Don't know exactly, but it may just be the worst raked game in the southern hemisphere.

Probably not worth your time tbh.

Better. I guess you can make some money in this game.

Yeah unless you have some sorta salary that you can use to reload with, I'd wait til you get a job tbh.

Decent idea. But remember it's going to get pretty bad for Aus residents.

No idea.

GLGLGLGLGl

Hi, I usually play in Sydney and am a winner at the 2/5/10 stake level. How soft are the games in Melbourne in comparison to Sydney? I am looking to stay in Melbourne for about 1 month for soul searching reasons but will be planning to play 5-6 days a week. Looking to play 5/5+ games, including rake and skill level is the game beatable?

I'm not sure whether you'll get an answer in time from a 5/5+ player, so I'll just give my perspective instead, being someone who plays the 2/5 tables. These are just my peripheral observations, so take them with a grain of salt.

There's usually only one or two table of 5/5 going and it's mostly the same old faces every week. And from where I sit, it doesn't look like the liveliest bunch.

The 5/10/20 gets up on good nights and they seem to be a more raucous, friendly, bunch, but I don't know if that's too big or how often it's like that.

As for the 2/5, it's pretty much what you'd expect, a total mixed bag, with high player turnover on friday and saturday nights and plenty of fish and bag regs to make it worth your while. I played last saturday and saw a fish on a heater leave with 6.5k! So there's definitely cash flowing through those tables.

As for Sydney/Melbourne comparison, I can't help you sorry, but I will just say that there's definitely still money to made if you're a winning player.

Does Crown have another tournament series coming up soon? I saw a poster earlier this month that listed a spring series, but can't find any info on it.

Do not play 1/2.

Rake at 1/3 is 10% capped at 15$. It might be the most brutal rake I've ever seen at a major poker room, and the games are made much worse due to the complete rake trap that is 1/2 (which is capped at 20$ and runs nearly as many tables as 1/3). That being said, the games are still softer then most placed I've played while traveling. I started at Crown when I got into the city for Uni in January with half the bankroll you have and have been able to post 20$+ in that time frame despite the absurd rake.

Best bang for your buck tournament would be the Sunday 250s and the Wednesday 350. Both get good fields (60-70+) and routinely pay 5k+ for first

Looks like a lot of the 5/5 regs are starting to see there's more value down with us plebs on 2/5. Feels like there's one of them on every table I play now.

Case in point, there was an action Indian on a 2/5 table the other day with about $4k in front of him and a couple of the 5/5 regs eating him up. At the end of it all, the Indian was felted and there were multiple stacks over $3k.

That has to be more profitable (and entertaining) than grinding it out coolering each other.

1/2 rake is $5 seating charge and 10% up to $20 (max buyin $100 min buy in $50)
1/3 $5 seating charge 10% up to $15 not sure on buyin limits.

both games have the 10 second stop clock though.

Yeah tbh I don't understand why 5/5 regs would play that game. All the fish are gonna reg 2/5 and you want to play with them not other decent players.

My mate reckons ego might have something to do with it. I get that. They probably used to play the 5/10/20 when that would get up regularly, so dropping down to 2/5 would seem like going backwards. Or maybe it's just familiarity with the players. If they think they have an edge.

But when you're there watching the different table dynamics, I personally just don't get it. Most of the stacks are between 1-2k going up to about to about 4. So about twice as big as your usual than 2/5 table, but I never see walk-ins just sit down on 5/5 and donk off 4 buyins for ****s and giggs, which happens ALL THE TIME on 2/5 tables.

2/5 also seems to be the preferred game for cashed up asian exchange students and weekend warriors.

With their skills and rolls I'd suspect the 5/5 regs would get a better hourly rate playing lower and then playing 5/10 or bigger during busy periods.

1000%

hi ,I'm new in melbourne, I'm just moved here from playa del carmen, is there a chat group on skype???thanks

Skype is dead and buried. Wouldn't mind finding out if there was a Poker Melbourne Discord though.

+1. Play 1/3 + tournies at the crown.

