you're in luck, there's a casino called Northern Edge, I'd never heard of it until just the other day and it appears to have poker.

played at buffalo thunder a couple times last week

nice enough room but pretty empty

only one game (1/3 NL) running on Wednesday evening

two games running on Friday afternoon: 1/2 PLO and 1/3 NL (which I had to start up 4 handed)

won a $40 high hand bonus for making quad 10s

games were tight for the stakes, with weak spots tending to be calling stations rather than maniacs

Hey everyone. Recenty moved to ABQ and wanted to say whatup.

Also, are home games legal in NM / is this the appropriate place to ask about them?

Welcome to the Land of Enchantment. Home games are going on all over, although not too many big money ones that I've heard of.

Not a lawyer, but I'd say they're illegal if played for money, although never heard of one getting busted.

Way easier to get down to the local casino when you have the cash and the time to get your poker groove on.

Thanks

I wanted to find a home game or two to potentially make some friends (and some money, I can't even pretend given that I'm on 2+2.) Big money is not really my thing at the moment, and I play at the casino occasionally but I really have no roll for it.

Is 2-5 the highest nlhe games at Sandia? Does it run often? Are there any higher games in Albuquerque?

Is this thread dead? Update on Sandia would be appreciated!

Does PLO cash run at Sandia? I'll be out there soon, maybe moving to ABQ

Threads more or less dead. PLO cash is v rare at Sandia, have to go to buffalo thunder 1.5 hrs away. If you do move to ABQ pm me, I'm always down to talk / play.

Planning on visiting on Alb in a few weeks. What is the most convenient place to play in town? Also any suggestions on the best area to stay if I'm in to cultured things such as good beer, live music, and yummy local fresh food?

^^ hey guys looking to head to sandia soon and ck out the action. Any TR's or locals here who can tell me if its worth the trip down from CO? Hoping to play 2/5 or 5/10 if possible.

Last Friday I was at Sandia & 2-5 nl wasn't going which I thought was rare. I've seen one or two tables of 2-5 usually on Fri & Sat nights. Thursday is also a good night for cash games with a tournament. Never seen 5-10 nl going. Occasionally a 10-20 limit game goes. Plenty of 1-2 action though.

bump...1 year anniversary of last post in this thread

Any NM players going to WSOP?

If so, good luck!

Anybody play at Isleta Casino? What games they spread? Might be staying a few nights there in November. Thanks

Just moved to an area West of Odessa, Tx. I assume Inn of the Mountain Gods is the closest room. What games are available during the week? What about weekends? Looking for 2/5, 5/10. Are buy ins capped? Is it worth my time to drive that far?

Wow this thread seriously needs a bump. I'm visiting Albuquerque. I only have time to visit one room, so which should it be. Preferably one that spreads limit hold 'em.

I ended up at Sandia. Route 66 was closer, but had no LHE running.

What were the stakes you played? How was the room and the level of play?

The room was fine. Brightly lit; comfortable seats; competent dealers. I wish it had been quieter but there is nothing they could do about that, even though a door separated it from the rest of the casino.

There were only five or six tables going at around 1am, which is half their tables. I'm used to LA-area card rooms where late Saturday night/early Sunday morning is prime time.

The only limit hold 'em game running was a $2/ $4 with a 1/2 kill. They raked 10% up to $3. The play was pretty loose and passive. Except for one LAGgy player and a young woman playing for the first time, if someone raised they had a reasonably strong hand.

The only disappointing thing was when we got down to 4-handed play these two older ladies who had arrived together started talking "under their breath" to each other about how the third young woman kept asking how much she could bet, whether she could fold, etc. It was literally her first time playing. Her husband was playing NLHE on the next table and put her in this game to pass the time.

Of course, even though they were in the 2 and 3 seat and the young woman was in the 7 seat she could hear what they were saying. She got upset and said "I don't know what I'm doing but I still have more chips than you." To be honest, the young woman was a luck box, but yes she had won more chips than them. The game broke promptly after that incident.

Thanks for the report! Sounds like a decent place to play, especially with the rake being $3 max.

That really sucks that the two old biddies ran off a new player. I hate hearing about situations like that.

Almost everyone was nice to her and patient. I was sitting to her immediate left and kept reminding her when to post blinds, congratulating her when her K2o cracked aces, etc.

As for the rake, I think 1.5 big blinds is a little rich. Is that normal for this region? I always thought percentage rakes were more reasonable, as opposed to California where percentage rakes violate gaming regs so the same amount comes out no matter size of the pot (if a flop is seen). In small pots it can account for well over 10%.

i think a rake should be at the most 5% rate of taking it. but nowadays 3 max is absolutely great for a casino.

but with rake you have to play higher or you fall into the range of where it isnt a beatable game for more than a minimum wage or less.

I can't speak for SW USA, but rakes in NE USA are--at an absolute minimum--10% to $4 max and usually an additional $1 for a bad beat jackpot at $20 in the pot. So that's why I thought $3 max is really good.

so if you play for ten hours a day in a game that takes 5 every pot you can expect around 3/4 of a million dollars taken off the table in a year. look around the table and try to see where it is coming from.

I guess this is the more active thread, I'll repost my question here (in reference to Sandia but any casino in the area is fine)

Right now Bravo shows a 2/5 NL and 3 1/2's. Is that pretty normal? Anything bigger run on the weekends? How is the 2/5, same tight regs always or is the game pretty good?

The 2/5 NL at Sandia is the only game that runs consistently in the whole state. It runs daily starting around 11am, with Sunday being the only day that it might not go. Nights are a lot more unpredictable than days. Some nights it breaks early, some nights you have 2 games until 2 am, like last night.

The game plays way bigger than most $2-5's I've played in other states. Plays more like a $5-10. Full orbits of button straddles are not unusual. Lots of loose aggressive players who won't lay down a good draw. Quite a few regular rich guys who like to bluff and stack off with one pair. $500 pots are frequent. $6000 pots are not unheard of.

Max buy in is $2000 and many of the regulars buy in for that amount.

The $1/2 games are of course more numerous, but are boring games with a bunch of short stack nits that buy in for $60-$100 and wait around for the nuts.

The room is extra busy at the moment with the bad beat over $100k which seems to bring out all the dreamers.

Hope to see you in the $2/5 soon.

Paul