St Louis Poker Rooms

Current conditions of the closest casino poker to Springfield:



PRESIDENT - on The Admiral Riverboat, downtown.

This place is (and has always been) a dump. This trip it was not as dirty as in some previous years -- and the crowd was not as scary either. However, its still dingy and downmarket in its physical plant and customers. Chips, tables and chairs dirty, etc.

Poker room is downstairs on the lower level. Its a square-ish shaped "room" in the middle of nowhere with 8 tables. Three were in play. The 1-2 NL tables had buy in of 40-100 and used a betting line. The table of 4-8 had "mini-blinds" of 1 and 2. Both games were very soft and filled with bad players.

The "after baseball game" crowd was only 10 or 12 people. Very dissapointing and not like the old days. This year, the Cards fans are a little mopey and the Cubs fans are wildly optimistic.

It was very cold downstairs so I ordered a hot chocolate. Was about to tip the waitress a chip when she said; "That'll be 50 cents cash". Thats right! Its just like buying a drink.

Took a new player to their first visit to this casino. He has to get a Players Card to enter the casino and they CHARGE him $2 for it !!!!

Brush tells me; "Seat open - table two. Now go back upstairs and buy your chips". Thats right -- you have to walk upstairs to the main cage to buy chips or cash them in.

This was my last trip to the President. The new Lumiere Casino (see below) is being built just a couple blocks up the hill.



LUMIERE - Downtown St Louis.

Supposed to open this fall with 14 poker tables -- or this winter with 10 poker tables -- you get to pick your own story. Close to Lacledes Landing and the sports stadiums and will have its own hotel etc. I am optimistic.



AMERISTAR - St Charles.

30+ tables and they are trying hard. Daily tournaments. Several tables of 1-2 NL. Several tables of 3-6. But they are trying to spread other limit games. 4-8 with half kill, 5-10 Omaha/8, and even HORSE sometimes. Hotel is topped off and should be opening in a few months.




HARRAHS - Maryland Heights. Such a pretty room, but all they want to spread is 1-2 NL and 3-6. They did have a couple 2-5NL tables going and they were pretty good late night. Limit players are given the choice of 3-6 or 30-60 (sometimes 20-40) and nothing in between. They do NOT want to spread other games --- they're too slow, it costs them money and confuses the young players. The hot sweaty dancing girls still walk by twice an hour on their way to and from the show. Choose your table and seat carefully to avoid this.

Poker Rooms - Evaluation and Ranking

Theres just no absolute ranking. One poker room is not "Better" than another poker room to all people. Each person would have different features that attract them more than another. Its very subjective, based on what that person likes. For example, if a player wants BIG games (30-60 or 10-20 NL) then hes only going to like the Bellagio and a couple other places. If he only knows how to play 1-2 NL, then Harrahs in St Louis has everything he wants.

Heres what I like;


Beatable Games 50% -- This is my most important factor. If the games are too tough, or way too tight, or the rake too high, then I'm just not going to play there. A large supply of bad players is a must for a great poker room.


Number and Variety of Games 20% -- Closely related to the above. If a poker room only had one table going, thats no good. If they had many tables of only one game, then thats a little better, but not much. I like to be able to get a table change if my table is not good, or change limits or change games. Ideal is the Mirage or Wynn in Las Vegas where they have multiple tables going of multiple limits. Horseshoe in Tunica is good too.


Room Environment 20% -- These are the things completely under control of the casino and the poker room. Clean chips, size and comfort of the table and chairs, skill and politeness of staff and dealers, cocktail service, overall decor, noise level, smoke level from the casino, closeness to parking, comps for poker play,


Goofball Factor 10% -- This is bothering me more and more the last couple years. Are the other players reasonably clean and polite? Or are they rude, talking too loud, talking when they should be quiet, etc etc. Watching poker on TV coupled with some youthful immaturity has sure made many people hard to put up with in poker rooms. These guys are usually at the 1-2 NL tables, but can be found anywhere. Some poker rooms have a large number of them -- MGM, Ballys, Flamingo, and Bellagio in Las Vegas. Harrahs in St Louis.



So theres my factors, and heres my ranking of the best:

1. Mirage, Las Vegas. Almost perfect. 30+ tables, multiple games at multiple limits, plus an Omaha game and often 7Stud. Beautiful decor and equipment. Skillful dealers and excellent management. Only negatives are; the tables are now 9 handed, sometimes a slow cocktail service and comps are limited to one every 3 days.


2. Wynn, Las Vegas. Beautiful. 30+ tables, multiple games at multiple limits, plus a mixed game and some Omaha. Games a little better than Mirage. Comps earned at hourly rate by swiping card. Best access from parking garage to poker room of any poker room in Las Vegas.


3. Horseshoe, Tunica. Everybody loves this place. 16 tables, multiple games at multiple limits. Games can be outstanding. Meal comps, etc all there for the asking.


4. Mandalay Bay. Las Vegas. Beautiful casino and poker room. Game selection limited, but games are usually good. This poker room seems to make an effort to week out nasty undesireables.



