How to Get A Poker Table Reserved at a Casino?

June 10, 2006 5:54 PM

GamblingFilter: How does a person reserve a poker room at a casino not in Atlantic City or Las Vegas?

I may be helping my brother's best man plan his bachelor party/guys night out/what-have-you.

My brother and his friends are seminary students, so their list of vices are short - but a few drinks and poker are on there, so I'm trying to cater to this. However, I'm at a loss as to how I look into booking a table at a casino outside of Louisville, KY.

Their websites are no help, except telling me that they have tables and they're open.

So, what's the deal? Is there usually a minimum blind, requirements to up the blinds, time limits? Reservation fees if the blinds are low? Do some places even do this? Do I just give them a call? Help!

posted by plaidrabbit to society & culture (4 comments total)

Do I just give them a call?

Yes.
posted by letitrain at 6:46 PM on June 10, 2006

I'm currently trying to plan a convention for 200-300 people, at a hotel in my area. We need ballrooms, meeting space, lounge space, catering, cash bar, and all sorts of other needs.

From this experience I can tell you that, yes, you just give them a call. That's all my group had to do, so if it works for reserving all of a hotel's convention space, it'll work for a poker room.

If you can narrow down a likely contact through their website, great. Otherwise, just call the front desk and tell them your intentions, and they'll get you in touch with the right person.

Hotels want your business. They'll get you the info you need.
posted by CrayDrygu at 9:15 PM on June 10, 2006

Thanks. I guess, as I was writing that last sentence, I kinda came up with the answer, and maybe should have scrapped it. Mea Culpa.

As it's the weekend, though, anyone have any experience actually doing this? I may be way over my head if the minimums are too high or the reservation fees are too rich - or if someone else can tell me a compelling reason why this is a bad idea (i.e. they did it and "let me tell you, it sucked because...").
posted by plaidrabbit at 11:45 PM on June 10, 2006

Most poker rooms I've been to usually have a few empty tables, unless you're talking about a Friday/Saturday night here or Sunday afternoon. I'd call up the poker room, ask to speak to the manager and determine whether they can set up a private table for you or not.

An average poker table takes in somewhere between $75 and $150 an hour in rake ($0 - $5 raked per hand, 25 - 35 hands per hour.) You might be able to rent the whole table for a set price per hour instead of having each hand be raked as normal, but I'm pretty sure most poker rooms would be perfectly happy to let you have one of their empty tables for a private game and just rake it as normal. Whichever option you choose, remember to tip the dealer and manager.
posted by Happydaz at 11:11 AM on June 11, 2006