Any reason Artichoke Joe's hasn't been mentioned? Try LC and AJs and then decide whether you really want to drive further.

(Bay, Matrix, and Oaks all have higher stakes games so that's an obvious reason.)

So in that format, the BB never gets an option? He always has to put in at least an additional $2?

Sorry if this is a dumb question but I've just never seen a 3 blind format.

I should have clarified what I meant. If I'm comfortable with the place and can find a game easily, I don't mind driving as much as an hour.

Thanks for the advice

Correct.

At Lucky Chances' 1-1-2 NL game, the BB has to put in an additional $2 in order to see the flop because the minimum opening bet is $4.

If someone were to "kill" the pot by posting $4, then the BB has to put in an additional $6 (because the minimum opening bet for a "killed" pot is $8) and pray that the "killer", who is the last to act, doesn't raise again.

I have seen maniacs abuse the "kill" feature of the 1-1-2 NL game by A) "killing" almost every hand (except when the maniac has the button), and B) move in for $200 after at least one player has called $8. One time, I made a stand with KK against a maniac who "killed" the hand and then moved all-in with with A7 after 3 callers limped in for $8. Needless to say, he flopped an Ace to bust me.

I'd probably "make a stand" three times an orbit.

To the question a few posts ago...

Bay 101>M8trix>>>Lucky Chances

Lucky Chances just has a much grimier player base as a whole. Really, the whole operation is just dirty, grimy and unprofessional. Couple that with how each limit realistically plays like the one below it (games tend to be short) and LC is a clear third place. Plus, again, to reiterate, it's just flat out grimy.

Unless you've got nothing else to do, distance has to be a factor. Let's say you have 4 hours to play before your date with a supermodel. Do you want to drive an hour there and an hour back and possibly have to wait for a game? Or get in 3.5 hours of play at a local place?

Yup.

IOW you can find all of that in the wide variety of games that can run there. Generally speaking though, the ordinary 2/3/5 with a max buy-in of $500 (I think) is a mostly "normal" game. The 2/3/5 Deepstack with the $1k max (I think) is often pretty aggro, and the chips can fly.

Yeah for sure. Bay 101 is about 45 minutes away from me. When I choose a day to play, I'm probably looking to play for 3-4 hours, maybe more. I'm not really looking for a place to play 3-4 days a week for an hour at a time, so convenience (distance) isn't too big of a deal.

I've seen a few places that allow the straddle but I had never heard of the "kill" concept. Very interesting. Seems like you just have to adjust your play based on the "kill" usage rate. In your instance, I probably would have been looking for a new table lol

Out of curiosity, does anyone know which place(s) have the best tournaments? I'm not looking for any circuit events and what not, just small buy-in tourneys, maybe the occasional larger buy-in ($200+)

How exactly is this "kill" different from a straddle? It seems the same to me, unless I missed something.

Several places that allow it from any non blind position call it a "kill". When you can straddle from a non utg position, even in Nevada they usually modify the term for specificity..(Mississippi straddle/button straddle etc)

Where does action start in a Killed pot? To the left of the Kill? Or UTG? Does the Kill act in turn or does he have last action?

The way I've seen a Kill played is that the action starts UTG as usual, not like a straddle. And the Kill acts in turn, not last, unlike a straddle.

The action starts UTG and skips the killer who then acts last preflop.

Then, it's not just like a straddle, right?

Also traditional straddle, the straddle amount is the bet.

Here at 1 1 2 , the kill is $4. But it's 8 to go. I believe at 10 10 20 , kill was 40 but 80 to go. Not sure about 3-5 and 5-10. There it might be a normal straddle. Not double to go.

@ LCs the kill can be a blessing depending how you look at it.

If you encourage others to kill then it becomes a low blind high SPR game. So playing nitty works but it's boring as hell.

To play the 1/1/2 successfully you need to be sitting @ a full stacked table otherwise it's a short stack donkfest.

