Harrah's in 'Nawlins Yuk.

[SoBeDude]

I can't believe how badly run poker has been here. I waited in line over 4 hours yesterday for a seat in today's event. Then since I was playing today, I couldn't sign up for tomorrows before it sold out.

This is my very last trip here.

-Scott

[shaniac]

Not entirely surprising....bur 4 hours?! How many people did they cap the event at?

Shane

[CondoBrian]

800ish. However, the line was forming at lunch time and registration didn't open until 4:00. If you wanted a seat, you had to wait in line. I was in line for about the same amount of time.

[MicroBob]

i'm also not surprised that demand is too high for them to adequately handle.


Wonder how the side-games are...Can you get in them reasonably quickly? Enough tables and dealers? etc etc.


Other that that I can't say I'm surprised that the lines are astronomical and the general construct is inefficient.


I had also read somewhere that the blind-structures for the smaller buy-in events were going to be pretty steep.

This isn't surprising either. It's a $200 tourney with 800 players or so. At the WSOP you can milk an 800 main-event (that's the size it was a couple years ago) for a few days.
Here is just isn't cost-effective to do it.
And to get from 800 players down to 1 in a single day you've got to move those blinds pretty fast.
NO THANK YOU!!


From a couple of reports I've heard...I'm kind of glad I wasn't able to make it for this one (I was considering it).


I played some of the side-game stuff during the WPO in Tunica. It's only about 35-40 mins from where I live so I can come and go as I please.
....and just going there and seeing all the people waiting in line and the crowded conditions made the whole thing kind of annoying.
Waited in line for an hour to play a single-table satellite with high-rake and steep blinds and it just bugged me because I'm used to better blind-structures and virtually no wait playing from home.

I guess I'm a bit spoiled by this whole internet-poker thing since that's where I got my feet wet.

[SoBeDude]

something over 700

[feelixthegreek]

Once the side games opened up it was not too ridiculous, although I left at 10pm (busted!!) and I can only imagine it got worse. I'm good for maybe one more visit during the chaos and then I'm getting away for awhile. Play some golf and come back to the reliable regulars.

I don't want to offend anyone, but the redneck factor is sky high down there. Is it like that for all big events?

[MicroBob]

For ALL big events I wouldn't know.


But this event in New Orleans as well as the WPO in Tunica were pretty likely to draw all sorts of poker wanna-be's from all over the south.


For this event I suspect a solid majority of the draw from out of town would include MS, LA, GA, AL, TN, TX, ARK.
So a predominantly southern "y'all ain't frum arownd hear 'r yooo" would be fairly predictable.

[CardSharpCook]

I love NO, but yes, there were serious problems here. They should have allowed online reg, or even advanced registration. Also, I was surprised to learn that you could get a time stamped place in line for the $500. I almost couldn't play in it, but fortunately Southern Hospitality served me well. A two minute conversation with a man named Jack led him to come find me and sign me up on his time stamp. So I will be able to play tomorrow as well.

Problems with this tourney are that Harrah's demanded that their own staff be the dealers. This meant that Cashiers and Roulette spinners were shuffling and dealing for the first time in their lives. During one 40 minute level, my table saw 8 hands. Fortunately, these dealers allow table cops to help them along, but the few times we've actually had a poker dealer at the table has shown us what we are missing.

For the 200 and 300 they offer 40 minute levels. The problem is blinds start at 2.5% of your stack and in two levels, equal 10% of your stack. Add slow dealers, and we have a problem.

I've not tried to get into any cash games, but have heard that while profitable, the waiting lists are a mile long. I find this hard to believe as often I go out on break and view 4-6 dealers sitting at empty tables. But, that is New Orleans.

CSC

BTW, I finished 41st again today. I feel both good and bad about this. I hope that some of you find me tomorrow. Tall skinny guy with long hair and a baseball cap. Also, I tend to go outside on the breaks, out the nearest exit.