I haven't had many opportunities to play the daily tournaments the last year or two but they do run well past midnight generally. The freezeout series events won't have any re-entries, so they might be five or six hours.

Hi all - recreational player here, living in Portland, starting to branch out into playing more live games (versus just home games). I've read a lot of theory and am reasonably good, just playing ABC TAG poker for now in NL 1/2 until I build up more a roll.

In the past month, I went to Final Table on a Saturday night, and to Meadows on a Friday night.

Even on a Saturday, Final Table was dead ... only two tables going, NL 1/2, with what seemed to be a couple regs and then the rest were mostly recreational/fish type players, won a couple buy-ins without much problem, but the atmosphere was terrible.

Meadows had something like 6-7 tables going, plus a NLHE tournament (and a Big-O tournament after that). The tables were 1/2 Big-O, a few 1/2 NL games, and one 2/5 NL game. Definitely more sharks/regs at Meadows, I played 1/2 NL and there were 2-3 solid players, then 1/2 Big-O had 3-4 solid players. Still reasonably soft (I think I'm at neutral EV, as I'm better than the fish but am not actually a good player). Atmosphere at Meadows was much better than Final Table, for sure.

Friday nights at Final Table are usually hopping as people bust out of the weekly $10K guarantee tournament. Next Saturday there is a noon $50K at FT, and once they free up tables, the cash games should be filled with angry tournament-bustout money.

I checked on Google Maps daily activity and you're 100% right, Final Table sees crazy numbers on Friday night but is dead every other night of the week. I guess I'll always go to Meadows or The Game on Saturdays from now on (though FT next Saturday afternoon, for sure)

Thanks, I strive to provide accurate info.

lol not saying I didn't trust you, I was just checking all the poker rooms in terms of activity and was surprised at how much higher Friday was versus all other days (Monday and Wednesday were just as dead as Saturday at FT)

Live really close to Final Table and can confirm the Friday night thing. Def their big night of the week (Friday night tourney plus it's pay day). I miss a year or two ago when they would have 2/5 and even sometimes 5/10 cash running. The 1/2 games put me to sleep and there are some unpleasant regs.

Wasn't trying to imply that! My comment might have made more sense but one of the mods appears to have clipped the link I had to my poker calendar blog for Northwest players from the message.

It's too bad 2/5 is dead at FT. Is it still running at The Game, or have the private games swallowed the 2/5 crowd?

It's not that surprising, there never really was a dedicated 2/5 crowd outside of The Game. Everything at FT was always trying to play 5/10+ and the game would get ridiculous with straddles and all the other stupid stuff people would do which always put the game at risk of breaking.

You can always (well, Tuesdays, mostly) put your name in the hat for Poker Time, the recorded 5/5 game at Portland Meadows. There's money on the table there.

Why is a 5/5 game being filmed?

Is that level of play the norm for 5/5+ here in Portland?...

You'd have to ask the folks involved. The hosts started off doing a podcast with analysis of televised poker hands, the poker room bought an RFID table, and they started recording the games and doing commentary.

I'm just a lowly tournament grinder, so I can't comment on the play, except to note that a couple of the regular players are pros, one has a WSOP Circuit ring, and another was heads up for a WSOP bracelet in O8 a couple years ago.

BTW, you can see live tables at Final Table at finaltable.club

Wow, i really enjoyed watching that! Going to seek moar.

Does the Ilani casino close to La Center have a poker room?

No

Hey all. Just relocated to Portland. Looking to play low limit NL or PLO. Any guide to the poker scene will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Basically go to the room with the biggest tournament on fri and sat for 1/2 NLH, that will get the biggest cash game selection as the pack of tourney players moves around.

read the past few pages of this thread. cliff notes: PLO doesn't run anywhere that I know of (though 'Big O' does sometimes), for NL try Portland Meadows, Final Table Poker, the Game, Lucky Devil, probably missing some.

Big O runs more than "sometimes" at Portland Meadows....oftentimes there are more Big O games than NL games.

I haven't been there, but hear that Rialto is back to having juicy games, especially Thurs-Sat. It's only 1/1, but plays much higher and much deeper, with the majority of table having 500+ in front of them. That game roller coasters more than any around, so mileage is going to vary.

Thanks guys!

Welcome to Portland! Just in time for the warm weather.

Claudia's
A sports bar at 30th and Hawthorne has Omaha on Sat and Sun starting at noon. It is Pot Limit. Sat it's 1/1. Sun it's smaller blinds. Player with the dealer button gets to pick the game - so it can be four or five cards, and HI only or Hi/Low8. Cash games all week for NL HE and blinds are small (under 1/1). $5 cover.

Meadows
The race track at exit 306B off I-5. If there is a big tourney, it very very very busy. Cash games are 1/2 NLHE and there is a 1/3 BigO8 game. Sometimes 2 or 3 BigO8 games. But I have only been there on the weekends. $15 cover.

Rialto
Downtown at 4th and Alder. Games at night, usually late, but closes at 2:15 am. Game is 1/1 NLHE but a lot of splashing around depending on the players. It can be huge and it can be swingy. $5 cover. And related to Claudia's, so if you go to one and pay cover it takes care of the other place for that day.

La Center
In Washington at exit 16. Turn EAST and go for about a mile. There is LIMIT Omaha8 with kill on Saturday and Monday. Runs most all day and starts early. Raked casino game. Usually seven players seeing each flop.

Rialto can be very fun and a very bumpy ride. Woooo!

A week or two ago for me...

80 to 0. 80 to 0. 80 to 0. 80 to 0. 80 to 0.
Then 100 to 700.

You can see current shootout games at Final Table here

http://finaltable.club/

And standard tournaments here:

http://pokerportland.com

Final Table also runs a 5/5, $5 ante game on fridays most of the time. It usually starts around 3-6 pm. Buyin is usually 800-3000.

Ive only been to Portland once on a day trip but it was something else seeing cash games played openly in pubs lol.