How have the games been lately? And what do you have to pay in time?

No more time rake. It's 10% max $5 and $2 drop for bbj (sigh). Games are almost always good.

Also, cross post since it's getting no love:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/65...-22-a-1385403/

That is ****ing highway robbery. The games are good enough to justify this?

It's definitely robbery. A lot of the regs aren't very happy about it. We definitely need to get together and talk to management about it.

Lol @ Harrah's. They get away with this in places like New Orleans and North Carolina but do horrible in Vegas, AC, etc where they actually have competition/better rooms.

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Kinda how a free market works.

true dat. it's odd though that, for a long time, nola took 6$/half hour. If the house makes more $ with pot rake, then why wait so long?

Big problem was they weren't taking time rake for players that would miss a down
Which is weird

Maybe tell them to go back to time rake and they can take off the stacks

How are the games on the weekends? Mostly tourists? Lot of good players? how are the 1/2 and 2/5 games. What is the rule for buy ins. Does the casino allow you to smoke? Free booze?

Thanks,

William Wiggle

In order:

1) NOLA has arguably the best low stakes action of any established market in the country. Games at 1-2 at 2-5 regularly play 500bb or more deep. If you expect to put $40 on the table and play on a budget, you're gonna have a tough time. If, on the other hand, you're even a little competent and embrace the action, you'll be very happy. In the 2-5 game I just left, for example, the average stack was over 6k. Two stacks were over 15k.

2) A steady diet of tourists, but definitely more regs, except when major events are in town. Note: reg does not equal good.

3) As in any room there are a number of very good (relative to their respective limits) players. However there are definitely fewer "per capita" so to speak, than in major markets like Vegas and SO Cal.

4) see #1. Games in NOLA are awesome. Nothing like the nitfests taking over Vegas and many other markets.

5) Buy in up to the largest stack on the table. 5-10 and up is uncapped.

6) Smoke in casino but not in poker room. However, poker room is open to the casino.

7) Booze is free except some high end liquor.

A lot of regs at lower stakes who have gotten into some very bad habits from playing tourists super deep all the time ime

I've played there quite a bit and the 1/2 typically plays like 2/5 or 5/5 games elsewhere due to rule letting you buy in up to big stack. 2/5 plays like many 5/10 games elsewhere.

There are some decent regs but if you play at night or when a big convention is in town it is one of the best places to play in the country.

Thanks for the response! Sounds like it will be a good time in NOLA. Can't wait to play.

I'll be in the NO either Wed or Thurs this week for one night of poker and drinking on my way to Houston. Anyone that will be around and is down to have some drinks and fun, please hit me up.

Examples? Bad habits vs regs, tourists, or both?

Merry Christmas all! For my present, please answer

Pretty much spot on!!!! I sat down at a table with 200, smallest stack was 150 and highest well over 1500. Really good table, by the end of the night I bet there was over 10,000 on the table for 1/2 game. The game plays deep and there were some decent players at my table. Lots of fun, free booze...between there and bourbon street, I bet I had 20 bud lights that night. My only complaint was that the casino was really smokey. But what do you expect, its a casino.

I won a little over 600, i'll definitely be back. Great city, great casino.

Just got back home after a week visiting my in-laws in New Orleans. My wife is a kind, patient and understanding woman, who was very cool about letting me sneak out for some poker. Here's my trip report.

I played four different sessions, between 12/29 and 1/1. The first two were very flat - tables full of regs, with not a lot of action. Won $66 and $85, but nothing really remarkable happened. As someone mentioned earlier, regular doesn't necessarily mean good. There were a few good solid players, but most of them were weak-tight nits.

Played a couple hours on New Years Eve at a table that was completely different. There were at least 4 regulars who struck me as "semi-pro" type players. All were very aggressive, although one was overly aggro to the point of being victimized by the others. There were a couple of nits, but no tourists spewing chips. One of the regs was a really good guy (he was at table 1, seat 3 wearing a puffy pirate shirt) who gave me very good reads on the three other aggro players. I was stuck -$315, but ended up rallying hard to grind out a $65 profit. Curiously, my rally was timed almost perfectly with Texas A&M rallying to beat Duke. Enjoyed the game, but it was a bit of a grind.

Played again on the evening of the 1st - completely different experience. Table 18 in the back, where the action was lively. There was a steady stream of Alabama and Oklahoma fans in town for the Sugar Bowl, most of whom were not afraid to drop a few hundred very quickly. Actually saw one player drop $200 on his first hand, when his JJ lost to AK, then get up and leave.

