I think it's about time there's a thread for the bay area outside of SJ. Not everyone play at bay 101.

This thread is for California Grand, Oaks, Palace, Livermore Casino, Lucky Buck, Bay 101, Garden City, Artichoke Joe's, and Lucky Chances. I know I'm missing a lot of the smaller cardrooms, but I think I named all the big ones.

TR, BBV, ruling, etc all goes here.

I'll start with a little bout me. Last year I was a reg at Oaks. I went so often people would occasionally ask, because of my age, whether I'm in school or not. This year I've been going to Garden City more often under a different board name. Despite the extra 40 minute drive, they got true no-limit and the 8/16 is a lot juicer than the 6/12 at Oaks. Nowadays whenever I decide to go to Oaks I get greeted by "hey long time no see" and "where've you been?" Makes me feel like a true degenerate

btw, CaliGrand's daisy-chained force move tables suck balls.

Spreadsheet of Cash Game Information Offered in each Card Room in the Bay Area (courtesy of Zak3nnay0)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...GdwMVdmMDFlYUE

I thought one of these threads already existed? Anyway, I miss the 30/60 at Oaks. Only played in it twice while I was out there for business, but what a game (at least while I was there).

i've only been to Lucky Chances because it's closest to SF where I live. That place is grimy and depressing. What's my next best option in your guys opinions? I want to go somewhere lively and clean, lol.

Nowadays I rotate my play around AJ's, Oaks, and Lucky Chances, 6/12 to 15/30, pretty much just go to whatever room is more convenient for me to get to at the time. I consider all three rooms to be similar in game quality and room quality, nothing great but decent. I feel most comfortable in Lucky's, wish they spread higher limit games. Oaks needs to make their waiting list boards more publicly visible.

It is always interesting to me to see the disparity in clientele between the peninsula casinos and the Oaks, the peninsula casinos being almost entirely asian, and the Oaks having such a large black customer base. Calls for some minor adjustments in play between the two, imo.

Yes, there is a comprehensive thread already.

where? I've searched and everything bay area related is... scattered.

Played at Artichoke joes and Lucky Chances, I like the latter.

AJ 1/2 game really plays like 3/5 and half the time like 5/10 because of the kill. With min $5 bet and 1-2-2 blinds. The players are more aggressive although still bad. Due to their recent issues with the law I am tended not to play there.

LC 1/2 game plays like 1/2 with a kill maybe 1 in 6 times and a 1-1-2 structure. The players are more passive too.

Would like to find a straight 1/2 game with 1-2 blinds. Can't steal much with 1-1-2 structure only from BUT for $5 to make SB fold and BB call.

Where?

A mod can merge this thread with that one if they want, but since the Bay Area topic comes up frequently, I'll post some FAQ-type stuff based on where I've played.

Oaks (oakscardclub.com)
General: NFND, BBJ (quads+), no HHJ. Call-in available for 15/30, 30/60.
FL 1/2: regular, $2+$1 drop
FL 3/6: always, $3+$1 drop, regularly multiple tables
FL 6/12: always, $3+$1 drop, regularly multiple tables
FL 15/30: regular, $3+$1 drop, occasionally force-move 2nd table
FL 30/60: regular, $4+$1 drop, occasionally force-move 2nd table. The game is prescheduled to go at 1:00 pm on Tue & Fri, and you can sign up 1 week in advance.
SL 2-100 ($200 buyin): regular, $3+$1 drop, regularly multiple tables
SL 4-200 ($400 buyin?): occasional, $4+$1 drop
FLO8 4/8 (1/2 kill): regular on Sun-Wed, $4+$1 drop
FLO8 6/12 (1/3 kill): regular on Thu-Sat, $4+$1 drop
7CS 2/4: regular, $2+$1 drop, occasionally 2nd table
7CS 4/8: occasional, $3+$1 drop
Tournaments: Mon 6:30 pm (NL $120+$20), Tue 6:30 pm (NL $50+$15+rebuy), Wed 6:30 pm (NL $80+$20+rebuy), Fri 10:00 am (NL $100+$20), Sat 11:00 am (NL $100+$20), Sun 1:00 pm (NL $100+$20+rebuy).

California Grand aka Pacheco (calgrandcasino.com)
General: no NFND, BBJ (AAAJJ+), HHJ
FL 3/6: regular/always, $3+$1 drop, regularly multiple tables
FL 6/12: regular/always, $3+$1 drop, regularly must-move tables strung in series
FL 15/30: regular, $4+$1 drop, regularly 2nd must-move
NL 2/2/3 (? buyin): regular/always, ? drop
NL 2/3/5 (? buyin): regular, ? drop
Tournaments: Sun 10:30 am (NL $50+$5).