Think of it this way most buy in for $60-$100. Now the min limp is $4. So the stack sizes are not 30-50bbs, they are 15-25bbs on average. With the $6 drop all you can play like is a nit at this table and I am not sure it's profitable.

Now if people sit with all $200 and keep rebuying @ $200 I will take the 1/1/2 over the 3/5 game anyday. Almost every time I have played that game with full stacks + I made good money.

Used to play at LC frequently when I lived in CA (I'm sure it happens elsewhere, too) and this can't be overstated enough. If you're at a table where the majority of players are min-buying/rebuying for $20-40 a pop, the drop will absolutely eat this game alive.

Best "regular" small-buy-in tourneys in NorCal are offered by The Saloon at Stones Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights, which is exactly 100 miles from the foot of the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge.

M-F 10am, Tu & Th 6:30pm, Su 11am (except last Sunday of month): $55 buy-in ($45+5+5). 10000 chips. 20-minute levels. No antes. ($225 last Sunday tourney seat added by casino to winner except on Th 6:30pm)

Sa 11am: $125 buy-in ($105+10+10). 15000 chips, 30-minute levels with antes. $10000 guarantee prize pool

Last Su 11am: $225 buy-in ($195+15+15). 15000 chips, 40-minute levels with antes. $20000 guarantee prize pool

The only "Bay Area" card room that offers comparable structures is The 101 in Petaluma, where the fields are tiny compared to what Stones offer.

Thanks for the info. It's quite a distance from me but do you know anything about the tournaments at Thunder Valley? I saw they have similar daily tournaments for small buy-ins but I don't know anything about how many people they get and what not.

I stay at Thunder Valley a couple of times a year when in the SAC area. My experience is that the nightly tourneys get from 40-60 runners.
Have heard of The Saloon, but have not played there yet.

Have played at Limelight (3 table tourneys) and Casino Royale, again usually 3 tables.

I have played the Thursday tourney at RedHawk a couple of times and it was 5-6 tables 9-10 handed.

I can only play night time tourneys, so I have not played at Capital Casino either.

If you are traveling and plan on staying in Sacramento, it is well worth the trip to Lincoln and Thunder Valley. Better rooms at a cheaper price and a poker room an elevator ride away.

Will be in SF in a few weeks for about a week, I've read the last few pages of this thread and been thankful for the info, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me the best place to find mid-stakes LHE, something like 8/16-15/30, that will run on weeknights? I will be there a sunday through a thursday. I guess I'd like a place that has 2/5 NL as a backup if the limit games are unlikely to run, etc. I will have a car and a decent amount of free time, so distance isnt a huge factor, but I will be staying downtown (its for a conference.)

Appreciate the help and thanks for the thread info

If you have the time, Bay 101 is unquestionably the place to be. 8/16 HK and 20/40 may go 24/7 (and they have 6/12 and 40/80 and 80/160). 2/3/5 NL as a backup. It's probably 45-60 min from downtown (take 280 down instead of 101).

California Grand has an amazing 15/30 (and 6/12) and 2/3/5 NL. It's to the northeast (cross the Bay Bridge, 24 to 680 N) and the time it takes heavily depends on traffic (you cross a bridge and go through a tunnel). Probably 35-45 min with no traffic. They had and may still have a promotion for first time customers ($50 in chips for $20 if you play 2 hours).

Your three closest options are Oaks (6/12, 15/30, and maybe 30/60, with a 4-200 SL "200 max" which plays like 2/4 NL, it's probably less than 10 miles but you have to cross the Bay Bridge), Lucky Chances (6/12, 2/5 NL, 15-20 min no bridges), and Artichoke Joe's (6/12, 15/30, 200 max, 15-20 min no bridges).

Oaks and Bay 101 (at least) have their own threads in Poker Venues.

How is the 20 at Bay 101 these days? When I reg'd NL the 20 seemed like it was either nitty regs or LOL VC MONIES wild. Still the same?