Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Went to Winstar this past weekend. It is about 260 miles from north Austin, so the trip took just under four hours.

The poker room is now on the right side of the casino. It
is very nice and shiny. The bingo players have to walk past the room.

You enter a hall and then it opens into the room. There is no smoking in the room.

The room is very large. There are 40 tables in the main room. Each table seats nine players. The chairs are standard.

There is a small off set room with six tables for higher limit games.

There is a computer screen showing the games and lists. The tables have automatic shufflers. The tables are spaced well and it is not crowded. Each table seats nine players.

The AC was sometimes a bit hot or a bit cold, but never too extreme.

The overall sound level was subdued, I guess with good baffling.

The speaker/announcement system was very loud and plays in the bathrooms and lounge area. So it is odd being in the bathroom and hearing the announcements as if they were right next to you.

There is a waiting lounge nearby. There is a smoking lounge nearby. There is a bathroom off the main room and one in the hallway.

There is a small grill/deli that sells burgers, salads, and other snacks in the room. There is a cage in the room.

The games are 4/8 limit HE and 1/2 and 2/5 NL HE. They had a 2/5 PL Omaha High only game going. And an interest list for a split game.

The rake is high at $5 max with $1 jackpot drop. It must be Aces full of Kings beaten by Quads or better. The jackpot was 19K and it was hit on Sunday. Not by my table, wah. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

On Saturday night, all the tables were full. It was busy, but not swamped. They kept opening tables as the list got full.

Most dealers were pretty good. A few slow ones and a few really fast ones. Lisa was great. Fast and friendly and in control.

The 2/5 PL Omaha was amazing. I really should have tried it at the start. Minimum buy-in was $300. One guy (seat 3) started with $300 and had around $6000 a few hours later.

They were playing cards like K,T,7,4 with only one flush draw.

I watched two pair take down a $400 pot. I saw some incredible limping at the Omaha game. Late that night, it was the only game with a list.

The poker room gives out $6 coupons for food. Nothing else. No poker room rate. No other comps at all.

They plan to build a connecting hotel next year.

They also plan to have a bar (no alcohol now) later this year. They will still allow 18+, but have the drinks only available at the bar and not at the tables. There will be a bar next to the poker room in the cushy waiting area.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

I love the new room. I'm glad that they're still going to allow 18+ even with the bar being that I just turned 19. I haven't been up there in long while, I was last there to play in the first tournament in the new room and haven't been back since because of school/work/etc.

We should really set up a 2p2 meet up sometime soon!

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Is Lisa the large no-nonsense gal? If so, I love her.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

I thought Lisa was the older aged woman (not that old) with short blondish/brownish hair...seemingly good looking for an older lady.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Weird accent? From South Africa, just became a citizen? I love her too.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

If they would open 4/8 or 5/10 limit Omaha Hi I would probably drive up nearly every weekend

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

How new is the room? I plan on making a trip up there in July. Last time I went was last spring.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
The room is very large. There are 40 tables in the main room. Each table seats nine players. The chairs are standard.

There is a small off set room with six tables for higher limit games.

There is a computer screen showing the games and lists. The tables have automatic shufflers. The tables are spaced well and it is not crowded. Each table seats nine players.


[/ QUOTE ]

how many players do they sit at each table?

:-P

thanks for the update, is the play still as bad as i remember even during wsop season?

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Lisa is the petite Asian dealer who is very efficient and nice. She was working during the daytime on Sunday.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

They had an interest list for 5-10 limit O8. The PL Omaha game looked really really good. But way too deep for me.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

I played only 4-8. And yeah, the play was quite bad. Call, call, call, call, call.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Never any limit Omaha hi games going. Sometimes Omaha 8 games go. Sometimes PLO goes.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
Never any limit Omaha hi games going.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that really a game? I can't imagine it would be anything but capped on every street with multiway pots.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Is Winstar an Indian casino?

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
Is Winstar an Indian casino?

[/ QUOTE ]

yes

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Sounds like a good room. Maybe they learned something from the other tribes who opened rooms but were not ready to handle the game right. The drop does seem a bit high for someplace way out in the middle of the country though.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

I just read this post at a forum I post on, but it seems impossible for Winstar... is there any truth to this?


"thanks loius, It was just frustrating that those bad beats happenned when it was mostly counted. anyhow, my next goal is to try to cash at Winstar casino $1000 buyin last week of August. They will have 1 million dollar payout/prize poll. They expect to have between 700-1000 entries.
Good luck in Vegas."

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
I just read this post at a forum I post on, but it seems impossible for Winstar... is there any truth to this?