There's a Facebook group called Melbourne Poker Southbank you should join if you want to play in some home games. You just need to request to join and then people post invites to their games.

Thanks for the tip shuffleupagus. Do you know what kind of home games get going?

I'd love a chance to play some stuff other than hold 'em

Also has anyone played over Easter before? Is the room busier due to the long weekend? How long would you likely have to wait for a 1/3 or 2/5 table on the Friday/Saturday night?

dude, rarely is there any wait at all

I played at Crown Melbourne 4 times in the last week, only at $2/5 - rake is high, 10%, 15 cap, no free drinks, $5 sit down charge, can't move tables with your stack. $200-$500 buyin. Crown totally screw the players, BUT the player pool is a joke. The regs are pretty shocking, and tonnes of punters. $2/5 is super beatable, probably better than in London where the player pool is so much tougher. I dont know if $1/3 is beatable long term for more than $5/hr or so. $1/2 is not beatable at all. Its like $100 max, 10%rake, 25 cap or something ridiculous. PLay Blackjack over $1/2 if you want to punt.

1/3 is easily beatable for more then 5$ an hour LOL. My last 300 hours (last two months) at the crown playing 1/3 have resulted in 23 an hour, which is around in line with the decrease that would be expected from going from 6 capped rake at my old room to the atrocity that is the Crown's rake. I know the hours played is low for determining any kind of real win rate, but the play is that bad.

Anyone got any thoughts on short-stacking the 1/3? I'm not really in a position where I can afford to have a $1k+ downswing on a single night, but I'd still like to play some poker.

The 1/2 is obviously off the table because of the ludicrous rake :/

I started off playing with 100$ buyins at 1/3 Crown in January. I was able to succeed because I ran well to start off and increased my buyin fast to 66bb and now buyin full at 1/3.

That being said, I do not think it is possible to remain playing 1/3 with less then 100 bb for very long. The rake is absolutely brutal and you'll be wiped out pretty fast if you hit a downswing. On top of all that, while the games are soft, I don't think it's honestly very worth it to continue to play 1/3 for very long at that casino, you have to be aggressive with 2/5 shot taking or face a sub-par hourly due to the rake.

Wouldn't bother til you have more money. If you were serious about winning that is. If just for fun, why not!

I'm visiting Melbourne and sat down for some 1/2 'fun' yesterday. Most passive, fishy table I've ever sat down at. Combined with the disgusting rake and blind structure it was easily the worst game I've ever played. Very rarely did anyone raise, it was limp x5 and then one player in late position might raise between $6 and $12 and then 4/5 players would call. I saw Q2 call down AK on a board of K-7-Q-5-2 all the way to the river lol... The player with Q2 then announced he had been 'fishing for that deuce'... ironic to say the least.

How do the players at 1/3 compare to 1/2? Safe to say I'll never return to that joke of a table again.

Don't play the raketrap 1/2. The 1/3 is about the same.

What are your thoughts on the games these days?

Honestly, I played a bit of 1/3 and I was a bit baffled by the diversity. One Asian girl didn't even know how to play lol. She torched about $600 within 45 minutes calling everyone down. She limped QQ from middle position (limped pot, 4 runners, seems to be the usual). Flop was J59 with 2 hearts. EP bets $18, she calls. Next player calls. The button jams $200. EP folds. She calls remaining ~$150... Next player calls. The player who originally jammed shows J5. The next player showed J8 with 2 hearts. LOL.

Look, I'm definitely a novice regarding poker on these forums. I'm not saying I know a great deal about the game. But I was looking around the games, watching, and I was thinking "what strategies are these players using?" - it seems to be a very unusual form of poker. I don't look at many players and think to myself, "this guy must regularly use the twoplustwo forums". I just think, what the f-ck.

While I don't doubt that the games are beatable, it can be quite frustrating when you are card-dead and keep on hitting the river with the 2nd-best hand. At least the players are sweet enough to let you know (with their bet sizes) when they have you beaten. Usually they're nice enough to show their hand after you fold too. Can't fault the environment, the people are definitely not bad! But I just haven't gotten my head around the poker yet.

What would your advice be to become profitable at 1/3 here?