With this ratio fish/reg and if the average stack at the peak of the game ~1000$, I guess there should be a good expectation, even with such a rather big rake. I thik good reg expectation should be about 17-22 $/h.

If consider that in the Riverking is great free drinks and food, I think it's not so bad situation for low limit offline regs in PP. You can't earn a lot of money, but it should be enough for beer, apartment and massage ))

I would definitely like to play 2/5$ more or less regulary. I hope to find such a game at least a couple of times a week. Is it real?

It's been a crazy few days for me. I just got back to Kampot after having spent four days up in Sihanoukville. I had been invited by the manager of a new poker room there to cover the grand opening on my social media accounts. I wasn't going to attend at first, but he offered me a free taxi ride and hotel stay and after I was able to wrangle a couple of more rooms for my friends, off we went. I didn't think much of it at first thinking to myself it was just another poker room in a long line of those that have already come and gone. I figured I'll just get a nice holiday out of it and do my best to cover their opening events as objectively as I could. I was not prepared for what I saw once I arrived.

We arrived in our hotels and met with the manager of the poker room for a few minutes. He gave us the lay of the land but said we should come by the room to see for ourselves. We grabbed some dinner and went down to the poker room afterwards. It's at the WM Casino and is called Top-Pot Poker Club. We stopped by the ground floor as that was where the old poker room was located but was soon informed that the new poker room was upstairs and that they had taken the entire second floor. We took the elevator up and what we saw was an eleven table room, three VIP rooms, a lounge and eating area that did indeed take up the entire floor. We were not the only ones invited up in this manner as we met a few other players who had also received free accommodations. They opened up the room with an inaugural $3,000 guarantee freeroll and have a $400 freeroll every day for two weeks. They were giving away prizes to players from charging cables to power packs and just about everything else. The point that I'm trying to convey is that they really spared no expense for the opening of this room.

The inaugural freeroll went off without a hitch as they had 124 runners and every tournament since has run as well. But none of this matters of course if it cannot produce a cash game. The first night only produced a single $1-$1 cash game but on the second night they had three games running; $1-$1 NLH, $1-$2 NLH and $2-$5. It was the same last night as the same three games were running. I played in the two smaller games as I could not get a seat in the $2-$5 game. Both games that I played in were plenty good with a lot of Chinese players. The $2-$5 game was absolutely insane with most of the Chinese bosses playing and doing so with just about any two cards. If the manager was around, which he usually is, he was letting just about every player order off of the menu and signing the bills himself so that we would not have to pay. All alcohol was basically free as well. The room seems to have plenty of money behind it as they weren't concerned at all about what they were spending or giving away in these first couple of weeks.

Not everything was ideal though of course. You could tell that some of the dealers were pretty green and that they did not have much experience, if any at all. Last night's tournament was a bit delayed and the wait staff are still a bit slow. They are employing the same low percentage, high cap rake system that most rooms have adopted in Asia. But to be fair they are giving a lot back and they have also installed a card system whereby players can receive VIP status and earn rakeback for every hour they play. I have also basically been told that there is an off the books VIP rate of rakeback for those that are willing to put in a certain number of hours. The game and deal are good enough that I have decided to move back to Sihanoukville temporarily to grind the games in the new room.

Pops and I managed to find a little bungalow place in Otres Village for about $300 and change per month. It's very basic but it's cheap, at least for Sihanoukville. I've worked it out with my wife so that I'll still spend a couple of days in most weeks in Kampot and she'll come up and stay with me for one week in Sihanoukville. Now I just have to find a way to get my Moto up there. I've spent the last few months literally traveling from one side of the country to the other. I guess it's all part of my poker journey. I'll have more reports on the games and the city at large as the weeks progress.

Thanks for the report PT.
Out of curiosity, what's the cap on the 1-1 rake?
I'm guessing that game will play basically the same as a 1-2.

