Another Minneapolis cardroom in the works

[Mackie]

http://www.northmetroharness.com/

saw a local cable access show about this project this morning - the show said a cardroom is planned to be included with the track. The proposed site is just 27 miles north of downtown Minneapolis on I-35, 22 miles North of St. Paul. (Canterbury park is 22 miles from Minneapolis, 29 from St. paul).

[spoody]

Hmmm, I will never go there since I am in Mpls, but there are a ton of people out at Canterbury from Wisconsin, St. paul, or the northern suburbs so I would think they could do OK...but it looks like it is more than a year away.

Spoody

[Cooling Heels]

Lake Drive & 35W is 5 minutes from the house, that
should work. Almost as convenient as partypoker.com

If they can lure Leesa from Canterbury to work the boards,
the place will be full and they won't have to discount
the rake.

[Mackie]

Ok, it's just a rumor to me - but overheard at Canterbury that St. Croix will offer pot limit, and they expect to be open now "by the end of the month".

[Vehn]

I'll be there for the 2 months it takes for the games to die..

[Cooling Heels]

What a lousy idea for a casino owner. Through poor skill
or a short streak of good starting hands falling apart
players will bust out and take up backgammon. Not only
will the poker room suffer, but steady donators at the blackjack table may give all their money to other players in the pot limit games instead of smaller but steady contributions to the tribal coffers.

If I owned the place, I'd fill it with 2/4 Hold Em tables
and cater to the young, sunglasses crowd who can't get a
seat at Canterbury because they don't have enough tables.
Limit HE is a fast game with a steady rake. Why bust out
current customers when there is a new market out there?

[Mackie]

From the standpoint of the casino, I agree, spreading pot limit is a bad idea. It's a slow game, hence less rake, it will bust people that would have otherwise been steady contributors to the rake and may turn them off from ever coming back. On the other hand, like Vehn, I will probably be there as often as I can (which wont be all that often)while it is spread.

While I haven't played any 2-4 at Canterbury in a very long time there seems to be no shortage of tables there.

Also, expect the buy-in to be limited. I'd guess 1 and 2 blinds with $100 buy-in limit most likely.

[Vehn]

For whatever reason capped max-buyin big bet games hasn't caught on in B&M rooms like it has online. Not saying they wouldn't do it, but I would be fairly surprised, especially like you said since the game is slow and spreading 1/2 $100 or $200 max just won't make them that much rake.

I wouldn't think they would actually try to compete with Canterbury for mid limit action - its too far from the cities, in the opposite direction, and I just don't think there's enough wealth in this area to support more than 4-6 red chip+ games at once. Its possible they could put an effort in to lure the mid limit players up there, by offering new stuff (20/40 HE, decent blinds PL/NL, mixed games) that we can't get at canterbury or by having a solid rewards system/comp program, but I seriously doubt they would try. We'll see what happens I guess but I'll go where the action is. Ideally for me at least, they will open a 20+ table room which will funnel off some of the LL canterbury action, which will free up some tables there on the weekend so it doesn't take me an hour plus to get into a mid limit game. But its unrealistic to think they'll get a decent size blind big bet game or any significant mid limit action going on a regular basis in my opinion. Obviously if they do spread a $5-$5+ PL/NL hold'em I'll be there until it dries up but I doubt it would last long.

[Mackie]

Vehn - My note about a capped buy-in was also just what I had heard from a dealer at Canterbury. How he knows, I didn't ask.

As far as what impact St. Croix will have on Canterbury - I think we will just have to wait and see. Last I heard it was only expected to be a 3 or 4 table poker room, so the impact may be none or close to it.

[whiskeytown]

I've sorta given up on live games for awhile, but may go back and try again - dunno - I know I can't get into a tourney at Canterbury anymore....so I stay online...

but then again, it's a nice way to get thru the winter...esp. when Lessa is wearing those almost knee high leather boots /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

RB

[elwoodblues]

I've only played at Canterbury a dozen times or so since it opened, but I rarely have seen an Omaha game going. I know that Hold 'em is the hot the game right now, but maybe they could create a niche for themselves by offering some Omaha.

[Vehn]

4/8 omaha/8 with half kill goes full time usually. 20/40 goes tuesday nights. 10/20 goes occasionally.

[elwoodblues]

Thanks for the info. I'm starting to learn Omaha and after playing on-line for a while would like to try it over at Canterbury.

elwood

[Mackie]

they now say middle of December...we'll see.

The Canterbury Thurs night limit HE tourneys that were selling out way early this summer are still very large but you no longer have to get there very early to get a seat - they are once again usually available right up to start time and a little after. The down side is in order to accomodate more players without taking up all the tables/dealers in the joint they play eleven handed now - making the tourney even more of a crapshoot, with fewer hands per level played.

[Andy B]

The action has gotten better of late, but the $4/8 Omaha/8 game at Canterbury is frequently rock-infested. Most players would be best advised to stick to hold'em there.