I would stay in Redondo Beach and play at Hustler and HP

+1

About 10 years ago I stayed in a reasonably priced motel in Redondo Beach for about a week while playing poker in the area. It's really not far from Commerce and Bike either, and is a really fun spot. I was just a few blocks from the boardwalk / pier area which was very nice.

Yeah give it a shot. It's good action so you'll probably lose or win $500+. And yeah I think it's $10 to call preflop. Very fun game.

Yeah 5/5 games are fairly soft. Not much different than 2/5. The buy-ins are different at different casinos. The Commerce and HPC is 300-500 buy-in, the Bike and Hustler is 300-1000 buy-in.

Good luck guys.

5/5 rock PLO games were very 'playable' in Vegas at both the Aria and Resorts World so I would assume the same in LA. Stacks were anywhere from $400 to $6k if a Player had been at the table for a bit.

It's nice to win a pot when you are going to be in a blind and not have to pay anything since the rock covers your blind for you automatically.

I hope you got a chance to try it out.

If you want a bigger game, Phil Ivey was playing 1k/2k PLO at Aria last Thursday at Noon .. 3 handed. GL

What is going on with the rake in LA? It used to be 5+1 now it's 6+1 for those 5/5 games at Hustler.

At The gardens, they have a 5/10 game that rakes 5+1 (no jackpot), which should be the game to play. But now they created this other game 5/5/10 with 800 max buyin that rakes 6+1. This is pretty stupid imo as this will compete against the 5/10 game since fishes will prefer the 5/5/10 due to the lower buyin cap. I think they are doing this on purpose because they want to find a way to rake more. Any thoughts on this?

The gardens also has this 5/5 game with 600 max buy that rakes $8!!! This is more rake than the 5/10 & 5/510 game. What is going on??? IMO the 5/5 game is almost unplayable or very hard to have a good winrate. What do you u guys think?

Thanks in ADV for your opinions.

Rake in CA & NV is the lowest on the planet, you should count yourself lucky. My local casino is $15+1 at 1/2 with a $200 buy in.

I don't think you understand California drop. Every single hand that reaches the flop the house drops the full amount. Usually its 1+1 or 2+1 on pots taken down preflop. Your local casino drops it based on the size of the pot. Many of the tables will have more drop then your 15+1 per hour. In California, it is illegal for the house to profit from the size of the pot.

Oic

more rake is better. Saw a recent YT vid with Ryan Depaulo in an underground room in NYC, raked $25 one hand!

Back in the day the casinos had quarters (as in 25 cent coins) in play for the rake. They competed for business and players and management knew all the regs and OMC's would switch casinos over 25 cents in rake. With little or no competition for players there is no incentive to reduce rake. Plus costs have gone up and got to pay for increased utilities, staff, insurance, building/room maintenance, etc.

Hi all I’m currently in La for a vacation - I usually play at Commerce when I’m here but it’s such a **** hole I don’t think I can face it. I want to play 2/5 5/10 10/20 nl. Is the Bike/Hustler/Gardens better or more pleasant to play at and have enough game selection, or do I have to suffer the commerce to actually have decent game selection? Haven’t played in La in a few years whats the best for msnl action basically

Thanks

The Gardens is bar far the cleanest to play. They are having some post pandemic staffing rules and won't let you eat at the table.

Ok but are the games good?

If you haven't been here in a while, you prolly owe it to yourself to at least go see the new Hollywood Park casino. Brand new building, lots of space between tables, decent food service (at least it was pre-pand.)
Sure, it has its detractors who don't like some- staff, dealers, rake, games, people, customers, etc., etc.- but thats the same thing for every card room in LA. I'll go here since its the closest place to my father-in-law. But my limit-playing wife won't set foot in it. She loves the Bike- because of the people.
enjoy your trip

Thanks Dave sounds like a good idea - are there 5/5+ games any good? Is there a decent selection of games?

You can see live game info. Commerce is on Bravo live app, bike and hustler are on poker atlas app. Commerce still has the most tables running.

Games are good but I suspect the regs have been crushing the fishes at a fast rate in the 5/10 deep games (rake every 30 mins) so they created this 800 buyin max with 5/5/10 blinds so that the fishes have a better chance. Also, the rake is higher that includes jackpot per hand not by time.

Eventually HG will be almost unplayable for living in NL

Thanks I’ll check it out tonight.

Well that is a terribly high rake, but CA is nowhere near the lowest on the planet. I believe it's still higher there than in most other places in the US.

Thats brutal may I ask where that is?
My assumption is Australia, I've heard many casinos being like $10+.

For $15 theres a casino in Oregon that lets you play the whole day as their admission cost, rake free pots afterwards.

Most LA Casinos are capped at 100BB for their 5/5 Hollywood Park and Gardens especially was always pretty good action with 6+ tables running everyday pretty much.

Bicycle and Hustler are where you can buy in for more at 200BB for 1000

From 5/10+ you'll see most places in LA 150BB+ to being uncapped.

I went a couple of nights back to HP. I thought there was a 5/10 with $800 cap as per this thread but they’ve never run it apparently so that’s misinformation sadly.

Started at the 5/10/20 which had a mandatory straddle. 1 table running and extremely boring, only action were players with 20-50bbs. Other regs pretty solid. One Asian American woman who was very loud and constantly talking who was clearly trying to create the action and was clearly a reg and knew everyone. Friendly enough table but far too reg heavy - and impossible to get a drink from the servers being stuck in the back and no choice to move to another game so had to move to 5/5 which was much better action. But a shame it’s capped at 300-500$ - really quite a small game and not really what I was after. Also it’s extremely hood in there with gang members everywhere.

Am I better off going to Commerce (or somewhere else perhaps preferably) as I want more selection and more action at 5/10 that isn’t so reg heavy and no ability to game hop at a similar or higher stake?

Commerce is going to have the most 5/5 and 5/10 games going.

+1 to this Commerce typically runs the biggest and most amount of NL holdem Games besides the streamed ones at Hustler and Bicycle.

Yes to Commerce besides getting invited to high rake Home games in LA its prob the best option for higher stakes NL just not the best atmosphere/setup like you mentioned previosuly it’s such a **** hole I don’t think I can face it.
or just play smaller at bicycle or hustler 5/5 1k max and bicycle has 5/T running daily too both imo much nicer casino.

Thanks yeah I remember feeling like I was getting aids every time I went to commerce pre Covid.

It would just suck if I get to the bike and there’s 1 5/t running and I’m basically stuck there