The first larger buy-in event in the room’s history on Jan. 27 started the upswing.
That night, a sellout field of 120 players helped pack the poker room in a way that reminded of the first week the room was in operation and the first night of multitable tournaments Nov. 1.
The second $285 buy-in event will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, and players would be wise to prepare for a large crowd again.
The first time around, with the start set for 7 on a Thursday night, the tournament sold out more than a half hour in advance, and dozens of players interested in the tournament had to be turned away.
Most wound up playing other games – if they were willing to sit out a wait – and the room had its first $250 sit ’n go event that night for some of the players who already came planning to spend more than that on a tournament.
There was a logjam to be dealt with until enough tournament players were knocked out to open up tables and spots for others waiting to get into cash games.
The bigger event meant interest from a wider area than would be typical of most daily events. The top six finishers included three players from Luzerne County and one from Lackawanna County as well as players from Northumberland County (Mount Carmel) and Lycoming County (Williamsport). They were followed by another player from Lycoming County and two from other states, New York and Connecticut.
One of the subplots of the event was how the local regulars could stack up against newcomers who came in for the tournament.
The overcrowding could be an issue again for a while Saturday, and players who want to be certain of a tournament spot should consider stopping by to pay their entry fee in advance. Unlike the smaller daily tournaments where spots can only be purchased two hours in advance, the big tournament has been on sale throughout the month.
The increased interest has not been just on the bigger tournament days.
Although the room does not overfill at other times, there have been some signs of increased play.
After a reduction in the nightly entry fees, the average number of entrants in the twice-daily tournaments was 42 for the first half of February, compared with 26 for January.
The 1-5 stud games that get started midway through each morning now generally take up two tables instead of struggling to fill one.
That game remains far less popular than hold’em and usually dies off each afternoon, but those who come looking for it have had more options lately.
An occasional pot limit Omaha high/low poker game also has popped up some evenings.
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