$6 in tolls sucks. And that's with an ipass. I'm just wondering if there was a way to get there without using the toll road.

I'd rather lose $6 to donks than to the state anyday.

I don't think talking about tolls has anything to do with what limits I'm looking for but i f I make the trip 15 times a month that $90 that I could use for other things if there's another way to get to the horseshoe.

Those $3 add up quick. If you go back and forth 6 times a week, 50 weeks a year, you're paying $1800 a year. Still think he's being super cheap?

Also, almost all other tolls I pay with my ipass are around 40 cents, so $3 one way was a little jarring.

Add me to the list of people interested in avoiding these tolls for the short drive I make a few times a week

went last night and i gotta say, they're still having trouble filling seats even when you've got 20 people on the waiting list.

i stood and watched the 6/12 table, which was located directly to the left of the main desk, as they had two open seats for about 20 minutes - note that this whole time, on the screen next to the table you see a long list of people waiting for 6/12 limit.

what is the deal with this? i thought the electronic swipe thing was supposed to solve this?

andyk

Well, there aren't any good ways, but here are your options:

Take the Ryan/Bishop ford to Stony, exit north to 95th street, right onto Ewing which turns into Indy Blvd.

Follow 41 from Lake Shore Drive down the south shore. This road is similar to Sheridan on the North Side: winding with lots of lights. Both of these routes involve driving through bad neighborhoods.

If you're west of the Tri-State, you can take that to Cline Avenue to the Indiana Toll road, but that's kind of far out of your way. However, this route might be faster if you're trying to get there from the suburbs during rush hour. This is how I would get to Majestic from the near west suburbs.

I'm not going to argue too much about this, since I am guessing that you are correct. However, I think that between: 1) the pot splash promotion being scheduled for the whole month of September; and 2) the fact that you previously said that the high hands being easy to hit should make them +EV...I think it was implied that it would be for the whole month (I never imagined less than a week). Especially with all of the other hidden variables, how could one possibly assume that the promotion would be +EV if it could be cut off at any time? Anyhow, complain mode off...I've been waiting for a poker room this good in the area for ages.

I may be the only one without an iPod, since my wife lost hers. However, from the other responses, I may be the only one. I would tend to agree that cash is better, unless you can significantly decrease the tax ramifications by doing something else.

Onto more important things, can you give any details as to how registrations will be handled for the Monday tourney? Any information on more traditional satellites without the big overlays? Is that waiting on the gaming commission along with all of the other tournaments?

I personally think it would be cool if they dropped $100 on 5 tables. This would spread the $ around more and it's not like 1 person can scoop the $500 and walk.

Also it would keep the pots from getting crazy. If there was a way to announce the next pot was the splash, but not announce which table(s) it is until after the pot is won, then award the bonus that would be cool. I just hate seeing being pushing $150 into a pot that's been splashed just as a lottery ticket.

I agree. As soon as the promotion changes the game fundamentally, it ceases to be a good thing. Sure, people call too often with pairs and suited connecting cards when you reward quads and straight flushes, but those things happen anyway, and you can account for that.

As you suggest, the splash pots really should become push-fests (and it sounds like they do). Even if you chose to sit out the pot (which seems like an odd thing to do, since you'd have little reason to play at that time if you weren't interested), the increase in money at the table would put you at a disadvantage (not taking into account the possibility that the recipient is a particularly poor player).

A $100 splash shouldn't cause a push-fest in all scenarios, and would therefore seem more desirable.

Of course, I am wondering what the tax ramifications of this would be. Would the smaller splashes also require tax forms to be filled out? If so, you'd have five times as many forms. If not, it might even be easier to manage.

I'm pretty sure tax forms are only necessary if the promo is $600 or higher

I think that's an understatement. Is it really worth saving a few dollars each trip to drive a number of miles on South Shore Drive?

How about a promotion with a pre paid Ipass.....lol

Ipass/Ipod promotion.....hmmmmmm

Would a $100 splash pot make you come play when you necessarily would not have come in to play? Probably not. $500 I think will for some.

The $500 splash pots do not require a tax form. It is when it is $600 or more is issued.

I think so, here's why

1.) Splashing 5 pots, gives more people a chance to win. this is for off peak times right? If you have 25 tables running and you splash 5 every 30 minutes, there's a 20% chance your table will get hit, and if you play a 2 1/2 hour session, you should theoretically get hit once.

