UPDATE:
First, the chips:
Interesting that the $1, $25, and $100 chips have shaped inlays but the $5 doesn’t. Seems odd to me.
All chips well worn with the exception of some of the $100s. I believe the phrase is “bicycle tires”.
Also, chips are purchased from the dealers at the table, so that’s also a strike against easily harvesting, though I suppose you could go to the small cashier window.
Played a total of 6.5 hours of 1/3 NLH split over 2 nights while in Elgin with mixed feelings about the experience.
Thursday night was the worst with only super tight OMCs and young LAG players. They seat 9 at a table and had 3 tables of 1/3 NLH running when I got there at 11pm — that was down to 2 tables by midnight. No higher stakes or PLO games ran. Played 3 hours total at 2 different tables and ended up down $200, most of that coming from 2 “river card bad beats”.
I also experienced the “moving button” (vs. dead button) for the first time ever. That’s totally weird if you’ve never experienced it before and I posted a detailed explanation of what that is and how it works here:
Moving Button - Love It or Hate It?
But worse than the $ loss was the table talk. Raunchy dirty jokes, discussions by the young guys of which of the cocktail servers they have / want to “crack”, etc.
The worst was when one particular dealer joined in on the discussion and added his comments, jokes, and sexual experiences while dealing for his 30 minute rotation at our table.
Gross.
Saturday night was much better due to the expected influx of rec players and younger friend groups looking to have fun.
Arrived at 7:30 and got right into a game. They had 7 tables of 1/3 NLH and 1 table of 1/3/6 mandatory straddle NLH running when I arrived, but the straddle game broke within an hour. No higher stakes or PLO ran that night.
Changed tables after 30 minutes to an obviously “lively” and vocal table of players and stayed there for the night. A good mix of young/middle/older players and good action and discussion/banter. No dirty jokes or raunchy talk and the aforementioned dealer, who was by far the fastest, had his professional demeanor back on.
Ended that night up $280 and really enjoyed the play.
So, kind of a Tale of Two Cities experience and pretty typical of what I’ve experienced at smaller, local casinos in Missouri and Kentucky, where the crowd and games varies greatly on whether you go midweek or on the weekend.
