The Arena Poker Room at Casino Arizona's Talking Stick Resort (Scottsdale, AZ) -- FAQ in OP
 

I figured I would start a new thread on this topic since the grand opening is Thursday April 15th at 6am. The old casino is closing at 2am on April 15th.

From what I have heard, the new room will be completely enclosed so there will be even less of a smoke smell than before.

It will have a few more tables than it currently has which is 46.

There will be restrooms located within the room from what I have heard, so no having to walk halfway through the casino to get them, or past the tempting blackjack tables :).

I will be there on opening day between 9am and 1:30pm, so I will post my observations and thoughts on it when I get to work around 2pm, and I encourage everyone else to as well.

The new era of Poker in Arizona begins on Thursday!

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FAQ - created 2017-03-29:

Wait I heard there is no no-limit poker in Arizona :confused:

Technically you heard correctly, we play 'spread limit hold'em'

$300 max with 1/3 blinds (buy in $100-$300)
$500 max with 3/5 blinds (buy in $300-$1,000)

in fact $500 is the maximum bet in any legal state casino.


So what can I bet? Does the betting stop at $300??

You can bet up to the max bet. So if someone bets $12, you may raise to $312, and he may reraise to $612 etc. {or $15, $515, $1015 in 3/5}


So it's not that hard to get all in.

We guess you'll see someone estopped from getting all in @once every 40 hours of live play, and most of those situation arise because people bet very little on earlier streets.


Should I know about anything that happens fairly often

Yes. Because we're technically playing limit poker, the betting is capped at one bet and 3 raises. The big blind counts as the bet before the flop [a live straddle does NOT count]. So if utg raises to $12, utg+1 reraises to $21, the next player who raises will have made the 3rd and final preflop raise, after which everyone else may only call or fold.


This is not real poker; you can't bluff :mad:

You cannot value bet either, because everyone know you can't bluff ;)

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

If there's any chance of consolidating the info here, that'd be awesome:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/27...thread-744568/

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

I'd be there but the wife would go ballistic if I went back this soon. Women... sheesh. :crazy:

Thanks for thread, pope. Can't wait to see the new digs from the inside. Outside's lookin pretty good already. I suppose its time to stop limiting my risk by only playing tourneys and jump into the cash game pool with you sharks! No better time than now, with the new room opening.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

As many regular players know, Casino AZ has been taking a $4+$2 rake the last few weeks at the jackpot tables to build up the promotion pool so they can have some extra promotions in the opening weeks of the new room. Once I hear what they are, I will post them in this thread, but that should be a nice incentive to come check out the room at the expense of those of us who have played over the last few weeks.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

WTF? Wow! sounds like you need a woman that actually supports your poker. The best thing that ever happend to me is getting rid of my X, all that btch did was complain about poker everytime I played, unitl one day I got fed up and kicked her complaining ass out!!!

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

He just made a trip report about coming out to CAZ from out of state. Its not like he lives in town.

Lol fishy, amen brutha! Since my divorce five years ago I ain't heard one word of complaint... oh wait a sec... I still make the tragic mistake of mentioning my poker tourney successes when mom calls and I get both a "congrats I'm proud of you" followed almost immediately by a "I hope you're not going to the casino and gambling every day." LOL. I love my ma but women are such dingbats. Hahaha Thank god I was born without the "I always need someone at my side or I feel lost in life" dependency gene! Poker players are meant to be single, we don't have time for all that BS.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Having visited Tempe/Phoenix many times, I have never played out there but would love to in the future. I would love if they would adopt standard big bet NL rules, instead of the spread limit that exists. Anyone who plays out there on a regular basis, do you find it extremely different than say CA or other states with true NL betting? I have never played with a spread limit, and wondered how much it would bother me if at all.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Previously with the 150 max bet, the games played pretty differently from pure NL cash games.

The $1/$2 blind $250 game now w/ $250 max buy-in is pretty much a standard $1/$2 game. I have played between 20 and 40 hours of it, and have never seen the max bet come into play.

The $3/$5 games and up have a max bet of $500. I don't play these, but at the $3/$5 level I doubt the $500 comes into play too much either. Higher than that I am sure it does, but for the majority of the tables in the room, it doesn't hinder them at all.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Did you happen to notice my location? The wife supports my poker like a champ. She's much less enthusiastic about my going on vacation two out of three weeks without her.

I see we have something in common after all. ;)

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

I plan on checking out the new room opening morning too. I heard from a dealer the other night that it will open at 8am. Anyone heard any different? I see in the OP you have 6am. Not sure if that is correct or not.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

i plan on checking it out a few days after it opens. its probably going to be a ****ing zoo the frist few days

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Thanks Pope, hope to get out there this summer (I'll bring my sunscreen) and check out the new room and the spread limit games. GL

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

<drooling>

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

I'm not much of a poster but someone mentioned the promo for the new room.

Tourneys 1k addded April 19-23 and cash games splash pots of $100 with if you don't win the hand rest of table gets $50.
The schedule of splash pots is kind of confusing it's not every other hour but will have flyers at podium with times.

All promotions don't start till April 19th

I don't work at CA just a player

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

If the splash pots w/ kickers is $50 to everyone who doesn't win the hand, that is awesome.

The picture looks a bit sterile without much character, but we will see in about 40 hours!

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

how did you get that picture?

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Ask Michelle as she was looking right at him or her when it was taken...

The room should take a bunch of them and post them to help encourage the drool factor... ;)

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Wife and I are flying out Friday for a conference. I plan on spending some time there Friday night and maybe Saturday night.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Well, I witnessed 2 of the worst poker room openings in the boom era,

new Foxwoods room: you couldn't hear because they kept standard pit game music piped in for a week.

and Mohegan Sun they used existing pit dealers with minimal poker training. I remember sitting in the 10 seat all day and explaining the concept of "community cards" which made us recall how odd Hold'em is the first time you see it.

But I think its safe that that won't be a problem here.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

Sweet. I'll be in town next Tues/Wed (Apr 27/28), so I'm hoping the wife will allow me to play one of those nights.

DesertCat, I'm guessing you probably won't be playing then, since both of those are weeknights. But if by chance you do, please let me know; I'd love to say hello to you in person. (In case you don't remember, I used to frequent the 2+2 investing board, but 4 years ago I started a crazy-long-hours job in NYC and have only just recently come back to 2+2.)

Also, I've got a tee time at Troon North on Wednesday if any of y'all are interested in joining.

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

It's 6am. The old room closes down 4 hours earlier.

Mark

Re: Casino Arizona: New Casino/Poker Room/Resort Thread
 

The pic posted is 100% real, if that's what you're worried about.

Mark