Charlestown table games

Are you kidding??

I went on Tuesday around 1PM and they had a whopping 6 or so blackjack tables open, 3 craps tables, and two or three 3 card poker.

Mind you EVERY table had at least 5-10 people watching and waiting for a spot. All the while there were dozens of unmanned tables.

To top it off the table minimums were either 50 or 100. Thats it, nothing else and folks were there waiting for a spot. Truly getting all they could, but that is the nature of the beast I suppose.

This was the poorest planning and the most blatent gouging (in my opinion) of the "newness" of table games I could imagine. Also, the dealers I observed were very new and obviously still learning.

The thousands of dollars they missed out on is staggering. Again, in my opinion, this lack of planning and lack of staffing should have cost someone their job. It would have in my casino.

They do have a nice layout and what seems to be a good size with potentially many table games, but I would think first week, it would be "all hands on deck" so to speak.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt as they are brand new, and will review again when the newness and the outrageous minimums have subsided.

Quote: tennesseegambler

Are you kidding??

I went on Tuesday around 1PM and they had a whopping 6 or so blackjack tables open, 3 craps tables, and two or three 3 card poker.

Mind you EVERY table had at least 5-10 people watching and waiting for a spot. All the while there were dozens of unmanned tables.

To top it off the table minimums were either 50 or 100. Thats it, nothing else and folks were there waiting for a spot. Truly getting all they could, but that is the nature of the beast I suppose.

This was the poorest planning and the most blatent gouging (in my opinion) of the "newness" of table games I could imagine. Also, the dealers I observed were very new and obviously still learning.

The thousands of dollars they missed out on is staggering. Again, in my opinion, this lack of planning and lack of staffing should have cost someone their job. It would have in my casino.

They do have a nice layout and what seems to be a good size with potentially many table games, but I would think first week, it would be "all hands on deck" so to speak.

I will give them the benefit of the doubt as they are brand new, and will review again when the newness and the outrageous minimums have subsided.

Holy cow. that is bad...I'm not exactly sure what the answer is. It sounds like they just flat don't have the trained dealer staff to open up correctly. If you are putting your dealers out there to learn I'd think you'd say Max bet $50, not min...but the greedy casino bosses THOUGHT they could milk it with the early demand. HA goes away pretty quick though if your dealers are messing up.

I guess I know where all the idiotic people on the east coast are. If the casino can get away with $50-100 minimums on craps... we should be yelling at the players as compared to the business whose sole job is to maximize profits. On the other hand, I could see this as hurting future business - someone like me would never go to that establishment again after something like this.

And I'd write a fucking letter.

Quote: tennesseegambler

Are you kidding??

Thanks for the report. I'm not going until I hear something more reasonable, especially if there's no hope for lower table minimums.

I guess in a way you'd have to see why the minimums are so high, if people are going to stand in line anyway at one o'clock in the morning! There is such a thing as gouging, though, and if they have reasonable minimums when they have enough dealers I am going to hold a grudge about that! If they continue to have the high minimums when they can man all the tables, we'll just have to accept that Charles Town is for High Rollers and plan trips to Vegas paid for by the savings of *not* going local!

I wasn't expecting this. Maybe I have to take back my diss of Harrington Delaware!

A couple quick clarifications...

1. It was one in the afternoon that I was there

2. The 50 and 100 min. were on ther blackjack tables, I believe craps was 25

Also, I don't know if they will end up catering to high rollers as much as that the customers seemed willing to pay anything to play and they knew it.

I really wonder once the newness wears off and PA get table games how fast we will see the games lowered to a more reasonable amount.

When we can play at the Wynn or Bellagio for less than Charlestown,WV there is a problem!

Quote: tennesseegambler

1. It was one in the afternoon that I was there

duh

Quote: tennesseegambler

2. The 50 and 100 min. were on ther blackjack tables, I believe craps was 25

could be they are coming down, see this review of how awful it was at the opening. Quite ridiculous that people were unprepared for the really high minimums and just watched! $200 blackjack!

review-of-hollywood-casino-at-charles-town

Quote: tennesseegambler

Also, I don't know if they will end up catering to high rollers as much as that the customers seemed willing to pay anything to play and they knew it.

I really wonder once the newness wears off and PA get table games how fast we will see the games lowered to a more reasonable amount.

When we can play at the Wynn or Bellagio for less than Charlestown,WV there is a problem!

"High Rollers" is an exaggeration I guess, but the gambling is out *my* league anyway. Unless things change, which seems possible.

Most casinos over-hire for an opening and then adjust the number of dealers they retain after there has been an opportunity to discover what sort of crowds they are getting and just how some of those dealers have actually performed. Usually dealers are not only scheduled for the opening but there is a substantial pool on standby. If the afternoon crowds were high the casino should have been phoning like mad to get evening shift dealers in early.

