2/5 with 1k max seems to be the downfall for many rooms(that struggle to get a 2/5 going). Where I play we struggle to get a 2/5 gm going.. it'll run once in a blue moon. I've suggested to the floor they should make the max 500 and they'll have a better chance of getting it running. My reasoning for this is..

1. If someone is interested in playing 2/5 but only wants to buy in for 3-400, they're probably going to pass assuming that everyone else is buying in for much more/1k.

2. if the max is 500 and the player has something like 800 to play with, they would feel more comfortable/inclined having multiple bullets if they bought in for 3-400. What usually occurs when the game does run, the game will be full but once someone gets felted they don't reload and the game typically ends due to players leaving.

I understand that playing deeper is better for those properly rolled for the game, but it seems that many are not for 2/5, let alone rolled to play 1/2. It's better to get a game going at a small max buy in than not at all.

While those points may be true in slower cardrooms I don't think that raising the max to 1000 has negatively affected the 2/5 games here. There are always multiple games running. I do agree that raising the max benefits those rolled and hurts those wanting to buy in short, but I think it's better for the game overall.

So, you actually think you'll get robbed walking to the cage inside the casino? Wow..if you're that paranoid you better not ever leave your castle.

Its most likely the other reasons the big game is slower. 2/5 now being a 1k max is probably the biggest. There is no reason for any player who occassionally would move up from 2/5 and take a shot at 5/10 to move up now.

I dont play 5/10, but i have a hard time believing a dollar or two of rake will deter them at this level.

A cumulative effect of all the little penny pinching policies by El Dorado might play a part in the overall traffic in the room. Add them all together. Inconvenient cage, restaurants closed, crappy comps, increased liquor prices, no more tourny's.

I wonder how a 5/10 player goes about getting banned?

Poker players don't provide that much value to casinos (unless they are blasting off in the pits). The Shoe has banned 5/10 players as well.

Finally a comment that is correct. Casinos want "X" amount of dollars per square foot period. If poker can meet those numbers fine if not no poker. They don't care about poker they care about money like every other business. The guy driving to Milwaukee to play when his house is right by Elgin and claims he is money ahead going to Milwaukee.. Are you really that clueless

and what difference does it make if they ban a 5-10, 2-5, or 1-2 player...the rake is the rake..the casino making the same amount of money per game.

Quick Question for those that play in Illinois. Traveling to Normal Illinois for a game at Illinois St - what's the closest Poker room and is it worth going for a little 1/2 or 1/3 or 2/5 No Limit? Should I just go to Horseshoe on the drive from O'Hare? Thanks

In an average 2/5 game at GVC there's maybe one guy who's ever posted on 2+2. I'm sure if you polled the room, majority of players have never even heard of it.

Yeah, inside a casino is probably the last place on earth I'd worry about being robbed. Always keep my head on a swivel in that parking lot, though.

I’ve never even worried about the parking lot and never had a problem there. However, I’ve been scared plenty when walking up that enclosed stairway.

SP is this you, don't make me call your wife

The cage upstairs is about 20 feet further than the one in the basement, excluding the stairs. You have to go upstairs to get out of the building so what is the complaint, other than childish

^^^^yep..chicagotroll is just a pot stirrer. Always negative or looking for confrontation!

This is the most embarrassing attempt to slam a poker room I have ever read. "the cashier is a long ways from the poker room"?

You mean the cage on the way out you have to pass anyway? Cant tell you how many times I've said to myself, "Ya, I'm up $550 right now, but man, that walk to the cage, nah, not having it, Maybe I can stick around and piss this $550 profit away so I dont have to stop at the cashier on my way out, I mean, it's like two yards to the left as I leave! Those extra steps are not worth cashing out my $550 in profit"

Or is this the most embarrassing attempt?
"now at risk of being robbed when having to walk up those stairs to the far away cashier" Ya, the fact that there are literally hundreds of cameras in the building wont protect me from justice if some dude robs me on the stairs. You could leave a newborn child alone in the corner in that casino for an hour and it would be safe. No one is stupid enough to try anything in there.

One last one for kicks . . . "beginning of the end of the poker room" GVC fills up 107 seats by late afternoon on both Friday and Saturdays and still has lists 20 deep waiting. During the week, before 3:00 at least half of the building are poker players.

