According to Google Maps:

NY PABT to Sands: 1 hour, 35 min
NY PABT to Parx: 1 hour 37 min

These #'s seem about right in my (TBH limited) experience. Obviously traffic is not being taken into consideration. But AFICS, Sands isn't significantly closer than Parx.

Bus I was on was like a tour bus of the Lehigh Valley before reaching the Sands, add the time spent changing buses to one that had a working transmission and the travel time was close to 2 1/2 hours, or about half the time you would spend waiting for a greeter at Tropicana, before standing in another mile long line to get your voucher; meanwhile the ride back from SANDS to PABT @ 2am is probably quickest of any casino door to door to NYC, SANDS greeters are quickest in the business, Tropicana, slowest!

***

PS I didn't get a room at the Sands, but I am looking foward to free ice cubes in January!

My comment was more about Sands catering to Northern NJ/NYC than PA compared to AC. PARX is very close to metro NYC but they don't seem to market up north. There are all sorts of Sands billboards on the major NJ highways but nothing about PARX.

Parx targets Philly.

Exactly. Once NYC metro people figure out Parx is just as close, gives out better comps, has tournaments, more games, etc., what happens to the Sands room?

If things didn't change, the Sands might be better off staying the way they are. But change is inevitable.

I agree the Sand's greeters are the best. I suspect Parx rivals all AC casinos as being the worst.

Parx is about 10 miles further from me from Sands, but made the mistake of going around 4pm once during the week, took 3 hours to drive about 85 miles to get there. The drive to and from Sands is just easier for whatever reason.

I think Parx is a good room, but I don't like playing there as much as Sands, something about the general vibe. Also for those who drink, Parx charges for drinks, and not all that cheap either, or at least they did last time I was there.

^^^ I hear what you are saying - until the roadwork got in the way, the drive on 78 was just incredibly smooth - the Turnpike can get backed up severely during rush hours.

+1
I care less about the comps than the travel time anyway. 78 is a straight shot with very little traffic. You can circumvent the construction traffic by taking Rt.22 to Phillipsburg and jumping onto 78 there.

I live equidistant from Parx and Sands. Both rooms have their merits and demerits.

Sands positives-
Generally weak opponents, especially at peak times like weekends and holidays

Generally good dealers (with some glaring exceptions

I live equidistant from Parx and Sands. Both rooms have their merits and demerits.

Sands positives-
Generally weak opponents, especially at peak times like weekends and holidays

Accomodating floor

Generally good dealers (with some glaring exceptions)

More pleasant drive given completion of 78 summer construction.

Free drinks make for better games,

Hotel onsite

Sands negatives

Can have horrendous waits at peak times

Food court awful

Getting chips/cashing out cage can have a wait, and is a schlep imo

Limited game selection

Some tables can be really smokey

Not comfortable to catch TV sports

Parx positives

Big, quiet room, generally short/no wait

Comfortable tables, competent dealers

Better game variety, although I usually stick to 1/2

Noodle Bar good food choice

Slightly better drink service

Parx negatives

Turnpike construction can make drive brutal from central NJ (gsp 135)

Frankly, I find people from philly to be miserable, which means most players are miserable

Competition generally one notch up from Sands

No free booze, bad for game imo

Dedicated room attracts fewer randoms who want to try "hold them"

Generally, I run to Sands, but once Turnpike construction wraps up, sometime in 2020, I'll likely split my time.

I'm not sure what the right solution is, but they need to figure out how to open higher limit tables without wiping out one or more of the lower limit tables. Yesterday they opened 5/10nl and the 5/5 game went to 4 players. Its not just the number of players but the amount of money that walks to the higher limit table.

Same happens with 2/5 players when they open 5/5. I know parx runs a higher max buy in 2/5. Not sure if that would help or some type of must move situation. I like the 5/5 as it is a nice step 2/5 to 5/10 seems like a huge jump for getting players to take a shot at the next level, and isn't that what everyone wants.


Any thoughts?

Whats the advantage of them moving up? New players aren't being added.

They are supposedly getting rid of 5/5 and restructuring the 2/5 and 5/10 buyins so that should take care of that problem...

I can believe they'll up the 2/5 max over 500. I'd also like the 5/5 to go away as it cannibalizes the 2/5.

Make the 5/10 a 1500 or 2k max and it should work fine.

Mgmt said they trying to move those behemoth video blackjack machines for 5 more poker tables. With 28 tables they can stary doing trnys (5-6 tables max). It'll be down to 4 tables in 2 hours anyways so they wouldn't be tying them up.

I agree prob only weekday am/pm and maybe sun am events are all they could do.

Time will tell.

I don't think Mt Airy gives any competition. Parx is much more of a draw.

2-5NL 100-500
5-5NL 300-1000
5-10NL 500-1500

If they dispose of the 5-5, upping the max on 2-5 would hurt the games going both ways - bigger max dips into the 5-10 on the high-end, hurting that game, and people not wanting such a big max will go down to the 1-2.

The 2-5 and 5-10 as is is perfectly fine and will be good for the overall health of the games.

I feel the 5/5 has it's place. It would be a ridiculous jump currently to go from the 2/5 type players here to the 5/10. Maybe it is just me.

I really just do not want the mess that they have when they open a new table at a higher limit. It's not often they get over 3 or 4 tables of 2/5. If they made 2/5 a must move game, I could see getting rid of the 5/5. You would need to increase the 2/5 buyin then though maybe (200-1000). The main game of 2/5 would play like the current 5/5 with more money on the table. They would also be able to get the 5/10 open earlier I would think as they would not be splitting those players between the 5/5 and 5/10.

upping the 2/5 to 1000 wouldnt help, but most people at Parx (where it's 1k i believe) usually buy in for less anyways,

If the main problem is what happens to the 5/5 game when the 5/10 opens, then how about just opening the 5/10 first. Does the 5/5 interest list fill up that much earlier than 5/10?

I saw them open a 5/5 game. Half of the table sat with $500 or less. So it becomes a LESS deeper game, removing some of the skill to outplay your opponent.

When they run 5/10 how many actually buy in for over $1000?

Clearly the mgmt has no idea on tournaments.. I don't think they really plan to do anything as long as the tables keep filling up nicely from cash play.

lmao..........1/2 house.....today and always.....( and i say that not as a bad thing if thats your thing )...Mike Just look at the spread...maybe 1or 2 3/6, maybe 2 2/5 , 1 5/5 ...now if thats a broad spread your right ...

How many times are you going to post the same thing? I don't even understand why your calling it a 1/2 house when bigger games run everyday of the week.

I was told by a friend of mine who player 5/10 several times per week that virtually everyone buys in for $1500.

most people buyin for over 1k yes