Is the era of massive BBJs over at Ameristar? According to Bravo, as of a few days ago there is now a $300 high hand ever hour between 10 AM and 4 AM and a $150 high hand between 4 AM and 10 AM, ending at 4 AM Friday and resuming at 10 AM Sunday. Also $500 for every royal flush, 1 card in your hand needed. The primary BBJ is reset to $200K (I believe it was around $350K) and secondary to $100k (was over $300K as well).

Overall I think this is a bad idea. While I can understand the argument that this puts $$$ back into the local poker economy more quickly, I think if they're gonna take $2/hand then the insane BBJs are more attractive. And as a predominantly weekend player, I'm rarely in the poker room when they're giving out the high hand money (but I'm sure I will be paying the same BBJ rake).

Prior to the opening of the new room the BBJ was increasing at about $70K per week. It must be a bit higher now with the 9-handed games and additional tables, let's guesstimate it at $75K per week now. There 90 hrs/week @ $300/hr for $27K and 24 hrs/wk @ $150/hr for $3.6K = $30.6K/week for high hands. And I'll guess there is 1 royal/day for another $3K. That leaves something around $40K-45K per week for the BBJ. That's roughly 60%.

So I predict that we're unlikely to see another run of $700K BBJs like we did a few years ago, rather $400K will now seem crazy big. And $200K is gonna seem pretty typical if not on the biggish side (~60% of $350K, which I think is typical leaning towards big now).

Is this Ameristar trying to keep up with the Gates which did something similar several months ago? Probably.
Will it reduce the number of terrible players who play any qualifying hand to try to hit the enormous BBJs? Almost certainly.
Will it change the play at 30/60? I doubt it.
Would I care about this if they gave me a shot at $300 while taking my money? A lot less, that's for sure.

I've actually considered playing some cash (instead of just tournaments) at the Gates because of the high hand jackpot (I play mostly 2-5 and some 1-2). A $300 jackpot hand is basically a "Colorado" all in in those games. Usually play Saturdays, but might have to add in more Sundays (for Ameristar high hands and Gates moves up to $300 also).

Waiting to see if a bettor looks at the high hand board, then becomes passive. I assume the hand has to go to showdown, super tilt someone by folding first to act?

Definitely seems like a response to the Gates' promos. No other place in BH comes close to competing with Ameristar in cash games (IMO), so not sure why they feel the need to follow the promo wagon.

I don't mind the royal flush bonus, especially since you only need 1 card to qualify, but could certainly do without the hourly high hand. Tend to agree that we likely won't see the crazy high BBJ's like we did in 2012, but hate thinking they're going to be nerfed around 300k-ish now.

Curious with the high hand promo... how do they actually keep track of that?

I was there Tuesday night. They call a floor over to verify the hand, then it's up on the waiting list board.

Ameristar currently shows a 50/100 game on Bravo.

Is this an error?

Not an error, the 50 game has been running consistently for a few weekends now. Tomorrow it'll likely start at 6 and soften up the 30 games, I'll swoop in then and take all the moneyz 💰💰💰

I have renewed faith in humanity. I lost my key fob, and it was turned in to the desk in the poker room.
To the kind soul who turned it in - THANK YOU!!

IMO High hand is waaaaaay better for the poker economy as a whole and reduces variance for regs a lot.

Gates now runs $200 high hand every HALF hour 10am-10pm, $100 every hour 10pm-10am every day.

Tomorrow and tomorrow only we are testing out $500 high hand every hour 10am-10pm.

I agree running no high hand on weekends is whack.

Ameristar only offers high hand sunday - thursday............... so disappoint

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$500 high hand every hour will be going next Saturday as well. 👍

I guess if I was playing 1/2-100 I'd be at your joint, Wiz. We'll see if Astar steps up, at least they see you (GG) as competition again, if only for 1/2.

Speaking of competition in the BH poker market: anybody know anything about Monarch? The hotel construction is coming along quickly now. Will they have a poker room? Another fancy hotel has to drop prices and lower the bar for free/discounted rooms.

Monarch employees have told me that they will have poker after the hotel is completed. This is still probably two years away. The current construction is a new parking garage. The plan is to build a new parking garage, demo the existing one and build hotel tower and additional casino space where the current parking garage is located.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense. I was envisioning a very awkward layout with the parking garage in between the hotel and the casino, it seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. The layout as you've described is a logical if expensive solution. Guess we have time on our hands before we see how this changes the poker and hotel room landscape up there.

Are there any special tournaments coming up between now and the WSOP/July?

Colorado Poker Championship runs April 30-May 19.

Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...jQAyw/htmlview

Not sure why the link isn't working I'll try to get a good link

Maybe it's just my phone?

Yep... link works on PC Wiz.

Heading up this afternoon after work for the first time in...what feels like forever. I'll be sporting my Canucks sweater Say hi if you see me.

Gonna be out in Denver next Tuesday wednesday. Where is the best cash games that run those days, or tournaments?

Also how does this 100max work in the 30-60 games

there has been a lot of action in al of the card room (lodge, gates and ameristar). The gates have the biggest hourly high hand payout. The lodge pays out high hands every half hour. The Ameristar might as well not have a high hand...

Ameristar has twp big games, the 30/60 and the 50/100. The $100 bet cap is in full effect for both, as they are limit games.

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How does the 100 cap work??? Never played one.

Is it when the pot gets to 100?
Is it a 100 max person bet?
Is it a 100 per street max?

Your bets cannot exceed $100.

Example. You bet $10, your opponent can raise it to $110 max (10 + 100). You can reraise to $210. He can raise to $310.



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Ameristar is usually the best place for cash but Gates games have been good recently with their hand hand promos and tbh I haven't played at the Lodge in forever so I have no idea how those games are. Star is usually the only place that offers anything higher than 1/2-100 as they also almost always have 2/5-100 and 30/60. Gates in the only place for tournaments. I believe they have 3 daily tournies at 10a, 12p and 7p. Not sure what the turnout is during the week, maybe somebody else can fill you in.

All 3 are currently running high promos.

Gates does $150 every half hour from 10a-10p and $100 every hour from 10p-4a.

Lodge does $200 every half hour from 10a-10p

Star does $300 every hour from 8a-4a and $150 from 4a-8a

All three are literally across the street from each other so it only takes a minute or two to walk from one to the other. Some of them also allow you to call ahead and put your name on the list for an hour. Which is nice as that is about how long it takes to drive from Denver to BH. However since you're coming during the week the lists shouldn't be super long anyway.

No single bet may be larger than $100. In the 50/100 limit game, it could be a bet and 3 raises, making it $400 to call. That is still fine. This isn't like CAP NL where once the total in a hand hits a number, all betting stops. Also, unlimited raises HU... if we decide to put $5k stacks in the middle $100 at a time, that's allowed.

Bravo works at least at the Star. You should be able to see games and lists on the app.