Ante Up! The Poker Room At Maryland Live! Casino Is Now Open

HANOVER, Md., Aug. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Get excited, just don't show it... The Poker Room is NOW OPEN at Maryland Live! Casino, one of the largest commercial casinos in the country.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130828/PH71109)

Robert J. Norton, President & GM of Maryland Live! Casino, was joined by Maryland State Senator Ed DeGrange; Sarah Boone, Vice President of Real Estate & Business Development, Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp.; Neal Sloane, Vice President of Table Games, Maryland Live! Casino; and Mike Smith, Director of Poker Operations, Maryland Live! Casino, at the ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the new 14,800-square-foot, state-of-the-art Poker Room. Following the ceremony, 10 winners of a Maryland Live! social media promotion were in place to ante up and play the first round of poker, prior to general public seating.

With 52 tables, The Poker Room at Maryland Live! Casino is one of the largest poker rooms in the Mid-Atlantic region - currently ranking in the Top 5 regionally; and in the Top 15 nationally. The Poker Room offers a full array of games to accommodate every level of player from the casual player to big games, including Texas Hold 'Em, Omaha and 7-Card Stud. Game limits and game types at each table will be based on player demand.

"We will offer a variety of games and limits to please everyone," says Mike Smith, Director of Poker Operations, Maryland Live! Casino. "Our mission is to establish The Poker Room at Maryland Live! Casino as the best in the country, starting with a well-managed room, run by an experienced staff dedicated to creating a comfortable, consistent and pleasurable experience for all players."

The 2-level, beautifully-appointed Poker Room offers a variety of amenities for its customers, including a dedicated cage, safety deposit boxes, a private bar, elevator, tableside food service, and direct access to a smoking patio on each level. Among the more unique features are phone charging stations built into the poker tables – less than 10 casinos in the U.S. have them – and a masseuse who will be available to provide chair massages.

Tournaments
The Poker Room at Maryland Live! Casino will open with a month-long schedule of satellite tournaments produced in association with The Players Poker Championship (PPC) for the 2013 PPC Aruba World Championship, which is the premier stop on the PPC Poker Tour.

The PPC – Maryland Live! Aruba Satellite Series will be held September 2-29. Starting the week of September 2, 2013, the Tournament Series will feature a "$520 buy-in / $5,000 PPC Aruba prize package tournament" every Sunday. Each week, Monday through Saturday, there will be "$60 buy-in tournaments" to win seats into the Sunday tournament.

The $5,000 PPC Aruba prize package includes one (1) $2,500 buy-in at the 2013 PPC Aruba World Championship with a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool; one (1) $550 PPC Aruba buy-in for a $40,000 guaranteed prize pool; plus, a 6-night stay at the Radisson Aruba Resort and $360 in travel expenses.

The PPC - Maryland Live! Aruba Satellite Series Tournaments are open to the public and will be held Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 11:00 a.m.; and Tuesday and Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Full tournament schedules are posted online at www.marylandlivecasino.com

Continues Mr. Smith, "The sheer size of the room opens up opportunities for us to attract and host larger and more high-profile tournaments and events, including those which are televised nationally. We expect to attract poker enthusiasts from across the county."

Jobs and Revenue
Maryland Live! Casino continues to outperform competitors in the mid-Atlantic gaming market, generating top revenues among all casinos in the region, including Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Currently, the State receives an average of $1M per day in gaming taxes from Maryland Live!, making it one of the highest taxpayers in the State.

The addition of Poker also creates more jobs at the facility. Maryland Live! Casino hired approximately 300 additional staff across all departments, including approximately 250 poker dealers and poker room personnel, which brings the total employee count to approximately 3,000. Maryland Live! is also one of the largest employers in the State. Visit www.jobsatmarylandlivecasino.com to view available positions and job descriptions.

"Maryland Live! Casino has always been about the total entertainment experience and our revenues reflect the excitement and satisfaction of our customers. Poker is another great amenity we can offer our guests who come here to enjoy exciting gaming action, incredible dining options, and the best in live entertainment," said Robert J. Norton, President and General Manager, Maryland Live! Casino. "We're so pleased with the success Maryland Live! has enjoyed since opening in June 2012, especially with nearly 3,000 new jobs created for the region, and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue generated for the County and State."

The addition of poker raises the table count at Maryland Live! Casino to 174, including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mini-Baccarat, and Fortune Pai Gow Poker. More than 4,300 of the latest, state-of-the art slot machines and electronic table games complete the Vegas gaming action experience at Maryland Live! Casino.

Maryland Live! Casino is conveniently located off MD 295 and 100 at Arundel Mills Blvd. with free garage parking and direct elevator access to the casino floor.

About Maryland Live! Casino
Maryland Live! Casino is conveniently located at the Arundel Mills Mall, halfway between Baltimore and Washington, directly off the Baltimore-Washington Parkway at Arundel Mills Blvd. and Route 100 in Hanover, MD (Anne Arundel County), with easy access off I-95 at Route 100. Open 24/7, the $500+ million Maryland Live! Casino is one of the largest commercial casinos in the country with 174 live action table games, including Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Mini-Baccarat, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, and a new Poker Room; more than 4,300 of the latest slot machines; and two High Limit rooms. A variety of irresistible dining options, such as Bobby's Burger Palace, from celebrated chef Bobby Flay; The Cheesecake Factory®; Phillips® Seafood; the Zagat-rated #1 steakhouse The Prime Rib®; the multi-station Live! Buffet; and Noodles, an Asian wok and noodle bar; along with a sizzling nightlife, including live entertainment at Rams Head Center Stage and the unique, interactive R Bar, completes the world-class gaming and entertainment experience. Other first-class amenities include the Shop Live! retail store; a bus lounge, and a secure covered 5,000-space parking garage with valet service, free self-parking and direct elevator access to the casino floor. Maryland Live! Casino is owned and operated by The Cordish Companies.

Call 855-5MD-LIVE (855-563-5483); or visit www.marylandlivecasino.com or www.myliveonlinecasino.com Follow Maryland Live! Casino on Facebook and Twitter.

For employment opportunities, visit www.jobsatmarylandlivecasino.com.

About Cordish
The Cordish Companies, now in its fourth generation of family ownership, is an international conglomerate of businesses, including one of the leading gaming, entertainment and real estate development companies in the United States. The company has diverse development expertise with divisions focused on Gaming & Lodging, Entertainment & Mixed-Use, Sports Anchored Districts, Shopping & Lifestyle Retail, Office and Residential. The Cordish Companies also owns and manages a diverse group of operating businesses, ranging from gaming, restaurants/clubs to live music promotion and film/media distribution. The company values itself on the quality of its operations, its long-term relationships, and high level of integrity in all of its endeavors.

The Cordish Companies is the largest and most successful developer of entertainment districts and concepts in the United States. In particular, the company has unparalleled experience in creating and revitalizing high-profile destinations in urban core locations. Many of The Cordish Companies' projects involve public/private partnerships and are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. Prime examples are the company's prominent role in the redevelopment of Baltimore's world-famous Inner Harbor; Atlantic City, NJ; Hollywood, FL; Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Louisville, KY; Tampa FL; Kansas City, MO; and Towson, MD.

The Cordish Companies has received the highest possible national awards in its various area of expertise. In real estate, The Cordish Companies has received an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards of Excellence. www.cordish.com.

SOURCE Maryland Live! Casino