Now, for some I don't like:


President, St Louis. Dirty. Yucky tables and chairs and really nasty chips. Pretty bad customer service. Other players are not the ones you would like to hang around with. Oh well, its only in business for another few months.

Venetian, Las Vegas. Looks like they are going to become just another NL room. Beautiful place though.

Caesars, Las Vegas. Virtually all NL now. A couple 3-6 games going and thats it. Just started a bad beat jackpot drop - how silly.

Harrahs, St Louis. Such a pretty place with 30 tables. But they have been operating it so you really only have two choices; 3-6 or 1-2NL. There are usuall a couple 2-5 NL tables and a 30-60 game. Having 20+ of their tables and 75% of their players in 3-6 and 1-2NL sure makes sense from a business standpoint, but you are really stuck as a player.

Bellagio, Las Vegas. Epicenter of world poker for the last 9 years. Low limit (4-8 and 8-16) players get treated like the scummy dogs they are. Only a couple tables of these two games now and they are crowded over into a corner. Very cramped. Ask for 1-2 NL and you get cuffed backhand in the mouth with a sneer; "Sir, this is The Bellagio, We don't have 1-2 NL". Always very long wait lists for all games. Like Yogi said, "Nobody goes there anymore, its too crowded."

MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Dark, noisy - I don't get it. Games can be great late night, though.

Un-named generic Las Vegas poker room on the Strip. And theres a dozen of them - many are Harrahs properties. These allow the casino to say they do have a poker room. Most will have a 2-4 table and a 1-2 NL table. Mostly a waste of time to play in them. Upcoming industry consolidation should close many of them. Better for all of us.

Locals Casino poker rooms in Las Vegas. I've about had it with these too. Usually a little nitty, and the players all know each other. You know the casinos; Orleans, Gold Coast, Sams Town, Palace Station, etc. The Station and Coast companies have each opened a new upscale property (RedRock and Green Valley Ranch) and these are much nicer.

Any Isle of Capri casino. Seen one - seen em all.



And some poker rooms that rate in the middle:


Ameristar, St Louis. They are making an effort to spread different games. Hotel is almost done.

Red Rock, Las Vegas. Very nice and new big room. Mostly locals play there, and they just raised their rake to 5, plus 1 for jackpot.

Gold Strike, Tunica. I really like to stay and play here, but all they have is 3-6 (and sometimes 3-6 Omaha) unless its January tourney time or a big holiday weekend. Staff is great, comps are great.

TI, Las Vegas. A fun little room. Sometimes has a rocking mixed game.

Tilters in Vegas

Sure ran into a lot of people on TILT in the games in Las Vegas last week. More than usual. Maybe its the WSOP or maybe the heat got to them.

15-30 Holdem at the Wynn. A very active game. Theres an older local Jewish guy at the other end of the table playing very aggressively. Then he loses a couple hands and goes bonkers. Raises almost every hand and street. Blows thru 600-800, and is down to a handful of chips. Cusses the guy who beat him on the last hand and leaves. The player next to me has seen this all before and tells me; "Yeah, when Lanny gets stuck, he can really steam."

8-16 Mixed Game at the Wynn. A young asian hottie sits next to me and has lots of chips. Very pretty girl, but a big mouth barker. Likes to yap at the players she is in a hand with. Sometimes mixes languages and is not understandable. She too plays almost every hand, flings her chips into pot -- gamble gamble gamble. I finally get to play a hand with her:
TD2-7 and I am in bb with an 86532. She open limps,button raises, and I 3bet. All call.
I am pat, she draws 3, button draws 2. I bet, she raises, button folds, I 3 bet and she calls.
I am pat and she draws 1. I bet and she calls.
I am pat and she draws one. I bet and she cusses me in two unknown languages, then folds and throws her cards.

3-6 at the Mirage. A very quiet polite game except for one young guy at the other end of the table. He is real nice too, but is straddling, raising etc etc. Another young guy comes over and talks with him, then leaves and comes back. I see his t-shirt and its from Uof I. So I tell them; "No kidding? You guys are from Uof I? The way you play, I thought you were from Skandanavia." Everyone thinks this is funny except the young guy. Then an older guy (my age) sitting next to me leans over and says the two young guys are his sons. And yes, he does play a little too wild.

4-8 at the Rio (Wsop side games) An oddball game. Two or three good (tight and aggressive) players and a few terrible players. New player comes to the table 2 seats to my right and plays every hand. EVERY HAND! Never made a raise, and rarely bet out. Just stayed in and called. Always saw the flop, usually stayed further with any draw, pair or overcards. Now (as usual) he won some pots with funny holdings. The good players all shut up and the bad players told him how bad he was. "How could you call with that?" He won some pots and was in the game for over an hour before he lost his rack of chips and left. Heres the funny part ---- he never talked to anyone. Was not friendly or talkative at all. Quiet, sullen, frowning. Just played every hand, lost his chips, and left.

