Post generally correct but this was lol. Too bad you can't play against better players.

You are right about the poker-challenged management who refuses to run MTTs or SNGs > 2 PM, but I am able to request table changes and chew gum - sometimes even at the same time!

I know sounds hilarious right. Who wouldn't love a fish filled table?

The thing with the software is it plays the same as online so would I enjoy a .10/.20 online game if all I could play was one table?

Not really

Live play requires larger fold equity to be profitable and it's just not there

Well you must be one of their pets because when I asked for table changes they told me we are not allowing them anymore because its too difficult for our staff to manage and keep track of. I was already given 2 x 24 hour suspensions for barely glancing at my cell phone. I was told that gum and a bag of chips was not allowed at the table and I was told that discussing hands is strictly verbotten !!

Anyways I hope you enjoy the place I refuse to give rude management and stupid rules my rake.

No one folds live. You just need to get max value from your one pair hands. Wishing for better players is the most lol noob thing.

Can anybody please confirm the new Nazi rules below before we grab our pitchforks?

I was gone for 2 weeks, but I'll check it out today regarding the table change(its been ok in 1/2 in the past, not 2/5).

They also added a phone charging machine recently.

Yes if you play better players all you will have is what Stars has and at a 10 percent to 5 rake nobody would win long term. I suspect you played on a holiday as during the day the games are tight, during the late evenings through 2am the games are as you describe.

Really ?

There is only 3 players that are making money there for longer then 6 months. All three all have online win rates of 3 to 4 bb/100 and from what I see they aren't doing much better then that live so whats the point ? not a single high win rate live pro has been making money there for longer then 4 months.

Why don't we meet and play 5/5 there tomorrow at 2 pm and you can show me just what a noob I am ?

1/2 ? Your joking right ?

Does anyone that reads the 2 plus 2 boards even play 1/2 live ?


A poker room that doesn't allow table changes is just one of the multitude of cluelessness this place displays.

Seriously this place could be the best room in Ontario if all they did was give a **** and weren't bogged down with bureaucracy and Government interference and if they got rid of the pokerpro machinces it would CRUSH every other room in Canada.

It's ridiculous that I drive and hour to Barrie or Niagara everyday when I have a live room 10 mins from my home.

what live poker are you playing in Barrie? Didnt think they had a casino. In regards to your other comments, what sample size are you basing these generalizations on? You seem to be a pretty new to the poker scene

Barrie = Rama has a great poker room its very juicy during the summer months with cottagers.

I've played over 40,000 live hands in Woodbine and I'v probably been around poker longer then 95% of this forum so not a newbie at all.

Cheers

You are again correct that Rama's poker management is better than Woodbine's. Instead of playing at Woodbine, cash game players should go to Rama on tournament Mondays when all 12 tables are running with sometimes a 5/10 going, e.g., August 11 and 25.

I don't consider myself to be a pro and play different games than you, but since going back to the B&M casinos a year ago after four years of playing online, my live results are the best it's ever been.

Over 40,000 hands? lol
So you've played 800 hours at WB, so you should know me or your FOS..

Ahh, Barrie and Casino Rama are 35min apart. Usually people say Orillia when referring to Rama. Regardless, you clearly have a lot to learn about poker if you are still wishing to be sitting at a table full of stronger players. I agree that the PokerPro tables require a slightly adjusted approach to your poker game, but they are certainly beatable. With better advertising, hopefully the room can continue to draw in new players. Considering the potential player pool of Toronto/GTA, there is still a chance at making it a premier room in Ontario.

While far from ideal, moneyfornothing is a exaggerating a bit.

Yes, no phones at tables, but stand up and take a step away from table and you are fine. No food at the table either. If you received suspensions, means you got caught. What do you expect from them if you don't respect their rules.

Never had an issue discussing a hand at the table, except while the hand is going on which is understandable.

Table changes are allowed at 1/2. At 2/5 and 5/5, they have a weird policy where if you are on the "main" table, you cannot change tables. However, if you are on the feeder table, you can change to other feeders or go to the main when you are called. (I don't understand it but someone told me its to ensure the main table is always full).

Yes, the staff is a little draconian in their methods and their tolerance for bending rules is minimal. But the rules are well laid out and if you don't like them, no ones holding a gun to your head.

Is Woodbine the best place to play poker? Absolutely not! But it is a valid option and in a place where options are limited you can't necessarily be picky.

I find it interesting that moneyfornothing seemed to have no problems with place when he was winning. Most of the negatives seem to coincide with the downswing.

Anyone at Woodbine tonight? I'm curious how many 2/5nl tables or 5/5nl tables are running with Vanessa Rousso there. Did she even end up playing or just doing a coaching session?

