This concludes the "If I Ran A Poker Room" series. It covers some more Cash Game stuff, as well as some other things that I forgot to mention earlier.
Promos: Even though many players hate the $1 Promo Drop from each pot, Promos are a great way to get recreational players into the room.
The promos that I would run would depend on what the other room are doing. I would want to run different Promos then they're running, or at least in a different way. Some possibilities are High Hand Bonuses (either a fix amount or progressive), AA cracked, Splash Pot, drawings for stuff, freerolls like Beat The Boss, and the dreaded Bad Beat Jackpot. The promos would probably be rotated for different months to keep things fresh and new.
I know many player bitch, whine, and moan about the BBJ, but they can be a great way to fill up a room. In Detroit, when one of the BBJs hits $100k, the room is packed all day long, with 2-3 hour waiting lists. I think the best way to have a BBJ is to have two different ones. The first one is a smaller one that's easier to hit, and it may even be a fixed amount like the Atlantis has. The second BBJ would be much harder to hit (like Quad 6 beaten). That would make it much larger to entice the recreational players into the room in hopes of hitting the lottery.
As for the Promo Drop, it would be $1 at $10. Depending on how much we take in, there might be another $1 when the pot gets bigger, say $50 or $60.
Posting: For those who don't know what Posting is, it's when you first arrive at a table, and have to post a BB to see your first hand. You also have the option to sit out a few hands, and wait for the Blinds to come to you. The idea behind it is that your Blinds are what you're charged to play an orbit at the table. This is why most players leave the table to cashout right before they have to play the Blinds again.
Posting is not popular with players, as many players would rather just wait for the Blinds. As a player, I really don't care either way. I go to a room to play poker, and not sit there waiting for the BBJ to hit.
Most rooms in Reno don't make players post, except in bigger games (I don't know what the difference is). However, I'm constantly seeing players abuse this by sitting down a few hands before the Blinds come to them, and letting the Blinds pass them before they play a hand so they get a free orbit. (Have I ever mentioned that this town is full of Super Nits?)
I would make all new players post in my poker room. I feel that a player should pay to play an orbit.
Comps: This would obviously depend on my bosses, but the standard $1/hr is a good place to start. The one thing that I would do differently than most room is change the comp rate depending on the time and day. I would pay up to $2/hr during slow times, like Tuesday 10am, and as low as $0.50/hr during peek times, like Saturday 10pm. This is one way, along with other promos, to get players in to the room during traditionally slower times.
Tournament players should also receive comps for playing in a tournament, even if it's just a small amount. The amount of the comp would depend on either the tournament buy-in, or the amount that goes to the house.
Website: It is amazing that most casinos have no clue that we are in the 21st century. Just look at their websites. They are all just giant billboards on the Information Superhighway. Website can be used for so much more information, like telling you what games are running (Borgata or Wynn), or even just tell you what the Bad Beat Jackpot is at today (Hollywood). EDIT: The Peppermill has added a page to it's website that has all their Lists.
Cards & Chips: The cards would be Jumbo Index because they are easier to see from the other side of the table. I've only seen one poker room use these (Turning Stone), and I don't understand why others don't use them. We used them in our Home Games back in Cleveland, and they were wonderful.
The chips would be almost anything but Paulsons, which is the most common chip used by casinos (the ones with the top hat and cane). They are wonderful for stacking, and do hold up very well. However, they can't be washed due to the clay that they are made with. Anyone who plays in casinos regularly knows how disgusting the poker chips can be after a while. Chipco makes very good chips, and are very easy to keep clean.
Lessons: Poker lessons given out by the casinos seem like they are rare these days. I know that Mountaineer used to do it once or twice a week, but I'm not aware of any room in Reno that has them.
I'm not saying that my room would have them, but I would look into it. And maybe not just for Hold'em, but also for other games like Omaha-8.
Cell Phones: I know the old geezers won't like this, but cell phones should be allowed at the table. After all, it is the 21st Century. They can be used as long as you're not in a hand, causing a distraction, or slowing down the game. If you're having a conversation, it would be encouraged that you step away from the table in order to prevent a distraction.
