Just got back from my LA trip and was able to squeeze in a fair amount of poker. Unfortunately I was only able to play the Bike, so here are my thoughts on that casino:

- the game is fairly soft - I played about 16 hours of poker at the bicycle between Wednesday 9pm and Friday 2pm, spread over 3 sessions. I played exclusively the $2-3 game so I can only comment on that. The buy-in is $100-$300 and enough people bought in at $200 or $300 to make the game relatively deep. I played well and ran decently well too, ended up making about $1450 on the trip, plus a $50 cash comp (the 2-3 game comps $3/hr, which is very nice, but you can't cash-out until you accumulate $50). I found the games fairly soft, really only 2 our 3 players in my whole time there that I felt were really solid/thinking players. Everyone else ranged from spewy to just kinda bad. For players like me who want to play low-stakes $1-2 type game, I definitely recommend the $2-3.
- holy ****, all the stories about LA poker are true. - While most players were fine, there was a significant percentage of people who were just shockingly rude. F-bombs abounded, players commented about on-going hands constantly, players spoke other languages at the table, etc. The dealers were AWFUL at controlling this (i.e., essentially did nothing 95% of the time). I ended up calling floor on a player for commenting on a big hand that I was playing (I'd been playing with this player for 10 hours by this point and had asked him to stop doing this previously). The floor gave him the most wet noodle warning. It was really crazy.
- sub-par dealers - in addition to not controlling the players, the dealers were not as good as I'd expected. I think I assumed that a big established casino would have great dealers, but most were average at best in terms of speed, paying attention etc. Worst offense - I won a small pot at showdown and was holding my cards waiting for the dealer to push me the pot. The dealer insisted I surrender my cards so she could display and them muck them before pushing me the pot. This sounded really wrong and dumb but it was a small pot and I didn't feel like arguing so I gave her my cards, she mucked them, and pushed me the pot. Literally 2-3 hands later I win a $400 pot at showdown with the nuts (ace-high flush on unpaired board). I table my cards right in front-of me and look away for 2 seconds. As I look back I see the dealer has mucked my cards and started pushing the pot to the losing player. I yell at her for to stop and fortunately we are able to remedy it (many other players verify my hand and the dealer ends up digging through muck and finding my cards) but, as you can imagine, I was not happy with the dealer. I talked to a floor later and he confirmed that player's can retain their cards until the pot is pushed (as it should be) so I don't know wtf that dealer was talking about. There was only one dealer that I thought was really good (shout-out to you Brian, you were great)
- room is gorgeous - apparently it was kind of a ****hole until they re-modeled 2-3 years ago but it's awesome now. Really open, well lit room with tons of tables, several check-in desks, and 3-4 cages. The food/beverage offerings seemed very good and extensive, and there is also a Starbucks right in the poker room. It was also very cool to see the Live at the Bike studio, which is also right off the poker room. I also really like the $1 blue and $5 yellow chips - they had a really weight to them and I liked the design. Oddly, the $100 pink chips were noticeably cheaper feeling, but w/e.

Happy to answer any questions about my experience there.

Thanks for the report BornToPun, good things to think about for myself since I’ll be moving to LA soon.

The dealers take a lot of flack on this forum for not controlling the games, but that flack should be reserved for management who do not let them. LA is not Vegas, and the rooms are managed differently so to expect dealers in LA to run things the same as dealers elsewhere is unfair to them. Criticism of their level of skill is fair game, but for the most part IMO they're no better or worse than elsewhere.

Most LA players are just plain A-holes. The dealers are bullied to the point that they are powerless and the management lets it happen. There is so much hate for them from superstition and the belief that they are unlucky.

It's one of the biggest poker rooms in the world.

Oh sure, there were complete jerks there and I saw tons of dealer abuse. Definitely agree that management needs to step-up and start enforcing a new culture.

Eco - there's blame to go around. Maybe I'm just spoiled at my home casino but the bicycle dealers were constantly making mistakes, did not keep the action moving very well, and were also just overall pretty slow. Again not saying all the dealers but as a whole I was unimpressed.

Great report! I'm looking forward to some LA poker now.

Can you actually redeem the comps for cash or just non-transferable food/hotel rooms? Also, do you know how the comps differ for the $5 and the $10 big-blind NLHE games?

