The biggest-game-is-weird-and-different dynamic is not a new thing to the Oaks. For a long time, the biggest game they would spread was 120-limit lowball, and for all I know they still do.

Depending on how willing people are to travel, those aren't very good options. The Oaks isn't a big "destination" - few people will drive up from San Jose or across from San Francisco to play. The player pool isn't as elastic as Bay's or M8trix.

Pros / winners are much more willing to travel to play than random losers.

I would guess that the Bay St AMC theater is a bigger competitor than Bay 101. Cal Grand seems to have a decent crossover (like I see CG people at Oaks and vice versa) so if anything that would be the best option for 15/30. Plus the game is off the heezy.

You fool!! It's all about the thick pastrami.

Can someone please provide an update on the 30/60 or 40/80 game here?

Does this run on weekends? If so, what time does that game start?

Thanks!

In the recent past ,they spread a 40-80 or 30-60 most evenings. Last Friday [Nov. 30] however, they had a 15-30* and apparently nothing higher.


*I would like to see the 15-30 come back. If it's not being spread at the Oaks, the next stop is the Cal Grand, about 50 miles away in Pacheco.

Only 23 miles apart. Just feels like 50 with traffic.

Will be in the area next week, should be there Monday at least. Assume the 6/12 is still strong?

Yes.

The game is strong. The players, though....

In other words, it’s perfect.

You might think that, but I couldn't possibly comment.

Starting this month, the Oaks has changed the days of its weekly cash prize drawings from Sundays to Saturdays.

As part of their high-hand promotion, the player who shows the highest hold'em hand in half an hour often (depending on time of day and day of week) wins a cash prize but always receives an entry into that month's drawings for more cash prizes. Last year the drawings were held every Sunday, now they are on Saturdays.

This is better from my own selfish point of view because Saturday afternoons are part of my own regular playing schedule, whereas Sundays have had conflicts with my family commitments. At my current level of play, I have been picking up a high-hand bonus with associated entry into the drawings roughly once every two months, i.e. about once every 120 hours of play.

You can find more details on the Oaks' web site, https://www.oakscardclub.com

You have to claim the monthly prize in person on the spot? Or can you win the monthly prize and collect it later?

(To that end, I'm not even sure how tge half-hourly prizes work, do you need to stay to the end of the half-hour or can you come back later and collect?)

You have to stay to the end of the half-hour to collect your high-hand prize. If you don't have your valid ID with you, you can tell the floor person handling the payout, and come back with it later.

If your name is drawn in one of the drawings on Saturdays, you have five minutes to show up and collect the prize. Which means if you are at Arizmendi buying some pizza and a friend lets you know your name has been drawn, you have time to come back and claim your prize, but you likely can't make it in time from home. If the five minutes runs out without the prize being claimed, another name is drawn from the drum.

You know Arizmendi has been closed since December 11, right? A car crashed into the back of the building, hitting a gas pipe and causing a fire. No word yet on when it will reopen. See the statement at http://www.arizmendi-bakery.org/.

Wtf. Playing 6-12 and I’m otb and hit trips. Flop gets bet in EP and then raised all-in to 10 in MP and all I was allowed to do was complete to 12 while another player derided me “this limit poker,sir”

I don’t remember that at oceans so is this a room specific rule?

You should have been able to make it $16 according to any rule set I've ever played with. A lot of times it is misunderstood though.

The whole table and the dealer automatically told me I couldn’t. So I wasn’t able to protect my hand on a connected board but it all turned out ok. I got bet into on the turn and was able to raise again and then get paid on the river. Someone didn’t raise their big pocket pair preflop.

I still think it's more likely the whole table and the dealer were wrong than that they really have a different rule there. Maybe someone who plays there more often could let us know though.

Yes, this is a room-specific rule. In limit poker games at the Oaks, an all-in that is less than a full bet or raise does not become the starting point for an additional raise.

If the first player to act is all-in on the flop for $2 or $4 (or for $2 or $4 more than the previous full bet), all you can do is "complete" the bet to $6 (or complete the all-in's partial raise to $12). Your action is not considered a raise; it is considered completing the bet.

Many rooms (including, presumably, Ocean's 11) follow what is known as "the half bet rule": If the all-in is less than half of a full bet or raise, all you can do is complete the bet to the full amount. But if the all-in is at least half of a full bet or raise, then that becomes the starting point for an additional raise. For example, in a $6/$12 game, if someone is all-in on the flop for $2, all you can do is complete the bet to $6; but if someone is all-in on the flop for $4, you can raise that amount to $10.

I've played in rooms that do and don't follow the half bet rule, so whenever I play in a room for the first time, this is one of the questions I ask (along with, do I need to post to get my first hand?).

Whoever said "this is limit poker, sir" was not offering a helpful explanation; he probably thought he was making a joke.

If you ever disagree with a dealer's ruling, you should stop the action and call for the floor. Or speak with a floor supervisor away from the table after the hand ends to get clarification.

Let me get this straight: You don't work or play at the Oaks, but you believe you know the house rules there better than those who do?

That is confidence, sir!

My observation was that out of 30ish rooms, this is the first time I’ve seen this ruling (of course some of those rooms I did not play limit).

Not a big deal. Just surprising to me personally.

This is definitely the rule at the Oaks, and it has been the rule in the more than twenty years I have been playing there.

I have played there, but don't play there regularly.

Several times at other card rooms I have played in this rule has come up and the dealer has been incorrect about it, while until now I never had good information stating that this was the actual (bad) rule anywhere.

It is a standard limit poker rule. There are two variations.

1) If a player goes all-in, but doesn't have enough to fully bet or raise, it is considered a call and doesn't reopen action. Facing a partial bet "call" you can also call and put in the difference or raise based on the original bet limit amount. 6/12 - on the flop: somebody bets 6 - player goes all-in for 10 - you call by putting in 10 or raise by putting in 12 - if you call the 10 the original bettor of 6 cannot raise, action has not been re-opened, they can only complete to 10.

2) The newer variation is if the all-in bet is over half the bet amount (bet 6, player goes all-in for at least 9 or more) than action is re-opened and it all works like you think it should.

Apparently Oaks Card Club in Emeryville, CA uses the old school first variation of this rule. That really doesn't surprise me.