All the conspiracy talk concerning cheating is just silly. If a player is talking about the hand, then everyone at the table can hear it. If a player is texting about the hand he's in, then he's breaking the rules about using the phone while in the hand. Plus, just how much information about the Hand can he text to someone else to get help from that person? However, Bluetooth headphones would be banned. If you want to be on the phone, then you need to blatantly be on the phone.
PokerPro: These are the electronic tables that have sprung up in various smaller poker rooms across the country, including the Silver Legacy here in Reno. Overall, they have been a dismal failure.
I actually like them, and think they have a lot of potential. I feel they have just been used in the wrong way. Most rooms that have the machines are smaller rooms. The manager just turns on the machines, offers something basic like $.50/$1 NL or $2/$4 Limit, and hopes that someone will want to play. This is the wrong approach to these tables.
The PokerPro machines have the best potential to be used for things that a regular Live table is not suited. Mixed games would be wonderful on these. Just think of the Hands Per Hour you could play in PLO rather than with a Live Dealer. Speed Poker (say 10-20 seconds per decision) would be easy to do on the PokerPro tables. Other potential games would include a 6-Max or Heads-Up since a Live Room would never spread these.
The other great potential is Tournaments, especially Sit-N-Gos. In a Live Room, Sit-N-Gos are horrible because the room doesn't want to tie up a Dealer. This isn't a problem with the PokerPro machines. Plus, the extra Hands Per Hour would make a 20-minutes per Level structure seem like 30 or 40 minutes per Level.
Showing posts with label If I Ran A Room. Show all posts
Showing posts with label If I Ran A Room. Show all posts
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Rants & Raves: If I Ran A Poker Room - Cash Games (Part I)
Game Structures: In my opinion, there are two important factors to consider when it comes to game structures. First is that all of your NL games need to have a cap on them except for your largest regular game. For example, if your room runs $5/$10 on weekends, then the $1/$3 and the $2/$5 should be capped. If players can buy into the $1/$3 game for $1000, then why would they want to play $2/$5 or $5/$10. This is the number one reason that larger NL games rarely run in Reno.
The second factor is that the games need to have some space between them, or they won't run because they're essentially the same game. Some examples are Mountaineer offers $2/$4 and $3/$6 Limit, but $3/$6 almost never runs because they are basically the same game. Some of the Reno rooms offer a $2/$3 NL ($5 to go) that never runs because it's the same as $3/$5. Conversely, the Peppermill had $2/$4 and $4/$8 Limit that ran every day because they're not the same game.
Having said all that, I would have the NL & PL games with the following structures: $1/$1 ($40-$100), $1/$3 ($100-$400), $2/$5 ($400-$800), and maybe $5/$10 ($800-$1500 or uncapped). For games like PLO, there might be some slight tweaks, like changing the $1/$3 to $2/$3 ($5 to go) in order to help with rounding off the size of the pot.
For Limit games, I would use three different levels, but there is some different ones to choose from. It could be $3/$6, $6/$12, and $10/$20. Or, if I wanted to have a larger spread, it could be $3/$6, $7.50/$15 (using the Pink $2.50 chips that many casino use for Blackjack), and $15/$30. As I have said before, there would need to be some trial and error to see what the customers want.
There would also be a Kill for all Limit games. It would probably be a Half Kill, but could be a Full Kill if the table requests it.
Game Types: Obviously, No-Limit Hold'em would be the main game, along with some Limit Hold'em. Naturally, I would want to try promoting other games. I have found the best way to do this is to schedule games on various nights. Atlantis has done a good job with this concept. On Mondays they have $3/$6 HORSE, on Fridays $5/$10 NL, and on Saturdays $1/$2 PLO-8.
Generally, these games would be on the small side to encourage players to try them out. If the game takes off, then that game might pop-up on different nights, or even a bigger game could happen on that same night.
Rake: I know this isn't a common practice, but I feel that larger games should pay more in rake than smaller games. I know as a player, it's evil for me to think about rake. But as someone running a room, business is business.
For example, the standard Reno rake is $3 or $4 (plus the promo drop). So I might do $3 at the $1/$1 game (with .50 cent pieces), $4 at the $1/$3 game, and $5 for the $2/$5 and higher games. If the $1/$1 isn't generating enough rake, then I may have an automatic $2 on the Flop, and the 3rd dollar after the pot hits $30.