The bigger 2-5 game makes it harder to move up from 1-2. It would be nice if they made a 1-3 game with a $300 or $400 max buy in. As of now your choices are
1-2 $200 max
2-5 $1000 max
5-10 unlimited (and within an hour they all have $3000 in front of them)

So, if I'm a solid 1-2 player, the next game is literally 5 times bigger. That's a quantum leap. A $20 pre-flop raise at 1-2 happens two or three times a half hour (and is rarely called), while at 2-5 a $20 pre-flop raise is little more than a "pot-sweetener" and you get usually 3+ callers. Supposedly, "it's the same game", but changing your mindset from "$100 on the flop is an all-in with the (near)nuts" at 1-2 to "this $100 flop bet could be a c-bet with air from the pre-flop raiser in position" is not easy to adjust to. Where you once had fairly clear meaning behind a move, now you have almost none .

At the same time playing 1-2 with 6 guys sitting with under $75 and 3 guys at $200+ is just awkward. 6 guys are basically stack-committed if they call any $15+ pre-flop bet. Not much actual "play" when the table skews/polarizes like that. If they call and hit top pair, then the rest goes in, if they dont you just bet and they fold and it's boring. On Friday and Saturday nights these skews are less frequent but if you play at other times, this set-up is the norm.

A game inbetween 2-5 ($1000 max) and 1-2 ($200 max) would be great.

My biggest suprise is how they put in a water fountain! If I'm a waitress I'd be pissed, why spend $2 on a bottle of water anymore? They lose all those $1 tips from waterbottles. (and I always tip the waitresses nicely so dont bother. I usually buy a few beers when I play)

I regret to inform you that "Alpha" has committed suicide. He was a well known poker player at The Grand Victoria Casino Elgin. Alpha was his nickname preferred by all friends and players at The Grand Victoria.

^^^Wow. Very sad. I believe that he was married with young(?) kids.

The closest poker room to Bloomington is at the Par-a-Dice casino in East Peoria, IL. They have 1-2 NL with $300 max buy-in. The games are usually pretty good, sometimes nitty, sometimes wild. Friday night is probably the best night. There are usually action games on Wednesdays and sometimes Thursday during the day.

The poker room does not open til 10 am. Sometimes games start at 10:30 am, but usually closer to noon.

There is a tournament on Sundays at 11am. $125 buy in, with a maximum of 40 players. It is usually over by 5 pm at the latest.

That's hard to read. You just never know the private battles people are dealing with. The room seems like such a release for everyone it would be hard to notice something is wrong unless they opened up to it.

Life is one strange trip.

Did Curt lose his battle with cancer? Havent heard anything, but I also havent seen his name on the list lately either. You just never know what life has in store for you.

Same story at the Paradice in Peoria. They claim it's an Illinois rule.

Absolutely agree. I play mostly in Illinois and am spoiled. When I play out of state, in rooms that allow devices, I'm reminded of how distracting they are and how much they slow down the games.

How does The Grand Victoria handle responsible gaming? Do they allow one to self ban themselves from The Grand Victoria?

Yes.

I almost self-banned myself about 6 years ago after moving up to 2-5 and getting felted 4 sessions in a row after flopping or turning boats and losing to the river. I remember sitting near the exit doors and thinking, "I cant keep doing this, should I ban myself?" I chose not to. Turns out I had moved up to 2-5 too early. I was in no way a "problem gambler" but I also knew at that time this wasnt a positive thing in my life. If losing that money bothered me that much I was playing too big. So I dropped back down to 1-2.

Lessons learned the hard way are learned best.

There is two types of self ban in Illinois. One is the individual casino (GVC may or may not offer that). The second type is state wide. That one is tricky as it includes Harrah’s. You can find yourself unable to play at WSOP and all Caesar’s properties.

Saw the worst display of class I've seen in years at the table recently.

Let's call this guy "Frank" to (not) protect the innocent.

It's a 1-2 table and it's like a $50 pot.
Very uneventful hand on a Friday afternoon.
River is dealt.
"Frank" bets $15 and Victim calls.
"Frank" says, "you got an Ace?"
Victim says "yes" shows his Ace face up and flicks it with his other card face down towards the muck.

"Frank" says, "that's a muck! I want the floor!"
Floor knows this "Frank" guy is a total ass for doing this, but he is correct by the letter of the law, both cards must be shown to win a hand.

So Frank takes the pot and claims he is only asking for the floor since "someone did that to me once, I want a ruling"

Unreal. I've seen this guy play for years and it's not worth it to your rep to become "that guy" who wins a meaningless pot over a clear technicality when he knows he lost the hand

"Someone did it to me" is like the most 4th grade reason to be an ass, and this guy is like 50 years old.

My problem is I expect better out of long-term regulars.
Just such a douche move.

To be clear, the Ace was face up, the other card hit the muck face down