Kansas City Poker Rooms

The three casino poker rooms are all located on the river north of town - about 5 miles or so from each other. Signage is minimal and billboard advertising directions nonexistant. Make sure you have a good map or directions.

All the poker rooms had $4 rake plus $1 for BBJ. All tables had auto-shufflers, and dealer tips were pooled.



ARGOSY -- A very pretty (Moorish themed) casino. Poker room had seven tables -- two of them in play. A 3-6 game with a full Kill, and a 1-2 NL game. Poker room is just over ONE year old, but the tables were very worn. Chips were filthy. The room is open to the casino floor and has lots of slot noise. Players were loose, aggressive, and bad. Floorstaff was polite and helpful. Dealers were "so-so".

There is a Lewis and Clark historical marker by the Missouri river right by the casino. I think this is the site where Cap't Clark made his point 5 times in a row, but never took full odds.

I had to get an Argosy Players card to enter the casino. It was free --- unlike the "friggin" President in St Louis. Told them that the Argosy in Alton was a stupid and dangerous place to go - so I hadn't been there for over 10 years. Told them the Argosy in Lawrenceburg Indiana (just outside Cincinnatti Ohio) had a great poker room.




AMERISTAR -- An absolute "lookalike" of the Ameristar in St Charles -- bigger though. Same decor, colors, etc. Even the poker room looked almost the same. This is the nicest looking room in town. Fifteen tables -- four of them in play. Three 3-6 with a full Kill that was loose aggressive and bad, and a 1-2 NL game that was very nitty. Tables, chairs, and chips were all very new or clean. Tables all had the dastardly "betting line" in use.

I used the betting line only once. Was in position and was going to raise. Took a stack of chips out over the line and dropped only enough to call, then brought my hand back with the other chips. Sure enough - they called me on it and MADE me raise. The other player didn't bite though.

Another hand I was dealt pocket Aces and flopped 911.

Dealers here were the best in town. Ameristar poker room here (just like in St Louis) is TRYING to spread other games. Just as I was leaving, they put up a list for 6-12, and 4-8 HO with a half Kill. One interesting new rule they have here is that your hand is DEAD if you expose it while action is pending. This includes just showing One card. This rule will punish the overstimulated rude punkies.

Your Red Ameristar Players Card from St Charles is NO GOOD here. You have to get a new one that says KC - but looks the same. (No charge --- unlike the ultra creepy President in St Louis. did I already mention that?) Also -- Ameristar has the most expensive beer compared to the other two poker rooms.




HARRAHS -- Kind of a bland, generic Harrahs type casino. Nice hotel with room rates 1/2 of Ameristar. Poker room kind of looks like the St Louis Harrahs -- quiet, darker colors, and almost the same chairs, except these swivel. Twelve tables with half of them in play. Two or three tables of 3-6 with NO Kill, and one or two tables each of 1-2 NL and 2-5 NL. Just like the St Louis Harrahs --- these are the ONLY games they want to spread.

The games here were loose-passive and tight passive. But always passive. Their 3-6 game is the only one in town that does not have a Kill. So the action "raise it up" type players go elsewhere. The players here just want to call and play 3-6. One game here was about the loosest I have played in. Every pot was 6 way to 9 way seeing the flop - and not a lot of folding after that. Hardly any raising, and when someone did raise -- well, that didn't make much difference either. Most just called the raise. I blew off 25 bb in this game -- and thats with winning a $100+ pot. Even the NL games were passive. Dealers were inattentive and made lots of mistakes. Their knowledge level seemed low. Floorstaff was sometimes grumpy. Poker room runs two (four table) tourneys per day and they all looked full.

Early morning 3-6 players get in on a promotion. If your pocket Aces lose, you get $100. This is good for the first 3 times each day. I saw it twice. So, its the same 6 old guys buying in for $60 at 8:30 am and waiting to get their AA beat. (I fit right in-haha)

The first morning there, I get 66 in early position and call. Theres one limper behind me and we see the flop of Q Q T. Both check. Turn is an 8 and both check. River is a 6 -- wow. I bet and he calls. I show my full house and he shows pocket Aces. All the other old guys congratulate him and the casino gives him a stack of red. I win $12 and he wins $91.

This room had the BEST system I have seen. They had ONE station desk for the floorman brush and cashier, and you did EVERYTHING here -- signed up for a list (automated), bought chips, and got swiped in for comps. Sometimes this all happened at once. Hourly rate poker room comps are ON your Harrahs card within 3 days and can be used at any Harrahs property.


ISLE OF CAPRI -- Closed their poker room just over a year ago, so I didn't go. Just what I need -- another reason to NOT visit a pile of debris.




None of the poker rooms spread any game with 2-7 for Low. So -- that means you can't play Kansas City Lowball in Kansas City. What does this mean for my trip to Omaha?