Straddle: For NL games, there would be a NL Straddle for up to 5 BB (up to $15 at $1/$3, for example). This would only be for UTG. I know the Mississippi Straddle or Button Straddle is popular for some players, but I feel that straddling on the Button is just too strong, and creates an imbalance in the game.
Cash Plays: Cash would not play at any game. It's too easy to sneak into a pocket, and it's very easy to hide behind chips. I often see players trying to fold up the $100 bills, and hide the fact that they have any at all. Plus, it's really hard to judge just how many $100 bills a player has. As long as the casino has enough chips, there is no reason to have Cash on the table.
Also, larger chips should only be allowed in certain games. The Green $25 chips would only be allowed on $1/$3 or larger. The Black $100 chips would only be allowed on the $2/$5 or larger.
Normally in $2/$5 games, the White $1 chips don't count except in units of $5. I've never understood the point of this rule. Since White chips are on the table, then why not use them? Why can't the preflop raise be $17, rather than $15 or $20? If a room doesn't want the White chips to count, then make it a $5/$5 game.
The second factor is that the games need to have some space between them, or they won't run because they're essentially the same game. Some examples are Mountaineer offers $2/$4 and $3/$6 Limit, but $3/$6 almost never runs because they are basically the same game. Some of the Reno rooms offer a $2/$3 NL ($5 to go) that never runs because it's the same as $3/$5. Conversely, the Peppermill had $2/$4 and $4/$8 Limit that ran every day because they're not the same game.
Having said all that, I would have the NL & PL games with the following structures: $1/$1 ($40-$100), $1/$3 ($100-$400), $2/$5 ($400-$800), and maybe $5/$10 ($800-$1500 or uncapped). For games like PLO, there might be some slight tweaks, like changing the $1/$3 to $2/$3 ($5 to go) in order to help with rounding off the size of the pot.
For Limit games, I would use three different levels, but there is some different ones to choose from. It could be $3/$6, $6/$12, and $10/$20. Or, if I wanted to have a larger spread, it could be $3/$6, $7.50/$15 (using the Pink $2.50 chips that many casino use for Blackjack), and $15/$30. As I have said before, there would need to be some trial and error to see what the customers want.
There would also be a Kill for all Limit games. It would probably be a Half Kill, but could be a Full Kill if the table requests it.
Game Types: Obviously, No-Limit Hold'em would be the main game, along with some Limit Hold'em. Naturally, I would want to try promoting other games. I have found the best way to do this is to schedule games on various nights. Atlantis has done a good job with this concept. On Mondays they have $3/$6 HORSE, on Fridays $5/$10 NL, and on Saturdays $1/$2 PLO-8.
Generally, these games would be on the small side to encourage players to try them out. If the game takes off, then that game might pop-up on different nights, or even a bigger game could happen on that same night.
Rake: I know this isn't a common practice, but I feel that larger games should pay more in rake than smaller games. I know as a player, it's evil for me to think about rake. But as someone running a room, business is business.
For example, the standard Reno rake is $3 or $4 (plus the promo drop). So I might do $3 at the $1/$1 game (with .50 cent pieces), $4 at the $1/$3 game, and $5 for the $2/$5 and higher games. If the $1/$1 isn't generating enough rake, then I may have an automatic $2 on the Flop, and the 3rd dollar after the pot hits $30.
Straddle: For NL games, there would be a NL Straddle for up to 5 BB (up to $15 at $1/$3, for example). This would only be for UTG. I know the Mississippi Straddle or Button Straddle is popular for some players, but I feel that straddling on the Button is just too strong, and creates an imbalance in the game.
Cash Plays: Cash would not play at any game. It's too easy to sneak into a pocket, and it's very easy to hide behind chips. I often see players trying to fold up the $100 bills, and hide the fact that they have any at all. Plus, it's really hard to judge just how many $100 bills a player has. As long as the casino has enough chips, there is no reason to have Cash on the table.
Also, larger chips should only be allowed in certain games. The Green $25 chips would only be allowed on $1/$3 or larger. The Black $100 chips would only be allowed on the $2/$5 or larger.
