The Bike is declaring war on Commerce mid-stakes games
Finally Commerce has some competition.
After dominating the mid-stakes poker scene for well over 15 years, raising the rake to unreasonable levels, and eliminating the unlimited free food, Commerce is finally starting to feel the sting.
The Bike is now aggressively attempting to steal Commerce's action. Their tactics:
- Hosted games. Certain Bike employees now "host" games they want to get going, such as 40/80 limit holdem, and help draw players over there. It's starting to work.
- Discounted or comped nights at their (much newer) hotel. Commerce's "poker rate", which was once just $79 without tax, is now double that, and the hotel has gotten somewhat rundown despite being only 17 years old.
- Lower rake. Less rake is better, so I've heard.
Commerce first ignored this, but now is starting to panic.
They ran a "half rake promotion" in the "top section" (middle and upper limit) room, for the entire month of March 2019. Now they've extended that 50% off promotion through April. I wonder if it will continue through May, as well.
Commerce needs to avoid making the mistake that Hollywood Park did in the early 2000s. Once the biggest LA area room for middle and high stakes action, Hollywood Park got arrogant and complacent, and didn't address their issues. In 2002, Commerce built a brand new, large, dedicated room for high stakes action, and put up a new hotel. Hollywood Park didn't care. They stayed the course. Very shortly thereafter, their mid and upper stakes games died, and it all moved to Commerce.