25.00 Minimum bet on the craps table. Fine. Maybe they want to set a certain tone and stick with it. I would not like it and I sure would think it was unwise of them but I can understand it.

100.00 Blackjack. 200.00 Blackjack. They are probably not going to be able to sustain those levels. Heck, "real" casinos, ie, those in Vegas, can't do that!

Reliable report from someone today [he was there in the morning today] saying the "hardly any dealers" problem continues. Table minimums of $25 and $50 in various games; one $15 table for Let It Ride though. All tables packed, maybe 15-20 altogether. 4 Craps Tables stood empty, Craps to start at noon with $25 minimum.

So the entire casino only has 15-20 tables? Or that was all that were open?

Quote: ruascott

So the entire casino only has 15-20 tables? Or that was all that were open?

report is that was all that were open, many more tables ready but lacking dealers

& remodeling still going on to make more space for something

I heard a similar review from some friends who went last weekend. Apparently when they tried to open up new tables the tables didn't have any chips, and it took an hour to get chips wheeled from the cage to the new table.
My friend also said the dealers were horribly unskilled--apparently one tried to tell him that a straight doesn't beat three of a kind at pai gow. The dealer thought this because of the bonus bet pay table, which pays more for 3 of a kind than for a straight.
I'd like to go soon, but not if it doesn't improve a whole lot, and only if they get some more modest minima going.

Unskilled dealers + outrageous minimums + waiting in line to play. Sounds like a ball of fun.

Quote: ruascott

Unskilled dealers + outrageous minimums + waiting in line to play. Sounds like a ball of fun.

Think of all the people from DC that are going out there (at least an hour drive), to wait an hour to play 50 minimums. Should have just driven to AC or Delaware!

Also - double odds only on their $25 craps tables. Pass.

I'm from DC and will drive the extra hour to the Delaware casinos, two of which I recently visited, and was impressed.

It's the novelty factor, even if there are other casinos nearby.

When Walmart opened a store in my part of town some years ago, it was flooded solid for a week or so, even though there were 2 other similar stores within walking distance, and a bigger Walmart super center just 2 miles away.

Quote: Nareed

It's the novelty factor, even if there are other casinos nearby.

When Walmart opened a store in my part of town some years ago, it was flooded solid for a week or so, even though there were 2 other similar stores within walking distance, and a bigger Walmart super center just 2 miles away.

Normally I'd agree, but there AREN'T other casinos nearby, so people are thinking they can play some table games (since they are advertising them a lot in the DC market). For every person that waits and is willing to play 50 a hand, I'd imagine many more casual players who had a bankroll of 100 bucks were disgusted, left, and might not want to come back.

Quote: cclub79

Normally I'd agree, but there AREN'T other casinos nearby, so people are thinking they can play some table games (since they are advertising them a lot in the DC market).

I don't know the area well. By nearby I meant up to, say, a 3 hour drive away. But if there aren't any, then the novelty factor is more compelling still. Eventually interest will wane and minimums should come down.

Quote: cclub79

Normally I'd agree, but there AREN'T other casinos nearby, so people are thinking they can play some table games (since they are advertising them a lot in the DC market). For every person that waits and is willing to play 50 a hand, I'd imagine many more casual players who had a bankroll of 100 bucks were disgusted, left, and might not want to come back.

Exactly. If I, personally, drove out there and found that I would not return for quite a long time. But I'm small potatoes, so they probably wouldn't give a damn. When is Maryland going to start opening casions? Semms they are surrounded by states with casinos now.

I'd almost think it'd be easier for the DC area people to take Amtrak up to Philly once they get their casinos open, rather than drive over to WV. I could be wrong, but isn't it only about a 90 minute train ride? I have no clue the about the location of the Philly casinos, and how close/far they are from the station, but if I lived somewhere where it was train all the way, I'd take it.

Quote: ruascott

I'd almost think it'd be easier for the DC area people to take Amtrak up to Philly once they get their casinos open, rather than drive over to WV. I could be wrong, but isn't it only about a 90 minute train ride? I have no clue the about the location of the Philly casinos, and how close/far they are from the station, but if I lived somewhere where it was train all the way, I'd take it.

Harrah's Chester is withing walking distance of the Chester SEPTA station, through some pretty bad industrial neighborhoods. I wouldn't make the walk unless you really needed to get your gamble on. You would have to take the Amtrak to Wilmington and then transfer to the SEPTA. I believe the Philly-area casinos are getting table games this week or next, can anyone confirm? They are going to be MOBBED.

Quote: teddys

Harrah's Chester is withing walking distance of the Chester SEPTA station, through some pretty bad industrial neighborhoods. I wouldn't make the walk unless you really needed to get your gamble on. You would have to take the Amtrak to Wilmington and then transfer to the SEPTA. I believe the Philly-area casinos are getting table games this week or next, can anyone confirm? They are going to be MOBBED.

What about the new casiono locations? Sugar House and the location that Wynn was originally involved in?