Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

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When was the last time you walked into a casino and saw every machine in use? Or even 75% of the machines in use. If you add more slot machines are you going to get more slot play? Or are you going to simply spread your slot play over a wider numkber of machines?

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Someone that knows slots once told me that when you have more machines you will get more play with the same number of guests. I guess they try out more machines looking for a lucky one.

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

tell me what small room made 500k a year in las veggas.

i very rarely see a small room with players.

you want make munney with small space put girls in bkikinis selling beer. works in bangkok....lol.

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

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A fairly busy 10 or 12 table room can easily make several million dollars a year.

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How many rooms in the entire US have this level of business. I honestly have no idea.

Oh, your arguments remind me of descriptions of venture capitalists sinking what could be steadily profitable businesses by going for the home run mega success because they only need one such success to more than make up for a string of failures. Few people are satisfied with grinding out a slow and steady profit if they think they have a chance at more which is, ironically, why some people fail at playing poker.

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

Poker makes money? I guess so. Resorts Casino, East Chicago Indiana:
1/5 Stud poker. $1.00 Ante. $1.00 Bring-In. 10% to $5.00 rake. $1.00 toke. $1.00 Bad Beat. That's $9.00 per pot to the joint, the way each pot typically plays.

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

What's a toke? Why would the house collect the bring-in?

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

The dealer gets the toke.(tip) The ante and bring-in go into the pot and the house gets nothing from the BBJ. The only thing the house gets is the $5 rake

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

RR, as usual, hits it on the head: "the demographics have changed", and very recently at that.

Even so, I'd still choose a sportsbook over a poker room. The pit players and slot players are far more likely to insist that the resort where they stay has a sportsbook, than a poker room. If I lose those players to the competition, I'll lose a lot more than I could possibly lose on "one big game" in the sportsbook--because I can often win "one big game" down the road to make up for it.

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

You think things are bad over where you live?

Try playing limit he in australia, star city casino.

$5/10 limit, each person pays .75c per hand, regardless of position!. Yes, over 100 hands, you will pay $75, or 7.5bb for the pleasure of playing!

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

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These facts are readily apparent , accessible , clear and unambiguous

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Cool. Where can I see these facts? A link would be great, but I also have access to great libraries.

Thanks.

Re: let\'s get the facts straight: poker makes money
 

I don't know about the Vegas casinos, but in the two casinos I have experience with (Fallsview and Rama in Ontario), slots take up close to 80% of the floorspace. It's obvious to me that slots are the most profitable gambling "game" per square foot, as they require an absolute minimum of staff to maintain them.

But ...

I have never ever seen close to full capacity at the slots at these two casinos. There is literally no such thing as having to wait to play slots, unless the patron wants to play a specific machine among the thousands.

Thus, the higher profitability of slots is not a relevant issue, in that there is ample spare capacity and no money is being lost by the casino because people who want to play slots, can't (because the casinos have in essence created spare slot capacity by choice).

Contrast this to the small poker rooms these establishments have (17 at Fallview, 12 at Rama). About 5 to 8 hours out of every day there are lengthy waiting lists, representing income lost by the casino because people who want to play poker (and I agree with Al that the poker rooms are profitable) have to wait.

So I think it's misleading to state that since slots are the top earners, this is what should matter most. No - it's the loss of potential income that should be the focus of the casinos.