Since I moved from US to Melbourne about 5 years ago, I've only peaked at the Crown tables a few times and only sat down for poker there maybe twice (used to play online in 2000s and occasionally dabbled live after).

Amazingly (?) one of those two games was PLO8. Big blind was $3 or $5, I forget. That was always a favorite game of mine (online), which I'd never seen live before. I think I wandered up on the start of the game, short handed. It filled, rotated some more people through, but then broke before very late.

Does that ever happen any more?

On another note, my neighbor on the table recommended a room in North Fitzroy to me. I never got the nerve or time to try it. I'd assume it's long gone, years later now. (If such a room would be clearly illegal, feel free to let me know, thanks.)

Crown Casino has been fined $120m by the state gambling regulator for breaching gambling laws

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-...ules/101623450

Does anyone know how the games are running lately ?

Games are great and lists moving nicely.
1/3, 2/5, and 5/10 hold ‘em. 5/10 also has a must move game now!

1/3 PLO runs most of the time too, 5/5 PLO occasionally

Pretty much back to where it was pre Covid

Except no tournaments since March 2020, "welfare officers" bothering players every few hours, and daily and weekly time limits.

Australian poker's worst kept secret: tournaments will not be returning to Crown Melbourne. Perhaps that is until they can put the royal commission behind them (years?), maybe it is forever, and if I had to guess, I'd go with the latter.

Will cash games cease and the poker room close? There were rumours in 2020 that poker might not return post-lockdown, but it did, yet I would be far from surprised if the poker room does close down within the next 12-24 months.

Of all the gambling offered at Crown, Poker Tournaments are likely to be the least susceptible to criminal activity. Guess the costs outweigh the revenues at this point.

Poker suffers for the sins committed elsewhere in the casino. As you said, it has always felt that poker was fighting a losing battle against providing a suitable return for the casino operator.

My preference would be for Crown to retire poker and for 2-3 dedicated poker houses to open up. Dealers, security, just poker. If you have played in a few poker rooms in the US, you’d know that the Vegas Room is not world class when it comes to service, aesthetics, game offerings, rules, and of course, rake.

Played for the first time in almost 6 months, had this exciting hand at 1/3.

In the only hand all session that I straddled, I make it $7 pre and get 3 callers. Flop 9 8 3. I bet 15, only UTG+1 calls.

Turn 10, I bet 25, villain raises to 100, I tank and raise to 300, he shoves and covers, I call off my remaining 300.

Pot ~1200. He had Q J and even when he sees my hand he assumes we're splitting.

I have Q J but sadly don't get the freeroll. "Everyone loves a chop pot!"

I think crown poker room will remain for cash games. An appetite for tournaments will partly come down to the new owners.

I would be surprised if it ceased operations altogether. Private poker clubs would be excellent. It's hard to imagine the city losing the whole lot.

I don't agree with the view that crown is not world class. By Vegas standards it's very big, has lots of active tables, feels comfortable and has plenty of good action. When I was in Vegas last year, one reputable casino in heart of the strip had only two 1/3 tables at 1am going and that was it. Aria had about 6 going but toughest tables you ever saw.

Really like the poker room here in Melbourne, it is world class. Want it to come back with the Aussie millions in coming years.

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What happened to all the pros during Covid? The big games these days are way softer, bigger, and more frequent than they used to be in like 2018/2019

Can anybody tell me what games are usually running mid week and weekends? Was thinking of making a trip over from a thurs-sun

1/3 and 2/5 run basically 24/7. Thurs - Sun 5/10 should get up every night. 1/3 PLO would be up Thurs-Sun, for sure after noon. Maybe not in the mornings on thurs or Friday. Bigger PLO will get up most Thurs/Fri/Sat evenings if the player pool is in town

cool ty

Hi I heard now crown Melbourne has a limit of hours to play 12 daily and 35 weekly. Is that true? Does someone know if is same in Sidney and Brisbane??

There are time limits but not sure if the numbers have changed.

From memory I think it was max 8 hours a session? They warn you after 6, and you need at least a 12 hour gap between sessions I believe.

Think it used to be 48 hrs a week max too.

This might be wrong but I can confirm the hour limit exists and these numbers are in the right ballpark

Would be nice if you can confirm it and if you know any other limits of hours in another casinos of Australia(for poker) would be nice if you post it. Thanks

Hey all. I'm Mat 42 soon to be 43. I probally act and definalty feel like i'm mid 30s. I first visted Jan 2020 and played 10/20/40 some 5/10/20 during the last Aussie Millions that ran. I really enjoyed the city and life in Melbs so decided i'll come back for 4-12 weeks. If the games are good i intend to play max 5 days a week but actually don't really want to play all that much. I usually play 6 months a year in Los Angeles and i'll be playing in from LA on the 30th around 4pm. I'd love to meet new friends and actually do other things outside the casino too. I'm intrested in Hiking, Running, Yoga, Acro Yoga, Climbing, dinners, drinks and a little party action too. Feel free to PM me. Definatley looking forward to the trip and would be pretty cool if others shared some of the same intrests. Just happy to meet cool people and enjoy what the city brings.

I understand that the action will not be that big but happy to play 5/5 and some 5/10 or bigger if it gets up and running. Also if anyone has any leads on local rooms for rent i'd appreactiate you passing the leads on. I rented an airbnb in Malvern near Tarook station for the 30th until April 7th but i'm trying to get a month to month room rental as i could be there up to 3 months total.

FYI current rules:
- max 12 hr session
- 12 hrs between sessions
- max 36 hrs per rolling week

Thanks for information Kerrr. Really hoping I get nowhere near 12hrs in one session and I'd be happy with 15-20 hours a week for the time being. I like the thought of not doing 40-60 hours s week haha

Maybe ask dealers and 5/10 players about home games, see if you can get an invite.

This travel thread below used to be the go to for Australia, but I can see it died out years ago so probably won’t be overly helpful:
https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/9...ight=australia

If you okay 5/10 daily for a week you’ll get to know the familiar faces, then you can ask them about home games. Most of the regs play in them and that would be good for socialising too.

Yah - I stopped living in Australia 12 years ago, so probably time for someone else to start a visiting Australia travel thread!

12hrs Max per session. Min 12hrs break between sessions. No more than 38hrs in a 7 day period.

Pretty sure it's 36 hrs in a period.

Word on the street is later this month they'll be changing some of their game structures. I've heard both from a few regs and a couple of the dealers that they plan to double the caps on 1/3 and 2/5 (so the new limits will be 100-600 at 1/3 and 200-1000 at 2/5, don't believe mins are changing). Also, they plan to allow UTG straddles with straddler retaining last action, as opposed to treating them as blind raises as they do now. Button straddling will not be allowed. A couple days ago, one of the dealers told me the changes were planned to be implemented in 3 weeks, so I guess we'll see if it's true by the end of the month.

Also to anyone grinding here, I'm an American visiting Melbourne for a while, often wearing an orange hoodie when I'm in the room. Barely know anyone here but always happy to chat with other 2p2ers. Feel free to say hi!