The cap at $1-$1 is $15. It's really high and I've told the management this but the Chinese players don't even think twice about it. The dealers take a few seconds after each hand, count out the rake and verbally declare it for the winning player. Once again the Chinese could care less. If it wasn't for them and the aggressive rakeback system I probably wouldn't be going back to Sihanoukville. As for how the $1-$1 game plays, it does play like $1-$2 which means that when both games run the latter usually isn't as good. This is unless the $2-$5 players are waiting and treat the $1-$2 game like a waiting room.

whats rake cap on 2/5?

On $2-$5 it's $75. The Chinese bosses have playing this game the past few nights until 4 or 5:00 AM and they don't even look twice. As far as the expats in the game they didn't seem to mind considering the lineup and I'm sure they were all logged in as VIPs. And the room is doing something really different in regards to how big the games play. They've set the minimum buy in for each game at 100 big blinds. They seem to have no interest in smaller games.

Is that 5%?

5% at $1-$1 and $1-$2; 4% at $2-$5 and 3% at $5-$10 and higher.

Rake at 15bb cap is probably a new record for shv, basically uncapped. I guess there is also 1$ for jackpot on top.

How do they wanna survive? Especially because there are quite some choices up to 2/5 in shv. E.g. La Vogue has better (western) food and a cap of 25 or 20 on 2/5.

I have no idea and I don't run the room so I'm not overly concerned since the numbers on what they're offering add up for me. And this is the best live game I've sat in years and it's not even close. And the Chinese don't care so I'm not about to start teaching them to care. I don't know if this is sustainable as only time will tell. But I tried running a room in Sihanoukville in the opposite manner and that didn't work either. And besides the two other people that have messaged me about the rake in the same manner that you are speaking now have all decided not to play in the room. Nothing personal but if I never see the three of you sitting across from me on the table, that'll suit me just fine.

Is there any PLO action in cambodia? What are the stakes? How often the games run?

Obviously it can pay off for you if they offer you a decent deal.
It's basically how every room operates down there. You have a lot of rakebackgrinders that give a **** about the rake because they get % and not hourly payments.

I just don't get the point why they pay you and others for promoting the room and then basically torture these non-grinders.

I'm obviously special. In all seriousness though they are paying others. Everyone gets on their VIP program and they've asked me to recruit others for the same program I'm on. If anyone is interested PM me.

Looks like they listened and lowered the rake caps. Also in the photo is the VIP rakeback program.

Hard to get excited about a 1 BBhr but better than nothing I guess.

Are the games excruciatingly slow?

The rates of rakeback go up at the eight hour mark. Although I did just notice that proportionally speaking the rates are better at the lower games then the higher games. As far as the pace of the games are concerned the dealers are quite good, especially the Chinese ones. They imported a bunch of staff from China who are really on it. Most of the other dealers are Filipina and they're fine I suppose. But the fact that they speak English almost works against them as they talk a bit too much for my tastes. The pace of the game is fine. It just slows down on big hands where someone takes insurance.

Having Chinese dealers seems like a big selling point if they can manage the game a bit better. Is that normal in snooky?
Insurance is tilting

I don't think it's the norm as Filipino dealers have been prevalent the last couple of years. But they've seemed to have fallen out with the Chinese a bit. Like I said they've really spared no expense. And yes insurance is tilting. But then again so is players running it twice over a $35 pot.

anyone ? games in snooky or PP ?

It runs semiregularly in Riverking PP, mostly 2/5 or 5/5. Based on their whatsapp, the last few days they played 5/5 or 5/10 NL instead. It's all based on what a couple of VIPs want to play. But it runs pretty often (daytime). Ask them on FB to be added to the whatsapp group, then you'll see what is going on. They also tried to establish it in Nagaworld but based on their whatsapp group with little success. All based on whatsapp, have not been in town for a few months. No idea about Snooky at present

I'll check when I get back in town today but as far as I know no Omaha in Sihanoukville.

Is the 5/10 or 10/20 running regularly? I might have a reason to visit in the end although have not been playing seriously for a year or so.
Could as well go and play some live poker.

alright thanks

Right now highest game is $2-$5. I've been told group coming in to play $5-$10 and $10-$20 in the next few weeks. We shall see; I'll keep everyone updated.

Actually I just remembered that there is a $10-$20 game at the Gobo East Casino. I just had dinner with a friend who plays there regularly.