I was at the casino twice last week on 03/14/2018 and 03/16/2018, looking for the 99.95% Pick'em Poker game. I asked where the northeast corner was and looked there and elsewhere. The only games I found, in several places, were on multi-game Game Maker machines (all uprights) that paid 2-3-4-10-15-18-120-240-2000 (per coin) with a 96.69% return according to the analyzer on WizardOfOdds.com. These all had options of $0.25, $1, and $5. I don't recall checking if the payout increased on $5 but I think I checked on $1 and saw no change. I spoke to an employee who said that they were under new ownership and removed machines and moved a lot of things around and were planning on adding table games in the future. There were other variations of Pick'em Poker, I think Deuces Wild and with Jokers, but I didn't check those pay tables I checked my usual game of Jacks or Better and all they had was 7/5. So I suspect that there was a lot of downgrading. As far as any machines in the VIP room, I walked in and was told that I had to reach a certain point level to go in there. I asked if I could just take a look at the machines without playing, and the guard wouldn't let me. I suspect that they must have downgraded those as well but have no evidence since I wasn't even allowed to look. They did have a video blackjack game that seemed decent - dealer stands on soft 17, blackjack pays 3-2, and surrender is available on 1st two cards. Only negative is that you can only split once to two hands. Don't know how many decks were used or when cards were shuffled.

It's been reported that the VIP Lounge in which the $2 and $5 full pay pick 'em machines are located is not open to the general public.

*** MIA - *** (10) $5 Game Maker 99.9% PKM uprights in high-limit room.

*** MIA - *** (6) 25c PROG (RF) 9/6/5/80 DB (98.1%).

The $0.25 cent Double Bonus Progressives (98.1%) are GONE! They been replaced by $0.10 cent video slot machines. And despite the fact that the place was fairly busy, there didn't seem to be that many people playing these new slots; unlike the Double Bonus Progressives that were always full of players. Another brilliant move by Woodbine! Nevertheless, you can still play Double Bonus Poker at the 98.1% level in the "high-limit" area, albeit at the $5.00 denomination.

*** MIA - *** (16) $1 PKM Game Maker uprights (2 banks) in the southeast corner. (12) $2 PKM Game Maker uprights in the extreme southwest corner.

All $1 Pick'EM machines left with the good schedule were recently switched to TITO and the pay schedules were downgraded. Only playable Pick'Em machines now are the $5 units which are also TITO.

*** MIA - *** (9) 25c PKM Game Makers bartops @ the Palio Bar. (8) $1 PKM Game Maker uprights near the 'north end' bar.

Woodbine is no longer the "Pickem capital of the world" - Through a half-dozen maneuvers they've reduced the number of fullpay machines from 115 to 55.

The 25c bartops are still full pay with no 'upgrade' notices in sight.

They have now back online the 30 Pickem machines they had taken down for "Upgrades". All 30 have had the pay tables reduced (from fullpay 99.9%) to an abysmal 96.7% variant. What's worse, they now have notices on the remaining (8) quarter machines at the Palio Bar. they will be down for "upgrades" Feb. 8 and 9. It appears thy're employing a scorched earth policy. - all 50-cent machines are now short-pay. - as of Wednesday next, all quarter machines will be short. - about one-half of the dollar machines have been shorted. At this point in time, the only inventory they haven't yet "upgraded" are the $5, $2, and (24) $1 machines. Time will tell.

The following machines were powered down and roped off last night: - all (12) 50-cent slant-tops. - all (12) 25-cent uprights in the back corner. - 5 of the 19 $1.00 machines in the southeast corner. At this time the PRESUMPTION is they're changing the paytables, but one of the suits said they were simply installing bill acceptors that will accept the new currency.

Woodbine has moved the (19) $1 Gamemakers contining Pickem that were on the north wall next to the Winner's Circle. They are now at the extreme southeast corner of the casino along both corner walls, next to the security booth. The remaining $1 GM's are in their original locations.

Woodbine is now smoke-free, except in designated areas.

There are a total of 16 slots-at-racetrack facilities in Ontario. The one I am familiar with (Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) has approximately 20 0.25 full-pay PKM and about 10 $1 full pay PKM. The same slot card is good at all 16 locations, plus 6 other so-called "Charity Casinos" in the province. Cashback: $1 through = 1 pt; 1000 pts = $4.25; CB = .425% I haven't figured out the comp rate - they use a formula based on today's play, recent play and historical play, but a rough guess would be that it is in the same ballpark as the cash-back rate. Mail offers for free buffets, free slot tournaments, etc. are also offered. There are generic ones as part of province wide promotions and casino specific ones, too. I have also played at Thousand Islands Charity Casino in Gananoque, Ont. (across the St. Lawrence River from Alexandria Bay, NY by way of the Ivy Lea Bridge) It has (last visit was