foxwoods: still a madhouse - Page 3

toots · #21 03-09-2004, 11:34 AM

Did Mohegan abandon their poker room?

Everything I heard suggests that it was shut down by the gaming commission, although the precise reasons seem to vary from rumor to rumor.

But yeah, I would expect that there'd be a number of out-of-work dealers ready to be cherry picked out there.

MRBAA · #22 03-09-2004, 12:24 PM

Played some 2-4 with a friend on Pres. day, and the dealers in that game were much slower/worse than in the 5-10 stud games por 4-8 he games. Maybe it was just chance, but the difference was enough that it made me think they must put the dealers in training on the lowest limit tables, where the players are generally "in training" as well and won't mind as much. In fact, at the table I sat at the pace of play was maddening, but no one else seemed to mind.

Toro · #23 03-09-2004, 12:55 PM

Just found out that Mike Ward resigned at Foxwoods. Have no idea why but wouldn't it make sense if Mohegan Sun were to re-open their Poker Room that someone like Mike would take it over?

MattSolo2004 · #24 03-09-2004, 01:41 PM

I'm very sorry to hear that news Toro. Mike is one of the best floor people they have there. He makes fair "Sane" decisions and doesn't put up with any crap from anyone. Luckily the room at Foxwoods ahs many more competent floor people than it does dealers, however they do have some excellent dealers.
I'd bet $1000 that most of you who have been trashing on the staff at that place have never been there on a weekday or weeknight (Not during tournament week). I'd also bet that most of you nay-sayers didn't start playing there until last spring at the earliest. Between Mohegan Sun closing its poker room and the popularity of the WPT they are very understandibly overcrowded and short on experienced staff. I have been to AC and I recently made my first visit to Vegas, trust me everybody is being squeezed for space and experienced staff on the weekends these days.
I will admit that Foxwoods' policy of having the dealers pool their tips with the blackjack dealers as well as the bad new dealers discourages people from trying to learn and get better. In some ways I think of it as a fine example of why communism (while a good idea) doesn't work.

toots · #25 03-09-2004, 02:08 PM

I think you may be right about the better dealers going to higher limit tables.

I played my first day of $5/10, and the quality of dealer was very much better than that of the $4/8 tables. I was there for 6 hours, and no misdealt cards, no goofs reading the final showdown, no confusion over the rules.

By contrast, I've seen all of those problems at the $4-8 tables, not to mention hovering floor people, making sure the dealer remembers to rake the pot (which some dealers apparently have a hard time remembering to do (and I'm certainly not going to remind them)).

I did have some issue with the floor people in the foyer. We had people coming to the table saying they'd been waiting up to three hours, yet we found ourselves playing short-handed for nearly a half hour. Why? Well, aside from the two people on walkabout (which seems to be the norm at those tables), we also had two empty seats that weren't getting called in because the nearest floor person was on the phone the whole time and wasn't paying attention to his tables.

Toro · #26 03-09-2004, 02:24 PM

You may be right but I have logged a fair amount of time in both rooms, MS and FW as I've been playing since FW had the original Poker Room downstairs.

And there are a lot of very good dealers, didn't mean to disparage them. But there are some clunkers too, with bad attitudes and maybe they have bad attitudes because there are a lot of players who aren't a bargain either. But my point is that I think if they adopt the "keep your own tips" policy there will be a significant improvement.

Toro · #27 03-09-2004, 02:29 PM

Just re-read your post and you may be confusing Mikes. Mike Ward was not a floor person, he was the tournament director and he did an excellent job running their tournaments. The Mike I think you know is a big guy that is a floor person in the Poker Room and as you said does an excellent job there both with the ring games and weekly tournies.

regisd · #28 03-09-2004, 05:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Just found out that Mike Ward resigned at Foxwoods.

[/ QUOTE ]

if he's the tournament guy, i wonder if it's related to the recent shakeup in tournament scheduling?

daryn · #29 03-09-2004, 05:29 PM

communism is a bad idea, not a good idea that doesn't work

CrackerZack · #30 03-09-2004, 05:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I'd also bet that most of you nay-sayers didn't start playing there until last spring at the earliest. Between Mohegan Sun closing its poker room and the popularity of the WPT they are very understandibly overcrowded and short on experienced staff.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll take that bet. Foxwoods has the worst dealers I've every played with. We taught complete and utter morons at my home game who have been playing abstract poker for 30+ years how to handle an exposed card in hold 'em and how to handle missed blinds. They've all learned. Its pretty amazing. Foxwood's dealers cannot say the same thing. Its too bad all players can't be "old school" like you. God forbid someone started playing because of the WPT. Doesn't change the fact that their dealers are horrific.

Communism is a great idea. Let's take all our smartest people and give them incentive to do no work because they'll get the same as the idiot next door.