RAISING THE ANTE: Greektown Casino adds poker tables

MotorCity passes; MGM clears area for video version
November 21, 2001

BY CECIL ANGEL
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Greektown Casino upped the ante and opened the area's first poker room Tuesday to give it an edge in the area's highly competitive gaming industry.

"We just think there's a great market for it in Detroit," said Craig Ghelfi, Greektown vice president for table games. "There's been an unbelievable amount of interest in it."

The Poker Room occupies 1,296 square feet on the first floor across from the Olympia Restaurant. Club Greektown was relocated to the southwest corner of the casino.

A chalkboard at the entrance of the Poker Room on Tuesday listed the day's games: Seven Card Stud, Hold 'Em and Omaha Hi-lo.

"Those can change each day depending on what the customer wants," Ghelfi said.

The section's five tables can accommodate 43 players. Beepers are given to customers who are on a waiting list for a particular table.

Art Van Vliet Jr., 30, and his father Art Vliet Sr., 52, both of Waterford Township, could hardly wait for the chance to play. The father and son fly at least twice a year to Las Vegas to play poker at the Mirage.

They said gamblers have a better odds at winning with poker than they do with machines or the other games.

"You lose less and you have a better time," Art Sr. said.

Art Jr. said. "Once the word gets out with the common poker player you're not going to get a seat."

Ghelfi said "We're very optimistic that this will be a success in all ways . . . revenue wise, customer-amenity wise."

He said a key reason for the decision to go with a poker room was available space. The casino didn't want to remove any existing games.

That issue also influenced Greektown's competitors.

MotorCity Casino General Manager Rhonda Cohen said the casino doesn't plan to offer poker.

"We really don't have space to add," she said. "We're really satisfied with what's on the floor right now."

At the MGM Grand Detroit, workers are trying to complete a 4,000-square-foot video poker area by Dec. 25., said casino spokeswoman Yvette Monet. The section will be on the second floor next to the buffet and will have 135 machines in denominations of 25 cents, 50 cents and a dollar.

"We've had significant customer demand for an area where people can sit and enjoy video poker," Monet said.

There are no plans for a live poker room, because the casino doesn't have the space, she said.