Yea try the Shoe or Hollywood casino in Aurora.

Get the Bravo smartphone app. It gives you information on all games spread and the wait lists at the Horseshoe and Harrah's Joliet and a ton of other casinos nationally on a real time basis.

I now think the new Aurora poker room is ---

THE BEST casino poker room in Illinois !

Thats actually less of a compliment than you think, considering the competition.

Played the "new" room at Aurora last week. Its certainly better than the other Illinois rooms (and I've played them all) in Elgin, the 2 in Joliet, Rock Island, Peoria, and Metropolis. Actually all the others are the WORST poker room in Illinois - and Aurora was about even with them.

New room is spacious and well set up. Good physical facilities, ok food, good dealers, friendly players, good floorperson. Rake was ONLY $6 + 1 more for bbj. Wow ---- ONLY $6. I remember being upset when the Tunica rooms went from $3 to $4.

Best thing about Aurora is that they had a wonderful 10 - 20 game with a half kill. They said it goes everyday. One day a week they ALSO have 15 - 30 and another day they have 20 - 40.

lol how long have you worked for them?

I think Abe is smitten with the availability of limit games at decent stakes. Those games run nowhere else in the state.

haha - my 4th time there in 15 years.

I think I wrote a review here many years ago calling the Aurora boat the WORST poker room in Illinois.

Personally, every room in Illinois blows, some even swallow.

But we all keep playing there.

I'm done, I will be playing strictly at Horseshoe and other out of state rooms until things change. If everyone voiced there opinion and stopped playing in these rooms, things would change. But unfortunately, many people don't care about rake, comps, headphones, gum, etc. I urge all of you to do the same.

Going to Michigan City on vacation this weekend, anyone have any insight on the Blue Chip 1/2 games? Assuming the regs from Four Winds reconvened at the Blue Chip, if so that's not too bad, didn't have much problems with them before. Any good times to go to play against the grandpas and grandmas on vacation? Any regs who are really good I should be on the lookout for? Thanks if anyone can answer my questions.

1/2 will run most of the weekend, something the games break around 4am and restart around 9am but usually there will be at least one table at all times. Occasionally they will run a 2/5 game. The room is pretty soft compared to the Horseshoe. I wouldn't worry about any specific ringer to avoid. Just play for an hour and look for the fish, then play as many hands with them as possible. The games there on the weekend are usually pretty good.

Cool, thanks for the input. I played about 3 Times at Four Winds and each time it was bad regs and limpers, good to know it doesn't change much one town over. Going to be there Saturday night taking a 2 buy in shot, so hopefully I get some decent cards. I agree about the disparity with the Shoe, kind of surprised more Shoe regs don't make the extra half hour drive these games are so much softer.

The games at Blue Chip are identical to the Four Winds. Filled with bad regs and limpers. I live half way between Hammond and Michigan City. I usually prefer the Shoe simply because there is better game selection and average more $ on the table. Also, it's closer to an hour drive between the two, so no one from Chicago is going to the Chip. It's mostly locals from NW Indiana and folks visiting from Michigan or South Bend.

Went for 3 nights to the Blue Chip. Came up 300 the first night, down 250 the next, and made my comeuppance with 210 my last night. Pretty soft field but it's really surprising to me how many people play complete trash facing a 10x bb preflop raise. Saw 36 off destroy pocket kings that looked just like pocket kings preflop, got snapped off at river by 83 off with obvious flush on board by a drooling yokel. Can't say I ever felt uncomfortable in spots, although there was this old man river with 1400 in front of him who was decent, was able to make a few moves on him an it made things easier for me. Also saw at least 4 pushes with top top and calls with top rag. Sunday night sucked as it was full of old people and regs who seemed to just be there to limp all night going for the bad beat.
Would recommend Saturday night as it seemed to have much more young gamblers and wannabe durrrr's just waiting to get trapped. Buy in for full and you're table big stack and c bets will make you an easy 100

^^^ Sounds about right. Wait for two pair or better and find a way to get villain all in.

I have heard a couple of rumors that Four Winds may bring a poker room back. Anyone have info?

I hope so, despite it being a farther drive for me, I really enjoyed that room.

I'm thinking of building a roll playing 1/2 at the blue chip as I found the regs there terrible and I'm tilted playing 1/2 at the shoe. Can anyone give heads up as to whether the weekend games stay juicy during non-summer seasons? I'm thinking of taking a few shots in the next few months and if things go right making a few trips every other weekend by winter. I hope four winds comes back too but honestly didn'tsee much difference between them and blue chip.

is blue chip even considered chicagoland? i don't think so. but, yea it's prolly wayyyy softer than the shoe.

Few if any people from Chicago play at the Chip unless they are on their way to the weekend cottage.

Games at the chip are far softer than the shoe, but game selection is not an option.

any consensus on what the best game is in chicagoland+?

Are you asking what softest game is? Or just as whole (rake, service, action etc)?

Softest

I'd say Majestic star, but it's a dump.

it really is

But I have had some monster sessions there and have seen some of the worst players there. I have actually heard players there say how they don't like playing at the Shoe because they get berated by players (assuming for playing bad), etc.