I was thinking it's time we have a thread dedicated to the most popular casino in the San Francisco Bay Area. What I really like about Bay is how clean and well-lit the poker floor is, compared to some others in the area. What annoys me the most is San Jose's $200 max bet rule, which means that true NL can't be played and we have the spread-limit structure instead.

To start off with some gossip, I've heard that the $10-200 has stopped running regularly now with some of the regulars having moved to garden city. Can someone confirm/deny? Any particular reason why?

Bay 101 is too well-lit and clean compared to Garden City.

Bay 101 has the absolute worst chairs in the world. Like sitting on marble slabs.

Garden City has great plush chairs, like sitting on a cloud.

When you grind everyday, it makes a difference.

The action at Bay 101 is pretty good, lots of fish, and Bay can keep a game going 24/7 unlike GC which can not.

Overall, my feelings are mixed at Bay101. Management has some serious ego problems. They do what they do because it's what they do and you will get the most condescending look in the world if you give a positive suggestion.

But they are the big fish in the area and with no real rivals, they have no pressure to be the best. They are perfectly content to be what they are regardless of player comments.

On a scale of 1 - 10, I think Bay is a 7.5. There are a few things they could do to raise the bar so they'd be a solid 9. But there is no real incentive for them to. THey have a lock down on the local market and no real competition to fear.

Keep this thread going and I will pass along your concerns, Thanks

Is there room for improvement? Of course. Are any of the other cardrooms within 50 miles run as well? Nope.

I saw a dealer there once have a heart attack and later found out he passed away. I took that as a bad omen and never wanted to play there again.

Interesting question.

Comparing Garden City to Bay 101 is a bunch of pros and cons that go back and forth.

Garden City was first to do the computerized boards, and they have a lot of stuff automated where the dealers can just push a button for servers and open seats so + 1 for GC.

Bay101 has more players and can keep games going 24/7 so definitely +1 for Bay.

GC has better tournament structure so +1

Bay tourney structure (blinds vs stacks) way too fast -1

Bay has more turnout for their tourneys to +1

Bay has stronger/better floor people and dealers so +1

GC lets players buy in for up to $500 for 5-200 spread (vs. Bay $300 cap) which makes for better games so +1

GC chairs are 1000% more comfortable than Bays so +1

Bay chairs are like sitting on granite slabs after 4 hrs, -1

Both have automated shuffle machines +1

Bay101 advertises more and thus gets more customers so +1

GC new food is too pricey so -1

Bay food is pretty good for the price so +1

Bay 101 has a bet line which helps cut down on angle shots so +1

GC floor has inconsistent rulings so -1

Bay has WPT so HUGE +1

GC has buster bet Black Jack +1

Both GC and Bay boards people take good care of regulars so +1 for both

GC more likely to try new things (black jack tourneys, sit-n-gos, etc) +1

Bay has 30% more poker tables than GC so +1

Both have great Plasma TV set ups +1

Bay has deli/cafe/bar lounge which is nice to sit, eat, and wait +1


anyways, that is how I see the two. Bay does come out on top. But not by a landslide.

Luckily, for some reason GC seems adamant about NOT advertising for whatever reason. Plus, I think there is a city ordinance limiting size/expansion. So Bay really has nothing to fear from GC really. In fact, there are many players at Bay who don't even know where GC is and it is only 10 minutes down Interstate LOL

Yeah...for the bread and butter games, bay has more variety no doubt. Esp for higher stakes medium limit games. GC seems to have grabbed the $10-200 game though and seems to at least get interest going for 6-12 hi-lo.

this. Recently the structure at GC got even better with 10000$ stacks on wednesdays and 20 minute levels, very good for a $150 buyin game. Cory, the tournament director has done an excellent job managing these and promoting them. Also they start at 11:20pm rather than 12:45am, which is a big + for those of us who have real jobs. I wish they would start earlier though.

very true. Kit and Ben are my favorite...very helpful and accommodating with table change requests.

And they have wireless !!

Yeah, Bay has a 10,000 chip tourney as well, but they start you off at 100-100 blinds then jump to 100-200 then 200-400 so in actuality it is WORSE than when they used to give you 4,000 chips and start at 25-50. LOL, amazing how many players don't see that...

Difference is, Bay needs the tables for cash games, so they bend you over with the tournament structure to get it over with ASAP.

This is a nitch that GC just fails to capitalize on because they don't advertise their tourneys. Talking to them, they repeatedly will say, "We don't like advertising and depend on word of mouth"

which is just silly. GC can establish themselves as the premier place for tourneys which would fill the casino and bleed into their cash games but I guess they have a limited advertising budget as i've lived in the Bay area for 3 years and have NEVER seen a GC commercial, ad in any of the magazines, or heard a radio ad.

Computerized boards are not the nuts. If the list is so long that you fall off of it, you don't know where you stand without pestering the brush.

I've spent 4 hours+ in both and didn't notice a difference.

No. The line doesn't play. Forward motion is the rule.

?? Bay 101 has approx 22 poker tables at any given time. GC had a lot more than 16 the last time I was there.

Satellites for the 2k prelim event.

A. The house does not make that much on tournaments.
B. The dealers at GC essentially make nothing ($8 a 40min down is a great tournament for them) dealing tournaments
C. A large percentage of tournament players leave after they are knocked out. They do not feed the cash games.
D. The house is more interested in the Asian Games anyway.

I hear ya!

Speaking of which, have you made your complete list public yet? I see the tournament roster is partially filled.

Just about

So far added for 2010

Annette Obrestad
Tom Dwan
Elky
Jason Mercier
Eric Baldwin
Yevgeniy Timoshenko