I Agree....10 handed is MUCH better. Smokers...eaters...walkers,tend to leave a game short.
10 is the standard....why mess with it?

Ari please keep all games 10 handed.

9 handed tables are fine. I never really had a problem w/ the 10. I was always able to get the 1/2 or 9/10 seat because I make a point to get there before the rush and usually get sat at a new table. 3/8 seats aren't bad either. The problem is obviously 4-7 being squeezed into 5 or so ft. of space in the middle. 1 less in that area would definitely be more comfy for those sitting there.


Side note:


I was wondering. When Parx starts tournaments, could the 1st one be billed as a big event? Say, "Parx poker rooms inaugural 25K Guaranteed " . Set the buy in low, maybe $50+$10? Advertise the crap out of it on KYW1060 AM.

I would think with the advertising area/power of KYW, and the minimal buy-in, you could easily attract 500 players. Therefore , covering the guarantee. Maybe even a 50k w/ a $100+$20 BI ? Either way, I see no problem attracting 500 + players at all. I'm sure there's at least 20 guys/gals that post here that know 10 friends that would come. I can get at least 30.

Heck, make it a 100k!! woot!! One month + is plenty of time to get this advertised I would think. I definitely think KYW is a great avenue for advertising something like this. Would help the main building as well I would think.

I prefer a 10 handed game, particulary in raked games. In a raked game, fewer players at the table equates to more rake paid per player. When you have a couple of players walking, this becomes significant. Will the house take half rake if the game is five or six handed when players get up to smoke, or to eat? This will happen more often in nine handed games. Short handed games are great for the house, if they are taking full rake. If there are ten players playing two five handed games rather than one ten handed game, the house will get more than twice as many hands, and more than twice as much rake, than the same ten players playing one game.

You go 9 handed I will be there 5X a week!!
Why do so many live players freak out at a empty seat?
Is it a fear of opening up your game alittle?
Seems that people will rather sit out then play alittle short
Plus those tables look like they designed for 9-handed play.

i shudder to think of the rake for these tournaments. Let's just hope they are <20%.

9 is fine.

Heck, if you make the tables 6max I'll be happy, so I say hells yeah. Shorter = more exciting and fun as far as I'm concerned.

Of course, the switch to 9max from 10max won't make a HUGE difference, but it'll make it slightly more correct to play more hands (which I'm all for!) and also much more comfortable. Do it!

(One option would be to just make the time games 9max, so you do away with the issue of folks feeling that they are paying more rake with shorter tables.)

Ten players to a table is my preference. I think that is also what is best for the game, especially limit games. When tables get short, the game changes considerably from loose and passive, to tight-passive. Unless there are a fair number of good players, then the game turns tight-aggressive. Neither are good games. And, they tend to drive away the recreational players.

Ultimately, this is bad for us.

Short tables are also more prone to raise & take it and blind chops. They also become brittle and more likely to break.

These are bad for the house, as rake is lost.

I have no idea what the dynamics are for NL games, but I suspect there are some similarities... mostly on the bad side.

Where do you propose they seat 500 players?

The room will have 50 tables. Even if 500 players did show up, I seriously do not see them stopping live play to hold a tournament.

I, for one, don't want to see live games compromised, in any way, for tournament play.

I'd prefer to either go 9 handed or to fix the tables. I'm not sure if you need larger tables, smaller chair bases, or just need to even out the spacing of the cup holders, but something needs to be done. 9 handed would solve the issue.

I have a solution for people worried about the rake 9 handed - we can go to 9 handed for a month or so to generate extra rake for the room. Then, they can use that extra money to buy larger tables and then we can go back to 10 handed.

Another idea I have is that we can pool all our comps together and donate them to the room to buy larger tables.

The whole table issue is quite an enigma to me. Why does every poker room in this area seem to have weirdly designed tables in the first place? Isn't there a standard for poker tables? Somehow Harrah's ended up with a rake box that goes the wrong direction, Delaware Park ended up with uncomfortably high foot rails, and Parx ended up with short tables. How does this happen? I've been to dozens of poker rooms around the U.S. (and even a couple in Europe), and I've never had a problem with a table until they legalized poker in this area.

I'm usually pretty indifferent between 9 and 10 handed. But in the case of the Parx tables, I would prefer 9 handed...I am too frequently physically uncomfortable, and I am not a particularly large person. Of course, the best solution would be to get bigger tables.

