If I were Casino Manager

Here is a little article on what I would do if was an Internet

Casino Manager to improve the following sites:


Ultimate Bet 1 & 2


Rake: This site has possibily the highest rake online $3/$6

on down. Internet players want bargains. Internet players

need bargains. It's rare to find a strong $3/$6 game (non kill)going

here. Get with the program Jack.


I have a feeling the extra rake is a way of pulling in more

money for the high hand..But they claim no extra rake is

taken. I don't buy it..They would more than make up for it

in the extra games for lowering it.


9-Handed tables: I can't figure out if 9 handed tables kill the

action or if hiring props (uhmm...Table Hosts)kills it....

Maybe both. UB has no excuse in having 9 handed tables. I don't

know very many people that prefer them. Their Play Money tables

are 10 handed. The graphics are done. The only excuse is greed.

This site reeks of greed. It doesn't give off a good image.


Props: If I were to hire props, they would get paid for each

and every hand they played including Blinds. Or

possibly for every pot they win. It makes sense.

They'll even get paid more for playing short-handed.

Props on UB are tight. Many will quit..So what. Get some on

there that just want to get paid while playing in their spare

time.


UB Points: Okay, my number one complaint on UB is stability.

They give players incentives (extra UB points) for starting

games..Sometimes I'm in one game for less than 20 minutes, and

it breaks, because someone decides to start a new one. The

game will go back and forth from table to table because everyone

wants the extra points. Take away the incentives.


Summary: The action seems relatively good $5/$10 Plus. The low limit

games are some of the tightest on the net. Don't give

off a greedy image Jack. Players see 9-handed tables and know

what it's all about. Bring back some stability. Site has

lots of potential.


Poker Stars


Table/Props: Same problem as UB (At least I've heard they hire

props) When they first opened a customer service rep. mentioned

that because they display the players image that it would be

hard to fit 10 players..All they have to do is expand the

screen size, as it's kinda small already.


Smaller limits are very tight.

I love a 10-handed table with a 30% flop rate.

A 9-handed table w/ 30% doesn't seem to be nearly as good.


FPP's: It's very hard for micro limit players to earn any.

Very very unfair for them. They should award fractional

fpp's for smaller pots. Most smaller sites have

a proportionally bigger player base in the micro-limits.

PS's doesn't. I think this is why.


Promo's: What promo's? Get some buy-in promo's..Come on

Steve. I guess they don't work as good on a site if there

is no action. Sometimes promo's tighten up the games.

Fix the above, then get some promo's. I think your

games will pick up.


Summary: This site has sooooo much potential. As great

as the tournaments are I feel bad saying too many

negative things about PS's. If only I had control.

I mean they have everything BUT good action.


Party Poker


I'm not going to say anything bad about them, because

I appreciate how things are moving along their. Great

promo's. Great action. (Note: to receive your deposit

bonus you only need to play X hands. Not X raked hands.

Maybe this doesn't make everyone tighten up so much...

I don't know, but it's working)


Okay, I will say one negative thing. Their animations

are a little too hoakie for me. Turn them off by

default. I hate resetting them each time I have to

D/L an update. Let the players who are in the Party

spirit activate them.


WSEX

This site doesn't seem to be making much progress

with exception of some good jackpot promo's.

I think the graphics and speed could be sharpened

up a bit. Don't think they ever fixed that RAISE CALL

FOLD thing. They seem to have a following among

poker players. Friends have told me it's all word

of mouth via Vegas I believe..Maybe it was L.A.


The only thing saving them is the action from the

sports section..Come on guys you can do better.

You have good action. Try doing what Party Poker

did..In May they gave a 20% bonus up to $200 (play

2000 raked/unraked hands). 4th of July they gave

away 10%..And this isn't just for new players. This

is an incentive for REGULARS, the way it should be.

2 nights ago Party had 4 good $15/$30 games. The

players have responded. You's got the action......


PARADISE


Just one problem with them. It's an action or

should I say trickle-down economics thing.

First they introduced 5-table max tables.

Then they intoduced their no/pot limit games.


Both of them had one effect. Good shorthanded

players take all the money. Good no/pot limit

player take all the money. The most popular

5 max tables are $3/$6. The most popular no

limit tables are $50 buy-in.


They both KILLED the action in the $3/$6 and

$5/$10 ring games. These limits are DEAD compared

to the good ole' days.

Put a cap on the # of tables (5 max and $50 no

limit) that can be open, similiar to the $20/$40

table cap.


This is very bad for ring game players as

the bad players actually had a shot of moving

up to bigger limits. Now it's a rare thing unless

they're a professional hockey player from San Jose.


But.....I'm not (Casino Manager.....Or

hockey player for that matter).

so do you want action or do you want ten handed tables?

I prefer 9-handed games over 10-handed games. Having one less player at the table increases the number of hands dealt per hour which means more opportunities for you. Your hands also stand-up a little more often. I wish all sites would go to 9-handed games but this will never happen.

And I'm just the opposite of razz.I prefer 10 handed games because the blinds don't come quite as quickly so you can be a little more patient waiting for a hand.Also with the 9 handed sites the game always seems to be short handed.You really spend more time playing 8 handed or less than 9.At least that's been my experience with the 9 handed sites.

"with the 9 handed sites the game always seems to be short handed."


that is a result of the sites not having the amount of players that paradise has. it's not because it's 9 handed.

"You really spend more time playing 8 handed or less than 9.At least that's been my experience with the 9 handed sites. "


Very true..Even at the 10 handed paradise tables

a player or 2 is usually sitting out.


Almost all my profit online has come on

paradise/party poker, while I seem to spin

my wheels on UB and poker stars.

10 handed tables are famous for being rock gardens. Ever tried sitting at a 13 handed table? AA or KK are the only playable hands.

I'm just going off of experience...

Lets see I've played Poker Stars

for about 10 hrs: -$120


Ultimate Bet around 200-300 hrs: +$500 approx..


Party Poker 100 hrs: + $2500


Paradise xxx hrs: +$50,000 plus


I propped 6- 12 & 9-18 live for almost a year 10 handed.


I have propped 6-12 for over 2 years 9 handed.


No difference in action live. They were all good.

(California...I agree that if you were playing

in Vegas, you would see a difference because

players tend to take whatever they can get in Vegas)


If 9-handed games promoted action online, why aren't the flop %'s higher, instead of equal or less on the 9-handed sites? Why are $1/$2 UB

limits tighter than paradise $2/$4 limits.

Please explain.


What experience do you have playing 13 handed?

You may be hypothetically correct. But I believe

if online sites promoted 13 handed games that

the sites wouldn't tighten up at the lower limits.


Do you speak from online experience or from what

you perceive to be the logical (and is) way

that 9 and 10 handed games SHOULD be played?

Poker Stars does NOT and never did use

props. I was somewhat unclear on this issue.


My mistake.