When I sat down, the big stack was a 20-something guy with a camo jacket and hat pulled low over his eyes who had around $1,200. That was matched shortly thereafter by a self-described pro who seemed intent on attacking the big stack. The camo-kid ran his stack up to over $2,000 and seemed very willing to play big pots. I ended up in a pot with the two big stacks. I had KcJc in the BB and called a raise from the camo-kid. Flop came Ac5cX. I checked to the camo-kid, who bet $20. Pro and I called. Turn was a blank, so I checked again. Camo-kid leads our for $60 and is called by the pro. I was getting 6-1 on my call, but decided to shove for another $72 and got called by both of them. River is Kd - sigh. They both check the river and somehow my Kings are good!?!?! Didn't see that coming, but I tripled up to around $525.

I sat on that stack for a while, then got in another big pot with the same two big stacks. I rased to $8 UTG with AQo. Camo-kid raised to $20, pro calls and I call. Flop comes down Axx rainbow. I check, CK bets $45. Pro counts out a very large raise, thinks for a while and mucks. Not sure if I'm behind AK or facing a c-bet from a big pocket pair, I call the $45. Turn is a beautiful Queen. I check again and the camo-kid bets $400, which is enough to put me all-in. I snap call, hoping not to see a set. He turns over



Overall, I loved playing at Harrah's. The action can be really good, particularly if you play at the right times. The $1-2 NL game is the deepest I've every played. No shortage of action, but it is not a game for the feint of heart. If you prefer to grind out a small profit against nitty regs, play in the mornings or afternoons. The dealers were uniformly nice, although many were good-but-not-great. No major problems, but not the most professional bunch. Never had to wait more than a few minutes for a seat. My only complaint would be that the casino is smoky and the room is open to the casino floor - so even with no smoking in the room, the smoke is still there. I had a great time, won a good bit of money and can't wait to go back.

i'll be here april 1 - april 4.

does this room ever spread PLO?

One of my favorite rooms ever! Have played here about 6 different occasions spread out between 3 trips to NOLA with my wife and a bunch of friends. Fri-Sat can get really busy depending on the time of year but the games play deep and are SUPER soft...always ended up with a winning session.

Great city filled with some very hospitable people...food is A+

Sometimes there's a 1/2 plo or a 2/5 nlhe/plo game. Every now and then, there's a 5/10/25 nlhe/plo. I think most of it occurs on the weekends. Hope you enjoy your stay!

thanks. so, it sounds as if i won't find a PLO game on tuesday evening. is the 1/2 NL as good as everyone says?

I was in New Orleans for a convention last weekend and had the chance to play at this casino on Sunday afternoon/evening.

I'm used to 1/2 with a max buy-in of $300, but here they allow your buy-in to match the biggest stack at the table. By the time I sat down, there was a stack of $1600, and two more at $1000 or above.

The game was so full of action, with one guy blind raising to $15 or sometimes $20 preflop EVERY single hand. After a while a couple of regs showed uop and bought in for the table max.

The game was great until the serial pre-flop raiser dusted off his 1k stack, his buddy (other 1k stack) left, and the lady who had $1600 dusted off her entire stack over a period of about 4 hours. The game then became more like your typical 1/2 game.

Played in Feb. during the NBA All Star weekend.

Mostly 2/5 and some 1/2 while waiting for a 2/5 seat.
Was weird/awesome buying in for 1K at a 1/2 table (up to biggest stack). Got funny looks from the $60 stacks. There were usually at least 5 1/2 tables running and this is a great game if you look around for the better ones.

2/5 tables were either playing insanely big (one table I sat down avg stack was 4K) which was usually the case on the weekend at least, or sometimes it would mostly be a regular 2/5 with a few bigger stacks.

For some weird reason you cant buy the button there which annoyed me, but its not that big of deal.

I had a good run and did well.

One cool hand:
I sit down at a 2/5, avg stacks are ~ 4K, I am not sure how much to start with and decide to short stack it in the beginning until I understand whos who and buy in for 1.5K.

VERY First hand I get AA in LP, and I dont know what the usual openings are, 3 bets etc.
Someone opens for 20, 2 callers I make it 65. Raiser asks how much Im playing (has a huge stack), and calls. Another guy calls.

Flop A73rb. Villain bets out 140. I make it 350. he flings in 3 chips. Im sure he called me and wait for the turn. The dealer is looking at me, and finally says... "um... he raised all in" so it turns out those were 3 $500 chips...
I call, flip my cards over and apologize for the slowroll. V asks for a 3 and I double up on the very first hand set over set (and kick myself for not buying in for more but meh).

Obviously a lot of regs in the 2/5, not all were that good but some tables were really tough.
In general its a real fun room with a light and cool atmosphere.

Thanks for the tips in the thread - were very helpful!

Will be in N.O. for a week next month. staying not far from convention center/ harrahs. whats the best places to eat around there?

I'm a huge fan of Mother's and Drago's. If you have a car, the Drago's out in Metairie is noticeably better IMO.