After being open for more then two months, this webmaster finally had an oppurtunity to play at the Delmar Poker Room known as the "Full House Poker Parlour".  It is located right on the Delaware/Maryland State line, but in Delaware, where Texas Hold'em poker for charity beneficiaries is permitted by Law.  In the State Line Plaza on the West side of Route 13.

We arrived on Firday night shortly before 8PM and played until about 11:30.  Three 9 player tables were mostly full during this time.  As with all Delaware Charity Poker Rooms, a player can only buyin for a maximum $150 during the 6 hours the poker room is open.  We saw many players come and go during our 3 1/2 hours of play.  Both Angela and I bought in for $150 each.  When we cashed out, I cashed out $223 and she cashed out $112.  The play was fair and typical of the Eastern Shore.  There was a lot of "loose" play.  Several regular chairty poker tournament players were on hand.  The table talk was fine, the atmosphere comfortable, the poker room staff friendly and knowledgable and our dealer, "Ken" was a great dealer.  Ken had great knowledge of the game and was a good dealer.  He kept things moving and even with a full table we were getting over 30 hands per hour.  (Ken is going to be a dealer at Harrington when they open). 

If you haven't played at the Full House Poker Parlour you're missing a great "local" poker room that will sure to satisfy your urge to play.  They are open 5 days a week, from Tuesday through Saturday from 6PM to 12 Midnight.  Dealers are provided, per Delaware Law.  These dealers are State licensed and are volunteer.  So if you play and win a pot, remember your dealer please.

First let me apologize for the length of this article, but there are a few things I’d like to express. 

   As most of you know, the charity poker tournament scene has been around on the Eastern Shore since pre-Moneymaker.  What I mean by that is we starting holding charity poker tournaments in 2001.  Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 World Series of Poker and that popularity brought out the average player to play poker locally in a friendly and close location.  The tournaments started sporadically and worked their way into once a month, twice a month to every Saturday to several times a week.  The buyins ranged in price but $150 became the standard Saturday amount.  The starting chip count was $1,000 - $1,500 in chips with blinds starting at $5/10.  As little as two to three years ago most sponsors were given $2,500 - $5,000 in chips and when others starting issuing $10,000 they followed.  Now $20,000 seems to be the standard starting chips and $30,000 for a deep stacks and just this month the starting chip count for the 4th Annual Eastern Shore Regional Poker Classic was $40,000.  In the mid 2000’s it was standard for 100 players to show up on a Saturday, regardless of where it was held.  My first Saturday poker tournament for the Pocomoke Elks had 197 players and was a $130 buyin.  In November 2004 I ran a large buyin (for the time) of $230 at the Delmar VFW and we had 241 players show up and play.  The following November the buyin was $250 and 200 players showed up.   

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