This track gets table game executives on the path to success. With sessions from the very best experts in table games, the topics pertinent to your pit will be discussed here. From new technology to maximizing profits, loyalty programs and much more, it's focused on the real-life application of new knowledge and skills. The Table Games Management track offers dealers, floor workers, pit bosses and security officers the opportunity to move beyond dated practices and revenue-stunting ruts. This comprehensive investigation of best practices for the pit also tackles new game ideas and better business solutions for a stronger bottom line.
Block Schedule (.pdf)
Block Schedule (.docx)
DAY 1 - Tuesday, May 17
Table Game Promotions: What is the Real Cost?
10:30 a.m. – noon
In weak economic times, marketing is hard pressed to increase revenue on the table games, so they roll out a host of promotional tools. But do any of them really work? What are the most common promotions, and what is the actual cost to the casino? Are your efforts creating a profitable return, or are they creating only hidden cost? All this and more will be presented here.
Presenter: Bill Zender, Gaming Consultant, Bill Zender and Associates
Maximizing Your Table Games Operations, Part 1
1 – 5:30 p.m.
In the first part of this hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves workshop with Max Rubin, attendees will spend a very valuable four hours learning practical tips for the table games workplace. The time will start with a large roundtable discussion, and will then break up into smaller workgroups. Just some of what will be covered is includes how to evaluate your operation's table game efficiency and then change it! It's a frank look at why maximum efficiency never equals maximum profits, including game speed, hold percentages, pricing strategies, staffing issues, real-time labor tactics and the player experience. We'll also discuss maximizing the house edge, including how to set the proper—and most profitable—house advantage on every table game; how to develop and execute a dynamic table game reinvestment strategy; and how to choose, plan, finance, market and profit from emerging table game technologies. Breaks will be taken with the rest of the CasinoFest crowd for lunches, networking, etc.
Presenter: Max Rubin, President, Max Rubin Enterprises
DAY 2 - Wednesday, May 18
Making Your New Game Ideas a Reality
10:30 – noon
Do you have ideas for new games, but are not sure how to develop them into final products? Mark Jones, a successful game developer, will take you step by step through this maze. For those of you who are not inclined to create games, this session will give you insight on those who do and teach you how to utilize them to help grow your business.
Presenter: Mark H. Jones, President, INAG
Maximizing Your Table Games Operations, Part 2
1 – 5:30 p.m.
Here, Max Rubin continues his hands-on training for the modern table games executive. It will be another four hours jam-packed with useful tips and information. In this round, topics will include maximizing progressive jackpots—how to establish jackpot amounts, reseeding strategies, the ideal house advantage, player types by game segment, attraction strategies, yield management and game pricing strategies, game analytics, payback schedules, the future of progressive table game jackpots and more. We'll also cover table game training techniques that work in the real world; maximizing game protection, including how to train, test and rely on your existing staff (while sleeping well at night) and tolerating—and profiting—from nominally "dangerous" players; as well as maximizing the player experience and how to make your players feel special every time they play. Don't miss either of these very special and exclusive sessions. Breaks will be taken with the rest of the CasinoFest crowd for lunches, networking, etc.
Presenter: Max Rubin, President, Max Rubin Enterprises
DAY 3 - Thursday, May 19
The ABCs of Table Game Selection
10:30 a.m. – noon
With so many new table games available in the market, there is a need for understanding the basic principles of choosing new games. Very little independent information is available on this subject, so management must figure it out while corporations and individuals market their games like never before. In this talk, we'll cover Advantage for both the house advantage and advantage play; Bonusing for side bets, progressives, random jackpots and other add-on features; and Complexity for the rules, layout and complexity of the game strategy necessary for a game to be a success.
Presenter: Eliot Jacobson, President, Jacobson Gaming
Casino-ology: The Art of Managing Casino Games
1 – 2:30 p.m.
Based on his books Casino-ology and Casino-ology 2, Bill Zender gives you a glimpse of his thoughts, concerns and management tactics regarding the art of managing table games. Zender discusses a number of topics including managing table limits, optimizing game pace and motivating your dealers. See how you can easily increase your table game performance by concentrating on a few key factors.
Presenter: Bill Zender, Gaming Consultant, Bill Zender and Associates
Table Games Hold Percentage Optimization
3 – 3:50 p.m.
As a table operator, you look at the financials for your games on a daily basis. You have noticed that although the drop on the table is high, you are holding less win than normal. How do you isolate the reason and correct it? This informative session will show how to calculate the theoretical hold percentage of each game in your pit and how to isolate the issues that contribute to the table under-holding. This will teach you about each variable that contributes to the hold of the game and how to optimize your table performance while making the proper corrections both quickly and efficiently.
Presenter: Andrea McCurry, Director of Table Games, Colusa Casino Resort
When Promotions Attack: How Mathematics Can Spoil a Good Idea
4 – 5:30 p.m.
In this presentation, we talk about several examples of promotions that lost a lot of money for a casino. These promotions have one thing in common: They are table game promotions that lost a lot of money because the mathematics led to a huge player edge. Examples will include 2-to-1 blackjack specials, the recent "triple down" promotion at the Mohegan Sun, the "Free Ride" promotion at the Klondike and a host of others, new and old. This talk will cover who is beating the promotions and how, as well as give practical advice on how to safely design and deliver promotions. The focus is on humor and fun, not on mathematical formulas or other heady material.
Presenter: Eliot Jacobson, President, Jacobson Gaming