Venetian, Macau

[spearmaster]

Originally Posted by chuchu59

Sarcasm. These bloody dealers were being sarcastic about having to treat customers well. All the time, they were emphasising the good old times when they could pinch winnings from the players LEGALLY. They still do that now but are a bit restrained. You bet small and they treat you like sh##, throwing the chips right back at you after a push. It's a pity that the new casinos dont have paigow tiles so when I want some games I can only visit the floating casinos which are boring but at least they treat you like humans.

Ah. Well, the sarcasm will always be there - same old dealers who can't steal your tips, can't quit their jobs because no one else will have them, so all they have left is their bitterness that their license to steal has been taken from them.

Unfortunately, you're right about the paigow too - I have not seen it anywhere, which is a pity because it's quite an interesting game (not that I know how to play).

Surely the Venetian is so huge that they might have space for a table or two?

[chuchu59]

It's more a case of culture than space, I think. If this was an Australian casino, I am pretty sure that they will have paigow tiles as I heard its quite popular over there. I havent gone to las Vegas. Have they got this game as well?

[spearmaster]

Originally Posted by chuchu59

It's more a case of culture than space, I think. If this was an Australian casino, I am pretty sure that they will have paigow tiles as I heard its quite popular over there. I havent gone to las Vegas. Have they got this game as well?

Well, I think space will have something to do with it as the space can easily hold a much more profitable baccarat table. Pai Gow seems to be one of those games slowly fading away. But in a place like the Venetian, they can easily afford the space to cater to a select crowd - the real question is, are there enough players to justify doing so?

In Vegas, one is unlikely to find pai gow in any of the casinos, with the possible exception of the Imperial Palace, and only for novelty value. In Atlantic City there may be a slightly better chance of finding this game due to the different demographics (more Asian and generally more mature, as opposed to Vegas which is a bit more glitzy and trendy for the younger crowd).

[Simmo!]

The MGM in Vegas should have had Pai Gow just to see if the Asian community would have passed the lions to get to it

I would have thought in Macau, the Wynn and Venetian would have kept a close eye on their staff. You could understand the less well known "local" places having some issues but at these multi-billion $ corps, I would have thought they'd be very strict on how customers were treated.

Reading some reviews of people who have stayed at the Venetian it sounds like it opened too early - lots of complaints about bad service and the staff not knowing their jobs properly, stuff not ready, etc etc.

[chuchu59]

Pai gow tiles is akin to a scoundrel's game. You wont find any decently dressed person playing the game and the noisier the cracking of tiles the better. Ah, how I miss the good old days playing this game at Jai-Alai casino in Macau. I played for more than 36 hours non stop at the table (no seating)with my friend. That was more than 15 years ago though.

Simmo, unless Stanley HO offers better pay packages to his staff, they will basically remain the same and try to pinch customers' money at all costs. It doesnt matter whether you are wiining or not. If you take the bankl at the paigow game, right after a clean sweep, you are TOLD that a portion of the chips at the next game are theirs already and if you win you have to pay double that portion to them and even pay the commission for them. Its really ridiculous like the wild west.

[NASHVEGAS]

Originally Posted by Simmo!

Reading some reviews of people who have stayed at the Venetian it sounds like it opened too early - lots of complaints about bad service and the staff not knowing their jobs properly, stuff not ready, etc etc.

Pretty much has happened without exception to all the mega resorts(esp. the Venetian in 1999 and the Wynn in 2005 which I even have some pictures of items that did not yet meet building codes and customers were actually injured) in Vegas. It is common knowledge. There is a tremendous amount of pressure to open and begin servicing debt via cash flow asap regardless of any consequences.

[lojo]

You'll find plenty of Pai Gow but much more baccarat during the Chinese New Year transformations in Vegas I was there four days of it this year.

[spearmaster]

Originally Posted by chuchu59

Pai gow tiles is akin to a scoundrel's game. You wont find any decently dressed person playing the game and the noisier the cracking of tiles the better. Ah, how I miss the good old days playing this game at Jai-Alai casino in Macau. I played for more than 36 hours non stop at the table (no seating)with my friend. That was more than 15 years ago though.

Haha... last time I bothered to pay attention, the players weren't too scruffy.. but this was like 20 years ago as well

The Jai Alai is the scene of my worst-ever run of luck playing sic bo... I wonder if they still play Jai Alai any more... but I've spent countless hours in there as well - even tried the pachinko machines when they had them...

36 hours without seating, though...

Simmo, unless Stanley HO offers better pay packages to his staff, they will basically remain the same and try to pinch customers' money at all costs. It doesnt matter whether you are wiining or not. If you take the bankl at the paigow game, right after a clean sweep, you are TOLD that a portion of the chips at the next game are theirs already and if you win you have to pay double that portion to them and even pay the commission for them. Its really ridiculous like the wild west.

Are they still doing that, Chuchu?

Simmo - the Western operations are actually better, but the Venetian, like all the other new operations when they opened, had a number of hiccups. You have to understand that every time a new casino opens, people queue up beginning the night before - in the case of the Sands, there was a rumor that they were giving away free money, so on opening day there was literally a stampede, glass doors busted, etc. No such thing at the Venetian but I still imagine it was akin to a stampede, and of course the staff simply can't keep pace.

No matter how much advance planning is done for a casino opening in Macau, they will never ever get it right. I guarantee you though, by the time we get there in late November, everything will be running quite smoothly.

[spearmaster]

Chuchu, you had a chance to go yet? I have to be in HK next week so I'm thinking of going over for a day...

[chuchu59]

Spear,

Sorry, almost missed this. No, I havent gone there yet. Unless I go secretly (hehe), I will need to wait till the next batch of public holidays, probably near X'Mas as my wife wants me to take her and the kid to go there. Well, my wife is a teacher and she should start her holidays around the 20th Dec.