I'm down in san antonio tx, which means I have two realistic options for a day of poker: Winstar, 5 hour drive, or lucky eagle casino, 2.5 hour drive and not really nice.

I read about the bus that leaves every friday/sat for winstar, but is it worth it? The casino reps claimed there was no transportation going to the casino... yet http://winstarworldcasinoexpress.com/departuremap.aspx exists.

Anyone tried it? If so.. onto the important part.


Is poker at the winstar any good

I can answer the latter question, and yah it's really good. I've never played at lucky eagle, but I noticed the poker room does have hours of operation (games run at Winstar 24/7), and I'd be shocked if lucky eagle has anything higher than 1/2. The good thing about Winstar is there will be tons of 1/2 tables running so you can table select if you don't like your table for whatever reason.

As for the bus, I've heard good things about it, but have no direct experience.

Good enough for me, will try it next week. Lucky Eagle basically has 1/2 and occasionally 2/5... few limit tables, but a LOT of weekly regs (by 1 am the dealer even told me I was the *only* non reg at the table) Still walked away a winner, but that's a little too tough for my liking.

Winstar have tournaments often?

I'd simply point out that being a reg by itself does not make a player good. In fact, most regs are terrible, IMO. That being said, they generally aren't as bad as the casual weekend fish so if that is what you want, Winstar is a better spot (personally, I rather like abusing regs).

As for tournaments, I know they have a few during the week including Friday. Their deepest/longest tournament is on Sunday.

I don't mind regs, because 99% are older weak/passives (the 1% you avoid), but the fish who will give you money for free can't be ignored.

Going tomorrow by their bus, which I hope is alright. Hope it goes well !

I ride the bus from Dallas several times a week. I chat with folks who come from other places and all the buses seem to be pretty much as advertised. They aren't particularly comfortable if you are big, but they are cheap especially if you carefully manage your free play.

Winstar is poker paradise. If you are at Winstar on the weekends, there are many 1/2 no limit tables running (10+), 5+ 2/5 no limit, a couple of 5/10 no limit tables all spreading holdem. There are generally 4-5 4/8 limit tables also spreading holdem. There is often 1-2 4/8 limit hi/lo split with a half kill omaha tables running, 1-2 1/2/5 pot limit omaha games and, from time to time, a 10/20 limit omaha game. It is sometimes hi/lo split.

I *never* am getting weekends off of work ... weekdays any good?

All of those stakes are running on weekdays too with similiar # of tables. He actually undersold the # of tables that run on the weekend. Tuesday is the slowest day but still a few 2/5 tables and a bunch of 1/2 tables.

Hey Jacrazy,

I'm in the same boat as you. I'm also down in San Antonio and have been looking at taking this bus to Winstar. I suppose the only thing I'm really worried about is time constraints.

It states on their website the bus departs San Antonio at 5:30 am and arrives at Winstar at 1:00 pm, and then leaves again at 9:30 pm. I guess if you're playing Cash, 8 hours of playing time isn't too bad. However, it also takes almost 8 hours to get there.

So, I figured staying a night there would probably be better and returning home on a bus the next night. I called the bus company and they said it was allowable, however, if a person does this there has to be space available on the bus - you're not actually guaranteed a seat.

My other problem was actually finding somewhere to sleep for a few hours if I do stay there the night. The cheapest room they have is about $100, and in the surrounding area it's about the same.

I may just head up there and determine if it's worth staying a night. If you do head up there today, good luck and let me know how it is!

boomer

Just got back it was a blast! I ended up winning a few hundred in poker, spent plenty more there haha. The rooms after taxes and such are like $130 ($30 service deposit you get back if you dont use room service) But that's worth it to have a place to sleep.

The ride from san antonio to there is roughly 7 hours, left at 530 am sharp, arrived at about noon. The ride back left at 930 pm, just got back in town at 3:20 am. So it isn't too bad at all!

As for poker, at least at the 1/2 nl, there are a lot of weak/passive players... but a few extremely good regs (many from $5/10 will play there when they're bored and just want to win some easy money) but all in all it's pretty straightforward once you figure out your opponents.

1.4miles of casino, 13 restaurants, the best salmonburgers/onion rings I've ever had with cheap tableside massages... DEFINITELY going back

Who knows maybe I'll see you on the bus one day, will try to do this every week or two while I can!

Awesome!

I plan on heading up there quite a bit actually. I used to live in Rhode Island and Foxwoods/Mohegan were about a 45 min drive away. However, I'm not so lucky anymore...

How were the daily tournaments? Did you happen to get a peak at them?

the dailies are, for the most part donkaments, the blinds go up REALLY fast (few regs complained about it), 20 min timer with large increases... but I heard some of the weekend ones are better with bigger start stacks and such.

Regulars always seem to join the tournaments without delay though, but I honestly got busted pretty early with ak suited (ace board 2 of my suit, all in 3/3 turned their trips and no flush hit for me ) but it seemed on par with other tournament locations... (100 ish participants, first place is about $1500-3000 every time!)

Cash games are there 24/7, went back at 1 am-8am and crushed the drunks there (would have won about $1000 more, but a dude folded aces to a 10/9/2 flop... which was amazing to read my 10/9 from how strange I played it)

Anyways... long story short, tourneys daily have pretty decent competition, not quite vegas level (50/100 people there don't care and play for fun, but the other 50 are all regs that I saw) so TAG will win you at least a cash. Cash games are decent, just avoid the regs who are obviously successful (people who leave 10/5 game and come to your table a huge winner, just because there's no fish left are usually this category).

Worth the trip. Period. (Their salmon, is, to, die, for.)

Hmmmm...perhaps the 5/10 player came to your 1/2 table because the 5/10 game broke?

5/10 still had about 6 people in it with some regs eyeing it... according to the reg who came to 1/2 the fish who was dropping a few grand left, before that it was full for a while

Thanks for all the info jacrazy.

Another question... I've been looking at the tournament schedule and it doesn't say anything about Saturdays. Do they not have tourneys on Saturdays?

I plan on heading up there tomorrow, but I'm gonna miss the morning tourney. Was hoping I could catch one on Saturday, but it doesn't look like there's one

brought a schedule home with me... and regrettably they have no dailies on sat, just friday/sun for weekend. IF you take the bus, you can arrive there at as early as 1130, and the buyin for their tournaments usually lasts a good extra hour or two so you should be able to make it if thats how you're traveling.

Saturday is by far the busiest day for cadh games which is probably why there is no Saturday tourney.

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