Low stakes poker in North America...
 

Hi everyone,
I'm taking a trip to Canada the 18th of december (around Toronto), and will probably extend it a little bit and hop over to the US at some point. I'll have a total of 5 weeks in the area. I want to incorporate poker in the adventure, but have a limited budget: a few hundred dollars, at the very most. I've heard some casinos in the US have micro limits (blinds at 50 cent or less). Is that true?
What would you recommend for a guy who has little budget, but time and energy on his hands? I'd rather "grind" at a micro limit table then try and triple up my BR on a juicy table. The goal is to make the money last...
Thanks for your advice

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

No significant Brick & Mortar Casino of which I am aware has "micro" limits. $2/$4 for Limit and $1/$2 (many now changing to $1/$3) for No Limit are the smallest stakes I have seen.

You're gonna need a bigger bankroll.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

Last time I was at the Oaks in the Bay Area they has a $1/$2 hold em game played with 50c chips and a small blind of $50c. Don't know if it still runs as I haven't been there for a year so you might want to phone them to check.

Never played it myself, so no idea how it plays. I imagine the drop takes out a disproportionate amount compared to higher limits though.

Really though, unless San Fran appeals anyway (and it is a great place to visit) you might want to think about saving yourself an airfare to the west coast and devoting the extra money to playing $2/$4, $3/$6 or whatever the lowest limit in the Niagara casinos is.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

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Really though, unless San Fran appeals anyway (and it is a great place to visit) you might want to think about saving yourself an airfare to the west coast and devoting the extra money to playing $2/$4, $3/$6 or whatever the lowest limit in the Niagara casinos is.

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QFT. It would cost you far more traveling to a casino that spreads micro-limit games than it would be to just suck it up and play 2/4 or 3/6 in Niagara.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

what casino will you be going to. Toronto

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

A few hundred is plenty to play $2/4 limit. Most people probably buy in for $50. You'd have to have the worst trip imaginable to lose $300 playing $2/4 (assuming you can win at poker, of course.)

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

If you are planning on coming out to Los Angeles, then we have a 1/1 $20 max buy in NL game at Hawaiian Gardens. We also have a $1/2 HE/7stud game at the Bike and a 1/2 7 Stud game at the Normandie. I would not plan your trip around these games.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

Your best bet is the 1/2 game at Casino Niagara (Canada). They've often got a few tables going and I believe you can buy in for as little as $40. Ain't gonna be much of a bankroll but you can do it. I've turned $80 into a few hundred with patience.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

Well, Before they built the Poker rooms in WV, I made monthly trips up to Niagara. Let me give you a breakdown of the action:

Casino Niagara is your best bet for low-limit games - they typically run 8 1/2NL tables, and a couple 2/4 and 3/6 tables.

Fallsview is a bit higher limit, offering 2/5NL, and sometimes limit as high as 10/20.

The problem is, the rules for the rooms in Canada blow. You can't straddle, you can't use your Ipod, you can't have a cell phone anywhere near the table, and most importantly.... you have to pay for your booze. In addition, you can only buy in for a max 100 at the tables, and if everyon else has 300-500 in front of them, it makes it hard to get rolling.

My recommendation is Seneca Niagara on the American side. They will usually have several 2/4 Limit games going, as well as a juicy 3/6 Omaha 8OB game with a kill. As stated, you can grind there, have a good time, get a few drinks, and if you lose a few hundred at those stakes, you should spend your next 50 bucks on poker books, not the tables [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Hope that helps!

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

oceans11 in oceanside california has $1-1 nl for $20-40 buy in.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

all the casinos in the greater Toronto area do not offer NL, only limit (Brantofrd, Great Blue Heron). there is a casino about 1.5 hours north of the city (casino rama) that offers 1/2 NL and 2/5 limit, as well as casino niagara which is 2 hours west which has both but no games with blinds smaller than 2/4 or NL games smaller than 1/2

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

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If you are planning on coming out to Los Angeles, then we have a 1/1 $20 max buy in NL game at Hawaiian Gardens. We also have a $1/2 HE/7stud game at the Bike and a 1/2 7 Stud game at the Normandie. I would not plan your trip around these games.

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I'd stay away from tiny limit games; usually its a geriatric crowd just killing time and providing little action with a rake that can't be beat.

Note the little no limit games at Hawaiian Gardens ($20 and $40 fixed buy) are usually at least fifteen games deep even on slow nights. As I've mentioned in a few recent posts it's a party atmosphere.

Commerce, Hustler and the Bike are also pretty good but you will have a $40 buyin and a little more serious atmosphere.

~ Rick

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

Thanks for the info!
For the moment I'm considering playing a little in the Niagara Casinos.
For questions of time and money, I might have to stay away from the West Coast this year, but if you have any suggestions less than 2 days ride away from Toronto (in any direction), I'm always interested.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the info!
For the moment I'm considering playing a little in the Niagara Casinos.
For questions of time and money, I might have to stay away from the West Coast this year, but if you have any suggestions less than 2 days ride away from Toronto (in any direction), I'm always interested.

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I have heard good things about the Niagara Falls Casino.

Also, don't laugh, the casinos in Detroit and Windsor (4 hour drive from Toronto - you can take a train too) are much better than you'd expect. Casino Windsor has a very good Poker Room and the rest of the Casino is well done. They are building a new hotel there too.

MGM Grand in Detroit is OUTSTANDING. Just opened and is easily the most "Vegas-Like" property I have ever seen outside of Vegas. The Poker Room is a little lacking - about 8 or 10 tables tucked away from the rest of the Casino.

Motor City Casino is the best Poker Room of the Detroit/Windsor area. Large & well run. Opening a brand new Hotel as we speak.

The only "Dog" of the Detroit Area Casinos is Greektown Casino. As everyone else has upgraded their properties, Greektown just continues to look more and more tired. They just proudly announced the GRAND OPENING of their new Parking Garage.

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

I'm not a huge fan of the look... it's the blinds that worry me! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] What games do they have at the casinos you're promoting?

Re: Low stakes poker in North America...
 

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I'm not a huge fan of the look... it's the blinds that worry me! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] What games do they have at the casinos you're promoting?

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They all offer a variety. Lowest stakes for NL TxHE is $1/$2. Since NL TxHE is the only game I play, I don't know the Limit or Omaha game structures.

Greektown and Casino Windsor probably have the best opportunities for Tourneys - with daily and weekly Tourneys. MGM, being the smallest room of the Four is most limited in game selection. MCC can spread what seems like the largest variety of games. I believe that GT and CW are similar in the variety of games spread.

Windsor is probably the "Fishiest" game because of the drunk 19 year olds playing in a B&M Casino for the first time.

I haven't played MGM, but it seems like the "Tightest" game

MCC and GT are "Moderately Fishy". GT can be a "rougher" crowd.