So -- theres my four tilters for this trip.

Las Vegas - July 2007

Only there for four days this summer. Had to miss some things, but got to most of the highlights:

HOT -- Yes, very hot. 116 one day, with most of the others about 112. Walking on the strip is miserable and its a steam bath to get your car from the parking garages too.

POKER - Played several rooms and limits;
Mirage, 10-20, 6-12, and 3-6
Wynn, 15-30, 8-16. And a 8-16 Mixed Game (2-7TD, O/8, Stud/8, and Razz)
Rio 4-8 (wsop cash game area)
TI 3-6
Ballys 3-6
South Point 2-4
Missed out playing at Bellagio, Venetian, Caesars, and Planet Hollywood.

$ WINNINGS - hahahahah, won 100 my first night there (the only triple digit result of the trip) and ended up plus 110. This is NOT enough to pay for the trip. In fact, its not enough to pay for ANY nights hotel room, the rental car, any airline ticket, or the Beatles LOVE show.

ONE POKER HAND - Really only had one interesting hand the whole time.
8-16 at the Wynn, I am in the bb with 77. Two limpers and a late position raiser - all call.
Eight small bets in the pot and four of us see the flop of 7 6 4 with two clubs.
I check, limpers check, pf raiser bets and I raise. Limpers fold and bettor calls.
Six big bets in pot with two players.
Turn is a red Ace. I bet and the other guy folds.

WSOP - I was there the day before the Main Event started and it was a madhouse. The crowd surge was again hilarious. Hundreds of young kids showing up at the last minute and complaining about long lines, etc. Harrahs AGAIN unprepared for it.

The side game area of the tourney room seemed to be set up better than the last couple years. More room and more organized. The "tent" tourney overflow area just looked awful.

Sure missed all the hospitality rooms from the last two years. There were only two this year; Ladbrokes (not open to US players) and PartyPoker (remember them?) had a room.

The Gaming Exposition was really cheesey. Some book selling, but mostly chip salesmen and strip clubs. The Jim Beam tasting booth was kinda ok. I was trying out one of the new "electronic" poker tables that casinos are starting to use. No dealer, no real cards or chips. Just 10 players at an electronic table. But --- the next booth had guys throwing baseballs at a target which would drop a stripper into a dunk tank. She would scream and the water would slosh out into the aisle. Way too distracting for my "A" game.

One funny story---- all the young kids were doing poker "celebrity" sightings and standing in lines to get autographs. "Oooh, oooh, theres Mike the Mouth". I was walking out the hall when I saw a scruffy old guy in blue jeans shuffling/stumbling along in front of me. No one was talking to him, so I went up and said; "Mr Preston, let me tell you a story." We laughed and talked and (as is his reputation) he told me a story too. It was of course Amarillo Slim, and as he walked away (with some difficulty) --- still, none of the young kids knew who he was.

POKER ROOMS:

Mirage - Still my favorite. Made arrangements thru the poker room for the poker room rate at the hotel and it was handled perfectly. Got the buffet comp one day with no problems. Room had games going at all hours and was usually almost full in the evening. Never had to wait long as there were lots of tables and different games and limits going. They had 7stud, Omaha/8, SnG's, nightly tourneys, NL (usually four or five tables) and Limit Holdem at 3-6, 6-12, 10-20, 20-40, and one night a 40-80 game.
Room decor is completely redone from a couple years ago and it looks nice. New table cloth and new chairs are great. Chairs are a little wider than before, so all flop games are 9 handed.

Wynn - A great place. Limit holdem (10 handed even with the huge chairs) at 4-8, 8-16 (with $2 chips) 15-30, and higher. Mixed Game goes sometimes. Omaha/8 at 10-20 and 20-40. Poker room rate at hotel of only $129 on weekdays.

Venetian - A very plush cardroom, but I got a very strange response this trip. Went to the front brush mid afternoon and asked to be signed up for all low and mid limit holdem and mixed games. They said they didn't have any. About 12 tables were running and a tourney was about to start using another 12, leaving the room 2/3 full. The bursh said that the first 12 tables of cash games were all NL and they wouldn't have any limit games until after the tourney ended that evening. He said it would be the same tomorrow. Thus ended my trip to the Venetian.

TI - It was so hot outside, I couldn't even walk from Venetian to Wynn without stopping. TI did NOT have their famous mixed game going when I was there. But its a fun little room, staff is great, players are nice and they are all having a good time and glad you are there.

Bellagio - Another surprise here! I was not treated rudely by the staff. They just took my name and put me on the 4-8 and 8-16 list. Then I saw the corner ghetto where the 4-8 and 8-16 tables are still packed in like sardines.

South Point - A nice little card room and casino. Located on the extreme south of town, just off the Interstate towards LA. A brand new facility (1 year old) with a new name (about 6 months ago). Eleven tables with LOTS of space. Great cocktail service and terrible players.


So thats my few days in Sin City this summer. But, now that we have direct flights_______.