David G. Schwartz, Do you agree with his theory

I just spent July 4th in Las Vegas. My girlfriend is a very small-time gambler. We walked all over the place looking for a $5 Pai Gow table so she could sit and grind away her money. We mostly saw $25 table, which she won't even touch. We also saw quite a few $10 tables, which she would sometimes try out. We did find $5 tables, but it was a difficult search.

I think it's a double-edged sword, however. Again, she is a small-time gambler, usually sitting at a Pai Gow table with about $40. So, on the one hand, it's not like her money is a huge deal to the casino. On the other hand, I've noticed that lower limit tables tend to be more social tables. Watch a $5 blackjack table versus a $100 blackjack table as an example. At the lower limits, people aren't as likely to expect you to be an expert, and are there just to kill time, get some drinks, and have some fun. While these people also aren't losing as much money, or not giving as much theoretical loss to the casino, they're probably also more likely to sit for long periods of time, because they are having fun and being social.

On a side note, I was playing crap/s (until the Wizard definitely decides which is more appropriate, I will be utilizing crap/s to designate crap and craps) as at the Stratosphere. They had 3 tables, one was $10, the other 2 was $5. One $5 table was full, the other $5 table about half full. I went up to the half full $5 table and started playing. About 3 shooters into the game, the pit boss came over and told everybody that the next shooter, the table would go up to $10, no grandfathering. I expressed my complaint about this, but was given the shoulder. Which is fine, it's their establishment, and they can do whatever they like. I did not wait for the next shooter, but rather pushed in my chips and asked to color out. The stick man expressed his apologies to me for the raising of the limit, and I just commented, "It's rather too bad for you guys, since I'm the only one at the table tipping, and now I'm leaving." Both the stick and my dealer nodded in a sad and acknowledging way. I colored up and left, and stood over by the (still full) $5 table, looking for a spot, and thus I saw my old table when the shooter did 7-out (probably about 2 rolls later). Everyone, except for one person, at the table colored up and left.

When all the tables are full, I somewhat see that casinos advantage in raising the table minimum. But when the table is only half-full, and your other larger limit table is not even full, I'm not sure I see the point. Again, I guess I understand that my small betting is small potatoes to the casino, and they'd rather get some bigger fish in there to help pay the bills. But I would also think that a little bit is better than nothing.

Quote: konceptum

I understand that my small betting is small potatoes to the casino, and they'd rather get some bigger fish in there to help pay the bills. But I would also think that a little bit is better than nothing.

Not really. They would much rather raise the limits and get real action going. An empty table to them is not much different than the five dollar action that was going on. They have the new sign up and it will only take one player to wander by and buy in for them to feel the action they took was justified.

Quote: konceptum

When all the tables are full, I somewhat see that casinos advantage in raising the table minimum. But when the table is only half-full, and your other larger limit table is not even full, I'm not sure I see the point. Again, I guess I understand that my small betting is small potatoes to the casino, and they'd rather get some bigger fish in there to help pay the bills. But I would also think that a little bit is better than nothing.

I see a lot of empty tables, some with dealers standing idly by, and some just not being used. I would think that the empty tables would be an opportunity to entice newbies into table games.

I wonder how much the new tables in Pennsylvania will earn? I imagine record numbers since there will be so few at first and they will be a novelty. I am betting that they may earn $10K per day.

Quote: konceptum

When all the tables are full, I somewhat see that casinos advantage in raising the table minimum. But when the table is only half-full, and your other larger limit table is not even full, I'm not sure I see the point. Again, I guess I understand that my small betting is small potatoes to the casino, and they'd rather get some bigger fish in there to help pay the bills. But I would also think that a little bit is better than nothing.

Two observations:

1) How much longer did you stay nearby? Perhaps after you left more people made their way to the $10 table and played there, which makes up for having the table empty a little bit.

2) Perhaps they wanted to clear the table and send the dealers home early.

And of course perhaps they misscalculated.

Quote: Nareed

1) How much longer did you stay nearby? Perhaps after you left more people made their way to the $10 table and played there, which makes up for having the table empty a little bit.

Very possible. I did not stick around for more than, oh about 20 minutes or so. I couldn't get a spot at the other $5 table, and so I just went to another casino.

One other thing I forgot to mention in the scenario. When I had walked up to the table, the box man was talking to 3 guys (who may or may not have been Oriental) and explaining the game of crap/s to them. At the time I made my buy-in, all 3 of them had bought in as well. One for $100, and the other two for $20 each. One of the guys commented that he still wasn't quite sure that he understood the game. Both the box and the dealer said that they would pick it up pretty quickly. Of course, these 3 guys also left when the table was raised to $10 minimum.