Showboat House of Blues Poker room...AC

[Mike Gallo]

The Showboat House of Blues Poker room now spreads a $5-$10 no limit game. Unlike the other casinos, the HOB caps the buy in at $1000 and has a minimum buy in of $300.

The game started about 5 pm. When I left at 1 am the game was still running strong.

What does everyone think of the capped buy in at $1000? I like the idea.

[Jeffage]

Mike,

Hope all is well - this goes every weekend?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Nate.]

Mike --

I imagine the game is very good, and the cap on the buyin should be a good idea given the weak player base at the Showboat.

I cannot recommend playing at the Showboat under any circumstances, however.

--Nate

[Gonso]

I've been to HOB poker room twice, and both times there were problems - Nate's link above doesn't surprise me at all.

During my first trip, I registered for a tourney that my girlfriend also wanted to play in. Just trying to be honest, we tell the folks that we're together when we register, and they were all: "As long as you don't mind taling each other's money." We're both seated at table 1 two seats apart. Again, I bring it up, no one cares. I'm two to her left, she doesn't steal blinds for crap, and I tried twice so f it.

Fast forward an hour. GF gets top two beat by runner runner straight by some 21-year old trying to look pro, complete with cap, shades, and 2 minute staredown-folds. Anyway I've been running him with over my stack, he limps in MP and I raise with JJ, another guy overcalls, Sunglasses reraises, I call, for 75% of his stack other guy calls, Sunglasses Guy goes all-in I'm getting at least 5-to-1 with plenty of chips and I call... I bad beat his aces (other guy had A9?!?), and they're both gone. He's livid, but hey, that's poker.

20 minutes later, it's brought to my attention Sunglasses Kid is behind me trying to sweat my cards - really rubbernecking it from behind me - then running over to the other table and whisper crap to his buddy. I wasn't protecting them very well, obviously... but I mean, this was a $50 tourney and I really didn't care. GF was waiting and I was a little hungry - two tables left so I figured she can deal with it. I had no reason to think some goofball would do some crap like that.

Brought the issue to the tourney director, who couldn't have been 25, who said the guy could stand anywhere he wants, even literally 2 feet behind me. I was polite to this point. I asked him if he normally let railbirds hover behind a player, and if I'd be allowed to do that for a couple of hours over on the cash side after I was done the tournament. I let it go, protected my cards, and told the kid to pull up a chair (he eventually left after people caught on and started giving him crap for being a crybaby).

The other table was breaking down later - and some guy was complaining that he raised all in, and his cards were mucked by the dealer. In his case, yes, you should protect your cards, but this is still an atrocious dealer error. I've only done it once and that was in like the second week of dealer school.

Second time I was there -not sure why there WAS a second time, honestly- there was obviously a few new dealers in the cash game. How do you forget to burn cards? In one case we had a three-way all in and the dealer couldn't even do the side pot correctly. 1 side pot! I'm telling her step by step how to do it, thinking maybe she's just having a brain fart, but no, she just can't do it.

The room here, I liked the look and setup (though the chips they were using needed replacement), but the management and some of the dealers need a serious tune-up. I don't recommend playing here either.

Also, FWIW, the players did seem a little soft even for 1/2NL... I was kind of curious about this since the poker room is a ways away from the main casino floor (so fewer novices wander in).

[Gonso]

PS - I do like the cap for 5/10. My past experiences there soured me on the place for a while. There are better options in town if you want a game run right.

[magoo]

Let's be more SPECIFIC---SHOWBOAT is a "HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT" CASINO. Showboat uses the same Harrah's Players cards.

[ QUOTE ]
I've been to HOB poker room twice, and both times there were problems - Nate's link above doesn't surprise me at all.

During my first trip, I registered for a tourney that my girlfriend also wanted to play in. Just trying to be honest, we tell the folks that we're together when we register, and they were all: "As long as you don't mind taling each other's money." We're both seated at table 1 two seats apart. Again, I bring it up, no one cares. I'm two to her left, she doesn't steal blinds for crap, and I tried twice so f it.

Fast forward an hour. GF gets top two beat by runner runner straight by some 21-year old trying to look pro, complete with cap, shades, and 2 minute staredown-folds. Anyway I've been running him with over my stack, he limps in MP and I raise with JJ, another guy overcalls, Sunglasses reraises, I call, for 75% of his stack other guy calls, Sunglasses Guy goes all-in I'm getting at least 5-to-1 with plenty of chips and I call... I bad beat his aces (other guy had A9?!?), and they're both gone. He's livid, but hey, that's poker.

20 minutes later, it's brought to my attention Sunglasses Kid is behind me trying to sweat my cards - really rubbernecking it from behind me - then running over to the other table and whisper crap to his buddy. I wasn't protecting them very well, obviously... but I mean, this was a $50 tourney and I really didn't care. GF was waiting and I was a little hungry - two tables left so I figured she can deal with it. I had no reason to think some goofball would do some crap like that.

Brought the issue to the tourney director, who couldn't have been 25, who said the guy could stand anywhere he wants, even literally 2 feet behind me. I was polite to this point. I asked him if he normally let railbirds hover behind a player, and if I'd be allowed to do that for a couple of hours over on the cash side after I was done the tournament. I let it go, protected my cards, and told the kid to pull up a chair (he eventually left after people caught on and started giving him crap for being a crybaby).

The other table was breaking down later - and some guy was complaining that he raised all in, and his cards were mucked by the dealer. In his case, yes, you should protect your cards, but this is still an atrocious dealer error. I've only done it once and that was in like the second week of dealer school.

Second time I was there -not sure why there WAS a second time, honestly- there was obviously a few new dealers in the cash game. How do you forget to burn cards? In one case we had a three-way all in and the dealer couldn't even do the side pot correctly. 1 side pot! I'm telling her step by step how to do it, thinking maybe she's just having a brain fart, but no, she just can't do it.

The room here, I liked the look and setup (though the chips they were using needed replacement), but the management and some of the dealers need a serious tune-up. I don't recommend playing here either.

Also, FWIW, the players did seem a little soft even for 1/2NL... I was kind of curious about this since the poker room is a ways away from the main casino floor (so fewer novices wander in).

[/ QUOTE ]

[Mike Gallo]

Hi Jeff,
Things are going very well thanks.

The floor said they will try to get this game going whenever enough players have an interest in it.

Once word gets around about this game, it will go every weekend.
I like the idea of a $1000 capped buy in. One of the players in the game sat in the game because of the cap.He said he would normally not sit in the Trop's $5-$10 game because that game does not have a cap.

[Gonso]

[ QUOTE ]
Let's be more SPECIFIC---SHOWBOAT is a "HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT" CASINO. Showboat uses the same Harrah's Players cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was being being specific, I was talking about Showboat in particular, not all four HE poker properties in AC. No idea what the players cards have to do with what I said.

The other Harrah's casinos have generally better dealers in my experience. Not amzing, but not as bad as what I say at the HOB. For example, Harrah's grave shift dealers are FAR more competent that what I saw at the Showboat, so I really wouldn't want to lump them in the same group. Same thing regarding the other two HE properties.

Borgata, Taj, and even Trop are still better choices. I'm sure Showboat will be fine once they get it together & enough players get upset.

[spresso81]

For those who have played this game, how does the play here compare to the Borgata's 5/10 NL game? I would assume worse but then again who knows.

[samjjones]

It could be worse. I got stuck playing at Bally's today.