For those who don't know, there are currently two casino poker rooms in Niagara Falls-

Seneca Niagara (American side)

Casino Niagara (Canadian side)

(Fallsview no longer has poker except during the WPT event in February.)

While Seneca is known for good tournaments, lots of regs (good and bad), great dealers and staff, CN is a different animal...

- no tournaments, more action, many players coming in from a distance (esp. Toronto), friendly staff at the desk but the worst dealers you may find anywhere, smoking in designated areas outside the casino only

If being at a table with a bad dealer puts you on tilt, you won't like CN. Just as an example, in one 4-hour session yesterday:

- a cranky female dealer snapped at an OMC in seat 10 who thought she was asking him a question. She was like "Holy cow, the entire conversation doesn't revolve around you." It was frustrating because the table was quite lively and action filled but then she came in and basically ruined the mood.

- a young dude seemed to have some concentration issues, focusing much of his attention on the soccer game on tv. At one point he burned the wrong card, ruined a hand and had to call the floor.

- same young dude got a request for seat change, told seat 9 he could move after the hand, but that hand ended up lasting about 12 minutes while, in the meantime, a new player AND a guy coming back from dinner showed up and all wanted the new seat at the same time. He got frazzled and had to call the floor again.

- a number of them just can't seem to keep up. Pointing at the wrong player to act, getting stressed out at simple questions, even issues dealing the cards -- in one hand a guy dealt the cards so high I could see a rag of spades flying towards the player on my right.

The other thing I don't like about CN is that the new location of the poker room is tucked away in the back, and is very difficult to find for tourists.

And if that isn't enough, there's no Wi-fi anywhere. I was having a hard time even texting anywhere in the building.

Here's another wtf: you can't buy chips at the table. If you busto, you have to leave the room, go up an escalator to another level of the casino and wait in line at the cashier to rebuy. If you come here, buy extra chips when you arrive and keep them in your pocket.

They haven't replaced their chips in at least ten years, when I started playing there. No joke, in one hand I was picking up a chip to call and the three chips under it stuck to it. My new favorite chip trick is to hold one CN chip and see how many I can pick up with it.

I've been told that they're working on getting Wi-fi in the poker room, and that they may be adding sit-n-gos back into the mix at some point. When they had these sng's previously, there were complaints that they were bingo-fests (truth) due to quick blind escalation. They're apparently working on setting up a structure where it won't be as bad.

CN has better action/bigger games. Other then that SN is better in every way.

Lot of good players in the Buffalo area.

Any other input on Casino Niagara poker room?

Casino Niagara has good cash games, and also good tournaments now. They have tournaments every Tuesday and Sunday. Check their website out, and download Bravo Poker so you can see how many games in room. 1/3 & 2/5 NL games every day. 5/10 NL & 2/5 PLO on weekends, and some Thursdays and tournament Tuesdays too. Seneca cannot compare. Currently today 8:30pm on a Thursday Casino Niagara has 4 tables 1/3 NL & 4 tables of 2/5. Seneca only has 3 tables of the rake building 1/2NL & 1 table of 1/3 NL. Saturday I have seen as many as 24 tables going with 9 or 10 2/5 NL games.

Thanks...

So, it's $6 for 30 minutes rake right?...is there an additional $2 for jackpot? if so, does it drop after the first $10?

Also, I can reserve a seat 90 minutes in advance right?

Cage on a different floor and no chip runners, correct?

$6 on 1/3 for 30 min. $1 for jack pot that drops at $20. The desk sells chips 95% of time.

275k bad beat now at Casino Niagara.

Was the bad beat hit? I went on the website and it said 98k? Also does anybody take Safeway tours to Niagara? I went on the website and I saw you now get a 10 dollar chip or credit for going to Niagara, does that mean the bus is now free? Thanks.

Poker is coming back to great blue heron casino in port perry in december!!!!!

But there is no Niagara Falls there!

The Port Perry Great Blue Heron new poker room has a list of new rules posted on their website. Some are good. Others not so much. The absolute worst rule I have ever seen in any poker room has been introduced.

I cannot attend if this rule stays in force.

Rule: When Table changing, you become a New Player – meaning you must meet buy in requirements.

So basically if you buy in for 2/5 for 500 which is the max and after 3-8 hours you have 2800, and you want to change tables to another 2/5 game, you must start over again as a new player with a maximum of 500. So can pocket the $2300 profit without having to wait an hour like everywhere else.

The above rule rewards hitting and running and punishes regulars who want to play deep, and also who want the right to change tables if their game is no longer good, and take their entire stack with them like the other 99% of poker rooms in North America.

Brantford a sister property, also introduced this rule, when they first introduced NL hold'em. Regulars including myself complained so much about this that the Poker room manager abrogated this terrible rule, and returned to the typical obligation of bringing your entire stack when you change tables.