What Makes the Ultimate Poker Room?
What Makes the Ultimate Poker Room? My experience is limited to home games and two great experiences at the Fargo Poker Tournament at Mohegan Sun. So what do you look forward to in a good poker room? Here is what my poker friends suggest for the Ultimate Poker Room.
Related Post – Beginner’s Guide to Casino Poker
PokerAtlas.com is a Great Poker Resource 
Six New England casinos have poker rooms. Changes have taken place with a few as well. For example, Mohegan Sun & Foxwoods have moved their poker rooms. For information about games, tournaments, and general info, check out the following links:
- Hollywood Poker Room, Bangor, ME – closed
- Twin River Poker Room, Lincoln, RI – closed
- Mohegan Sun Poker Room, Uncasville CT
- Foxwoods Poker Room, Mashantucket CT
- MGM Springfield Poker Room, Springfield, MA
- Encore Boston Harbor Poker Room, Everett, MA
Related Post – Gambling in New Hampshire The Granite State
“What Makes the Ultimate Poker Room?”
Finding a consensus on what makes a good poker room was difficult. Every Poker player has an opinion concerning what they prefer. However, poker players seem to agree on the following Characteristics of the Ultimate Poker Room.
1. The Rake / Bad Beat Jackpots
The “rake” is the scaled commission fee taken by a cardroom operating a poker game. It is generally 2.5 to 10 percent of the pot in each poker hand, up to a predetermined maximum amount. Most players prefer a lower rake %. Low rake is sometimes switched with time charge, especially in the early mornings. Some players had decisive limits – 5 percent rake and a $3 maximum per hand, and 10 percent with a $4 maximum are the highest expected.
Also, a “Bad Beat Jackpot” is not preferred. What is a “bad beat jackpot”? It’s when a poker room pays out an amount of money if an excellent hand (usually Quad Eights or better) ends up losing to another hand. This “bad beat jackpot” is usually divided between all the players at the table who participated in the player’s hand. In most circumstances, the hand’s loser will receive 50% of the bad beat jackpot, and the hand’s winner will receive 25%. The remaining players will split the remaining 25%. The “bad beat jackpot” accrues over time and grows based on how much rake the poker room collects. The low rake combined with fewer BBJs is preferred.
2. Comfort / Atmosphere
Most players like a comfortable place to play. When I asked one player, “What Makes the Ultimate Poker Room?” he said, “The poker room exists to generate rake, and the best way to generate rake is to provide an atmosphere that people enjoy. If I ran a poker room, I wouldn’t be in the “Poker” business, I would be “hosting a party and a party atmosphere” Make the poker room fun. If the room is more fun, it increases your drop.”
In particular, quiet is most conducive to a comfy atmosphere. The room should be clean, good-looking, and well-lit, with nice chairs, cushions, and bathrooms. Many players admitted they prefer a poker room with space, especially at and between the tables.
Regarding smoking, most players seem to be changing towards a non-smoking poker room. However, one forum member said, “I’ve played in rooms where smoking is allowed, and it’s horrible.”
3. The Management of a Poker Room in the Ultimate Poker Room
Most players believe getting from the waiting list to a table quickly is essential.
Every room needs someone on duty 24/7 who knows all the games, correct rulings, and accessibility to dealers and players.
Great managers know when to intervene, and guys know when to let them handle their situations. Staff members who approach situations professionally and make informed decisions will please more people in the long term. Floor staff can make correct decisions and still be pleasant.
The sign-up desk should be warm and friendly, welcoming its players. “The lack of a nice greeting is a pervasive problem in poker rooms,” said one player. “If you aren’t a people person, don’t work the sign-up desk.”
4. Good Dealers are a Must
The best poker rooms should have great dealers. Unfortunately, being a good dealer is not that easy. Here are “good dealer traits”:
- Most of the dealers have been here for at least 4+ years.
- Good dealers deal in a decently paced game.
- Don’t talk too much
- Know the game left and right
- Very courteous, especially to the losing players.
- Provide a consistent experience as other dealers (which suggests better training by management)
- Treats 1-2 (limit) players like 10-20 (limit) players. (i.e., treating all players like they’re important)
The Games
The Ultimate Poker Room must have a broad mix of games. However, good games seem to be the most crucial factor the house has little control over. Players who make good games tend to flock to the best-run rooms. So, the clientele ultimately plays an essential part in good games. What a revelation!!!
Service Counts
According to my inquiries, being treated well by wait staff was more critical than comps. Promotions and amenities were important, but not if the place was messy, ran poorly, and made the players uncomfortable with the game. SERVICE COUNTS. It’s the same old thing we have been saying for years as we see casinos change to a business-first model instead of the service/hospitality model we were used to in years past. Happy players mean repeat business of the best kind. It seems so simple. Too bad it’s more often a thing of the past, and that’s the rest of the story!
Binbin