2 things for Winstar goers
 

1. go late.

my new strategy has been to sleep all day and get there around midnight or so. everyone is tired, and i'm fresh and on my game. i guess this could go for any place, but it is definitely very +ev IMO.

2. taco casa.

i don't know why it's taken me this long to post this, but next time you go to winstar, stop at taco casa (exit california st 496b i believe). it has a orange and yellow sign, and you can see it from the freeway (east side).

the chiladas and taco lights(not diet, just made w/a fried flour tortilla) are freaking amazing. it is hands-down, my favorite fast-food mexican food, and i wanted to make sure all my fellow 2+2ers can benefit. their sweet tea is really good too if you're into that (any size=$.59).



you're welcome

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
1. go late.

my new strategy has been to sleep all day and get there around midnight or so. everyone is tired, and i'm fresh and on my game. i guess this could go for any place, but it is definitely very +ev IMO.

2. taco casa.

i don't know why it's taken me this long to post this, but next time you go to winstar, stop at taco casa (exit california st 496b i believe). it has a orange and yellow sign, and you can see it from the freeway (east side).

the chiladas and taco lights(not diet, just made w/a fried flour tortilla) are freaking amazing. it is hands-down, my favorite fast-food mexican food, and i wanted to make sure all my fellow 2+2ers can benefit. their sweet tea is really good too if you're into that (any size=$.59).



you're welcome

[/ QUOTE ]

Just looking at their website. Do they have automatic shufflers for poker?? Looks like they did from the pics.. If so how cool. That place looks awesome.. Too bad im in NY, and am stuck with these indian shithole casinos.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

I will pass on the taco casa. That place is bad.

I would suggest an exit at 501 or 470 and purchase yourself some adult videos so if you come home after a losing poker session at least you have porn.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

mmmmmmmmmm.... casa......... mmmmmmmm

if you stop on the way up you'll be *real* popular at the tables...

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
I will pass on the taco casa. That place is bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

LIES!!!

please, don't coment on casa unless you've eaten the chiladas.

i don't understand how people can like casa < bueno or bell.



also, yes, they have auto-shufflers

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
Do they have automatic shufflers for poker??

[/ QUOTE ]

On most of the tables. I was unfortunate last time I went to get on one without an auto-shuffler.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

yeah, if the room is full you may get shafted by a non-shuffler table. Also, I must agree with rage that the games between midnight and 8am are the best. Tired players, plus some games may be short handed, which I prefer, and also get a rake reduction.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

also, if you are at a table, all you have to is ask and you get a $6 voucher for the grill. Don't know if this is common knowledge among regulars, I'm 3 1/2 hours away, so I didn't know until someone told me, and I saw plenty of people pay full freight, so thought I would pass it along.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

Just ask the dealer and you get the voucher?

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
also, if you are at a table, all you have to is ask and you get a $6 voucher for the grill. Don't know if this is common knowledge among regulars, I'm 3 1/2 hours away, so I didn't know until someone told me, and I saw plenty of people pay full freight, so thought I would pass it along.

[/ QUOTE ]

do you ask the dealer or someone on the floor or what?

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
Just ask the dealer and you get the voucher?

[/ QUOTE ]

floor manager

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

Ask the floor for a food comp. I've never been turned down.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

More than likely moving to Dallas soon, so I'm guessing this will be my regular weekly haunt. How are the $1/$2 NL games? Rake? Buyin? What about tournaments?

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

I haven't been down to winstar yet, but I plan on going soon. The riverwind (south of Norman, OK), definitely has them and I like them. You don't really realize what they do to speed up the game until the one at your table breaks down.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
More than likely moving to Dallas soon, so I'm guessing this will be my regular weekly haunt. How are the $1/$2 NL games? Rake? Buyin? What about tournaments?

