To all San Diego poker enthusiasts,

This post is for anyone seeking mutual mentorship, tutelage, motivation, and good people to celebrate a big payout with, who are serious about their game.

I've been playing poker recreationally since I was 15. My short term goals are to build a bankroll healthy enough (mostly through live MTTs) to stake myself in the Harrah's Rincon WSOP circuit events at the end of the year, and to cash in the WSOP 10 game mix and a few other events in 2013. 3 years ago I took orders the Navy gave me to San Diego. Yes, I'm in the military. I'll be in the Navy 8 years this September. Anyway, I'm starting to take my poker career seriously, and hope that someday that it can be a primary income source. Even though poker is a mostly an individual pursuit most of the pros will tell you they didn't to where they got to completely alone.

Coming from a military background I'm used to a team dynamic. It's rare to run into someone to have intelligent conversations with about game theory, or cheer for me on the rail. During long sessions I get myself in a lot of spots where I can't think straight. I'm tilted and I can't be my own voice of reason. It wouldn't be a bad thing to have a partner or two at the table to tell me enough is enough your bankroll is blown, or that I've made goal for the session and I should cash out, and visa versa.

I play all different levels of stakes, MTTs, and a variety of games, all over the SD area.

Palomar - 2/3, 5/10 NLH, 20/40, 30/60 Mixed (though I haven't had the roll for it lately)

Ocean's 11 (my most frequent haunt) - all of their NLH stakes, even the 10/20 table with no cap (when I have the roll for that). I also play their limit hold'em and omaha 8 tables that have a pretty challenging field. Gavin Griffin, who frequently writes for Card Player magazine, and has over $3mil in lifetime tournament cash, is a reg at O11's 20-40 limit. Most of the people that play both 8/16, and 20/40 limit, are regs, and have a lot of experience at those games in that venue. I also play their 5/5 PLO when they run it which they haven't lately.

Sycuan, Barona, Pechanga - Any NLH, Any Omaha, Any Stud

Commerce - I've only been their once, and I got spanked at 20/40 limit hold'em a month or two ago, and it's kinda got me tilted. My ego wouldn't let me get away from playing slop against senior citizens.

I play just about every variation of poker, and I'm willing to try anything new.
Badugi, Baducey, Badacey, 2-7 Triple Draw, 5 Card Draw, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, H.O.R.S.E(obviously), and any mixed games I'm a big fan.

Lately I've been playing more MTTs of all kinds, online and live. I'm looking to play the 2-7 triple draw tourney on Aug. 14th at the Bike.

I've also traveled to other countries to play poker on my leisure time. Most recently, in Sydney, Australia. I've also been to Southern France, and the Monte Carlo in Monaco.

I play online too, mostly Merge/Carbon poker. I use a HUD, and Poker Tracker. I'm mostly a 22/25/18 Just in case you wanted to know.

That's pretty much the rundown.

I'm very apprehensive about who I associate myself with, but I'm willing to give everyone the benefit of a doubt at least once. The military has been a difficult place to find people with as much enthusiasm as I have about the game. So, this is why I'm reaching out on 2+2 to find other like-minded people.

If you're interested I'd like to get together, and plan a jam session smaller stakes at first at one of the local casinos. Or even online, you just need a laptop, and find a place with wifi.

I'm looking for someone I have good chemistry with. I'm pretty easy to get along with. Eventually, I would like to have someone to travel with me internationally to bigger tournaments, but that's a long way away.

I live in PB, and I'm usually at a Hookah lounge called red velvet trying to take down tournaments on my laptop. Anytime, I can play poker over a Hookah is a big bonus for me. I'm not into drugs, by the way.

Just to give you an idea of how intense I can be, I was once a Navy SEAL candidate, and injured myself during the application process. I'm an FMF Corpsman (if you don't know look it up) who's been to combat both in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and I have about 800+ deployment days in combat zones under my belt. Ironically, I'm switching my gears towards poker, because my war experiences have me burnt out.

Again - Mutual mentorship, tutelage, motivation, and good people to celebrate a big payout with is what I'm after. Serious, players only please!

PM me, I'm looking forward to meeting you.

I will repost this again in the future.



: spade:

SD players - please advise on this trip. Its a 2 day detour while driving from Lv to LA.

Get south of San Bernadino on I-215;
Pechanga,
then a little further south and play- Pala, Pauma and Rincon,
then get south to the I-8. go east and play -Viejas, Sycuan and Barona,
then back west to actual SD for - Palomar and the other two,
then north to Oceans 11,

then north to LA

thanks

Take the 215S to the 74West then 15S and hit Lake Elsinore Casino.

Better action and tournaments than most anything you will find in San Diego.

Only about 15-20 minutes north of Pechanga.

I'd skip Pauma and Harrahs Rincon..you'll only be disappointed..

i'll second stu's advice. don't make a trip to rincon. i've never even been to pauma and i live in north county san diego.

instead, you may consider village club in chula vista (very lively 8-16 omaha game), and lucky lady.

Pauma has some ok donkaments at night. This Saturday and next Saturday it is their $60 "Stacked Tournaments". Around $8,000 in NCV Chips and 20 minute levels. 5 Tables, so the prize pool is around $2,500. Start time is 4pm, which is nice if you also want to hit the new Rincon Saturday Night Bounty tournaments down the road, that starts at 7.

No cash game action tho..usually just a 3/6 Limit game running, and very rarely one 1/2 NL.

I believe that Pauma may be the only poker room in all of SD County that is 18+, not 21+, so occassionally you get some..uh..interesting players..

Thank you ! I see it on the map now. That will be my first stop.

Actually, Barona, Viejas, and Sycuan are all 18+

Are you sure?

I go to Viejas many times each month, and there is a sign when you walk in saying something to the effect "As of November 2011, you must be 21+ to enter the casino floor".

