Mason, did you ever think poker would become this popular?

[Mike Gallo]

Hi everyone.

Poker sure seems to have caught on. I have seen a large influx of new players both on the internet and in my local poker rooms.

The WPT events packed the Borgata and the Taj Mahal.

Did anyone think that poker would become so mainstream? I have played poker in b and m poker rooms for the past five years and this is the busiest that I can remember the card rooms getting.

Have any of the Vegas or California players seen a difference lately with the anmount of (new) people playing poker?

I especially enjoy playing against the Hellmuth disciples. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

~mg~

[rkiray]

I go to Vegas two or three times a year with a group of friends that I met when I lived in San Diego. The size of the group varies. There are four of us who always go, and the group size varies from 4 to 12. I got back from the most recent trip last night. For three years I've been trying to convince these guys to play poker. For the last year they said they would but always chickened out. Five of them finally played this trip. They all had a great time. We played for matchsticks in an Aladin hotel room Sunday night just so they would understand how to play hold'em and I could give them tips on cardroom etiquette. Then on Monday afternoon we played in the 2/4 game at Binnion's. They all did well and one guy actually won $155. The next day we played for a while in Excalibur's 1-3 spread limit. Once again everyone had a good time. Eveyone else left on Tuesday afternoon. I stayed until Thursday afternoon, so I could play longer hours at higher limits. I did well enough to pay for my entire trip and make about $100 bucks. I would have done alot better if on Sunday through Tuesday I could have played more at bigger limits, but my friends wanted to start as small as possible (I agreed with this). The 6/12 games at The Mirage were REALLY, REALLY soft. This is where I spent most of my time and made all the money. I lost in the Mirage 10/20 game. I played briefly at Bellagio where I won a little at 8/16 and lost a little at 15/30. The two biggest diferences I noticed at The Mirage from my last trip in May was that there were many more people watching the action from the rail, and even at 10 AM on weekdays there were several games going. So I think there has been a positive impact from all the recent coverage Poker has received.

PS. Thanks to Mason, Howard, Cassie, Dr. Al and all the Wednesday Discussion Group folks. They have a good thing going and everyone was very nice to an out-of town visitor. If you happen to be visiting Vegas on a Wednesday, I highly recommend sending an e-mail to Howard and dropping by. My favorite part of the meeting was that the Pokerbabe gave me a ride back to the Mirage after the meeting. This gave us a 15-20 minute opportunity to discuss poker strategy. She really knows her stuff.

[Mike Gallo]

Good info thanks.

I hope the game does not cannibalize itself.

~mg~

[offTopic]

[ QUOTE ]


Have any of the Vegas or California players seen a difference lately with the anmount of (new) people playing poker?


[/ QUOTE ]

I generally try to hit Bay 101 once a month to break up the online play routine. The last couple times I've dropped in, I've taken a look at the 3-6 and 6-12 lists, and turned right around and left to play online at home (we're talking classroom-sized whiteboard with names from top to bottom).

Anyway, the servers at Bay 101 are dressed neck-to-ankle. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi MG:

We knew the WPT was coming and thought it would stimulate interest. However, we never thought that things would increase at the rate that they did. We also now think that next year will be even stronger.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Stew]

Why is that Mason?

[sucka]

I've always thought that poker would appeal more so to the folks that like to 'gamble it up'. If any one of those types of people that are pissing money away on the blackjack tables would stop and think about how much more fun it is to do that at a poker table I can't see how they would ever NOT play poker - particularly now since it appears to be taking center stage in many casino's with cardrooms.

On my most recent trip to a Louisiana cardroom several months ago I noticed many more onlookers than I had ever seen on previous trips lurking in the room. In fact, one couple stood by my table and when I got up to stretch we chit-chatted a little and they, of course, mentioned that they had seen this game played on TV and if it was the same. I actually talked the guy into playing. Unfortunately, he didn't end up at my table though. /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

If I was the 'gambling' type, I think poker might be more enticing to me than just testing my short term luck at a craps or blackjack table. I'm not sure I know of too many hard core gambling types that don't know hand rankings and that a pair of Aces is better than a pair of 2's all day long. Of course, the moods and dispositions at those tables are usually much different than at poker tables as all the players are trying to take the houses money - not each others. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

My thoughts are that those types of people that have steered clear of the poker room because they didn't know much about it are now more likely to test the waters (because of pokers newfound popularity) and will find themselves in for a much better game that is more suited to 'gamble it up' - all for less house vig and the opportunity to take on other players head-to-head which is not something you can really do in any other casino table game.

When me and my friends started playing poker some time ago people looked at us funny when we talked about it - now after seeing it all over ESPN and the travel channel they think it's en vogue and are wanting to know how to play. Some people I know that don't even play poker, religiously watch the WPT shows. I'm sure the popularity will grow in the coming years - however, I doubt it will be as much as it has in this last year.

I agree with MJ though - I hope the game just doesn't end up cannibalizing itself.

[Cosimo]

How do you think the game might cannibalize itself?

Does anyone have opinions on where growth is coming from, and how poker might change over the next year?

-Cosimo

[Mike Gallo]

How do you think the game might cannibalize itself?

Unless we get a constant "food supply", eventually all of the losing players will get weeded out by the better players. The weak players will get stronger or quit.

I dont know if that will happen, however it has happened in the past.

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Cosimo:

The game can canabalize itself through excessively high rakes, tournament fees, and large mandatory tips. I think a lot of this is happening already.

Best wishes,
Mason

[rkiray]

I agree. I no longer play live in Colorado because my favorite cardroom has almost doubled the amount of money they take out of the pots ($7 as opposed to $4) in the last year. Since generous tipping is basically expected in CO, this just ruins the games IMHO. It's also so much easier to play on the internet. You guys in Vegas have it great. The rake on the riverboats in Indiana (where I have lots of relatives) is also obscene.

[sucka]

Add Louisiana to that list as well. After rake and jackpot drop you are paying $7 a hand as it's a spread limit and usually 'no fold'em' style so the rake hits the max nearly ever time. There's nothing more comfouding than to see a red and a couple white chips getting dropped after a dealer pushes me my pot.

I guess it's a catch 22 in a way. Casino's could opt out of the poker rooms and stick 100 slot machines in the same floor space and make twice the money...or more. They take a high rake to compensate for that I guess - but it's getting ridiculous.

I wrote a post in the beginners forum quite a while back responding to a rake question and used the Capri casino in Lake Charles as my example. We figured out that the house is taking roughly $140 off the table per hour. Figure that the same 10 players sit at that game for 10 hours and no one wins except the house.