Mandalay Bay - what's up with the weird rules?

[sucka]

I keep reading in post after post where people refer to the weird rules at the Mandalay Bay.

I tried to get to their poker room page on their website tp see if they have a rules posted, but apparently it doesn't exist.

I'd like to play there this next trip out but am curious if anyone can elaborate a little on this topic.

[Homer]

I played there and the rules seemed normal to me.

I won't be back, though, because a fight broke out while I was playing, and the floor handled it in an unacceptable manner.

-- Homer

[Clarkmeister]

1. No cell phones conversations anywhere in the room.

2. If you come past your cards with chips in your hand, it is an automatic bet or call, as appropriate. (good idea, but what it ends up doing is penalizing out of towners and newbies. I've never ever seen an angle shooter called on it, but countless innocents have been penalized a bet because of it.)

3. No chopping, which is asinine in a $1 and $2 blind structure.

4. They never ever ever cut the rake. (stupid)

5. No talking about the hand while playing the hand. This one is inconsistently enforced, however. (stupid rule)

6. No racks on the table, money doesn't play. (good rule)

[Dynasty]

#1: This is routine for poker rooms which are connected to the Sports book. The Monte Carlo has this same rule.

#3: Chopping isn't allowed in some other rooms as well. It's not important in the 4-8 games since it's so rare.

#4: They will eliminate the jackpot rake if you ask and the whole table agrees

#5: I don't think this is a rule at all

[Howard Burroughs]

Good points on #2 Clark. My understanding is most (all?) California rooms have this rule. But it sure is a mess when used at M.B.

Mason has an essay in one of his Poker Essay books on why this is a bad rule, btw.

One of the dumber rules I did not see mentioned yet goes something like this..........

If someone asks if the pot has been raised (for what ever reason), they are binded to raise themselves. I have seen countless messy situations arise over this rule. I hope they no longer have this rule (I have not played there in a few weeks). It's a very bad rule IMHO.

I've also seen players dealt out of hands because they were not sitting in their chair properly (No, I'm not joking).


Jim Brier knows a lot more of their dumb rules then I do. Those are just off the top of my head.

Best

Howard

[Howard Burroughs]

Just got back from a poker session at Mandalay Bay.


The #1 rule that I had hated there (see above post), they say never existed. Funny, because one of the players I've seen go irate over this rule in the past was in the room when they told me this. Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about that dumb rule any more.


They still have the "if your hand crosses a line with chips" rule that I don't like.


What follows may be some pretty trivial stuff (from my just completed Mandalay Bay research project), but I'll mention them anyway...............



1) A player tried to give another player a chip ($1) to tip the cocktail waitress, to buy him a drink. He was ordered to take the chip back. It violates the no passing of chips rule.


2) The "kill" acts in turn (therefore does not get last action, like most rooms in town). I've never liked this rule but am willing to hear counter arguments. Maybe I'm missing something?


3) I was told that the rule pertaining to a player having to be properly seated (ie, can't be at the table standing up to cheer a touchdown pass on the tv screen, can't be seated leaning over to tip the cocktail waitress, etc) to be dealt a hand, is still an enforced rule. I was told that most of the dealers use common sense with this rule but a few follow it to the letter.


4) At one point in the game, a player went all in and lost. There was no list. The game was about half full and it was late, late at night. The player was told he could not continue to sit at the table without chips. Just about every room I play in, when there is no list, a player is allowed to sit and watch at least for a while. I don't think that this M.B. rule is in the spirit of the game.


5) At one point a player has a rack of red ($500) and a few stacks of $1 chips in front of him. He's pushed a pot. As they are pushing him the pot, I notice no red birds in front of him. I say, "Where's the five hundred dollars you just had in front of you?"


In a thick British accent he says, "I've put them in my pocket" (of course they're not really in his pocket, they are sitting on his lap under the table).


The dealer hearing all of this tells this Ringo Starr wannabe that the chips have to come back into play. Ringo obliges.


What I thought was so funny about it, was that with all the little rules the dealers have to try to follow, the dealer was not able to notice a guy ratholeing $500 off the table in a $4-$8 game!


As said, most of the above comments are pretty trivial. Just figured I'd mention them. I actually had a real good time playing there. And they do have some really good dealers there. I still think Monte Carlo & Excalibur are better rooms for beginning poker player to get their feet wet at casino poker though. YMMV.


Best of Luck

Howard

[Clarkmeister]

"#1: This is routine for poker rooms which are connected to the Sports book. The Monte Carlo has this same rule."

First, it isn't connected. I can be in the hallway closer to the book and use the phone. The excuse that its a gaming commission rule doesn't apply either since the gaming commission has the rule at the request of the sportsbook. Also note that they don't have a problem with you using either house phone, LOL.

"#3: Chopping isn't allowed in some other rooms as well. It's not important in the 4-8 games since it's so rare."

Whether it happens once a day or a hundred times a day, its an ignorant rule. If the players want to chop, let them chop.

"#4: They will eliminate the jackpot rake if you ask and the whole table agrees"

Yes, but the whole table NEVER agrees, so the effect is that they never ever drop the rake. Their offer is to go to $2 rake and no jackpot. Whats so difficult about going $1 and $1. I've broken tables several times because they wouldn't relent. How, exactly, is this policy sound business?

"#5: I don't think this is a rule at all"

Next time you are there, ask your opponent if top pair is good and wait for a response. Most dealers will chastise you and tell you to just quietly play your hand.

[Clarkmeister]

Ah yes, the always ignorant "no passing chips" rule.

I was forced to pass under the table about 15 times one day with an out of towner who I was tossing chips with after either of us won a pot.

Meanwhile, they let the regulars take $40/day in quarters off the table. The hypocrisy and inconsistancy in thought is astounding.

[AmericanAirlines]

Hi Clarkmeister,
Why do you find #6 - No Chip Racks a good rule? I've always found that rule to be a pain in the tail.

Sincerely,
AA

[rharless]

At one room I played in, the dealer told me the "no racks on the table" rule was because it slows down the game. If the chips are stacked on the table, then players fumble around a lot less to form a bet.

I personally have never noticed a big difference in how long it takes a player to assemble chips for a bet (from a rack or from stacks on the table). I know I personally can form a bet faster from stacks. New players are slow handling chips regardless, I think.