Hey thanks for the answer, I'm pumped to play in this poker room!

They are pretty liberal in opening tables. If there is a wait list of 8+ they usually just open a new table

the service at playground is top notch, the Casino needs to step up their game if don't wanna keep losing customers.

Any idea of the higher limit games on Friday nights that you can recall? How many 2/5, 5/5 or 5/10 tables going? Thanks!!

Last I went there was 3 5/5 tables I think 1 was PLO. Hopefully you get an answer from a regular there.

With their insane rake? The casino rake is high but 14$ rake for 2/5 and 5/5 you've got to be kidding me...

At 1-2 it's just a dollar higher than the casino and you get free food and drinks.

I agree with the 1/2 players. I was making reference to the higher stakes only. Trust me on higher stakes you are paying much more for your food in rake. Unless you are a Romanian buying in for 100 and sitting out 2 out of 3 rounds and just eating food all day. And using the excuse "I'm waiting for the big blind" while leaving for a smoke every time they are utg.

Hmm, I've never thought about the higher stakes. I could only afford to play their 100ish buy in MTTs and 1-2 cash. It's a pretty good deal for me.

Out of straight curiosity and not to be a racial/nationalist nit, why specify Romanian? I feel like there's a good story behind this.

Nah nothing racist or anything like that. They might not have even been Romanian. I went to playground and decided to play some 2/5 hearing it was "softer" which i suppose it is if you want to pick up the blinds uncontested a lot from super tight short stackers (not all just the ones you can tell are going for "free" food).

And these two guy (eastern European) Were sitting there ordering 2 steaks at a time and a shrimp cocktail (don't ask me how they put down 5-6 steaks and 3-4 shrimp cocktails each without having a heart attack). So they give their players card to the waitress and she comes back and says "there's no money left on the card" so the pit boss comes over and these guys start arguing for about 10 minutes on how food is supposed to be free and the pit boss finally refills their cards. So they eat for hours and I kid you not they just played 1 round and missed their blinds for 2 rounds straight "waiting for big blind". Not to mention their extreme slow playing purposely, and slow rolling which honestly they were just doing to buy time. It was very tilting.

I guess you had to be there to see the humor, but apparently these 2 guys come often for the free food and just indulge, which is why I mentioned it. A lot of people might recognize them.

Honestly for 1/2 which I do sometimes play also, the 1$ extra rake pays for the food. So it's not a big deal, however on higher stakes it's much more than just the food you're getting. As well the casino should invest in chairs like at play ground. or at least a chef instead of serving frozen dinners for 20$. Play ground has top notch food. I haven't tried everything on the menu but damn that food is good. The chicken burgers were a little dry but seriously that's being nitty. Even the 1/2 menu isn't bad at all.

Also another negative about play ground is the lack of transportation. Car is a necessity. And forget about going during rush hour. Go before or after.

Small stakes MTT's I haven't checked out the rake structure but they are very player friendly and clearly beat out the casino, which barely has a field of more than 30-40 in their daily mtt's which used to be maxed out daily.

aren't they taking away the free food privileges and introducing the players card, which gives you like 1.75$/hour or something?

I don't think the casino worries about Playground. Casino will definitely get tourist traffic and old people burning away their pensions on slot machines. I doubt they even like poker players.

I overhead in playgronud smoking room that four aces was for sale, is taht true?

Considering their website is advertising "Poker Pro Canada Classic...Coming Soon" it may just be a rumour.

BBJ 51K+

Ive been really interested in this club for a few weeks now, prolly switch from Lac Leamy casino cause the tourneys look decent. They running satelites for the 500$ tourney on the 19th?

You have obviously not played much live poker in Montreal if you find the rake "insane".

Higher than the majority of Montreal players were already used to paying to play in underground or other venues for years? Not a chance.

Higher than the Casino de Montreal? Sure, but you get 1000% more from Playground than from the Casino, from free food, booze and bonus hands, to better service, better dealers, and hotter waitresses. Of course, if Playground could rape players at Slots and other Casino games they would be able to offer a lower rake too, but considering the operating costs involved in such a massive room that can only spread poker the rates are pretty decent to anyone not spoiled by proximity to AC/Vegas.

I agree, Lac Leamy has a pretty high rake also.. It's "normal" around here imo

Yes its "normal" for Quebec... Not normal for the times... I still beat the game for a good amount but thinking about how much I pay to play cards makes me sick. I only wonder what all the short stackers are thinking. Buy in for 100 loose some blinds double up and pay 14$ rake.

Edit: they don't rake chopped pots so that's a plus.

Bad beat was won at playground. 57K hit quads 3's over quad 2's.

Max had 7/3 for quads 3's if anyone knows who he is. He used to be a reg at the casino.

Max won, nice good for him, so it happenned on 2/5 table?

No. It was on a 1/2

surprised max was at 1-2 to begin with, practically every time I've played with him he's been buying in short to 2-5 or 5-5, guess things weren't going so great for him, till the bbj that is

Has anyone been to weeknight tournaments at Playground lately? How many runners are you seeing, on average?

I think you could probably expect 50-60 runners. Depends on the tournament though. All the ones I played are $100-$120 NLHE or $125 Bounty. I'm really looking forward to trying out their PLO tourney sometimes.