I'll think about giving the 6/12 LO8 a try next weekend. Cheers.

Oh, and you'll find comps in Seattle to be gallingly bad compared to almost anywhere else. Standard is half-off the menu prices (and occasionally alcohol prices) while playing.

The Palace is quite a bit better than most -- they have a free poker menu that's pretty good (I like the Hawaiian or Western burgers, as a chicken sandwich instead of a burger) and you also accrue points toward the real menu.

Muckleshoot -- half off, doesn't apply to alcohol, at least the food's decent.

The palace has been dead for the last 2 weeks. Not even a dealer.

O8 still strong at the Palace in Mountlake Terrace. Could you be referring to another location or a time when the O8 isn't going?

But the LHE there is almost dead.

Possibly, but I've been in there a lot over the last 3 weeks and the only game I saw was... maybe a Friday night? Not sure what it was.

LHE seems dead in all of seattle

^cause its a dumb game for crusty old regs

This is pathetic.

Are there really no 8/16 LHE games?

Sitting in one at Diamond Lil's in Renton as I type this. It's so-so, OK for a Tuesday.

Beep beep beep... We have an update just in from Renton. Suddenly this game is great. That sudden change happens quite often, actually.

Renton though

Yeah, I just go where the games are.

Best comp in Seattle poker is the discounted menu at Tulalip but only AFTER 10pm (the day menu sucks, I've heard it comes straight off the buffet LOL)

But seriously comps here are basically non-existent and state law even prohibits free alcohol

Hi everyone,

I'm based in Redmond. I want to play Stud/8, but assuming that's not available here (because it's not 1995 anymore), I'd like to play 1/2 NL HE somewhere kind of local. I have to take a cab, and would prefer not to blow $100+ on a cab to go play low limit poker.

I would like:

• 1/2 NL HE
• A room that's in a safe neighborhood
• A room with a bathroom that isn't disgusting

[Edit: I mean tonight and generally during Mon/Tue/Wed nights.]

Please advise me, 2+2 Seattle!

Thank you, and kind regards,
Garp74

The smallest game at Snoqualmie is 2/5 (with the state mandated $500 max bet) and I'm pretty sure that's the only nlhe option within cabbing distance of Redmond

Snoqualmie is far - it's 22 miles from the Microsoft campus. That's an expensive cab ride

What are my other options for low limit HE or Stud(/8) or Omaha/8? I went back more pages and saw a reference to The Caribbean Cardroom which appears to be in Kirkland (a few miles away). Is that good for tonight? Are there other close options, please?

Help a Microsofter out! Come take my money!

Thanks and with regards,
Garp74

I know nothing about the Caribbean. This site seems to indicate it might have 3/6 and 4/8, if it's trustworthy:

http://pokerwa.com/caribbean/index.php

Renton seems to be the same distance as Snoqualmie so that's probably not helpful, although that adds 8/16 and 20/40.

Regarding Stud 8 -- actually there is a small HORSE game (6/12?) on Saturdays at the Hideaway in Shoreline. But again, transportation will be a problem.

(TBH I don't understand how anyone could stay sane in Redmond without a car, so kudos to you for doing so. )

I've got a summer with some free time, so I log in here to 2+2 for the first time in ages to find out where to find SS LHE games in town, and this is one of the first posts I see.

I guess I've turned into one of those crusty old regs that I used to feed off of way back when.

Are there no more 4/8 games? I suppose I'm rolled for 8/16, but my skills might be a bit rusty.

No, that's exaggerated. Diamond Lils definitely has 4/8 fixed limit regularly, and I guess there are some around the North End.

Drift is closing and Palace MT has trouble getting HE going, but I think some of the Crazy Moose, Red Dragon, etc. have had games. I think the Hideaway might have something. Hollywood has that wacky 2-40 or whatever they play. Call around. Figure out where the jackpot looks big; that's where the low limit HE players go.

Your big problem in the little local cardrooms isn't going to be NL but rather low spread limit, like 3-12 or 2-12. I think it's a terrible structure in a game with nits, but bad players just adore getting to post only $4 an orbit and chase the jackpot.

FWIW, Caribbean always has at least 2 tables of 3/6 and 4/8 running at just about any time of the week.

Any home games around the Seattle/Everett area?

If you're just looking for 3/6 or 4/8 the Caribbean is pretty great. Competent dealers, decent food, cheap drinks, plenty of telly's, non-degen regs, respectable Monte board, and compared to most other places actually pretty clean. They also show all the U.F.C fights free of charge. And I'd by remissed if I didn't mention they do an exceptional job at hiring their waitstaff w the finest local talent.

I thought MS employees were called Microsoftees? Anyway sometimes I've played at Sno and when a few of them are at the table, they'll occasionally chat about the Microsoft game. Sounded like a 1/2 IIRC. Maybe you can find someone around campus who knows about it?

Trip Report
Casino Caribbean - Kingsgate (Kirkland)

Tuesday evening, a beautiful day and night in Seattle-Tacoma, and your friendly poker reporter was looking for a break from non-stop marathon work days at Microsoft. At 7:30pm, I left my office and took a $25 cab ride to Casino Caribbean in Kingsgate to play the 4/8 LHE.

The building has two entrances, so naturally I went into the wrong one and found myself in a very small and cheesy mini-casino and bar area. Through a darkened hallway I found the poker room, which had a LOT of floor space, but only 6 tables.

There was a single 9-handed $4/8 LHE table going, which I quickly noticed had a full kill. I asked about the qualification, and it was winning two hands in a row, where the second hand had a $30 pot.

I was the only person on the list, and stood around for 10 minutes until a seat opened.

It quickly became apparent that everyone knew each other. The players and staff all called each other by name, and there was a friendly familiarity about their interactions. The staff quickly started calling me by name, and that was my first good beat of the night: the room is VERY friendly and civilized. Swearing is not allowed, and berating the dealer will quickly get you ejected (or so I'm told - I witnessed no bad behavior).

I played for 4 hours, and had a great time. The players were welcoming. I struck up a long conversation on my side of the table, and we talked about everything, from the crazy Mariners-Red Sox game (12-7 Red Sox, with 29 hits between the teams), to fishing, to whether to get married or not, to kids, to colleges, to sports, to Jeopardy and SNL, and lots more. It was a 4 hour social experience for me that I enjoyed.

The play was loose-aggressive and loose-weak. It had been over a year since I had taken the time to play HE, so I started out much too tightly. I loosened up (actually, my seat mate told me quietly to loosen up because I was folding too many winning hands), and booked an $82 win.

A bunch of small quad bonuses were hit, anywhere from $375 to $200 and change. The bad beat jackpot was just under $6,000. I didn't ask what the qualification was - I assume it's aces full of tens or better, or maybe quads or better.

A second game opened up around 8:30 or 9. It was must-move to protect the main game. The action was ending around 11:30 and I called my cab to pick me up at 11:45, as I was tired and didn't relish playing LL LHE short-handed.

The room was well run. Donna, BJ, and Sammy did a rotation of dealer/dealer/floorman. There was a service waitress, and the menu turned out to be huge. I had some breakfast food and found it tasty. I used the restroom and it was clean and non-scary.

All-in-all, I was pleased with the room. I may go back next week for another Tuesday night of LL HE with the regulars.

Garp74

6/12 stud8 going at the Hideaway tonight. Full table. There are six on the list.