Normally in $2/$5 games, the White $1 chips don't count except in units of $5. I've never understood the point of this rule. Since White chips are on the table, then why not use them? Why can't the preflop raise be $17, rather than $15 or $20? If a room doesn't want the White chips to count, then make it a $5/$5 game.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Rants & Raves: If I Ran A Poker Room - Tournaments
This is Part 2 of my "If I Ran A Poker Room" series, and it covers Tournaments. Everything I say in this post would be dependent on State Regulations, as well as "Supply & Demand" issues regarding the players and nearby casinos.
- Daily Tournaments are important to a Poker Room because they bring in players who don't play in Cash games. These are also good for newer players because they will only spend a fixed amount, and the tourneys only take a couple of hours.
There would be a robust schedule, with 3 - 4 each day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. I may even try a late night tourney on weekends.
Most of the tourneys would be NLHE, but there would be some variety. I would be actively pushing other games, so there would be at least one Limit Hold'em, Omaha-8, and PLO. Also some variety NLHE tourneys like a Bounty, a Rebuy, and a Cash Me Out.
The Buy-Ins would be in the $50 - $125 range. I would like to try at least one higher buy-in each week.
The structures would be on the quick side. I understand that some players hate these tournaments because they become Push-N-Pray so quickly, but that's how it must be. Obviously, the higher buy-in tournaments would have a better structure than the $50 tourneys.
The number of players paid will be (# of tables +1). For example, a one-table tournament will pay two spots, and a three-table tournament will pay four spots. The actual payouts will be flatter than most rooms. (60/40, 50/30/20, 45/30/17/8, 40/25/17/11/7, etc). Most rooms have top-heavy payouts to encourage players to chop and end the tournaments faster. But the players are probably gonna chop anyways, so why encourage it.
- Tournament Series are a great way to bring out-of-towners into your room, which also means they will be spending money in the casino and hotel.
The series would last a week or two, and would have a variety of tournaments. In addition to the tournaments that are run every week, there would also be a Main Event, a Shootout, a Heads-Up tournament, a 6-max, and Mixed Game tournaments like HORSE.
The payouts would be flat just like the daily tournaments, and we would payout 15% of the field. More players would get paid which makes the recreational players happy, and the winners will still get a large chuck of money.
The structures would be much better than the daily tournaments. After running a Home Game for three years, I understand how tournament structures work. I'm definitely a fan of the Matt Savage philosophy, which is "Less Chips, More Levels". There is no reason to ever start a NLHE tournament with more than 200 BB. By not starting with super deep chip stacks, it means that we can add levels later in the tournament when it's more important to have some play, rather than getting to the Push-N-Pray sooner.
Limit tournaments are a different story. Most casinos just take their NL structure, and covert it to a Limit tourney. These structures fail miserably because they have too many Big Bets in the beginning, and accelerate too quickly. The best way to structure a Limit tournament is to start with around 30 - 40 Big Bets, and have the level gradually increase. (For example, 6000 chips - 100/200, 125/250, 150/300, 200/400, 300/600...) I have never ran a Limit tournament, so all of this is theoretical based on my experience in playing Limit tournament. There would need to be some trial and error until I figure it out.
- Promotions are a useful tool to get recreational players in to the room. One of the promos that I see commonly around Reno is giving extra chips (up to 1000) for either playing in the Cash game, or showing a previous tournament receipt.
One thing that I would like to have is something that I've only seen in two poker rooms (Blue Chip & Showboat AC), a Bad Beat Jackpot (BBJ) for tournaments. It would be an extra $5 added to the buy-in, and it would be the same qualifications as the regular BBJ. The $5 would be split like this; $3 for the Main Jackpot, $1 for the Back-Up Jackpot, and $1 for other promotional stuff. The BBJ might be capped at a certain amount, like $25k. I know that the BBJ is a dirty word for some players. But recreational players love the BBJ, and good players love playing against recreational players.
Another promotions would be a monthly or quarterly freeroll for tournament players. You would earn points for playing in tournament, and more points for cashing, based on what place you finish. The top 20 or 30 would play in the freeroll. If it was a $1000 freeroll, the payouts would be something like $500, $300, $100, $50, $50.
- Daily Tournaments are important to a Poker Room because they bring in players who don't play in Cash games. These are also good for newer players because they will only spend a fixed amount, and the tourneys only take a couple of hours.
