Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

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If you want to play 5-200, I prefer the Garden City game over Bay 101.

Bay's game has 3 blinds: 2/3/5 on Button/SB/BB, while GC only has 2 blinds of 3/5 on SB/BB. ($10/orbit vs $8/orbit).

At Bay, any preflop action, even uncalled, incurs a full $5.00 drop. AT GC, if there are limpers and you raise your button and get no callers, they only drop $1.00.

You can buy-in at the 5-200 short if you wish, ($100-200 buy-in).

Only GC is spreading a 3-100 but it is soft. Blinds are 1/3 with $4.00 drop. Min/Max buy-in is $100.00. Wait for strong hands and you will get paid (or cracked) quickly.

My personal favorite is still Bay's 10-200 spread. Blinds are 5/5/10 with a $5.00 drop. Always a lot of action, so don't bluff (too much) and play TAG. After the flop, because of the spread, this plays a lot like 100/200 limit. Buy-in is $400min/$1000max and if the game has been going awhile, there can be $30k+ sitting on the table ("Jackson...Color change!"). [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

FWIW, I bought in short ($400.00) yesterday, played maybe a dozen hands over 4 hours, and cashed out nearly $2500.00. This includes getting AA cracked by pocket fives (Villain flopped a set) and KK cracked on the river when another Villain thought his ATo was the best hand on a T high flop (rivered an Ace). Those hands cost me about $700 combined.


HTH, Rod

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That 10-200 spread is like a bad version of 5/10 NL. Doesnt the $200 betting cap drive you up a wall? I know it did so for me.. Just go play 5/10 NL at like Petaluma or Lucky Derby or Manteca.

Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

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That 10-200 spread is like a bad version of 5/10 NL. Doesnt the $200 betting cap drive you up a wall? I know it did so for me.. Just go play 5/10 NL at like Petaluma or Lucky Derby or Manteca.

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I'm too lazy to drive that far and the action at Bay is very profitable. But like I said, if you approach the 10-200 like a weird 100/200 limit (that allows limping for $10), playing small/mid pairs and/or suited connectors as cheaply as possible and in late position, it can be very fun.

One thing I saw that was really nutty, was the constant straddling that was going on. There was even one hand where we had 3 straddles: UTG straddled for $20, UTG+1 straddled for $40, and MP1 straddled for $60. Folded to the button who tried to raise to $200 straight. (Can you guess what his hold cards were? LOL)

Dealer said he couldn't because MP1 already had the 3rd PF raise...he could only call. The straddlers completed and 4 players saw a flop of TT9r. Checked to the button who bet $200 and re-raised to $400 by MP1. Button folds in disgust and mucks AA face up. MP1 shows ATo for flopped trips.

Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

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There was even one hand where we had 3 straddles: UTG straddled for $20, UTG+1 straddled for $40, and MP1 straddled for $60. Folded to the button who tried to raise to $200 straight. Dealer said he couldn't because MP1 already had the 3rd PF raise...he could only call.

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What a horrible situation. I guess since it is spread limit and not no limit that it is technically correct, but I think that if there is a cap on the betting (and why no 5th bet if the first straddle is live??), then the club should not permit blind raises after the straddle. Or something. This is really bad.

Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

Okay, sorry about going off topic,let me try again.....

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What game's good for a beginner with that bankroll?

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Probably GC's 3-100 spread limit. They usually don't start spreading this until 11:00am or so as most of the players are still in the daily tournaments that start at 10:15am. Once they bust out, they go to the cash tables.

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I liked Garden City's $3 bring-in, as that's a significant difference with a $100 buyin, but that's somewhat far for me. How's the Grand? Or Hayward? Isn't there a place up in Napa, too?

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I've only played at the two rooms in San Jose...Bay 101 and Garden City.

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Where's the best action? Time of day/week?

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Best action in San Jose is Bay 101. Best action for your bankroll is GC.

Most days, you have to wait until elevenish for them to spread a game. After that, they'll get a list going and it can take awhile before they either start a new table or players run out of money. They may have 2-3 tables going in the afternoon, then have to break tables as players who were playing hookie leave for home. Then it starts back up again around 5-7 pm.

There's always going to be 4-6 regulars, 2-3 daytimers, and 1-2 fish.

Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

Excellent, thanks for the extensive review. Glad you could take the snark. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

It's looking more and more like GC is where I should start, but I suspect once I get comfortable there I may move up to the Grand. Perhaps I'll try to get some folks together to make regular trips if I like it.

Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

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Plus, its not a good game to shortstack because it has a $7 per down time charge, so you're paying $14 an hour to fold.

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Wait, so they don't rape you up the ass in rake like every other casino in the bay area??? That's basically the cost of winning 1 pot every 20 mins at any other local room.

Re: Best low NL stakes in Bay Area?
 

I've always like Cal Grand which i believe is a 1/1/2 with $300 buy in. Its nice to have 150x bb instead of the 100x bb most places go buy.

LC's has always been fun. But it may not suit your bankroll. Its 1/2/2 with a $4 bring in $200 max buy in so its really only 50x bb.