The OLG must be paying her a lot to travel to Woodbine and Western Fair earlier for four-hour appearances, but Woodbine did a horrible job publicizing this. My friends and I have stopped going to Woodbine because of the stupid SNG deadlines, but I may have skipped playing online tonight and stopped by had OLGpoker.com or Woodbine poker room properly promoted this.

hahaha True I did start to hate the place more on the downswing !

So I was really tired yesterday and decided to give it another chance.

Here is my experience:

There was 1 2/5 game open and the waiting list was 9 ppl deep. I had to still wait for 50 mins before they opened the table. Apparently its too expensive to run the electricity to start a table short handed and only collect a rake from 6 or 7 people (remember theres no dealers to pay).

There was not a single winning reg (trust me I know 90% of them in Toronto) in the place except for one guy but he has a 3 bb win rate online and is use to the electronic play.

I had my cell phone in my top pocket of my shirt and while I was playing i was getting several text messages and was told that I had to put it on mute or I wud have to leave. btw no one complained the floor told me that was a new rule as it cud be distracting.

So the feeder table has 7 players on it and the main table loses 1 player so they come and ask me if I want the main and I say no (I love playing short handed). So they ask others and they all say no and then they come and take one guy no choice. This process repeats itself till there are only 5 players left on the feeder. They then decide its a great time to start a $230 buyin tourney and they get 6 players 2 of which come from the feeder. ???

I have a fat fish on my table who is calling me down with bottom pair all afternoon and hes caught a few bluffs on me I open raise AK for $40 he calls on his bb we are heads up.

Flop = kJ7

I overbet the pot (hes calling anything) $100

He calls

Turn = 5

Again I overbet = $300

He snaps

River = 2

He shoves = hahahahahahaa

I know hes hit 2 pair K 2 but with his $200 I have to pay him off.

Exactly the next hand I pick up AA

I didnt have a chance to reload the machine fast enough and now I only have $190 left

Standard lol

I bet out $40 again he calls out of the sb this time and flops kq two pair and off goes the $190 I have left. Thank goodness I couldnt reload.


Now most of you would say well played just variance right ? and so would I if I was playing anywhere other then Woodbine and the pokerpro electronic machines but I have just seen soooo many hands like this and after 10 years of live poker I can tell you something is seriously different with the machines then cards and dealers. I'm not calling them rigged ! but I am calling them different and the variance is much much higher.

The whole experience of Woodbine just sucks and its not just me saying this its many locals and regs that are agreeing.

Play there or not but I will be driving for an hour again today and happy to do it.

NEVER going to happen !

The pokerpro machines have FAILED in every single market that has live dealer competition within a 100km radius.

If you don't believe me check the stats of were they were located and removed.

Silly statements like this ruin your credibility. If all the Woodbine 2/5 regs cannot beat a max rake of only $5, then you should all quit poker.

Does Woodbine do this everyday just before the 2 PM deadline? If only Woodbine can be counted on to run at least one SNG everyday, I would go back there to play the SNG(s) then play cash after.

I used to be a poker dealer, and it is standard to deal a lot of bad beats and suckouts. The only difference is that we get to see so many more hands per hour online and on electronic tables, and it's easier to blame your losses on a computer instead of a human dealer.

Of course I'm being silly and exaggerating a little bit. I'm a professional player and have a legal licensed card room 15 mins from my home and I can't play at it and have to drive 1 hour a day to a live card room. It's very annoying especially with a room filled with super fish and noobs.

I'm not sure about the tourney question because I haven't played there in 9 months but that could be the case because they are really pushing it !

As far as the number of hands per hour being doubled I told myself it was just the case when I was running well there and also for the other 10 months I ran like **** I said it was just "normal" variance but then I started to talk with several other live pro's and they were all experiencing the same results and that was that it was above "normal" variance.


Go waste your time if you really must but I'm sure that you will discover the same as many of us already have. There is something funky with the Pokerpro machines.

I really doubt youre a professional player when youre so quick to blame these machines for your losses. OLG tests and ensures that nothing "funky" is going om with these machines.

Also, why are you not allowed to play at a room 15min form your house?

Any reason why the place was so dead last night on sat. The only had 2 2/5 tables running. Is there a better place with more action on sat?

Since Woodbine is failing to attract new players, most of the 2/5+ players were at Fallsview yesterday. There were a couple of 5/10 tables running, along with >= ten 2/5 tables. I cashed out with my winnings after 2 AM.

On Monday, most of the cash game players will be at Casino Rama instead of Woodbine after 1 PM with the sold-out tournament running.