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Originally Posted by tomsleepy
I will be in miami beach on vacation april 18th through 23rd. Which casinos are closest? Nicest? Best for 2/5 nl holdem cash?
If you're going to be in or near South Beach, your closest options are Magic City and Miami Jai Alai. Both are about 15 minutes from the beach, and are practically a golf shot from Miami Airport.
Magic City will have more 2-5 tables and the buyin there is 200-500. You can only straddle UTG for $10 and the game plays somewhat reasonably, by Florida standards (meaning it's pretty loose and plenty of fish at the table).
Miami Jai Alai usually has one or two 2-5 games going. The buyin is unlimited (yes, unlimited) and you can straddle from any position for any amount. You can also restraddle if you're behind the original straddler. The game plays super loose, but there are also going to be a couple or three sharks at the table who buy in for big stacks and pick off the smaller players. I've seen players buy in for ten grand at Miami Jai Alai.
Your other option in Miami is Miccosukee, which is about 30 minutes from the beach or more, depending on traffic. They usually have two or three 2-5 games. The buyin is 200-500, and the straddle rule is UTG for $10. This is one of the loosest games you'll ever see anywhere. I've seen instances where half the table had stacks in excess of $3K. Miccosukee's staff is pretty unfriendly, and the room is incredibly smoky. The only reason to go there is if you're serious about playing at a donkfest table.
If you play at any of these casinos, prepare to hear Spanish spoken a lot (even by the dealers) during hands.
Calder is on the Dade/Broward line, and their 2-5 game is also very loose (the structure and rules are the same as Magic City). There you'll find the cleanest room, the best staff, and they enforce the rules strictly. However, it's not in a great neighborhood.
Gulfstream and Hard Rock are the two closest rooms in South Broward worth driving to, and both have regular 2-5 games with varying skill levels.