9 vs 10 handed when playing is only going to be a slight difference. if you are a nut peddling nit, you prefer 10...if u are an action player 9 is slightly better (2-6 being optimal). either way, difference in play from 9 to 10 is super slight..

but..

comfort-wise, 9 handed >>> 10 at these tables

Haven't looked through the partitions yet. But by the looks of the total size of the room, it looks as though the existing cash tables (24) take up less than 1/4 of the room. It looks as though they can even add 5 or so tables in front of the bar and still be right around 1/4 of the room.

The room apparently can hold 100 tables comfortably, according to total amount off tables talked about by end of expansion. So even if we were running 60 cash tables by the time a big tourney like this would run, we would only need 10 of those 60. Leaving 50 for cash. Not to mention they all probably won't be full being more than a few cash players will be playing in the tourney. I'm sure it wouldn't take more than 7-10 cash table players away. Still leaving 40 or so cash tables running. I would think that's plenty of fish in the water left for ya IFSATG.

Although I do agree with you about thinning the pool a little, the little isn't really that much of an issue the way it looks. Besides, it's 1 day. Also , why wouldn't you want a steady stream of knockouts from a big tourney filtering to the cash tables? If anything, The cash games will probably be juicier on the day of a big opening tourney imo.

Trust me, we get a 50k + guarantee for an inaugural tourney, 500 minimum will show up if I have anything to say about it (it's a secret, but I'm pretty sure I can solicit a pool of 1500+ local players, I know a guy ).

The room is intended to hold 60 tables, plus some extras (e-gaming, maybe some other fun stuff around the bar). Probably ~40 cash and ~20 tournament. Though this is based on the maximum table count they can have as of early 2011 expansion, and I suppose there is a possibility they could someday try to jam more tables into the room once they have the banked games in place to make >60 poker tables a possibility.

I don't think there is any way they can get 100 tables into that room without removing the bar, though. I think you're probably confusing the 2011 plans for expanding to 60 tables in the current room, with the hazy plans for a few years from now to possibly, if demand warrants it, continue to expand the entire casino. The 100-table talk is a possibility for a few years down the road, and not (all) in the current room.

Your probably right. By the way the room looks to me, I could see 90-100 tables fitting comfortably. My eyes could be playing tricks on me, I am 40 after all.

Stop talking about $100+20 tournaments in Philadelphia with free Heinekens. You're getting me too excited.

Ari, as a regular in the room's 4/8 and 8/16 lhe game, I am in favor of the 9 handed tables myself. The tables 10 handed are just way too crammed for comfort. Also, I would love to see some video poker machines at the bar, like the borgatas b-bar. It gives the players on the waiting list (such as myself at times) something to do instead of walking in circles or going over to the main casino. It would also bring in more revenue for the casino in general.

9 handed .. then when the waitlists get long bump it up to 10handed

Hey ARI,
The tables are definitely a little small and uncomfortable..
They play 9-handed in Cali & Vegas, LHE atleast, I believe, so why not at PARX??
So, I wouldn't mind 9-handed at all, even though some1 did mention it could be 1 less "fish" at the table.
-You know that I play almost only LHE 15-30 & hopefully 30-60 and up!!
So I am completely cool with 9-handed in the LHE games. In fact, I might even prefer it, because after the expansion, it will give us a chance to have must-move LHE games!!
PLUS, in the High-Limit section it would be nice to have more room to eat,stretch out, etc...
I know that FrankieM (2+2 SN) is cool with 9 handed also. He plays same game I do.
So, I think it would be a good idea.


J

Some1 had a good idea:
Maybe just in the NON-RAKE games go to 9 handed. I understand, why in rake games ppl would want 10-handed,but for the NON-RAKE games, IE: LHE, 9-handed is good for the players for many reason. Some I explained above, but another is, for when we do time pot's, it's less for us to pay!!
-NON-RAKE games in the HIGH-LIMIT section would be perfect to have 9-handed.!.


J

Advertising on an AM station? Does anyone listen to that anymore? I mean, do large numbers of people listen? I have no idea - but I know that the only times I turn to the am dial is when I'm driving cross-country and can't find an FM station that I like.

As for 9 or 10 at a table - having played 10 handed in AC, and 9 handed in Vegas, I slightly prefer 10 handed. But, in all reality, there's very little difference.

Lee

10 handed. Half the time there are 1 or 2 players away from the table anyway. If you go 9 handed i think a lot of games will break becuase a third or even a forth person gets up to eat, smoke, bio break....

Also time at 2/5...even $6 per half hr especially if you go 9 handed.

9 handed please.

I heard you were lobbying for HU tables.

I am all for 9handed if the tables are going to be the same size. Reduce the time charges by $1 for the 8 and 15 games so it doesn't take 5 minutes to make change every half hour and we'll call it even.