Back To My Regularly Scheduled Blogging

Well, to anyone out there following this blog, I must apologize for my extended absence.  A few weeks back I was sidelined by a nasty cold.  That would have been unfortunate, but my relief came in the form of a weeklong trip to Las Vegas.  I love going to Vegas, as the poker there is basically the softest in the country.  The influx of tourists along with the pure dedication to poker in some of the larger casinos (Bellagio and Venetian) is something that can be found in only a select few other casinos around this country.

Anyway, I ended up breaking even for the trip.  I took a major loss the first night due to the largest streak of bad beats I have taken in a long time coupled with the fact that it was one of the largest 2/5 games I have ever been in.  The rest of the week consisted of me grinding back my loss.  I must say I love going to a casino in the morning of a weekday and having multiple 2/5 games running.  This is the precise reason why I love Vegas so much.  60 degree days in the beginning of March is not such a bad thing either.

Regardless, I eventually had to make my trip back to the Burgh.  Seeing the snow piles was not quite as depressing as knowing that it will be at least 3+ months before poker will be just a short drive away.  Until then, my life will still require me to drive an hour to Wheeling.  In good news, I did read some recent articles that stated Meadows is shooting for July 4th to have their table games up and running.  I can only hope that their poker room will be operational at the same time.  In the article, a Gaming Board member was quoted as saying that July 4th is entirely possible as a timetable for table games to begin.

The best news is this blog is up and running again and should not have any further extended breaks interrupting it.

Rivers Casino Making Actual Preparations

As I read earlier in the Post-Gazette, the Rivers casino has now opened themselves to receive applications from those willing to become table games dealers.  They have finally caught up with the Meadows in Washington County.  The Meadows have been well into the process of hiring dealers for more than a month now and I fully expect this attention to expediency to show itself when the casinos first open.  I expect the Meadows staff will be more adequately trained due to this head start on hiring.  However, if the GCB doesn’t set table games to open until July or so, I doubt the lag in hiring will be that much more noticeable.

I think the announcement of table games jobs being open for application at the Rivers will undoubtedly bring a plethora of applications.  When the casino initially opened, thousands poured into job fairs looking for good paying jobs that did not require a higher education.  This is a great thing to see in this economy as there are individuals out there looking for any job, let alone one that could pay upwards of $40-50K.  I, on the other hand, am just looking forward to the opening of the poker room at The Rivers as I am determined to make it my office in which I ply my trade.  In fact, they might as well etch my name in a seat at the 2/5 tables.  I’m hoping that every night will have a 2/5 table going at the Rivers and I expect that it will.  In the beginning, while the buzz of table games is present at the Rivers, there undoubtedly will be mulitple 2/5 games going and probably a couple of 5/10 games mixed in on weekends.  This action is likely to maintain and carry into 2011 though. 

I know the route to playing a lot of poker for profit in a single casino will not be easy here in Pgh and will definitely be an unlikely path, but I am willing to make the attempt.   This is in special consideration based on the type of balance that I have available here in Pittsburgh that I would not be able to provide myself with elsewhere.  Here’s to a good summer of 2010, as I know we all need a little sunshine and a dream summer due to this winter that has assuredly melted part of our hearts. 

For those interested in a job at Rivers Casino, applications can be found here: http://www.riverscasinoteam.com/

The Meadows v. The Rivers

I was just reviewing the fiscal numbers for the casinos during the first week of the new year. It is amazing to me that although The Rivers clearly has a larger base of patrons to draw from, they barely outperform the Meadows in terms of wagers in the casino on slot machines.

Now, I think once table games are introduced into PA, the numbers for the two casinos will begin to tilt more in favor of the Rivers. I know that the Meadows keeps such strong numbers because of its large contingent of dedicated slot players and its service to them. However, I think the economic reality of the big city will come into play more once table games are introduced and wagering on table games is allowed.

Anyway, if anyone is curious to review the fiscal numbers for all the casinos in PA for the first week of 2010, here is the link: http://www.pgcb.state.pa.us/files/revenue/Gaming_Revenue_Weekly_20100110.pdf