Niagara Falls
Brag: Going to the falls this weekend
Beat 1: Going with my wife
Beat 2: She wants to go to the casino but only if I play the slots with her
Variance: Seeing a magic show?
Beat 1: Going with my wife
Beat 2: She wants to go to the casino but only if I play the slots with her
Variance: Seeing a magic show?
Comments
Brag: My wife plays the slots while I play poker and cover her losses.
Just need to convince your wife that you can cover her slot losses.
That's what I'm hoping to do when I head down there with my wife in a few weeks.
I have done this. While she is learning at a NL table, money will disappear QUICKLY...
Tell her to play ABC poker and the $100 will last a loooooooong time at niagara.
Now if only I could convince my soon-to-be-wife that a trip to Niagara for poker is a better use of our time than picking out wedding photographers...
She can sit for a few hours while I win some cash then we can walk around for a few hours while she spends it....that is the poker economy at its best....lol
So, the magician was really cool. I recommend going to see him as it's a real Vegas-type show. He brought my wife up to help with an illusion.
Greg Frewin Dinner Theatre - Niagara Falls
Nothing really 'new' in terms of the tricks performed, but he was very fluid and professional.
On Sunday morning we headed off to Fallsview and ate breakfast at 'The Famous'. We were told that there was a buffet, but we couldn't find the freakin' thing until we went INTO the casino (I saw restaurants outside so I assumed it would be outside the casino itself)
So the door person asks how old both my wife and I are. I answer 33 (which makes me chuckle that I could still pass for someone under-age at this point), and my wife answers 30. He asks to see ID, I pull my license out, but my wife has left her purse in the car (for security, she tells the door guy). Well she ain't getting in without it, so I tromp back down to the car, grab what I think is enough ID and bring it back up. The door fella looks surprised to see us back obviously thinking we were trying to 'sneak' someone in. He inspects my wife's ID like it's a nude photo, and finally we walk into the building.
First Impressions:
Big, square room with no real casino-esque feeling to it. Sure there are some flashing lights, and neon but even the Brantford Casino has a little personality.
I immediately ask where the poker room is (as I want to check it out) and I'm directed to a back corner where there's a guardrail and a bunch of tables with an e-board showing a massive lineup for the 2-5 NL game. I'm surprised there was no 1-2 NL game running but I dunno if that's typical?
So I've talked my wife into trying some slots and I'd sit with her so she'd get a feeling for it. My eventual goal is for her to enjoy them enough for me to go play some cards. So before we hit the slots, I sit and watch the most passive 2/5 NL game I've ever seen. A pre-flop raise that's called by 4 players (dealer was gruff and not really that friendly). Flop comes 832rainbow. Checked around, and turn comes another 2. 2 Checks, a bet of 40 and everyone folds.
I see the same thing 3 or 4 times and I'm almost licking my lips in anticipation of what a few nice C-bets and an occasional bluff would do to this table.
At this point I contemplate ditching my wife and trying to get to the empty seat at that table, but being a good husband we go play some nickel slots. I've never sat at a slot machine for more than 30 seconds to play a left over $1 on the way out of the casino. What a boring game, how anyone plays those things for more than 2 minutes I can't understand. So we work our way through $20 and I ask my wife if this is something she'd like to do one day while I play some cards. She agrees and even suggests a casino weekend at the Falls for the 2 of us.
We have other things we want to do that day, and we head down to the Valet park to pick up a deck of cards for my collection.
We leave Fallsview (after I snap a few pics of the front of the casino, the back and the HUGE fountain in the front doors.
We go do our other things which include the trouncing of my wife at glow-in-the-dark mini-putt, and a visit to a Wax museum. We are preparing to leave so my wife goes shopping for souveniers while I run over to Casino Niagara to check out their poker room and pick up a deck of cards as well.
Initial impressions:
Very cool entranceway, and it really feels like the other casinos I've been in. I find the poker area almost immediately.
First thing I notice about the poker area is I don't see a sign-up board which indicates a waiting list or anything. I watch a couple of hands of 1/2 NL and instantly see a much stronger game. Pre-flop raising, c-bets, bet sizing and pot control etc.
So... I go find a floor person and am told they no longer sell their used decks (which the floor person couldn't understand). So I left.
All-in-all, mission accomplished that my wife is considering a casino weekend!! Good trip too finally did all the touristy stuff that my wife loves, which buys me some forgiveness next time I come home late from the casino
i find this post really funny since it is all basically stating that FV knows that people want to play at certain levels but since it's not the best business decision based purely on the bottom line they don't offer what the customer wants.
i am aware that all businesses must be money grubbing by nature (and legally as well, but that's a whole different story), but to pretty much come right out and say that customers are lined up to play this limit but we're just not going to offer it because (let's be honest here) you're not making AS MUCH money as you would otherwise (it's not like the 1-2 games create negative profits, ie losses).
this just seems like another reason why FV is known for not having the best customer service. however, at least CN offers them...
<returns to seat, having gotten a fresh beer>
can someone post the phone number for the poker desk at seneca? next time they have a huge list at fallsview i'm gonna give them a shot. they are only 10 mins away after all.
does anyone know anyone in management at seneca? if they would run some bigger games i'm sure they could take a lot of this market. there must be a reason why seneca is not going after this. i'm curious. they've got way more tables and the bad beat jackpot brings out all the chasers. just one 2/5 table from what i recall. why don't they try harder to compete?
Seneca # 877-873-6322, ask for poker room.
So actually it is all about money.
Even when Seneca is very busy and up to 24 tables are being used, most of the local residents would request a 1/2 table and promptly get seated while there would only be one or two 2/5+ NLHE tables. It is the opposite at Fallsview, where management may allow one 1/2 table while the long list of waiting players are forced to sign up for higher limits. While the majority of customers may want to play 1/2 at Fallsview, it does not maximize profit for the casino. The advantage for good players is that others who should only be playing 1/2 or 25¢/25¢ are forced to play 2/5-5/10 without enough cash.
The huge session fee's make 1/2 and 2/5 unbeatable.
When you are running max tables, what mix of games do you usually expect to have?
2*2/5
3*5/5
1*5/10?
Any chance of raising the max buyin for the games?
I may never say this again, but I see 13cards' point and think that it is a fair one.
My question is whether there is a process to appeal the 6 table limit and if Fallsview is persuing that option? Also has your casino done an analysis of the point at which it becomes profitable for you to hire that second supervisor and is the casino prepared to do so at the break even point to meet our needs?
If he can answer 'yes' I think they've done all they can on this issue, and (in this instance only) ARE providing the best customer service possible. It seems unreasonable to expect a business not to persue it's most profitable options, so while there are wait lists for 2-5+ you can't expect them to make 1/2 a priority and lose money.
LOL
No, unless you're saying.."I don't like playing against chumps, I hate money"
with the weaker players sitting 2/5nl due to availability your choice of game should be clear. Stop getting stuck on the limit and start focusing on the players and your ability to beat them (all of this presuming a healthy 1/2 200 max br which is a smallish but not unmanageable 2/5 300 max br)
Ding! Ding! Ding! Good points!
Now if they would just fix 2/5NL with it's $48/100 hands session fees... with the tiny $300 max buyin.
(assuming 25 hands/hour)
Anyone here able to beat 9BB/100 hands session fees given such a small max buyin over a reasonable sample size?
Raising the max buyin to $1000 would make it 2/5NL good game!
No, what I am saying is my time is money. I would rather play poker at Seneca, which has plenty of chumps, than stand around waiting five hours to play 1/2 in Canada. I think most beginners will wait for a table vs playing at higher limits.