Bay 101 (bay101.com)
General: no flop $1 drop, no BBJ, no HHJ.
FL 3/6: regular/always, $4 drop
FL 6/12: regular/always, $5 drop
FL 8/16 (1/2 kill): regular, $5 drop
FL 20/40: regular/always, $5 drop
FL 40/80: regular, $5? drop
FL 80/160: occasional, ? drop
NL 1/1/2: regular/always, ? drop
NL 2/3/5: ?
NL 5/10: ?
FLO8 4/8: occasional/regular, ? drop
Tournaments: Mon-Fri 9:30 am (NL $120), Sat 9:00 am (NL $200), Sun 9:00 am (NL $160).

Artichoke Joe's (artichokejoes.com)
General: NFND, BBJ, no HHJ
FL 3/6: regular/always, $3+$1 drop, regular multiple tables
FL 6/12: regular/always, $3+$1 drop, regular multiple tables
FL 15/30: regular, ? drop
SL 2-100: ?
O8?
Stud?
Tournaments: Mon 11:00 am (FL $20+$8+rebuy), Tue 11:00 am (FL $20+$5), Wed 6:45 pm (NL $40+$9+rebuy), Thu (FL $40+$8), Sun 6:45 pm (NL $40+$9+rebuy).

Anyone have any experience with the Palace? It's by my old house and I always thought it was a sketchy dump but I've heard rumors that it is action packed, with a really big 5/10 game or something. Anyone play there?

Artichoke Joe's was shut down early this year.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/bay-...en-supervision

Has anyone been there since they reopened? Anything different from before they were shut down?

The Oaks was shut down at the same time. They were closed for about a week and a half, and then re-opened. As I understand it, it's a temporary license right now with a hearing on a permanent license in a few months.

I haven't been to AJs since the reopening but Oaks is basically back to normal. The pai gow section is entirely shut down, but most of the table games are still there (but less crowded). Poker games are back to 100% and maybe even a little better than before. I imagine AJs is similar.

Pretty much the same, the area with the Pai Gow next to the poker room was roped off. I think they are in the process of putting something else in there now but I'm not sure what.

How big are the avg fields in the Oaks tournys?

No idea, but they post the tourney results with the total prize pool, so if you know what the buy-ins are you can do the division. I actually never play in the tourneys so I haven't paid attention.

anyone have any thoughts on the Napa Casino?

crazy action.

Napa has a crazy action packed game.. You can buy in for as much as the biggest stack at the table. Friend claims to win 50 bucks an hour over a large sample size in this game. Oh and you get free dinner there too.. Played an oaks tourney a few weeks ago and only 28 people signed up :/.

Just played at AJ last night for the first time....action seemed ok....people were mostly Asian. Went to LC also and never got a chance to sit....lists were long.

AJs seems to have lost some people because of the shutdown. Seems just a bit harder to keep, say, 3 6-12 games full. And the O8 seems to play short and shut down earlier. Small sample size though. Still quite a bargain wrt rake. If it wasn't so far for me I'd play there always instead of mixing in Bay 101.

Which limit did you play? Does AJ have NL tables? Any other information you want to give to someone going to AJ for the first time?

AJs has NL, usually 1-2 tables weekday evenings (when I play). Also 3-6, 6-12, and 15-30 limit. Rake is great, 3+1, BBJ is quad 8s beaten. Right next to San Bruno caltrain station. 5-7pm bonuses paid for quads/str8 flush. Royal pays bonus always.

Kse...I played 3~6 ...lots of action....also had 6~12.....didn't play NL. The rake was strange to me just because they drop the SB automaticly. I played for about 2hrs.

My 2 cents. I play the 1/2 games because I dont have a roll for anything higher.

AJs
1-2-2 blinds, $5 min bet, Kill pot, rake 10% max $5. 1/2 the pots are a KILL so the 1/2 game really plays 3/5-5/10. Players bad and slightly aggressive

LCs
1-1-2 blinds, they take $1 Rake +$1 BBJP no matter what, $4 limps. Players passive but too many buying in for $40-$100. I feel the game is not beatable with $4 limps. You play tight you raise vs shorties For $50-$60 losing $4 to rake +$1 BBJP +$1 tip. You play deep you keep getting shorties shoving in over everyone and poor odds for weak heands if you see a flop. I figure if you play more of a normal game each hour costs $23.50 compared to a normal 1/2 game w/10% rake which should cost you $10.50.

Oaks? 1-2 $4 rake, $2 limp, NO BBJP (I called). So far seems the best but I have yet to go there. Cap on buying in? Cap on betting?

I would like to find 1/2 game 10% rake is fine, even $1BBJP...err fine. $2 limps. Oaks is the only place I have seen. Anywhere else? Not a big fan of shady places.