Commerce kills free food for middle and high limit players, effective 3/1/15

[Dan Druff]

Reportedly, Commerce will stop giving free food to middle and high limit players, starting March 1, 2015.

Commerce has a much higher rake than its Vegas counterparts (at least at the middle and high limits), but has somewhat compensated that by making free food available.

This took place in their "top section" room, which houses 20-40 limit games and above, as well as 10-20 NL and above.

Prior to this year, Commerce had a players club card, but the benefits were laughably bad. You earned 25 cents per hour, which could only be used for food or other items from the casino. Most high limit players didn't bother, with the food being free anyway.

Starting in 2015, games from 20-40 to 60-120 will earn $1.50 per hour, and 100-200 and above will earn $2 per hour. Not sure what they are doing for the NL games, but probably something similar. However, there will be no more free food starting March 1, so overall this deal is bad for the players.

Yet another reason to hate Commerce.

As if the corrupt staff, angle-shooting, and perpetually angry regulars weren't enough...

[Dan Druff]

On Twitter, Mike "Schneids" Schneider brought up an interesting point.

He said that the waiters and waitresses will be making a lot less in tips, as most high limit players "auto tipped $5 because the food was free", which was true.

However, I don't feel too bad for them. I found that the Commerce servers were getting arrogant and entitled when it came to tipping, for exactly this reason.

This is because they aren't traditional "servers". They don't come around to check on you. They don't let you order appetizers and come back later to see what you want for your main course. They don't refill your drinks.

They are just order takers and delivery people. They drop your food off on your tray, and that's the last you see of them.

Therefore, they honestly shouldn't be tipped like regular servers, and in fact don't do much more work than someone working at the takeout counter of a restaurant. The only difference is that they do more walking.

I'm not saying these people shouldn't be tipped. However, when I would tip $3-$4 for a meal (again, which they bring to me all at once), I would rarely get a "thank you", and in fact would often notice them making a face like I was a cheapskate. This was because they got used to the $5/person from many others in high limit (and sometimes more), so I looked like a jerk for giving $3-$4, even though that was generous on an absolute basis.

So F them.

[lol wow]

what part of your brain is like you know what the 1 dollar i save to tip 4 instead of just giving a 5 is worth it to me

[lol wow]

like its not even a value proposition cuz you know you get shit on for doing it like where does this come from its just idiotic behavior dangiel hand the guy 5 for bringing you a free sandwich realize that hes clocking in driving to work paying rent in california and youre holding onto that extra dollar is so dumb in the grand scheme of things

[Jayjami]

If true, then I will just play limit hold'em at Hustler, Hawaiian Gardens, and maybe the Bike. I imagine many of the other mid limit players will as well. The players who play stud, PLO, ect. might be SOL, because there are not other games around town that I am aware of.

BTW, I usually tip $3 for a comped meal at Commerce. Never felt that the wait staff was anything but appreciative. Also, Commerce has always comped my wife's meal when she is watching me play.

[matos]

I think they reverse this because of the backlash from the players, or losing games to the other California cardrooms.

[Dan Druff]

like its not even a value proposition cuz you know you get shit on for doing it like where does this come from its just idiotic behavior dangiel hand the guy 5 for bringing you a free sandwich realize that hes clocking in driving to work paying rent in california and youre holding onto that extra dollar is so dumb in the grand scheme of things

I gave $5 a few times, then I thought better of it.

Why?

Not because I'm a greedy Jew, but just because I decided $5 was ridiculous. They are taking a food order and bringing it to me. The food itself is worth like $15 tops, often only $10. They are serving a ton of different people per hour, since it doesn't require to spend a lot of time with each person. In fact, often they are bringing out others' food on the same tray as mine, which is fine, but these people are making a lot here compared to other low-wage Commerce workers. Again, they aren't the same as restaurant servers who wait on me throughout the entire meal.

I don't see the food as "free". I see it as Commerce itself (NOT the server) giving it to me as part of the exorbitant rake I'm paying. Just because I'm not paying for the food directly doesn't mean that it's actually "free".

So after giving $5 a few times, I thought about it and said, "You know what? $3 is very generous for what's being done here, and I'll make it $4 when I order a few things at once, but that's where I stop."

Why? Because I'm already tipping more than enough, and you have to draw the line somewhere.

And if you feel guilty that these people need the money, save the extra $1 and hand it to the janitors/porters you see around the place, as they make a LOT less, and work harder than most servers.

[thesparten]

like its not even a value proposition cuz you know you get shit on for doing it like where does this come from its just idiotic behavior dangiel hand the guy 5 for bringing you a free sandwich realize that hes clocking in driving to work paying rent in california and youre holding onto that extra dollar is so dumb in the grand scheme of things

I gave $5 a few times, then I thought better of it.

Why?

Not because I'm a greedy Jew, but just because I decided $5 was ridiculous. They are taking a food order and bringing it to me. The food itself is worth like $15 tops, often only $10. They are serving a ton of different people per hour, since it doesn't require to spend a lot of time with each person. In fact, often they are bringing out others' food on the same tray as mine, which is fine, but these people are making a lot here compared to other low-wage Commerce workers. Again, they aren't the same as restaurant servers who wait on me throughout the entire meal.

I don't see the food as "free". I see it as Commerce itself (NOT the server) giving it to me as part of the exorbitant rake I'm paying. Just because I'm not paying for the food directly doesn't mean that it's actually "free".

So after giving $5 a few times, I thought about it and said, "You know what? $3 is very generous for what's being done here, and I'll make it $4 when I order a few things at once, but that's where I stop."

Why? Because I'm already tipping more than enough, and you have to draw the line somewhere.

And if you feel guilty that these people need the money, save the extra $1 and hand it to the janitors/porters you see around the place, as they make a LOT less, and work harder than most servers.

When the food is free all you have to do is tip 20percent of the value of the food......

[Dan Druff]

BUMP

Went to Commerce twice this week.

The good news is that the middle limit and high limit holdem scene is kinda back there. Somehow they wrestled it away from the Bike.

The bad news is that the food situation is a complete fail. I know I was bitching about this situation in 2015, but I'd LOVE to have the 2015 version back at this point.

Let me count the ways:

- You no longer earn any points toward food. Everyone pays the same, whether they walked in off the street or are regular players who log 12 hours per day. FAIL.

- The food is not cheap anymore. They used to sell fairly decent food at below market prices. Not anymore! Now it's $15 for a burger. Again, FAIL.

- The selection sucks balls. You used to have a huge menu with many different types of food. Then that menu was only available during the hours of like 7am to 1am, but at least it was available most of the day, and you had a reduced menu late at night. Now there is just a small menu of choices. FAIL.

- No more food runners. You need to go get it yourself from a pickup area. While it's nice to be rid of the tip-hustling, it sucks when you want to just stay at the table without having to get up and take a round off to pick up the food. FAIL.


Oh, and they charge $1 for a Commerce branded bottled water now.

Just terrible all around. Eating like a pig used to be one of my pleasures of playing at Commerce, and somewhat made me feel better about the high rake. Not anymore.