You can redeem for cash (I played for 16.66 hours and cashed out a $50 voucher). You can also cash out for food but I'm not sure if it's a better or worse bang for your buck,

I don't know the comp for higher games, sorry.

Has anyone played the 2-5 500 cap games at San Manuel? How's the drop, action, and skill level of players compare to 5-5 at Commerce or Gardens? Thinking about making a trip over there next weekend.

I think the game at San Manuel is decent. I think the drop is $5 + $1. Pretty sure, unless they raised it the last time I was there. One minor complaint is how far the parking garage is from the poker room. Its a decent walk but personally I can't stand cigarette smoke so you have to smell it all the way through the casino walk.

I think it depends on your objective. If you live anywhere near LA City, I think the drive out there isn't worth it because it could be at least 1hr drive without traffic. Commerce or HG, Bike or whatever might be closer and better to save $1 less rake.


As for the games itself, its pretty standard 2/5 game. Just depends..I think an unknown game that tends to be decent are the 5/5 games at Lake Elsinore. It only runs Monday and Thursday but its a 1K cap game.

The San Manuel games are similar to the games in LA. The drop is 6+1

Going to be in LA until Monday. I've bee told limit big o gets spread here in various limits. All I've seen is the 4/8 game at commerce. Would the bike or gardens or someplace not on bravo be a better bet for 8/16 through 20/40? I'd rather not play in a stud mix.

All the bigger big O games are mixed with stud or badugi..

Gardens has an 8/16 Big O, though I'm not sure how consistent it runs and when it does, it often requires numerous props.

What's the best plan for an LA poker trip looking to play 2/5 and maybe 5/5? Any hotel recommendations or just best area to stay? Rent a car, or just uber?

2/5 in LA doesn't really exist unless you head to the Indian Casinos.

5/5 500 max is at Commerce and Hollywood Park.
5/5 600 max is at Gardens Casino.
5/5 1000 max is at Hustler and The Bike.

As for where to stay, I guess it depends on your budget and what your main objective to coming to LA is. If your purely here for poker, Downey, maybe Long Beach wouldn't be so bad as your pretty central to all the casinos. Just keep in mind most areas that the casinos are located in are not the greatest neighborhood.

But if you in LA for vacation, I'd stay near the beach. A good guideline is be west or south of the 405 freeway.

Gardens - $300
Hustler - $100-300
Hollywood Park - $100-$300
Commerce - $200
Can't remember at the Bike I never played cash there a ton.

Unless things have changed recently all these games above are 2/5 or 3/5 blind structure.

That right there is the point. A 2/5 poker game doesn't really exist (need to play 5/5), but there is plenty of 2/5 bingo.

^, that is what I meant in that 2/5 games don't really exist in comparison to what "2/5" means throughout the country. 2/5 or 3/5 in LA is a completely different game than what is know to everyone else outside of LA.

5/5 is more accurate comparable to 2/5 for the rest of the country.

I want to find other players that are grinding the low stakes in LA and form a poker group to bounce strategy and hands off each other. Everyone I've met at the tables in LA either pretends to be serious about poker or just doesn't really want to get better. If any of you aspiring pros that are grinding up through the low stakes in LA and need poker homies, hmu!

-Evan

Define "low stakes". I just moved here and play mostly 5/5 in addition to working a full time tech job. I would be happy to join a discussion group.

Has anybody played at Lucky Lady Casino in Gardena lately? I assume they still have small buy in NL games with the bigger buy in NL action concentrated down the street at Hustler? Thinking about dropping by for the sake of my poker chip collection. I've been there once back when it was Normandie.

Believe it or not lucky lady had one of the best 2/5 games running last year for a period of about 3 months then it died.

They still have 1/2 40-100 and 1/3 80-200. With mostly props playing in that game. If you want a chip $1? $5? I live somewhat close and I could get one for you if you want one. They’re actually kinda make women look bad as I have heard many women leave cause of the chips

Thanks for the info. I appreciate the offer to mail one but it's my custom for me to play a least a little poker at each casino I save a chip from. That sucks if it's really is upsetting women, but it's owned by Larry Flynt so it's not unexpected.

Well they have porn stars on the chips at Hustler, did they manage to do something worse at Lucky Lady?