Live Stud Before the HE boom

[Frond]

I moved this here cause of the overwhelming response it got in the stud forum.

I've been playing various forms of poker for 2 years now. I would like to hear from stud players who have been playing live stud for a while and find out what the stud games in the So Cal and Vegas areas were like before the NLHE boom.
1. Typical limits that were spread
2. Player skill level
3. # of tables in a room

Since I probably won't see a lot of stud games any more I was really interested in what it was like.

[Brad1970]

Frond,

In my experience live stud then vs now hasn't changed a whole lot. Back then, in my area, you had the same grumpy old men playing in the same 1-5 game as you do now. In other words, not alot has changed. But I'm not in Vegas or S. Cali either...

[nowags]

I'm def. not an old timer, but i've been playing seriously for about 5 or 6 years. First played in vegas about 4 or 5 years ago. WAAAAAY less card rooms in Vegas at that time. Mirage and Bellagio had the only big card rooms, Luxor and Mandalay had little rooms which were basically areas roped off 4 or 5 tables at each. I'm sure a couple other casinos had tables, but i didnt see them. Now, pretty much every casino has a room, and Bellagio has expanded theirs. i think they added 10 tables or so?

As far as stud goes, from what i know, A LOT more stud games used to be spread. Before TV made holdem big, the handful of players there were mainly played games where you get more than 2 cards (at least thats what i know of poker history). Here in colorado, Stud was the only poker game that was spread, and it was only in a couple casinos. Now, you can't find a stud game in Colorado, that i know of. In Vegas, Stud is really tough to find. My last trip Mirage had a 1-5 spread limit stud, and Bellagio had 20/40. That was it. So, finding a stud, and even omaha, etc. games is tough, unless you're rolled for higher limits. I think Venetian is supposed to have a game, but you need stud players for a stud game, so i dont know if they actually get it going or not.

So, i guess now there is more poker, but it's mostly holdem and then there was less poker but more variety.

Hopefully you get a better response from a real old timer.

[nowags]

Also, I played with a kid from Jersey at the Mirage game, and he said that Atlantic City had a lot more stud games spread, and more limits. If you're looking for a variety of stud games, maybe do a little research to see if AC is the place to go?

[Frond]

Thanks for the responses.

[atomicsoda]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, I played with a kid from Jersey at the Mirage game, and he said that Atlantic City had a lot more stud games spread, and more limits. If you're looking for a variety of stud games, maybe do a little research to see if AC is the place to go?

[/ QUOTE ]


The Taj in AC spreads a lot of stud games. Don't know much about them except it is popular there.

[Rottersod]

Back in the 80's and 90's the bike spread a lot more stud games. The skill level at the lower limits was about the same as you would expect to see now at hold em lower limits. The typical player was older. Add an extra 20 years average age for the stud hi/lo games. Believe me, you didn't miss out on anything. Today's NL environment is a lot more exiting and there is a ton more money to be made.

[Jeffage]

Taj Stud Games

1-3/1-5 (either both or one or the other, not sure) 5-10, 10-20, 20-40, 40-80

Borgata Stud Games

20-40 (used to be 15-30-45), 75-150, 150-300 and usually a 400-800 or 500-1000 or 600-1200 (these huge games are sometimes mixed games like HOSE). I'm not sure how common the 75-150 and 150-300 are during the week, but they go weekends generally.

Jeff

[Photoc]

I know my reply isn't completely relavent to the topic of Vegas/SoCal but I'm from the east coast and you'd always see tons of 1-3, 1-5 spread limit stud games, some 20/40, 50/100 and 75/10 games. Not much around the 5/10-15/30 range to be found though.

As for Vegas, the middle limit 20/40-75/150 stud had a decent footing as far back as I could remember. Not overwhelming, but you could find games. Nowadays, ehh, not much anything anymore.

[Cooling Heels]

Ten or fifteen years ago every Vegas cardroom had 1/5 no ante stud games. Lowroller joints like the Plaza had 1/3 or 1/4 stud. The games were generally boring with small pots, but the were a good venue for drinking free beer while on vacation.

Some of the off-strip rooms such as the Palace Station had structured 3/6 stud and stud/8 games with a quarter ante. The players were mainly pensioners, but the games were actually good.

My favorite low stakes stud games were the 4/8 structured game with a 50 cent ante and $1 bring-in at the Bellagio, and a 5/10 structured game at the Mirage. The 4/8 Bellagio game seemed to have the biggest pots, and the players were a mix of weak tight OAP's and tourists with lots of money to burn. I recall many foreign visitors at the Bellagio game who appeared to be extremely wealthy.

As to number of rooms, their were probably more rooms 15 years ago than 8 years ago. I remember Treasure Island, MGM, Harrah's, Caesars and others closing their poker rooms and replacing them with gift shops and slots.