Stratosphere Poker Room - Suggestions and Improvements

[chao22mien]

I work at the Stratosphere as an Analyst. One of my projects is to look at the poker room, put together analysis and make recommendations to improve the poker room.

Here is where they are now:

The poker room is in a bad location. It is located right behind a night club and is hidden. There's been talks of relocating the room, but at this point, I am looking at making improvements based on what they have now. They run at 35-40% occupancy and they have 8 tables. Obviously we would like this to go up. Around 1/3 of their bottom line is from tournaments.

They run 4 tournaments a day and pretty much the only cash game they spread is 1/2NL.

My first thought is looking at the tournament structure. Without sharing my thoughts, I would like to get outsider's perspectives. Below are the details of the tournament.

Please give your feedback. Is the tournament competitive? Would you play in it? What is good/bad about the tournament and structure.

Tourney Details:

9am, 1pm, 8pm, 12am
Starting Stack = 4K chips
20 minute blinds
Avg Participants - 25-60...closer on the 40 range.

$60 buy in. No rebuys and no add-ons. No guarantees.
New entries and re-entries for 1st hour.


Blinds

Level 1 - 25-50
Level 2 - 50-100
Level 3 - 100-200
Level 4 - 100-200-25 ante
Level 5 - 200-400-50 ante
Level 6 - 300-600-75 ante
Level 7 - 500-1000 - 100 ante
Level 8 - 1000-2000 - 200 ante
Level 9 - 2000-4000 - 500 ante
Level 10 - 4000-8000 - 1000 ante
Level 11 - 6000-12000 - 2000 ante
Level 12 - 10000-20000 - 5000 ante

17% of total prize goes to the house.

I appreciate any feedback. Thank you.

[blueflame]

will you pay me? :X

[Rottersod]

Umm..what are the buy ins? Rebuys? Guarantees?

[chao22mien]

i ll edit it.

sorry

[chao22mien]

i have my ideas. but want outsider's perspectives. i ve talked to them about what i think they should do. just wanna see if it is consistent at all with the poker community.

i appreciate any feedback.

[Arbitrage]

you gotta have limit games

try to get a regular small plo game going, that would bring some attention to your room

gotta have comps too

[Photoc]

The tourney structure sucks and when did the poker room get moved away from the entrance adjacent to the sports book and to an area near a club?

As for making it more successful? I hate to say it, but it's the Strat, to visitors, the casino is more along the lines of Circus Circus, Rivera, et al.. It's not going to be a high end poker destination. Their clientelle has been and always will be the low rolling tourists that are staying in the hotel.

[Black Aces 518]

As far as the tourney, here are my thoughts:

The 17% rake hurts. The structure could use a 75/150 level. Also the leap from 500/1000 to 1000/2000 is BRUTAL.

[phardwid]

Chao, I played in your room in 05/06 when out on the casino floor and in 12/06 when behind the sportsbook (very poor location; no walk-in traffic). Perhaps you have moved it again? I did not play your tournaments b/c of the high juice and poor blind structure. Your starting stack size is, however, superior to other low buyin tournaments. Dealers were terrible in 05/06 but markedly improved in 12/06. Meal comps provided if the floor was pressured for them. Much nicer place in which to play than the Sahara, which I perceive as your closest 'low-limit tourist walk-in' competition. No specific suggestions I guess, but I look forward to playing again in 07/07.

[Photoc]

[ QUOTE ]
Your starting stack size is, however, superior to other low buyin tournaments.

[/ QUOTE ]

I beg to differ, Planet Hollywood tournaments have 4k starting chips and much slower blind structure without antes, has larger fields on average, and better location for Joe Tourist.

[ QUOTE ]
Much nicer place in which to play than the Sahara, which I perceive as your closest 'low-limit tourist walk-in' competition.

[/ QUOTE ]

I will agree with you on this one, but I do find it funny that people always compare the Strat to other small rooms like that (as I did in the above post). You never hear someone comparing the Strat to GVR, or MGM, or even Mirage.