, and A: Even not being there for 1/2 hour, B: Leaving and ending up at a different table when they come back, or C: Maybe not coming back at all? I for one prefer they get every chance to stay right where they are.

At Borgata, they don't allow meals at the table (at least outside the high limit room), but they certainly allow snacks like candy. In fact, they have a girl who comes around selling candy. This seems like a fine policy to me. I often carry a granola bar or something similar with me when I play, and no one has ever complained about eating that at the table.

To clarify, this is the same as the Borgata, it is contained in the higher stakes area.

What is the buy-in min/max for 1/2NL, and the min for 2/5NL?

I found the 2/5 max is $1k, and the 5/10 is $500-$2k, can't find the other info.

Min/max for 1/2nl in $60/$300.

Min 2/5 is $200

It's not that it slows the game down or even helps keep it going. It's just kind of disgusting to eat at the table, IMO. If the people are focused on wolfing it down, they don't sound like the people you describe below... these people want to play

I honestly don't see this happening, other than those going on the dinner list and they were probably going to go away to eat anyway.

I've played in several high-limit rooms, where eating is not allowed. From what I experienced, it had little impact on the game(s). People that wanted to play just stepped away for 10-15 to jam down some food.

I guess a case can be made for both sides on this one. I wonder if it might be possible to restrict eating to between 4PM and 7PM - through the normal dinner hours?

I would think that is overly specific for a rule.
IMHO I see it as a minimally invasive thing that occurs in 5% of the room, 5% of the time and not worth worrying about. It's not like people are eating buffalo wings and have sloppy food.

Stan and I disagree on this one And, I suspect that Ari and I may also not be on the same page.

If you allow it, it is only right that it's available to the whole room. Not that I advocate eating at tables... but, seriously - high limit players are not any more deserving than the herd of low limit players. In fact, the low limit players are more profitable to the room.

But, I still hate the smell of some of the funky food that gets consumed in the HL room at the Borg. I am hoping to NOT have to endure that here, too.

Yet

Time will tell.