Repost: Hollywood Park ePoker Room Shut Down

[mediaslut]

when e-poker ran, was it just low-limit 2/4?

[Rottersod]

[ QUOTE ]
when e-poker ran, was it just low-limit 2/4?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. There was a regular 1/2 $50-$100 NL game. There were limit games from 2/4-3/6. O8 was spread although I rarely saw it played and there was a standing PLO 2/2 $100 and up buyin game but that rarely went even though the drop was only $1. There were also $40 and $60 SnG's.

But the only game that I ever saw played reguraly was the 1/2 $50-$100 NL game.

[VORP]

Po-jay-to, why do you think e-poker will catch on when nearly every other casino game has tried an e-version, with little success? It seems an electronic blackjack table would have the same advantages (more hands, no dealer errors) but nobody plays on them.

[Rottersod]

[ QUOTE ]
Po-jay-to, why do you think e-poker will catch on when nearly every other casino game has tried an e-version, with little success? It seems an electronic blackjack table would have the same advantages (more hands, no dealer errors) but nobody plays on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

What Jay is saying is that it will catch on when casino's present it as the only option for a particular game. At that point more people will use them and see the benefits. I happen to agree but I also hope that day never comes.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Po-jay-to, why do you think e-poker will catch on when nearly every other casino game has tried an e-version, with little success? It seems an electronic blackjack table would have the same advantages (more hands, no dealer errors) but nobody plays on them.

[/ QUOTE ]

What Jay is saying is that it will catch on when casino's present it as the only option for a particular game. At that point more people will use them and see the benefits. I happen to agree but I also hope that day never comes.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it could work in a big room with other dealer dealt games provided the eRoom area is run well.

The linked to threads have more detail but some of the big problems were:

- A drop that was far too high (e.g. $4 plus $1 jackpot taken on any flop in a 1/2 blind NL game). During the first few weeks I saw many players question why the drop was the same as on the main floor * when the tables got at least 50% more hands per hour and the house doesn't have to pay a dealer. The standard response from eRoom management that "you save on dealers tips" didn't cut it from my observation. (* also note that Hollywood Park was already taking a one dollar or more higher drop than other clubs in the super small NL games)

- Poor/improper use of props. The eRoom had a VIP program paying 35 cents per hand but these VIPs were essentially props (I called them quasi-props in the linked posts) and moved around. Often they were spread out to start new games OF THE SAME TYPE AND LIMIT leaving existing games very short. At low blinds/limits regular customers simply won't play short and for good reason.

- Poor behavior of props. It wasn't hard to figure out who the props were. Some were OK/nice but a few didn't have a clue how to behave in a poker game. If you are going to have props you need well behaved ones.

Note that with electronics you don't have to pay 35 cents per hand dealt in. You can pay a smaller base per hand with bonuses for action. In other words an action prop should make more than a tight nitty prop.

As an aside, very few people had problems with the interface; it's easier than dialing a cell phone IMO. I also thought the social interaction was as good or better than a game with a dealer.

~ Rick

[Rottersod]

After playing there for a while I saw that the main problems were the props, the drop, and no customer flow.

The props started off at .35 a hand which was ridiculous. All that did was brought out a bunch of aging nits who could sit at a table all day, every day and earn more money then they could lose by actually playing hands. Byron is a good example of this type of player. A guy who will only play AA and KK but can sit there for 2 days straight and talk the whole time. Sitting near him is like having permanent tooth abscess. Even when the amount per hand was dropped these guys were ingrained there.

I agree with you on the drop. Way too high for that game. If I wasn't able to make such easy money there I would have never even given it a thought to play at a table with such an outrageous drop.

The location of the epoker room was also poorly thought out. It was away from the main poker floor and most poker players entered through the non-valet parking entrance and never even went near the epoker room. The valet entrance was right in front of the epoker room and it was freezing in there at times as the doors kept opening.

Lastly I would say that the overall ambiance of HP leaves a lot to be desired. For example on the last weekend of etables they had this guy who kept announcing some big thing over the PA. I'm not exaggerating when I say that each announcement was over 3 minutes long and he repeated it every 30 minutes. And the final nail in the HP coffin is that it too ghetto/ganged out for comfortable play. I've played in every casino in the area (except Club Caribe) and have never felt uncomfortable even at Crystal Park in Compton. There were times at HP when it was like thugland - guys screaming and calling women they were with bitches and ho's. People standing up and yelling obscenities across the floor. I'm speaking more about the main floor and the Asian games and not the epoker room. And never did anyone in Management step in.

Finally, the valet parking. Valets make their money on tips and good valets know how to treat the customers right to earn those extra bucks. I'm a good tipper and I like to valet and have them park it close as I want to get out of there as soon as I am done playing. Every single time I went to HP it would take a few minutes for a valet to come to my car even when I was the only car there. Then they would automatically give me the regular white ticket. I finally started explaining to these guys that they need to offer the pink ticket to their customers - especially those they recognize - as that is where their tips are coming from. Then when I leave there would never be a valet at the pink ticket stand. They have a separate stand for this but no one mans it. Add to that at least 5 times that they took someone else's keys first and left me standing there even though I had a pink tik and the other care had a white one. And it's not like I don't tip good either. I asked one guy and he said that since I have my ticket stamped comp they lose the $2. I patiently explained to him that it was the house that loses the $2 and he would make plenty more in my tip. It still didn't register.

I can't imagine ever being a regular there but if they were to open the etables again and in a comfortable area I would think about going back, provided they took some of our advice re drops and props and ran larger games. The $50-$100 buyin is too small and bring the wrong crowd (uber nits).

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
After playing there for a while I saw that the main problems were the props, the drop, and no customer flow.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well the first two (along with other problems) led to the last problem.

[ QUOTE ]
The props started off at .35 a hand which was ridiculous. All that did was brought out a bunch of aging nits who could sit at a table all day, every day and earn more money then they could lose by actually playing hands. Byron is a good example of this type of player. A guy who will only play AA and KK but can sit there for 2 days straight and talk the whole time. Sitting near him is like having permanent tooth abscess. Even when the amount per hand was dropped these guys were ingrained there.

[/ QUOTE ]
Collectively they aren't getting a good deal since they were often playing at all or most of the seats at the tables (which made the games even worse).

I like Byron and made sure he was on my left, it's like getting two buttons every round. But no way he should have been paid as much as the action props (and this is doable with electronic tracking).


[ QUOTE ]
I agree with you on the drop. Way too high for that game. If I wasn't able to make such easy money there I would have never even given it a thought to play at a table with such an outrageous drop.

[/ QUOTE ]

I spot played it; mostly when taking a quiet break from the chaos on the main floor and when live props and live ones where in the game. I thought being able to push buttons (rather than chips) loosened up the game (other things held equal).

~ Rick

[StevieG]

[ QUOTE ]
Add to that at least 5 times that they took someone else's keys first and left me standing there even though I had a pink tik and the other care had a white one. And it's not like I don't tip good either. I asked one guy and he said that since I have my ticket stamped comp they lose the $2. I patiently explained to him that it was the house that loses the $2 and he would make plenty more in my tip. It still didn't register.

[/ QUOTE ]

Those valets must have oatmeal for brains. This is tip hustling 101 material that you would think any of them could figure out after a week on the job.