There would be a robust schedule, with 3 - 4 each day. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. I may even try a late night tourney on weekends.
Most of the tourneys would be NLHE, but there would be some variety. I would be actively pushing other games, so there would be at least one Limit Hold'em, Omaha-8, and PLO. Also some variety NLHE tourneys like a Bounty, a Rebuy, and a Cash Me Out.
The Buy-Ins would be in the $50 - $125 range. I would like to try at least one higher buy-in each week.
The structures would be on the quick side. I understand that some players hate these tournaments because they become Push-N-Pray so quickly, but that's how it must be. Obviously, the higher buy-in tournaments would have a better structure than the $50 tourneys.
The number of players paid will be (# of tables +1). For example, a one-table tournament will pay two spots, and a three-table tournament will pay four spots. The actual payouts will be flatter than most rooms. (60/40, 50/30/20, 45/30/17/8, 40/25/17/11/7, etc). Most rooms have top-heavy payouts to encourage players to chop and end the tournaments faster. But the players are probably gonna chop anyways, so why encourage it.
- Tournament Series are a great way to bring out-of-towners into your room, which also means they will be spending money in the casino and hotel.
The series would last a week or two, and would have a variety of tournaments. In addition to the tournaments that are run every week, there would also be a Main Event, a Shootout, a Heads-Up tournament, a 6-max, and Mixed Game tournaments like HORSE.
The payouts would be flat just like the daily tournaments, and we would payout 15% of the field. More players would get paid which makes the recreational players happy, and the winners will still get a large chuck of money.
The structures would be much better than the daily tournaments. After running a Home Game for three years, I understand how tournament structures work. I'm definitely a fan of the Matt Savage philosophy, which is "Less Chips, More Levels". There is no reason to ever start a NLHE tournament with more than 200 BB. By not starting with super deep chip stacks, it means that we can add levels later in the tournament when it's more important to have some play, rather than getting to the Push-N-Pray sooner.
Limit tournaments are a different story. Most casinos just take their NL structure, and covert it to a Limit tourney. These structures fail miserably because they have too many Big Bets in the beginning, and accelerate too quickly. The best way to structure a Limit tournament is to start with around 30 - 40 Big Bets, and have the level gradually increase. (For example, 6000 chips - 100/200, 125/250, 150/300, 200/400, 300/600...) I have never ran a Limit tournament, so all of this is theoretical based on my experience in playing Limit tournament. There would need to be some trial and error until I figure it out.
- Promotions are a useful tool to get recreational players in to the room. One of the promos that I see commonly around Reno is giving extra chips (up to 1000) for either playing in the Cash game, or showing a previous tournament receipt.
One thing that I would like to have is something that I've only seen in two poker rooms (Blue Chip & Showboat AC), a Bad Beat Jackpot (BBJ) for tournaments. It would be an extra $5 added to the buy-in, and it would be the same qualifications as the regular BBJ. The $5 would be split like this; $3 for the Main Jackpot, $1 for the Back-Up Jackpot, and $1 for other promotional stuff. The BBJ might be capped at a certain amount, like $25k. I know that the BBJ is a dirty word for some players. But recreational players love the BBJ, and good players love playing against recreational players.
Another promotions would be a monthly or quarterly freeroll for tournament players. You would earn points for playing in tournament, and more points for cashing, based on what place you finish. The top 20 or 30 would play in the freeroll. If it was a $1000 freeroll, the payouts would be something like $500, $300, $100, $50, $50.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Rants & Raves: If I Ran A Poker Room
Like many Poker players, I have often thought, "I could run this Poker Room much better than these dweebs (especially at Greektown)." Well, here is how I would do it. Keep in mind, everything that I'm saying would need to be in compliance with State regulations.
I'm going to do this in multiple Blog entries. This one will be concerning general things about the room. There will be one about Tournaments, and one or two about Cash games.
- Tables: The tables will be nine handed. I much prefer nine handed, although I know the Super Nits will bitch and moan about it. It allows for some elbow room, and we can always squeeze in the tenth player if necessary.
The tables will have cup holders built it. I've never been a fan of those cheap ones that you slide under the rail.
