Walker-Hill Casino (Seoul, Korea)

[jaherer1]

Hello everyone, i know this is my first post, so i will try to keep it short and pertinent.

Walker Hill Casino, open to all foreigners (non-resident Koreans) in Seoul, South Korea has opened up a poker room. The casino is located at the Sheraton Hotel (Lower Lobby) and is next to the W Hotel. Im sure you can find directions on the internet.

I have been there twice in the past week, on Saturday and Sunday, and these are my views.

First, the two main games are $1/$2 No-Limit Hold 'Em, with a min/max of $100/$500. The other game is $20/$40 Limit Hold 'Em, with a min buy-in of $500(i think this is correct, since most buy in for a rack of chips). In the 20/40 game, they use primarily $5 chips, so it seems as if the pots are huge.

I only played in the 20/40 game a couple of months ago, when the room was run by other management. The game was very loose, lots of pre-flop cold-calling, and of course, lots of calling for draws. I havent played the 20/40 the last two times, but it seems as if its rougly the same, although not as many Japanese tourists as when i first played.

The 1/2 no-limit is similar to any B&M game you'll find in the states. One thing to point out is that the dealers are well-trained, although they will make mistakes once in awhile. Also, every table speaks English, so language barrier is not a problem.

The only negative i can think of is the rake, which is excessively high. They dont post the rake requirements on the table, but i believe its 5%, up to $10 at 1/2. Not sure of the 20/40 game.

All games start around 6pm, and end whenever there are no players left. Since it started recently, players seem to come and go. You can expect at least 5-6 players at both games, although traffic seems to up during the weekends. The poker room has a number, so you can call to see if they have any action.

Finally, they have tournaments every Sunday, starting in January. Its a $100 buy-in, no-limit tournament. Im not sure of all the particulars since they havent begun yet, but more information can be located at the poker room.

I hope this information helps out those who are looking for a game in Korea.