Crowds Pile In To Rivers, Meadows Casino For Table Game Action

Gamblers who want to play poker, craps and other table games at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington County now have their chance.

The first casinos featuring table games opened early Thursday morning. Gamblers at the Rivers and Meadows casinos crowded in when the doors opened at 6 a.m.

Joining the nearly 3,000 existing slot machines at the Rivers Casino and adding to the Las Vegas-style atmosphere will be 86 tables that include poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker, Texas Hold'em bonus, Pai Gow poker, mini baccarat and Big Six.

Those table games will include 42 for blackjack, 24 for poker and six for craps, along with three roulette wheels. The number of slots will drop to 2,900.

“They should have done this a long time ago and kept the money in the state,” said gambler Pamela Glance.

“I think it’s good,” said gambler Gregory Hall. “I’m a truck driver. I get to stop at casinos. I don't like slots.”

But before any cards were shuffled, a state Gaming Control Board official presented to Rivers Casino General Manager Todd Moyer a license to operate the table games.

“On behalf of the 1,400 team members at the Rivers Casino, thank you for the job creation here in Pittsburgh,” Moyer said.

“Words can't express it,” said dealer Molly Hankins. “After months of training, it’s finally game time.”

The games are under heavy security, and the chips can't be counterfeited. They're electronically tuned with special coding that can't be duplicated.

The Meadows features 68 table games with wagers as high as $10,000. The Meadows also will provide 10-times odds for its craps games.

"We couldn't be more excited to open our table games with our friends and football legends," said Meadows Vice President and General Manager Sean Sullivan. "Our team has worked hard to prepare for the opening, and we're ready. It's going to be a great day."

Pennsylvania first opened slots casinos in 2006. Last year, Gov. Ed Rendell and top legislators included the legalization of table games as part of a handshake deal to raise more revenue for the recession-battered state treasury. Lawmakers passed the bill in January.

• E-Mail Newsletter: Get The Latest News Sent To Your E-Mail! • Mobile: Get WPXI Headlines On Your Phone, iPhone, More • RSS: Add Us To Your Page!