2.) The $500 in a pot screws up the proper play, it's hard to play a hand of decent poker when there's a 250BB overlay in the pot in a 1/2NL game. Dropping $100 is probably

3.) In most PL or NL games, if someone wins $500 they're probably not going to stick around long. Giving $100 to 5 people, gives many more people a shot at that money since it's in play, and most people wont take it and run.

I would personally play more if there's a greater chance I'll be at a splashed table. To me it's not about the amount of the $ as it the chance I'll even have a shot at it.


---------
for the ipod giveaway, I think it's cool, but I would hope there'd be a cash equivalent a winner can opt for.

Also, has there been any progress made on the cell phone coverage?
It's really hard for people that are on call to play there the way it is now.

also, maybe offer a $3 food comp to anyone showing a skyway toll receipt.

Right.

But, there is a better route which is the one mapquest recommends if you tell it to avoid the skyway. You just zigzag a bit through some industrial parts. It takes about 6 minutes longer. Soooo $3/6mins = $30/hr. If your time is worth more than that, take the skyway. Anytime I go I end up waiting much longer than that to get into a game, anyway.

However, there have been plenty of times I have waited 6 minutes in line at the toll booth (or more). The skyway is the 9th wonder of the world and all, but it is leased to the french who make more money in one day from it than most make in their entire lives.

Does this sound right?

W CONGRESS PKWY becomes I-290 W/ EISENHOWER EXPY W.
0.2 mi

Merge onto I-90 E/ I-94 E/ DAN RYAN EXPY E.
2.7 mi


Keep LEFT to take I-94 EXPRESS E toward GARFIELD BLVD.
5.5 mi


I-94 EXPRESS E becomes I-94 E.
4.8 mi


Take the STONY ISLAND AVE exit, EXIT 65, toward 95TH-103RD STS.
0.8 mi


Take the 103RD ST ramp.
0.5 mi



Turn SLIGHT LEFT to take the 103RD ST ramp.
0.1 mi



Turn LEFT onto E 103RD ST.
1.4 mi



Turn RIGHT onto S TORRENCE AVE.
0.4 mi



Turn LEFT onto E 106TH ST (Crossing into INDIANA).
1.8 mi


Turn RIGHT onto S INDIANAPOLIS BLVD/ US-12 E/ US-20 E/ US-41 S.
0.8 mi


Turn RIGHT onto CASINO CENTER DR.
0.8 mi



End at 777 Casino Center Dr Hammond, IN 46320

That neighborhood isn't that bad that your drive through on 106th St. If you look at the shops, you'll find that many don't have metal railings around the window. Also, if you drive by when food places are open, you see that there is no bulletproof glass inside. The only annoying thing are there are a ton of stop signs.

I'm curious how much time the skyway saves as opposed to this route, if any.

Edit:
One other thing is that the ramp off and onto the Bishop Ford hasn't been well maintained. There are several significant dips in the road on the ramp to 103rd Street. The ramp to go back towards the city has some rough areas including a big pothole that I noticed today.

I usually take this way. I would like to add afternoons when traffic is heavy I make a left at Torrance to 100th street. Right at 100th and this will take you to Indianapolis Blvd. Make a right at Indy.

Is tomorrow's satellite tournament still on? What are the details? Specifically, how will registration work?

I am afraid of a reasonably large crowd for the splash pot/tournament combination, and a stampede to the desk. I am also imagining a situation where as soon as a splash pot goes off within a half an hour to an hour from the registration, suddenly, the tables are all playing 3-handed, made up of a few old guys who don't play tournaments, etc. Is anything being done to avoid this scenario?

Talk about cheapskates. If you can't afford to get to the casino, don't go.

Naw, if people want to be cheap, instead of avoiding the toll, they can take the bus. No gas, no tolls, and you get a food comp. $5 for the Benny's, or the sandwich place or $7 off the buffet or at the Asian place.

Once again, suppose someone is a pro that plays 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year (not unreasonable). That skyway is costing him $1800 a year. That's not an insignificant sum. Is it worth driving through dangerous neighborhoods? Maybe not, but not wanting to pay that isn't all that cheap.

I think I posted it a few days back. The 8th was just a target date. The Monday tournament will not start on the 8th, we are still getting the run around to give us the go ahead. It is taking longer than expected to start the tournaments.

Sorry about this....

If your going to pinch numbers on the skyway toll you need to calculate your gas mileage on longer routes.