With August now underway, that means WPT Parx Open Poker Classic is just nine days away from kicking off at Parx Casino in Philadelphia. Since poker pro Matt Glantz recently signed on as the “face” of Parx Casino in a poker ambassador role, we thought we’d get insight into the great city of Philadelphia and the Parx Poker Room itself from a man that lives and “works” there. Here’s our Q&A with Matt:
WPT Blog: Okay, first question we have to ask anyone from Philadelphia, who makes the better Cheese Steak, Pat’s or Geno’s?
Matt Glantz: Pat’s
American, Provolone, or Cheez Whiz?
American
What’s your favorite episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (everyone there watches the show right?)
The Pilot – Only one I ever watched. Not a good sign.
So what’s a poker pro doing living in Philadelphia?
I was an options trader at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange in the 90s. My entire extended family lives in the Philly area, and I love it here. It is a great place to raise kids and I can’t see us living anywhere else.
What’s one thing most people don’t know about Philadelphia that you wish they did?
Philadelphia to me is not just the city itself but all the suburbs surrounding the city. There are so many great towns with an unlimited amount of history just outside the big city.
What’s one thing most people DO know about Philadelphia that you wish they did NOT?
The sports fans around here get a bad rap nationally. It seems to be sensationalized and very much undeserved. We got the best fans of any city.
Seems more and more pros are focusing on eating better, with some even going vegan/vegetarian? Is there such a thing as a vegetarian/vegan restaurant in the cheese steak capital? Any recommendations for plant eating poker players coming to the Parx Event?
I’m not a vegetarian but Philadelphia has some of the best restaurants around, so I’m sure there are some great finds for vegans and vegetarians. (WPT Blog: check out this list of Top Vegan-Friendly Restaurants for a few options)
You’re an ambassador for Parx Casino. For those who’ve never been to the casino, or played there, tell us what we can expect. Does the poker room stay pretty active there? What kind of games do they spread?
The room has 50 tables for now (expansion in 2013). There are many small NL and Limit games on a daily basis. You can find a 10-10 NL game almost every day of the week and sometimes a 5-5 or 5-10 PLO. Midweek lately we have been getting all the big mixed game business in the area, and I expect that to increase over the next few months.
Favorite restaurants/food places at Parx itself?
Parx has a wide variety of options depending on my mood. If I want something delicious and quick, I stop at Foodies. If I want a relax and enjoy a great steak I always go to Parxgrill. But Parx also has Philadelphia’s favorite sports bar: Chickie’s and Pete’s where you can watch any game and enjoy their world famous Crab Fries!