"thanks loius, It was just frustrating that those bad beats happenned when it was mostly counted. anyhow, my next goal is to try to cash at Winstar casino $1000 buyin last week of August. They will have 1 million dollar payout/prize poll. They expect to have between 700-1000 entries.
Good luck in Vegas."

[/ QUOTE ]

This is the Red River Roundup Torunament, last years prize pool was over $500K and with the new poker room this year $1M is definitely possible. Greg Raymer and I believe David Williams were big named players brought in for their advertising value last year.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
I just read this post at a forum I post on, but it seems impossible for Winstar... is there any truth to this?

"thanks loius, It was just frustrating that those bad beats happenned when it was mostly counted. anyhow, my next goal is to try to cash at Winstar casino $1000 buyin last week of August. They will have 1 million dollar payout/prize poll. They expect to have between 700-1000 entries.
Good luck in Vegas."

[/ QUOTE ]

The specific 1 mill tourney is at Riverwind, this person is likely confused. Red River Roundup is in August and likely no details have been announced at all. But then, I haven't been in the room in a few weeks.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

The Riverwind Storm Tournament was this past weekend and was only a $250K guarantee. It is my understanding that the RRR will be $1M guaranteed in last August.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

I'm high on the drugs, clearly. Any word on non-NLHE tourneys as part of the RRR?

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Does anyone feel upset we have to commute hours through Texas to get to the OK border to play?

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Ah, but there's that smug sense of satisfaction that comes from living in Austin...

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
Ah, but there's that smug sense of satisfaction that comes from living in Austin...

[/ QUOTE ]

The Oasis of Texas

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

I only have to drive 35 minutes. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Is it a tough drive from Dallas - I'm in town for the night and have nothing to do past 9pm and before 11am tomorrow.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Nah, just an hour or so.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Take I-35E straight up north to exit #1 over the OK border.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
Take I-35E straight up north to exit #1 over the OK border.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is there a constant police presence on I-35? I have a client dinner and am thinking of hitting the road afterwards. I definitely won't be drunk, but I'm always wary of driving any type of distance after 3-4 drinks.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Varies. I have noticed days where cops are every few miles then days where NONE in sight for weeks. Just don't drive during rush hour. Traffic out of Dallas will be painful.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Winstar is tight. It definitely has potential to attract WSOP or WPT circuit tournaments down the reoad. Only complaints are high rake and the tournament blind structures though. I live in Denton now so I'm only 30 minutes away, PM me if you ever wanna chill up there or plan a 2p2 party.

BTW Gainsville, the last town you pass through in Texas before you cross over into winstar country (oklahoma), is the beef cattle raising capital of america. You can get some amazon steak, barbecue or home style cooking. I also camp out there when I register for tournaments that fill up fast and don't want to blow money on the casino. There's even an all you can eat barbecue placce that can keep you happy all day. Some cool honkey tonaks an bars too. Gainsville is definitely the place to get a hotel if you're going for an overnight trip.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Hotel in Gainesville FTW. Not sure where you get the idea it's the beef raising capital of America, though. It's where all the people too rich for Valley View and too poor for Denton live.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

Also, Natas is absolutely correct about police presence on the highway.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

can someone tell me how the 1/2 nlgames are there? last time me and my cousin went up there was in april, and they seemed pretty tight.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also, Natas is absolutely correct about police presence on the highway.

[/ QUOTE ]

I decided not to risk it...had a great steak and several drinks at III Forks tonight in Dallas. Felt it was better to just go home.
Next time...

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

xxxslicknick: I don't play NL live, but I'd say you got unlucky on table draw.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
can someone tell me how the 1/2 nlgames are there? last time me and my cousin went up there was in april, and they seemed pretty tight.

[/ QUOTE ]

1/2 nl tables are usually pretty loose at winstar...6x BB raises get called by multiple people often, $15-20 raises occur a lot. I raised 6x BB UTG with AA last week and I had 6 callers and of course they didnt hold. I'm probably going to raise AA $15-20 pre-flop next time, will probably get a caller or 2 its usually so loose. I have gotten Aces cracked about 4 or 5 times in a row raising at least 5x BB pre-flop each time, never on aces cracked day.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone feel upset we have to commute hours through Texas to get to the OK border to play Texas Hold'em?

[/ QUOTE ]


FYP.

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

So is the Red River Roundup played at WinStar? Still 18+ for this big event?

Re: Winstar, OK - new poker room - NO hand details
 

When driving up to Winstar, is there any place to eat in the small town of Gainesville? Denton, Tx is always a sight to drive past.

It also fun to drive past that huge airport where I believe is basically a FedEx runway for daily package flights.