The funny thing is they have started building the hotel at Viejas, and from what I understand, if a casino has a hotel, they have to let kids in the casino with their parents to go to the lobby, restaurants, etc.

The hotel completion looks to be at least a year away..

Viejas is 18+ for sure...The Indian Reservation Casinos are all 18+ right???

Pala and Pechanga are 21+ I think.

Viejas website does indeed say 18+..though the sign by the side entrance says something about "under 21"..I'll pay more attention and see what the sign says when I go there tomorrow.

Pechanga is definitely 21+..and I think Chilidog is correct about Pala too..

Sycuan is definitely 18. The 18-year-olds are also easy to spot in the poker room: They buy in for $100 or less and usually have a buddy with them, watching. They're a bit timid when posting blinds and acting in turn and invariably bust out pretty quickly because they're so nervous they overplay a couple hands and go busto.

It's cute. With a bit of practice they'd be a force to be feared. Thank goodness most 18-year-olds are too broke for live poker!

30/60 mix running at village now since palomar is busy spreading their 10/20/40 PLO and 200/400 mix.

it went off yesterday and today, and will go on Monday.

i dunno how many times I'm gonna play it though, I think I may head to Mexico in a week or two. but it could go strong. just a heads up I guess!

Correct. Other 18+ casinos in SoCal are Morongo, Pauma and Chumash.

No, Indian casinos can choose to be 18+. In fact, about a year ago, Jackson Rancheria up by Sacramento changed from 18+ to 21+. In SoCal, Pala, Rincon, San Manuel, Soboba, Agua Caliente are all 21+.

Thanks for the heads up. Heard that the Palomar owner(s) decided to pony up some dough to get the PLO game back.
Have to check it out when I get back to town.
Good luck in Mexico. Cabo is a great place, haven't been much elsewhere on the west coast.

Does anyone have info on Ocean's 11 Friday noon tournament? How big is the field and how long does it usually last?

I am interested to know, too.

With the cheap buy-in and the guarantee, they must get easily over 100 runners every Friday at noon.

Blinds are only 10 minutes long, but start at 25-25.

Recently O11 added bounties to all daily tournaments, even their weekend 10am deepstacks..

palomar is hosting a $50k single table tournament tomorrow at 1:30, it's half NL half PLO

just a heads up for those who might want to get in some railbirding :P

correction, it's a 50k buyin cashgame. my floorperson friend tweeted wrong :P

Thanks guys -- for the comments and suggestions.
Played San Manual, Lake Elsinore, Pechanga, Pala, Pauma, and Ricon. Stayed at Rincon hotel.
Next day played Sycuan, Viejas, Barona, Oceans 11 -- then north to LA.

Pechanga and Sycuan were my faves. Viejas probably the friendliest and best promotions.

Must be too many poker rooms and too few players in the area - all the poker rooms were giving away LOTS of promotions. Aces Cracked all day everyday, high hand bonuses, hourly drawings, discounts, etc etc.

Did not like the way a few of the rooms took the drop. Blinds were posted, dealer took chip for bbj, and other chip(s) for drop --- THEN dealt the cards. Hey ! Wheres the pot?

I'll try Village, Lucky Lady and Palomar Club on a future trip. Will also return to Pechanga and Sycuan. And oh yeah -- theres a zoo and something else to see in San Diego too, right?

Yes, with the exception of barona. I recommend hitting up the sycuan. It's my favorite place to play.

I'll be moving to San Diego from Sacramento in about a year. I go on business to San Diego 1-2x a year but I haven't ever checked out the poker scene. I will be attending SDSU and was wondering if there are any poker rooms nearby. I'm a 1/3 NL player. NorCal has a lot of 1/3 rather then 1/2 and is filled with limit players.. I turned down a $90k bonus in the military to go to school so I'll need a tiny bit of income to get through the college life (100% tuition paid and a decent stipend). I want to know if I'll be able to have a stable income for about 2 years.

I don't want to come down there to find out the rules down there are like Commerce super short stack flipfest.

I'll be down there for another 2 weeks in from Oct 14-28 staying downtown Gaslamp. What is the best hotel there? My buddy stayed at the Omni and I stayed at the Kimpton. I'm thinking Hard Rock this time or maybe Omni.

1. How far from SDSU?
2. How many card rooms within a 25 mile radius of SDSU?
3. How busy? NL games going 24 hours? How many tables usually running?
4. Action or Regfested?

Being in Sacramento, it is Regfested but luckily we have Thunder Valley, Cali's largest casino. It is Limit heaven up here which I feel will drive me mad. The games here don't really run 24/7. You will have a limit game go for 24/7 but it will be the only table left around 4am - 10am.

I would just go get a full time job with school but I'm not supposed to work at all.. don't ask.

welcome to sd (next year). first of all, don't say "Cali". second of all, there is tons of poker in SD -- see this thread. lots of places that spread NL games in the 1-2 / 2-3 / 2-5 range. read this thread. most indian casinos & oceans11 are open 24 hours and a couple of the places closer to the city close down (per permit conditions) at 2am. and no, san diego poker is not the ******ed 20 BB buy in game at commerce -- most places spread a real poker game.

also, i don't know for sure, but i thought pechanga was the biggest casino in the state.....? i've been to thunder valley too, and i can't say which is bigger.

Believe Thunder Valley is 4th or 5th fwiw
Palomar is probably your best option if you don't want to be doing a bunch of driving.

Saw Lindgren at Palomar this afternoon. There was a $10/$20 PLO/NLH game going apparently. Only person I recognized. Was too chicken to go up to him and ask him if he wanted in on a fantasy football league or how he could be playing $10/$20 if he was "cash broke" like he keeps claiming to the numerous 2+2'ers he owes $ to.