[/ QUOTE ]

1/2 games can be pretty good, but it's very table dependent. do everything you can to not start a table, b/c they're usually very bad.

rake is 10% up to 5-max plus a $1 BBJ drop that is taken before the dealer deals(i.e. if you chopped it, the sb gets nothing and the bb gets his 2 back).

tournaments run daily or almost daily i think ranging from about 60-100. they are pretty much pushfests after the first couple of levels(3k chips, 20 min levels, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200 and skyrocketing after that). they run a slightly better, higher buy-in tourney at least once a month usually.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

I hesitate to drive up there b/c I've heard the waiting lists can be insane.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
2. taco casa.

i don't know why it's taken me this long to post this, but next time you go to winstar, stop at taco casa (exit california st 496b i believe). it has a orange and yellow sign, and you can see it from the freeway (east side).

the chiladas and taco lights(not diet, just made w/a fried flour tortilla) are freaking amazing. it is hands-down, my favorite fast-food mexican food, and i wanted to make sure all my fellow 2+2ers can benefit. their sweet tea is really good too if you're into that (any size=$.59).



you're welcome

[/ QUOTE ]


Taco Casa is awesome. I miss that place so much. The soft drink ice is worth the side trip but the place was always a must stop on my frequent DFW to OKC trips. Actually, I had to work in Gainesville on occasion and I would always make it a point to stop in on those trips as well.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
I hesitate to drive up there b/c I've heard the waiting lists can be insane.

[/ QUOTE ]
I would imagine it's gotten a lot better since they switched to the new room, but I haven't been up there in a while so I can't say for sure.

Even in the old room/showplace combo setting, I don't ever remember waiting a ridiculous amount of time. Maybe 45-hour tops.

Also, rage is 100% correct about Taco Casa being the best thing ever. Taco lites and sweet tea FTW.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
I hesitate to drive up there b/c I've heard the waiting lists can be insane.

[/ QUOTE ]

i've never had to wait more than about 20 mins for a 2/5 game(not counting the grand opening day).

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

Wait is greatly reduced in the new room.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

New room = no waits except on that crazy grand opening weekend when they managed to have half-day waits.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

They have their tournaments listed on their website. Tourneys Mon - Thur mainly. Big tourney on weekend.

Wait in new room is usually SHORT even on weekends. They are pretty good lately with opening new tables if the list gets more than 8 people on it.

$1/$2NL plays well. Some tables SUPER tight and some SUPER loose. Just have to play it out. Money is surely to be had.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

My thoughts on Winstar... A few weeks ago I drove up there the first day the new poker room was opened and was very impressed with the ammenities. You walk in and immediately see a large sign in desk with a number of flat screen televisions displaying the wait list. It is adequately staffed and they all seem friendly for the most part. Behind the sign in desk is the main room. Very open and airy with at least 50 tables. Having recently come from Vegas, I was still impressed with the sized. There a partially separated room to the left with a few tables for the higher stakes games. To the right of the sign-in desk is a partitioned off lounge area that is very nice, and it has additional flat screens displaying the wait list. There is also a seperate room behind the lounge for smokers.

As for the action, they probably had a dozen 1/2 and a dozen 2/5 games going, along with some random low limit and 5/10 no limit games. Not much Hi limit action, but occasionally a 10/20 no limit game will form. I played 1/2 a lot and felt the action was much too loose. Additionally, with the $6 rake, a lot of money goes to the house each hour. Therefore, I wouldn't reccomend playing anything less than 2/5 no limit. The tournaments are pretty wild like another poster said and the blinds go up every 15 minutes so it's a real disadvantage to the good players. They have a bigger buy-in usually once a month with more reasonably blind structures, and it's the only one I consider playing.

All in all, it's a very nice room with a lot of potential. Some things need to be improved, like the rake amount and the structure of the tournaments. They could gain a lot by marketing heavily in Dallas and drawing the big money away from the underground clubs. I think the room definitely has the potential to attract some WPT or WSOP circut events down the road.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

Winstar Kansas City? Used to be Stations Casino back in the day?

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

[ QUOTE ]
Winstar Kansas City? Used to be Stations Casino back in the day?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you're thinking of Ameristar, this is Winstar on the Oklahoma side of the OK-TX border.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

The rake ain't gonna change, so quit fantasizing.

Re: 2 things for Winstar goers
 

Thanks for all the info. I'll be back and forth between SD, LA, & DFW a bunch over the next year, so I'll try to check it out a couple times before I make the actual move.