What the smartest Vegas poker boss will do.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Excellent post, btw. Obviously you put some thought into it.

I'm going to comment one by one, marking the start of my comments with **

1. Move from 10-handed tables to 9-handed. More hands per hour, and more action per hand. Short handed games play faster and looser. 9-handed isn't much shorter or faster, but since when do suits not want small benefits?

** I agree for the most part. I think 9 handed does give overall better action, although it's not a big difference. In rooms that are rarely full, this is a good idea because it gives players the sensation of being in a full game more often, and makes the house a bit more money. In rooms that are often very busy or full this is not necessary (but probably wouldn't hurt).

2. Switch from deep-stack to mid-stack or small-stack NL. IOW, switch to LA-style NL. 5/10 with $500 buy-ins. Much more action, much more fun. I don't think anyone in Vegas spreads games like this.

** agree. Vegas used to have several rooms like this, but now it's mostly deep stack, with max buy-ins of 100 big blinds or more (often no max). More action is an effect of shorter stacks, but not the main reason I like the idea. Deep stack games tend to allow a few skilled players clean out the tourists much faster. This will inevitably cause the games to dry up sooner because most of the loose money will be gone. Some rooms in more isolated areas are already seeing this happen. Ironically, it's mostly the local nits, not the tourists, who push rooms to allow bigger buy-ins.

3. Jackpot, NL seperate pool. Some Vegas joints offer this. All but the B should.

** I don't disagree with the theory, but I've never heard anyone actually complain outside of a few isolated posts on this forum. I don't know of any vegas joints that do this, do tell - which places separate limit and no limit jackpots? In reality I think this concept would be far too advanced for the simpletons who make many of the important decisions about poker in las vegas.

4. Free food. Or, $3/hr comp rate. Be GENEROUS to your customers. Make them feel like kings while they're losing to you. Every penny you save them, you get anyway. They're almost all playing to the extent of their disposable income, so a dollar you save them on food is one more dollar they have to play with.

** I agree they should comp more than the standard $1/hour. The "standard" comp for a pit player is 20% of the house's ev on your action. From spreadsheets I've done, the house's average ev on a poker player is about 7.50/hour. This would make a comp rate of $1.50 an hour more reasonable, and $2.00 an hour pretty good. In reality, the house often comps bigger games more, ignoring the fact that these players make up the smallest portion of their business. In some cases the house may even be charging these players lower time charges. The house makes profit on food, thus food comps are not really a dollar-for-dollar expense. This may surprise some, but I don't think $3/hour is a reasonable comp rate, I think it's too high.

Okay, ALL these suggestions, ex. the food, are hugely anti-nit. But no smart poker boss worries about the nits in his ear (and if you've even been a poker boss, you know they really are in your ear with their stupid NIT suggestions and whines). Ignore the nits. Nits follow action. So, get the action. And action WANTS action. They WANT big blinds relative to the buy-ins. They WANT jackpots. They WANT more hands per hour. They WANT to be able to play looser, and play with people who are playing looser. And the difference in looseness between a 5/10 NL with $500 buy-ins, and a 2/5 NL with $1000 buy-ins is HUGE. There's a reason Oceanside has the toughest games in SoCal, and the Commerce the softest. Be like the Commerce.

** I agree, especially about the nits. I'm about as anti-nit as you can get.

** I also agree about the buy-in vs action ideas you outline here. I have not spent that much time at commerce, but it was quite clear that the games were on average far better. Just watch the tight, actionless, many walkers games of 5-10 no limit at the rio during wsop if you want to see no-action of course there are lots of exceptions, I'm talking overall effect.

Most importantly, stop trying to be like the B. I can't understand why there are so many pale versions of the B. The B is different, but it seems like all the Vegas poker bosses look at the city's most successful room and think: let's do what they do. [censored] what they do. Give them an endrun. Throw them a curve ball.

** basically agree. The bellagio does many things right, and is overall well run. But many people, including me, don't like bellagio. The main reason quoted is the poor treatment of low limit players. Another common reason is floors who don't explain what they are doing when they make decisions. Preferential treatment of locals who know which wheels to grease is also mentioned. And finally, it's just plain crowded, often with long waits.

** the bellagio sees most of the high limit business in vegas, which is why they do many things the way they do. This is fine. The rest of vegas will see mostly low limit games, and should therefore do many things different from bellagio.

** I must add that bellagio runs excellent tournaments, and all las vegas dealers, floors, and bosses should go and learn a thing or two from the bellagio in this area. This does not mean everyone should do tournaments exactly the same as bellagio. For instance, a $60 daily tournament that usually sees 50 players, 48 of them tourists, should not use antes. Each room should find what works best in their own niche.

Cliff's notes: someone in Vegas should run an LA-style room.

** overall I agree wholeheartedly. The time I've spent in los angeles casinos backed up the notion california casinos are run better than all others. The years I was in san diego backed this idea further. Maybe someone does it better, but I haven't seen it yet.

Al