The Player's Club -- Turks and Caicos Trip Report

[Lou]

I just spend a week at Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos Islands and played poker at the Player's Club. They are hosting a WPT event this September. The club is located in Turtle Cove, Providenciales (Provo). Airport is also in Provo.

I visited the Player's Club (PC) 3 nights during my stay, Thursday, Friday and Monday. I was probably one of the few, if not the only, tourist at the table. Most players are locals (either native or current residents that moved from other countries). I am told that the PC opened around March of this year. The PC is not affiliated with a "real" casino, which I believe is name Casablanca, which just open around 6/14/07. The casino has no livepoker. -- Back to PC, they have tournaments every night, info can be found on their website: www.ThePlayersClub.tc -- From what I remember, Thursday is ladies night, $25 buyin, no-limiit. Sunday is 1000+??? super for the WPT event, this past Sunday, they had 6 players. WPT buyin in 7500+??? -- PC (and all of Turks and Caicos deals in US dollars). -- There is no poker during the day. The night starts with the nightly tournament and the cash games follow, or earlier if cash game players are available. Their signup sheet only shows 1-2 no limit and 2-5 no-limit. -- They do not offer any limit holdem or other variations. Although the mgr mentioned they would deal whatever the players wanted. -- Only 1-2 NL was played on my 3 nights. However, on Thurdays, they did spread a 2-4 Limit for 5 of the ladies who played in the tournament. The tournaments start about 8-830pm, while the cash games start around 9-930pm. I left around 12:30am on the Th and Fr and abour 1am on Monday, so I have no idea what time the games break.

They have a bad beat jackpot, funded by an extra $2 rake from each pot (if there is a flop, I believe). Although the board stated the pool was at $15,000, the dealer told me it was up to $21,000 -- Qualifying hands were aces-full being beat with both hole cards playing. -- Additionally, a royal in spades got 10% of the Bad Beat pool, while the other 3 suits got 5%. -- There were no payouts during my playing time.

Rake: The rake was incredible, but when you are the only game in town, I guess you can charge whatever you want. Of course, what I was told was the rake, appeared to be not true or perhaps I did not understand. What I was told when asked on my first night was 10% for first $50 and then 5% up to a max of $10 (again, this in addition to $2 bad beat rake.). -- However, I saw as much as $30, (yes thirty) being raked from a huge pot. -- Here is what I noticed about the rake. When play first started, the dealer, Misty (PYT from Orlando) would place the rake in a rake holder and then drop it when the hand was over. During this procedure, I never saw more than $10 being dropped. The rake hold was the kind I believe they use in Vegas. i.e., the chips are placed in the hold during the hand and at the end a slide is pulled back and the chips are dropped into a box. I am used to Atlantic City where the rake, (for raked games), get placed on a cylinder and then placed in the rack after the hand is over, no drop. -- Ok, so back to PC. Misty was relieved by the mgr, whose name I believe was Johnny, and MAY have been the owner. Misty then tapped the still on-going tourney dealer who then tapped Johnny. While Johnny was dealing the couple of hands at our table, I noticed that he forced open the rake slide with a $1 chip, basically leaving a hole in the table into the rake drop box. So now, unless you payed attention, you really had no idea how much was being raked as the chips fell immediately into the box. It was hard to tell from the 9 seat the color or the number chips since the dealer used his/her right hand to rake. I watched them as closely as possible and definetly saw more than $10 total being dropped. -- On the 2nd and 3rd visits I sat in the 1 seat. After the game filled up, the same procedure of propping open the rake slide was used. Now with the vantage point of see the inside of the dealers righ hand, I saw at least one large pot where 2 red chips were dropped after flop, turn and river betting rounds. -- So I either misunderstood the rake max or the table was being robbed. Perhaps someone else who has visited can shed some light on this. I hesitated to say anything since I knew I was a visitor and also that it was the mgr who seemed to encourage it.

WPT tournament:-- I asked about the Club Med affiation with the WPT tourney and I was told Player's Club is running the tourney at Club Med since the PC only has 4 tables.

PC also has electronic BJ and roulette and slot machines. The place was never really crowded on any of my 3 visits. I would say they made most of their money from live poker.

Transportation: Taxi from Beaches to PC was $10 ( $8 + 2 tip) each way. Beaches lobby will call you a taxi. It's about 5 minute ride.

Pizza and Rolled Tacos were brought in the first 2 nights I was there for the poker players. Drinks are free while at the table.

ATM machine: Not available at PC (although they exist on the island), so bring cash.

Buyin: For the 1-2 NL, buyin was 100-300. Although one night, they were letting new players buyin for $500 because several players had $1000 plus stacks.

The action: It was like playing no-foldem $2-$4 limit holdem. Most of the locals saw every flop even for raises. So basically they could hold ATC. So adjust your play accordingly. I really couldn;t pinpoint any player as the caliber that I've played against in Atlantic City. The game reminded me of the nickel-dime-quarter game you play with family at get togethers.

My results: (including cab fare) 1st night +200, 2nd night -300, 3rd night +600 for a net of $500. -- I got lucky on the last night. I had about $350 after a buyin of $300, got KJ on the button. There was $25 raise from a short stack that I, along with 6 other players called. flop comes K82. The turn is a T. The pre-flop raiser goes all in for $100 bet with 3 callers. The river a J. There is a $125 bet, a fold,I push all in for $225, bettor folds. The SS-allin had AK, so I scoop a $900+ pot, get up and leave 2 hands later.

Hope this was informative. -- Lou

[JOEL_]

Do they play live poker or not? I stopped reading when you said they don't have live poker.

[Lou]

Joel, re-read my post. I said the Casablanca Casino does not have live poker. The Player's Club does have live poker, which is where I played. I only mentioned Casablanca so folks knew it was different from the Player's Club

Lou

[JOEL_]

Lou,

My apologies,yes your quite right,its clear enough,my bad.

You know in the about the forums forum they are right now discussing wether they should have a travel forum here on 2+2.Your detailed TR would be a perfect example of what could exist there.

[baiter]

Very nice - thanks for the info. I've been meaning to check out T&C ever since a family friend started building some condos at Leeward. Sounds like this game can subsidize air + hotel. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

How is T&C otherwise?