Need to know drop for 1/2 blind NL games in LA for eTable analysis!

[Rick Nebiolo]

During the last week or so I've played the eTable 1/2 50-100 buy-in at Hollywood Park four or five times, usually after cashing out of the bigger games on the main floor. I enjoy the speed of the game and believe it "feels" far closer to a B&M game than an Internet game. Done right, it has promise (Hint: If this gets in at Mohegan Sun, it's almost a slam dunk.)

That said, it really hasn't caught on at Hollywood Park if you subtract the props, hosts, and quasi-props. Obviously the $4 plus $1 drop is a huge problem, especially when the game isn't a donkfest, which is the usual case with so many experienced players checking it out. As an aside, I actually had the morbid curiouty to stay in a tight game and personally witness a $5 pot where everything was dropped, but decided it wasn't funny enough to modify this story I posted a while back. Had I done so, I could have exchanged the human dealer for a computer dealer, and made the pot $0 instead of $1. Unfortunately I just watched and grinned at the PokerPro tech guy (we had a previous discussion regarding the problem). Besides, I wasn't the player involved. I wanted to be that player; it would have made the rewrite so easy (BTW, is it possible to plagerize yourself?).

Of course sometimes the game is a donkfest (obviosuly a 1/2 NL game with $5 taken each pot needs to be to survive). Unfortunately, I and a couple others may have come close to busting one of the few remaining super-donks who seems to play the eTable on a regular basis late last night).

Now let's get serious. I'm not sure the PokerPro people are aware that Hollywood Park is on the high end of the drop scale for this game. I already know that the Bike is $3 + $1 jackpot on a full game all the way up to the $100 fixed buy 2/3 blind games. I play bigger at the Bike, Commerce, Hawaiian Gardens, and the Hustler but won't be going to these clubs (except the Bike) for at least a few days.

Within the next week I plan on writing a detailed essay regarding my observations and analysis of what they are doing right and where they are going wrong. I've been in touch with management at PokerPro and at Hollywood Park; despite the usual obstacles I believe there is a reasonable chance that a far better collection system may be put in place with a little prodding (e.g., perhaps a 25 cent per hand drop).

Right now I need to complete my research. I need to know the drops at the other clubs for baby NL in LA (especially the games with 1-2 blinds). If you know please include buy-in (or buy-in range), the blinds (also curious about the super tiny game at Hawaiian Gardens), and drop for a full table. If you know how the drop changes as the game goes short please include this info too.

Once again, the clubs I'm interested in include The Hustler, Commerce, and Hawaiian Gardens. It would also help if you include an estimate of the number of games going at this limit on a typical weeknight, weekday, weekend or whatever. Keep in mind I already know the collection for 1/2 blind NL games at Hollywood Park, The Bike and Crystal Park.

Thanks in advance for any help.

~ Rick