The 2/5 DS runs a lot. Your best bet for 5/T and 10/25 is to call M8trix.

The reputation was that there was horrendous collusion amongst some of the regs there in the 6/12. Not true these days?

I see a fair amount of softplay between friends, politicking for calls during aces cracked between friends, nothing of note beyond that. If something more insidious is going on, I haven't noticed it.

I have heard chatter that playing in the 20-40 is "like playing against a corporation" so I don't know if there is a group of buddies playing that game all the time or what.

The thing during aces cracked is pretty funny because the promotion runs for such a short time, like 12-2 M-W and 12-1 the rest of the week (I think it runs later at night too for like an hour). People come in and try to get a free rack of chips in the 6-12 but you'd be lucky to even get AA in a week during that specific time. Then the clock strikes 1 or 2 and enough people leave that 3 games break down to 2 lol.

There's some guys that are so blatant that they'll more or less say, "I have aces, call." and then they'll check it down. I have never been in a situation to punish this behavior with a big hand, and I also have a fantasy about having something like 22 in the BB, checking down with them because I know I'm toast, rivering a 2 and then mucking it anyway because **** them.

This wasn't even true the last time I played at AJs, which was like 6 years ago. Jesse, who logged a bazillion hours there in the mid-2000s, in both 6/12 and 15/30, expressed doubt it was ever true.

It's quite possibly a straight up lie that has been passed down through the years by people like you.

I thought even the rumor was collusion in the 15/30 game, not the 6/12. I only played there a few times many years ago, but the 6/12 game was always great.

The best $125 buy-in NLHE tournament on Saturday mornings at 11am in Northern California is at STONES GAMBLING HALL, which is 100 miles from San Francisco in Citrus Heights (Sacramento Area.) Exit #100 (Antelope Road) off Interstate 80. 15,000 chips. 30-minute levels. $10,000 guarantee prize pool.

http://stonesgamblinghall.com/wp-con.../structure.png

This tournament generally gets between 80 and 120 players each Saturday.

STONES offers the most starting chips, the longest levels, and the most play for the buck.

The rumor is about whatever game has two people that know each others' name and people can't beat.

People claim there's collusion at CG as well. And the Bay 80. Basically if there is a legitimate complaint about collusion (and matbe somewhere there is), it is drowned out by a flood of idiot complaints.

Thanks for that information! It's a bit of a drive from the bay area, but maybe worth a shot

The best potential payday is the 2nd Saturday of the month tournament at Bay 101. Enter a single table satellite for $130, 2 players win a $500ish entry into the main tournament. Over $34k up top last Saturday.

Good value if we can win that satellite at bay

best place for nlhe tournaments?

Any thoughts on the Oaks raising the rake on tournaments as of late? They added a $10 fee for the dealers/staff now making the Sunday tournaments $200 + $25 + $10. I used to feel that the Oaks had some of the lowest rakes around when it came to tournaments but things are changing. I know a lot of staff was let go somewhat recently so maybe things are tough at the Oaks? I know others who are more regular than I at that club can comment.

That doesn't exactly sound like a rake increase to me, but a tip replacement.

The Oaks had the lowest rake around for cash games too. They should increase the rake every few years due to inflation - they haven't done it for a very long time so it's overdue.

I don't think it's a secret that volume is down. They used to use the side rooms for cash games on busy nights, no longer.

And new minimum wage laws will necessitate the "consolidation" of various positions that honestly seemed excessive to begin with. Four chip runners for 18 tables? Come on.

Even one chip runner is excessive IMO. Cut them all out to help stall rake increase, let players carry their own chips from the cage, and stop letting them "play behind", which just causes problems anyway.

Either I'm incredibly lucky or you're incredibly unlucky or you're grossly exaggerating the number of problems it causes.

Having chips closer than the cage is good. It keeps steamers in their seats and saves a trip for people playing smaller games while waiting for bigger games.

I haven't seen too many problems, but a few, and have read about more. It also just annoys me to have to play with people who are "playing behind", especially in NL games.

In Atlantic City, players have to go to cage for their first buyin, and can rebuy directly from the dealers, out of the racks. IMO it's the perfect system.

And for LHE games which require more chips than a dealer can hold in a rack?

I mostly play limit games, played them for years in AC, and it was never a problem. Dealers have big racks, and players are also allowed to sell chips at the table. I sold them often. When I heard started to hear stories about counterfeits I would get $100 chips from dealer for the bills, and ship the smaller chips to the player buying.

Selling chips is a great way to go south.

If you think that having a chip runner is actually more trouble than having to deal with counterfeits and the dealers carrying around two racks of chips wherever they go, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Some places like Bay don't have separate chip runners, the floorpeople do it. And that's fine too. But for a good LHE ecosystem, being readily able to pile 25 racks onto a table is a good thing.

Don't know why you would think it is going south. I sold chips all the time and never did that.

Also, dealers do not carry their racks. I thought hardly any places did that anymore.

Again, the best regular NLHE tournaments in Northern California are at STONES Gambling Hall in Citrus Heights. 100 miles from the foot of the Bay Bridge. Exit #100 off Interstate 80 (Antelope Road).

The Saturday 11am tournament at STONES is superb: $125 buy-in, 15,000 chips, 30-minute levels. Around 80-120 players each week.

http://stonesgamblinghall.com/wp-con.../structure.png

Dealers at Bay 101 used to carry their own chip racks, if I recall correctly.

Dealers at Capitol Casino in Sacramento still carry their own chip racks.

Looks like great structure and value, but it is a bit of drive from the SF bay area

Not everyone is like you.