Edmonton, Alberta poker rooms?

[TER]

I'm going to be in Edmonton for the next three months so I'd like to hear how the poker rooms are.
Which casinos have poker rooms?
What's the max buy-in for 1/2 NL?
Which room do you think has the best atmosphere and most often has soft games going?
Do you have to pay for drinks?
Are weekends the only good times to play, or can you find good games on weekday nights?
Is there a time charge or just raked pots?

Thanks

[DonovanMD]

We have 6 casinos in town with poker rooms, some are great, some not so much.

Casino Yellowhead - 12 tables, runs 1/2NL, 3/6 limit and on weekends occasionally a 15/30 half and half with limit HE and Omaha. Lists of interests for other games, but rarely gets much else going. Max buy in for 1/2 is $200.n Nice room.

River Cree - 15 tables, 3/6 limit, 1/2NL, 5/5 PLO on weekends, OCCASIONAL 5/10PLO, lists of interest for other larger games. Nice room. $500 max buy in on 1/2.

Casino Edmonton - 10-12 tables 90% 1/2NL, 3/6 limit. $200 max for 1/2, decent room.

Baccarat Casino - 7 tables, 3/6, 4/8 DC, 1/2NL, 10-20 omaha hi lo, 15/30 half and half. The Bac only runs one or two bigger games at a time, and usually they'll have the 10/20 and 15/30 in the afternoons on weekdays with all regulars. Come 5-6pm when they switch it to a 1/2 or 5/5NL the game is usually very good and deep stacked. Small dingy room, but they try the hardest to run bigger games with lists of interest. Max $500 buy in NL.

Century Casino - 3/6 limit, 3/6 DC, 1/2NL. Only 6 tables, small room, only open until 2am, no free drinks. $500 max buy in NL.

Palace Casino - 6 tables. The room is in a casino at West Edmonton Mall, but the poker dealers have been on strike for over a year now, the room is still open but I havent played there in years. 1/2NL and 3/6 is likely all they have.

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For the most part Edmonton has a decent low limit poker scene, its not bad for guys like me who are mostly playing 1/2NL, but when you want to move up it sucks for a lack of options at limit or NL. If you like bigger limit games down in Calgary they have 24hour a day 15/30 with a kill, and very often 30/60 and higher as well, worth a weekend visit. All limit Edmonton games have a full kill I believe.

Hope this helps.

[GrinningBuddha]

A couple of additions to Donovan's good post:

Fri/Sat nights are usually the only ones that get any games other than 1-2 NL or 3-6 limit, other than Baccarat which schedules bigger limit games during weekdays. You'll occasionally get a 4-8 limit dealer's choice game on weekends at Yellowhead.

Casino Edmonton will sometimes have a 1-2 NL DC game (Holdem, Omaha Hi, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple).

River Cree runs their 5-5 PL DC game pretty much every night, sometimes getting 2 tables on weekends.

The Palace is now back to work, but since the strike just ended, you're not going to find much action just yet there. There's a lot of Edmonton regulars who have been abused by the strikers and simply won't play there.

[DonovanMD]

I'll also add Casino Edmonton runs a very wild 1/2NL DC game, yes with NL Omaha, with a $500 buy in that plays like a much larger game. Runs everyday.

And although I never play at Palace their 1/2NL is a $1000 max buy in, kind of stupid, but it can be a huge game I've heard.

[lozen]

Doesnt Yellowhead have 10/20 limit on friday nights?
Also drinks are not free at any.
Food is great at Yellowhead and Food terrible at River Cree

[GrinningBuddha]

[ QUOTE ]
Doesnt Yellowhead have 10/20 limit on friday nights?
Also drinks are not free at any.


[/ QUOTE ]

Yellowhead does get the 10/20 going on most Friday nights, yes.

Non-alcoholic drinks are generally free (self-serve) at all of the casinos other than Century. Alcoholic drinks are not free in Alberta.