They did a little bit of advertising. They sent a fold out brochure to my residence in Asheville. I'm planning on going tonight to play for a few.

Geoff

Haven't been there in years. I got in a bit of trouble last visit. They caught me mixing a drink in the restroom. The place was dry as a bone and I wanted to partake in some whiskey while playing video poker. I read where they have beer now. Can you take it to the poker room from the bar?

wow. They threw you out for that? Glad they didn't catch me snorting yayo those few times.

No you can not take it in to the poker room.

Wow, I though that place wass still dry to the bone. Didn't see anyone in the poker room with drinks, though one guy did smell of wine. Sure do wish they'd allow it, the games would prob play a lot bigger that way.

Is this a brag or is it an attempt to invite in "sharks"?

Just an accurate description of the players you'll see there. Doubt many "sharks" are going out of the way for a 1/2 game...

I made my first trip in April, due to posts similar to yours with descriptions of the game and players. Since April, I have made 1-2 trips/month. I am by no means a "shark", but I can confidently say that I am better than the "average" player that plays there. I just think that posts like yours will only make the games tougher.

Ah, I can see how some younguns might go "zomg, $60/hr minimum, they play so bad" if they haven't a lot of experience with live play.

In reality, based on my experience, I'd say the games up there are a little better than average for the times but nothing to get worked up about.

You can and will find days with a lot of tables averaging $35 a pot. Good luck with that. And a lot of those bad regulars are nits that aren't losing any money.

The games are imo the standard live low stakes grind.

"The games are imo the standard live low stakes grind"

I have to disagree with this. What other live casino do you see with as many people on the 1/2 wait list as playing on the 1/2 tables? Due to the fact that new money is always being added to the table these games are more profitable because the rake isn't killing the game.

Yup, most of my tables were ~$35-50 a pot, which is still considerably higher than the avg 1/2 table online. But you have to look at more than just that, b/c this money is mostly passive money. It isn't a raise and a call or a raise and 3-bet (which I seriously saw 1 or 2 times in 17 hours of play). They were call, call, call, complete, check. I mean it was so sick compared to a game online. Simply NO ONE 3-bet light and I only saw one kid who ever isolated a limper light. It was just an open-limping fest. They kept calling me a bully just b/c I'd come in with a raise most of the time or isolate limpers, while I was playing fairly solid/close to the vest compared to the way I'd iso online in 6-max games.

Yes, the bad regs aren't losing any money because the non-regs are that much worse for one. Secondly, they're good at not giving away money, but they also play very straightforward and don't attack money either. The regs that I encountered mostly limped into pots (limping with JT EP, calling a raise oop in one instance) and just tried to hit very strong, they didn't make any tough moves otherwise. I'm sure they win vs the cows, but they are very easy to play and read for a decent player. Honestly the toughest guy I played was an older man who just potted tons if checked to, potted any draws, etc. Atleast he was tricky and made you think, which none of the regs really did and surely none of the other non-regs ever did. Most of the non-regs were complete non-thinking old school players that think it all comes down to "lady luck" or "who gets the cards" and believe AK, AA, KK, and JJ are the devil and "always lose." The ones who raise with KK, then c-bet an A-board IP just to "get information."

tl;dr Easy game over there. Still, it's only 1/2, so more of a fun experience than worth a significant hourly boost to .5/1 and up online players. Then again, it's a very relaxing and easy way to make money while having fun.

Well you only see this on Saturday nights and not every week.

KikoSanchez,

What you are describing is no more or no less than the standard low stakes grind. I am aware that there are live card rooms with far tougher games than at Cherokee. I just hold that its not really that soft in relative terms to other live games.

Thats my $.02.

Edit: The rake is higher than online too you know.

Isn't this standard for all decent casino poker rooms on the weekends? That's my experience with Vegas and Tunica anyways.

Obviously it's much better than underground or home games around the area.

I posted my $.02 but it looks like a mod has moved my post.

Cliff notes: games seem fishier due to more hands/hr.
no dealer or server tips leaving table
fresh players on waiting list especially on weekends as someone else posted
ease of adding money or topping off stack at the table
Buy in structure in addition to previously mentioned things make the games
play bigger with a little less variance than some of the 1/2 games in other places.

I chased your post down, the moderator shouldn't have moved it imo.

You made some good points. I think the $300 max buy in is a major plus for Cherokee plus the five buck drop. Compare to a $200 buyin with a $6 drop and thatsthe reason I have been playing there, not the level of competion.

I am gonna be the best player anywhere anyhow so for me its the structure.

Well of course if it is ~2x rake compared to online, but that can't nearly make up for the lack of competency. Surely you mean it is a standard low stakes LIVE grind, not standard to 1/2 online. Most 1/2 casino games are equal to a .5/.10 game online. Softer relative to other live games? Surely softer than private 1/2 games I've been to and actually just a bit worse than Harrah's Indiana. Not the worst game ever, but surely the most passive from what I saw.

Is it a drop ?? at Cherokee ?
Is it $5 ?

If it is a rake, is it $5 max? Is part of the rake/drop a BBJ ?

The rake is 10% up to $5. They do not have a BBJ. I hope they never add a bad beat. I know it's nice to have an opportunity to win a lot of money, but the extra $1/hand takes a lot of money off $1/$2 tables.

Will be going tomorrow to check out the games. Now that they serve alcohol in parts of the casino, hoping there will be some loose action at the tables.

Yea screw the BBJ

Interesting players Saturday night (11-21) playing 3/6 limit. Three guys at the table are wearing shades, one wearing a bandana, and one wearing a hoodie. Do these guys realize they are chasing the rec. players away? At 5:30pm all the rec. players were gone.

I should give them a copy of Small Stakes Hold Em. The table turned into a rock garden.

Despite these 3/6 wannabe pros, I had a good time.

On a side note: At 1/2 NL this one guy was playing EVERY hand and was up over $400 dollars.

What are the max buy-ins on the NL tables at Cherokee? Thanks.

$300 for 1/2

Might shoot over for a daytrip sometime this week before thanksgiving...maybe...

and $600 for 2/5

I am pretty sure the max buy in at 2/5 is $500, unless they have changed it recently.

I stand corrected it is $500 for 2/5.