SF Bay Area Midlimit Games (other than Hold'em)

[MarkGritter]

I travel to the San Francisco area about once a month on business, and that's where most of my live play takes place. Usually I play the 4/8 Stud/8 game at Garden City, and occasionally one of the 4/8 half-kill Omaha/8 games (Bay 101, AJ's, etc.)

But I play $5/$10 and sometimes $10/$20 online in Stud, HORSE, and Triple Draw, and I'd like to move up in cash games as well. Unfortunately my only options seem to be limit Hold'em games, which I'd prefer to avoid.

So--- are there any options available to me (other than convincing my team to relocate to LA?)

Any once-a-week sort of games I should look for? The only one I found on the poker wiki was $9/$18 Omaha/8 on Thursday at Oaks. Anybody seen this game run recently? Any lowball still hanging on?

What area cardrooms are most friendly about starting an interest list for a mid-limit non-HE or mixed game, if I can get a few friends together? Are there legal restrictions on what they may spread?

(Unfortunately the 6/12 Stud/8 game at Canterbury, my local cardroom, is mostly dead these days as well.)

[elena_elphie]

I have no idea, I would personally love to see a 20/40 HORSE game or something spread in the Bay Area somewhere, I'm getting tired of playing hold 'em all the time too.

Most of the cardrooms tend to regularly fill all of their tables with their current selections, so it might be hard to get a mixed game started.

I would certainly like to play if one gets spread somewhere though.

[MWers]

I'm pretty sure the 10/20 Lowball game at the Oaks still runs with relative frequency.

[pfapfap]

I've not seen lowball at Oaks in at least a year, but I'm usually there late-night, so not sure about daytime. They do have a 4/8 Stud, usually weekend evenings, but that's about as high as you're going to get there in non-HE.

...unless you want to play $40 Pan...

[L0QTiS]

[ QUOTE ]
I've not seen lowball at Oaks in at least a year, but I'm usually there late-night, so not sure about daytime.

[/ QUOTE ]
They spread it on the day of the Turkey Shoot tournament Saturday before last (11/18) - at least, this was according to a few players at my table joking that they wanted to bust so they could play. Got the impression this was a rarity, but I don't play there enough to know either way.

[jfk]

[ QUOTE ]
What area cardrooms are most friendly about starting an interest list for a mid-limit non-HE or mixed game, if I can get a few friends together? Are there legal restrictions on what they may spread?

[/ QUOTE ]

I doubt any of the local rooms would be be motivated to spread a mixed game. The dealers are uncomfortable enough at the O8B tables. I'd be surprised if there was much employee enthusiasm about spreading a whole raft of games for which many dealers would have no experience or training.

As far as I am aware, the 4/8 1/2 kill O8B and stud games which you've already found are the highest non-hold 'em games regularly spread (at least on the Peninsula/San Jose side).

You can add the Palace in Hayward as another place which has O8B (Mon. and Wed.). It too is 4/8 with a 1/2 kill.

[AngusThermopyle]

Put it this way. They used to spread up to 3 O8B games at Bay101 (chained must move). Now maybe one. Less interest (vs explosion of Holdem) and much more rake on Holdem (more hands per hour).

[BigFishSmallCardRoom]

There is a 10/20 Omaha8 with 1/2 kill going at Lucky Chances most Thursdays. You can call and put your name up on the interest list.

Fish

[BigFishSmallCardRoom]

Also, I'm going to try to start a Pot-Limit Omaha game (2/4 blinds $200-500 buy-in) after the new year at Lucky Chances once they get no-limit back. Would appreciate any help on this that you guys can provide.

fish

[vmacosta]

That sounds like fun, count me in!

Note to others: I have probably logged 100 hands total in PLO.