Do you think cutting the rake warrants cutting comps for a SH table?

[LasVegasMichael]

Hello all,

This thread is for discussing the policy of at least one poker room in Las Vegas.

At Treasure Island, they give players $2 an hour comps (food use only), and offer non cash prizes for the top three hands of the day (ranging from food to free slot play). These comps are completely house funded (i.e. no extra drop is given).

When the table is 5 handed or less, they will cut the rake in half (by player request), but also cut off all comps, hourly and otherwise.

Do you think this is a good/fair practice?

I will post my opinion in a subsequent post to keep the original post objective.

[LasVegasMichael]

Personally, I disagree with this policy. I think that punishing players willing to keep a game going is idiotic. Often, the game breaks, when it is short handed, causing everyone to lose out.

No other poker room that offers hourly comps (without a drop) does this. Even properties that do take a JP drop will reduce the rake, but stil take the drop, without cutting off comps. TI is the only room that does this.

TI also has a problem with short handed games, in general. Due to their rolling tournaments, their games often go short handed. Granted, they usually fill back up, but often times, tables will need to be consolidated, thus breaking a game.

What is really intriguing is the fact that TI did a completel 180 about three months ago. Believe it or not, TI used to DOUBLE the comp dollars when the table went short handed. They did this in lieu of cutting the rake. I had no problem with that, but realized that it would not last. Now, if you want the rake cut, the comps get cut as well. I think that is bad for the room and the players, and am interested in others opinions on this.

[RR]

[ QUOTE ]
When the table is 5 handed or less, they will cut the rake in half (by player request), but also cut off all comps, hourly and otherwise.

[/ QUOTE ]

I find this a shameful behavior. A 5 handed game getting half rake will often drop more than a full game taking full rake. If it is a 5 handed game that isn't dropping at least half a full game (same amount per player seated) the game is about to break anyway.

[Jimbo]

Makes sense to cut expenses when income decreases, I don't see your point.

Jimbo

[LasVegasMichael]

Income really isn't decreasing, as RR, more eloquently then I, explained. More hands are seen, thus more (or at least equal to) rake is generated. Plus, if the game breaks, no one is getting any income.

[Banks2334]

LVM,
My response was pretty much what you and Randy already covered. I will ask you this, who in the casino is making these decisions? Are there any qualified people running poker rooms anymore?

[Howard Burroughs]

I'm with you LVM (and RR & Banks). I've played a lot of short-handed late night poker over the years and I think this (T.I.) is insane.

Heck, I've played heads-up many times (late night) for an hour or two and believe it or not, sometimes the table ends up filling up.

As you say, you are doing them a favor by keeping the game going. I think it's crazy that they want to screw with the comps when you are helping them out (keeping the game going).


Best Wishes

Howard

[magoo]

Another greedy aspect of a trend in casino poker gaming, where joints are putting the squeeze on customers...increased tournament fees, extracting more and more money from prize pools, etc.

(At Blue Chip (Boyd Gaming), I was recently given a coupon, where I upon fulfilling a slots "requirement", I would receive a big raisin cookie.)

[Siegmund]

The point of the reduced rake is so that the rake per player per hand stays in the same range.... the rake per player per hour probably rises a bit as the hands go faster....

I can't see any reason at all to cut the comps here. The amount they give away is going down as each player leaves the table anyway.

[LasVegasMichael]

UPDATE!

TI has done away with this practice. I, and others, lobbied against it pretty hard, and am happy to report that the cutting off comps when the rake is reduced is no longer the policy of TI. Props to TI management for listening to the players and making this decision.