More Poker in Iowa

This trip got off to an odd start.

First stopped in historic Carthage. They were supposed to be the only ones that had a book that mentioned an ancestor of mine. Found it and sure enough --- all it did was mention him. And spelled the name wrong.

Then it was on to CATFISH BEND casino for some poker. (For those of you who are not chip collectors -- CB chips do picture a bent catfish.) CB casino boat used to cruise the Mississippi River between Burlington and Ft. Madison. Then it quit cruising and was docked in each city for 6 months of the year. I had played poker there twice -- and its an awful place. CB now has the boat permanently in Ft. Madison and they have just opened a new land based facility in Burlington. I wanted to play in this new facility. So I called them in Burlington to ask about poker. They said the poker games were on the boat in Ft. Madison. Called Ft Madison and they said all the poker was in Burlington, but there were no games today.
OK -- we'll pass on Catfish Bend then.

Off to RIVERSIDE. A brand new facility 15 miles south of Iowa City. Everything is new and beautiful. Great casino, golf course, and hotel. This is the type of top notch place that exceeds expectations. Poker room had told me to just check into the hotel and I could get the poker rate adjusted by them. Regular rate was $160 during the week for a excellent beautiful room. I was a little nervous -- thought they had given me a room that was not eligible for poker rate. I was not calmed when I saw the poker room had only one table going and its 2-5NL with a wait list. (And this is the only casino live game between Bettendorf and St Louis!)

Things got much better. They opened a 3-6 (with Kill) table and then another table of each game. Played my 3 hours of poker and got my room rate adjusted to a $40 rate.

Poker room is new and beautiful. 14 tables. 1-2NL is not spread. 2-5 is the lowest -- yum. One NL table was quiet, the other was loud and wild. The 3-6 tables were both alternating Tight-Passive and Loose-Passive. Most players were terrible. Rake was 4 + 1 for bbj. Dealer tips were pooled.

Buffet was great (NY steak nite), hotel was great, casino was beuatiful, and the golf course looked inviting too. I'd go back to Riverside.

Next was PRAIRIE MEADOWS in Altoona (just east of Des Moines)
This was also a nice facility. Located in a racetrack and casino but the poker room is a separate room and has its own cage, bar and restrooms. 12 table poker room. 3 were in play on a weekday morning. The 1-2 NL was loose, active, and bad. 6-12 Omaha/8 (with kill) was filled with tight passive regulars. 3-6 was loose passive and bad. Poker room runs a specialty game on certain days. Some days its HOE at 10-20 and 15-30. Rake was 3 (Thats Right- 3 !!) + 1 for bbj and dealers kept their own tips. One of the dealers talked of running illegal poker games years ago in the Quad Cities -- and sure enough, some of her players were guys I went to High School with.

Driving back thru Iowa I realize I had forgotten how pretty the rolling hills are in the middle of this state. Not flat and boring like Central Ill. Driving close by places I had not seen in many years like the Amana Colony, and the Herbert Hoover Museum.

Approaching the Quad Cities I noticed how the number of highway speeders increased. ALL types of crime increase when you get close to the Quad Cities. So I stop in Bettendorf to play some more poker. ISLE OF CAPRI - sigh, didn't I vow to never again visit one of these? Any way, this poker room is the same as always. 9 tables on the top floor of the boat.

A funny aside -- Bettendorf has the same number of legal poker tables that all of Northern Illinois has. Thats right -- 6 tables in Aurora and 3 in Joliet.

Bettendorf has multiple games going 3-6, 4-8, 6-12 and Omaha. Allmost tables are in use. Some young kids come in and ask for NL and they have a list but won't open it. They spread the limit games instead.

When I get home I read on the internet that a Bettendorf home game was busted that was being run by some casino employees. Then I read (elsewhere) about some Bettendorf history and how on the site of the present casino, Bettendorf police ran vice and killed people early in 20th century. Its all ok though ----its the Quad Cities.