The tables will have a Betting Line, and it will be enforced. If any chips cross the Line, then an action must occur, either a bet, a call, or a raise. In some places (Greektown and Blue Chip, for example), any chips that cross the line must stay in the pot, even if they're just in your hand. To me, that is a horrible rule that just punishes newer players, and it can easily be used for angle shooting as well.
- Food & Drink: There will be food and drink available for players. I love the set-up at Motor City. They have a drink station that you can get self-serve pop, coffee, and bottled water. They also have some munchies and sandwiches to grab. Having the drinks available for the players to grab will reduce the number of cocktail waitresses the room will need.
Eating at the table will be allowed, and a menu will be available for the Poker Room. This will depend on if there is a restaurant near the Poker Room.
- Rules: As most players know, it can be frustrating that the Rules can be different from one Poker Room to another. It's even more frustrating when the Rules vary within the Poker Room, depending on which Dealer or Floorperson you talk to. This is something that I would try to fix.
The enforcement of the Rules will vary depending on the level of the game. Smaller games, like $2/$4 Limit or $1/$1 NL are for newer players. Warnings will be given out about things like "acting out of turn", string bets, or "one chip is a call". If they keep doing these infractions, then they will be enforced.
There will be a Rules Book at the Desk that Floorpeople and players can use as a reference. The Rules Book will be made by us, will have examples, and will be updated when necessary. There will also be sign or pamphlet that will highlight various House Rules like Straddles, Buying the Button, Kill Pots, etc. There will not be any pointless Rules like "Checking and Raising is allowed."
There will also be a Log Book for Floorpersons to write down all rulings that are given during the day. This way all employees will see what ruling have been made, and keep things consistent.
But the #1 Rule to be enforced comes from the Robert's Rules of Poker: "Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling." Rules are in place to provide a fair game for everyone, and not for Old Timers to make angle shots against the newer players who don't know better (like they do in Detroit).
I'm going to do this in multiple Blog entries. This one will be concerning general things about the room. There will be one about Tournaments, and one or two about Cash games.
- Tables: The tables will be nine handed. I much prefer nine handed, although I know the Super Nits will bitch and moan about it. It allows for some elbow room, and we can always squeeze in the tenth player if necessary.
The tables will have cup holders built it. I've never been a fan of those cheap ones that you slide under the rail.
The tables will have a Betting Line, and it will be enforced. If any chips cross the Line, then an action must occur, either a bet, a call, or a raise. In some places (Greektown and Blue Chip, for example), any chips that cross the line must stay in the pot, even if they're just in your hand. To me, that is a horrible rule that just punishes newer players, and it can easily be used for angle shooting as well.
- Food & Drink: There will be food and drink available for players. I love the set-up at Motor City. They have a drink station that you can get self-serve pop, coffee, and bottled water. They also have some munchies and sandwiches to grab. Having the drinks available for the players to grab will reduce the number of cocktail waitresses the room will need.
Eating at the table will be allowed, and a menu will be available for the Poker Room. This will depend on if there is a restaurant near the Poker Room.
- Rules: As most players know, it can be frustrating that the Rules can be different from one Poker Room to another. It's even more frustrating when the Rules vary within the Poker Room, depending on which Dealer or Floorperson you talk to. This is something that I would try to fix.
The enforcement of the Rules will vary depending on the level of the game. Smaller games, like $2/$4 Limit or $1/$1 NL are for newer players. Warnings will be given out about things like "acting out of turn", string bets, or "one chip is a call". If they keep doing these infractions, then they will be enforced.
There will be a Rules Book at the Desk that Floorpeople and players can use as a reference. The Rules Book will be made by us, will have examples, and will be updated when necessary. There will also be sign or pamphlet that will highlight various House Rules like Straddles, Buying the Button, Kill Pots, etc. There will not be any pointless Rules like "Checking and Raising is allowed."
There will also be a Log Book for Floorpersons to write down all rulings that are given during the day. This way all employees will see what ruling have been made, and keep things consistent.
But the #1 Rule to be enforced comes from the Robert's Rules of Poker: "Management reserves the right to make decisions in the spirit of fairness, even if a strict interpretation of the rules may indicate a different ruling." Rules are in place to provide a fair game for everyone, and not for Old Timers to make angle shots against the newer players who don't know better (like they do in Detroit).
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