I was browsing the ppa website today and came upon this article.
http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=8104301


SPOKANE, Wash. - Northern Quest Casino has become the first casino in the Inland Northwest to offer high-limit poker games, casino officials announced Tuesday.

"To serious poker players, it means for the first time they'll be allowed to play Hold'em with a betting limit of up to $500 per bet with three raises," said Janet Chavez, Poker Room Supervisor.

Prior to March 28, when the high-limit tables were introduced, the largest bet allowed was just $40 with three raises. Northern Quest will be offering three different High Limit poker games, Chavez said. They are:

* $1/$2 blind, buy-in $100-$200, betting $2- $200
* $3/$5 blind, Buy in $100-$300, betting $5-$300
* $5/$10 blind, buy in $300-$500, betting $10-$500

Northern Quest has two poker tables dedicated exclusively to the high limit games. Play will start daily at 10 a.m.

Northern Quest also offers no-limit tournaments seven days a week and the casino expects to attract a large number of players who only compete in high-limit tournaments.
"The addition of high-limit poker is a direct result of our ‘you asked, we listened' campaign," Chavez explains. "Many of our guests have been asking for high-limit poker, and we're happy to now be offering these games."


Any 2+2ers in the northwest? The new higher limit games have been going for nearly a month now. Has anyone played there or know any more about the room?

Yes, this place is a gold mine. What do you want to know?

The article says that only two tables are designated to the "high" limit games but lists 1/2 3/5 and 5/10 games. Are there really only two tables? and if so which of the mentioned games usually run?

Also what is the rake structure? Automatic shufflers? If there are only two tables I am assuming they are just in a sectioned off area on the casino floor? I have never been to the casino but might be heading up to that region in July.

They are only allowed to run to high limit games at once is what that means. That is that if there are two 1/2 games going then those are the only two allowed, no 3/5 or 5/10. The tables are in the same poker room as all the other poker tables and are not necessarily even next to each other. The rake is 10% at a max of $3 and $1 for the BBJ. And yes they do have auto-shufflers.

So how often do the 3/5 and or 5/10 games get going?

They are only allowed to run two of the big games at once because of some kind of state regulation. I don't know or understand the details. I was there Tuesday and Wednesday night and one 1/2 game was running. Thursday night two 1/2 games were going and several of the players in those games were on the 3/5 interest list. Friday and Saturday nights will usually see one 1/2 and one 3/5 game going with big waiting lists for both. I've seen the 5/10 game running once or twice on the weekend.

This 2-40 spread game they are referring to was very rarely played. Northern Quest's poker room previously thrived on 3-6 limit games, which are still quite good. A juicy 10-20 game with a half kill was played four days a week, but that game is pretty much dead since all the regulars have moved over to the spread limit.

But seriously, you can make a lot of money here. I don't know how it is in other places, but I've seen 1/2 games running where it was not uncommon for five players to see the flop for $16 each.

I had a pot there where we had 6 callers to the flop (1 all in) for $45 and the winning hand ended up being A6 suited, and the all-in had something like QKo.

Hi, how goes it? Northern Quest is an absolute gold mine. There are way too many bad players to name that reguarly play at Northern Quest. Unless you have sick bad luck, you should have no problem crushing any game you decide to play.

But Adam, what if you run terrible in live games?

If you run terrible keep watching those monster 93 os hands chasing with bottom pair to the river against your aces and never missing.

That is what 3/6 limit is for and players like Bubba were born to do. Always good to lose a pot to 3/9 and 2/7

It was due to the fact they are taxed as pit game tables. They are only allowed to have a certain amount of pit tables as well. Originally they were going to designate two tables for strictly spread limit so they did not confuse pit taxable and poker taxable games. One of the managers had a bright idea to just drop a paper with which game was being spread at that table. I think this corrected the problem. They still will be limited by the number of pit games on the floor.

Any other places in Spokane area worth checking out? Is NQ still a gold mine? I will be in Spokane next week on Business and am curious...

I'm trying to contact a live B&M poker pro who lives in Washington state, and whose name is Martin Forsburg.

If you read this, or if any of you know a poker pro from Washington state who is named Martin Forsberg, please PM me.

Thanks,

phy

Didn't see this thread till now, anyone playing recently answer a few questions? Curious how the play is fridays/saturdays, long wait to get onto tables depending on time of day? Been thinking about checking out NQ, never played live before but figure be fun and worth a shot, playing NL100 recently online so assuming should be ok, just sticking to farely smart play and not getting fancy, no?

loud, ridiculous degen he is

Bumparoo for an ancient thread.

I'm going to Coeur d'Alene in June for vacation and will be in Spokane for a couple of days. What's the current word on the games and/or daily tournaments?

I used to live in Spokane, I left almost 2 years ago though. When I was there it was always a great game if there was one running for sure. Very profitable. During the week it usually doesn't start to pick up untill like 3:00 in the afternoon. Games would last untill 2:00-3:00 in the morning or all night. The weekends were always packed you could play from friday to monday with nothing but full tables of fish and overly tight players. It was so easy. You just didn't always have the volume of players you would like to have.

The answer you are looking for is TRIBAL GAMING LOBBY- On the RES they spread as many 1/2 3/5 or 5/5 even 10/20 NL (Wa says $500 limit per bet/raise)as they want,but the "mini" casinos are limited to the different classes of games or BJ,piagow etc. The slang is "spread"game but $500 is a pretty big bet.

Firing up a past thread...

I live in the Tri-Cities, 2 hours south of Spokane. Our games are drying up around here - the largest game in our area is a $2-$40 spread limit game that doesn't even get run regularly anymore. The biggest regular game is $2-$20 SL. As someone who prefers to play $3/$5 or $5/$10 NL, I'm a bit bored by this game.

Anyway, I'm thinking about making the drive up to Northern Quest this weekend or next weekend and checking out the games. But before I do I want to make sure it is worth the four hours I will be spending in the car. How are the games Friday and Saturday nights? What is being spread? The posts earlier in this thread are obviously a little outdated. TIA.

Was passing thru Spokane a few weeks ago. It was a Sunday night. They had a couple 1/2 NL games going and two spread games going. 3 to 200. Played a bit in the spread game before tourney started. Lots of max betting.

On Fridays and Saturdays they will have at least a couple 2-200 and usually one 5-500

Excellent to hear! I got a hall pass from the wife to head up there this weekend - will probably play Saturday afternoon/night and again Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the 5-500 will be going all weekend!

Will post brief TR next week...

Good luck. It's worth the drive vs. The moose or bridge.