Players line up for opening day of table games at casinos
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David Joyner, left, of Penn Hills, yells as Helen and George Hutman of Center, Beaver County, play craps at the Rivers Casino on the North Shore on Thursday.
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Anthony Post has been making the 80-minute drive from his home in Lower Burrell to Wheeling, W.Va., several times a week to play three-card poker.
Those days might be gone for good. On Thursday, Mr. Post cut the commute by an hour by anteing up at the Rivers Casino during the opening hours of table games play. It was a day that couldn't arrive soon enough for him.
"I've been waiting a long time," he said as he smoked a cigar during a break in play after winning about $400.
If the opening day crowds at the Rivers on the North Shore and The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County are any gauge, Mr. Post wasn't the only one anxious to test his luck at blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and other table games at Pennsylvania gambling houses.
Opening day proved to be quite a hit for the region's two casinos. At the Rivers, 80 people waited in line for the official start at 6 a.m. Thursday and were quickly joined by another 200 who jumped from slot machines to the gaming pit. Another 50 to 75 people arrived at sunrise at The Meadows to be the first to play.
At the Rivers, the crowd grew through the morning, so much so that some gamblers complained about not being able to get a table. By 1:30 p.m., players filled 22 of 24 poker tables and another 60 tables open for blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker and other games. Among them were two $50 minimum bet blackjack tables and a $100 minimum bet blackjack table in the high-limit area.
Kenneth McCabe, a state Gaming Control Board member who monitored the action at the Rivers and The Meadows, described it as a "great day for Pennsylvania" -- although players might call it something else, epending on how their luck played out.
"This is what I kind of expected. I think this is fulfilling the urge or need for Pennsylvanians to gamble," Mr. McCabe said. "This is indicative of Western Pennsylvania's love for gambling."
By noontime, the Rivers pit area became so crowded that Mr. McCabe spoke to casino officials about opening more tables. The gaming board also issued several temporary licenses so more dealers could get on the floor.
"They were prepared," Mr. McCabe said of the casino. "I just don't think they expected such a high demand, and I think there's going to be even ... higher demand come Friday, Saturday and Sunday."
First Published July 9, 2010 12:00 am
