Similar to you, my tipping habits largely come from my days living in Vegas where nearly every friend of mine worked in the service industry. Whether cab drivers, dealers or waiters they would all look at me with a crooked eye if they knew I tipped $1 on a large restaurant bill. It is difficult to translate the cultural differences to them obviously. In regards to the maids, I tip them $1 each time as I have found in Cambodia once you tip anything they pretty much expect it every time. So I would have the same fear you did for my belongings if I didn't tip them every time. With anything here you really have to be careful what and with who you start something with. If you give out your number or Facebook to some young girl with a kid desperately looking for a western boyfriend, she will not stop texting you that she loves you until you either give in or have to block her from everything.

Hi,

Not posting so often because poker is more a hooby than a real job now (i was playing full time 4 years ago, was mostly on french forums).

I actually leave in Phnom Penh (Toul kork for the one who know) and i pay about 200 per month for my flat with Ac (i used it every night). Normal rent is 140 and i have around 60 charges per month.

Food is a hard topic. Khmer food is 1 to 2$ but if u want to eat somethig else than rice and pasta it can be way more expensive so really depend of what u like and what u can handle hahaha.

Compare to Thailand Visa is really easy 158$ and i got a 6 month business visa without anything to provide (just my passport).

If u have other questions on Phnom Penh or Combodia in general i will try to answer u as good as i can and if some of you want to get a bear around here i'm always in.

Have fun all and good luck at the tables.

I have been looking at Sihanoukville to retire some day, I was looking at Thailand but gambling is illegal and the Thais love to get into the press arresting people for low limit friendly games. The group of retired ex pat arrested for playing gin was just crazy, pick up a 18 year old girl or boy (if that is your thing, no judgements) and bang thier brains out is legal but play cards and you look for a long stay or big bribe to stay out of the monkey house. So I am researching Sihanoukville, a friend who doesn't play suggested it since they have casinos and he knows I like to play.
I live in Las Vegas and do play 1-3 2-5 nl to supplement my income. Tracked my play for 6 months and average $67 hr. So Sihanoukville does seem interesting.

My question is games selection, do they have many full tables and limits. I play up to 5-10 nl and 8-16 OHL but mostly 2-5 and now all the casinos are spreading 1-3nl so 2-5 is getting harder to find off strip, Also what is the rake and is English still the only language allowed at the tables? Are the live games loose or tight?

There's like 2 to 3 tables running in sihanoukville the rake is high and most of the people speak good english, you can do what ever u want at the table rlly smoke joints, talk any language, play online while u play live etc...
Game in my exp depends on whos playing that can be super random but in High season theres always some action

I doubt you'll find the games you are looking for in sihanoukville

I currently live in Sihanoukville and also lived in Vegas for six years. I don't know if that makes me uniquely qualified to answer your questions, but I will say that there is very little about this town that resembles Vegas and that you are going to have to adjust your expectations if you want to move to Sihanoukville. The $67 figure you gave earlier probably deserves its own thread discussion, but for now I'll just say that you won't ever come close to approaching that number here. There is only one room in town that runs a daily game currently and that is the one at the Golden Island Casino, run by Mr. Charley and the other Koreans. During last high season they had two $1-$2 games running and while things have slowed during this past low season, they did have a $1-$2 game on most nights and they've also added a regular $1-$1 game recently as well.

Queenco may also have a game going once they have their WPT event. But the truth is that they've been dark for months and not even a major tournament series may be able to save this room. If they ever do get a game going I can speak confidently that they will have the worst rake and little to no comps towards food and other amenities. The rake at Golden Island on the other hand is 5% capped at $5 so it is more than reasonable. But hold 'em is the only game in town so I would not hold my breath waiting for other games. They are fairly good about speaking English and enforcing most rules, but given that it is a foreign third world country, you are going to have to adjust your expectations there as well.

Luckily the Koreans love to gamble so I wouldn't exactly call the games tight. But issues of hourly winrate and whether or not one can make a living playing poker here can be argued ad nauseum. But I will say two things. One is that it always helps to have a secondary source of income such as a pension. And secondly many people just survive during low season and wait for high season to make most of their money. With some careful planning and management, one can lead a "comfortable" life here even playing poker. But it'll be hard to save money and it certainly won't make you rich.

Keep us updated on your plans and if you have any more questions you can always ask them here or send me a PM.

Anyone have any bankroll recommendations for the live cash games in Sihanoukville or PP? Based off of your guys experience in these games during low and high season, would the safe requirements be 50 buy-ins 100 buy-ins? Or how much in USD would you recommend having set aside for poker only, $5k, $10k, or something else?

Thank you for the honest reply. The rake is capped at $5, does that include a bad beat or is there not one? The $67 hr is a mix of all games up to $5/10 but mostly $2/5, I have a app on my phone, Poker Ledger, and when I play alot I will religiously put in my time and buy i cash out. Most people say I can not win that much but it is not BS as I have learned to stop chasing cards and fold alot but when I do play bluffing or the nuts I bet heavy.
I do not expect the amount of tables as Vegas or Los Angles ut I would hope the same as South Florida with lower limits then they have there.

BTW I will be looking to have a guest house and Pizza restaurant most likely if I do anything to keep myself busy. I have been told there are a bunch of pizza shops in that area but it doesn't matter since I am the best. lol

I also guess they allow smoking at the tables, do many people smoke when playing? I am a non smoker.

For Sihanoukville, using the Golden Island game as a guide, I would recommend $5k if planning on playing the $1-$1 and $10k for the $1-$2. For Phnom Penh the games are much bigger so I would recommend $20k for the $1-$2 game at Nagaworld and the same for River King if it's $1-$2 and double if it's $1-$2-$4.


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Learn or pickup a hobby because it's just not worth it for barangs to own a business in Cambodia, especially Sihanoukville. I would recount the painful story of what I just went through with 4_chainz, but that's for another time. But you're probably not going to heed my advice as things such as this and you're first bar girl girlfriend is just something that everyone seems to need to go through on their own at least once.

They do allow smoking at the tables and yes many players take advantage of this.


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Thank you.

I'm about to head out to the day game at Golden Island, but should really take a sick day. I went out to the Square the other night after a losing session and am pretty sure I caught a cold from this pretty thing. And before the jokes about catching something worse, I didn't take her home. And why does every bar girl always want to try on my glasses?




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No need to warn me about Girls, I have been with many strippers in both Florida and Vegas as my buddies managed one and I seen how these girls really are, they are just cum buckets now, no relationships for me. About the restaurant that is something if you didn't own one before your advice no matter how well meant is not what I am looking for.

I hope you feel better and don't get the entire table sick. It is way too easy to pass germs in a poker room, all sitting shoulder to shoulder and handling the filthy chips. I have caught so many colds in the casino and I laugh at the Asian ladies with the surgeon mast, touching chips and reaching under their mask to scratch their nose.

The smoking has to be hard to get accustom to. Hope you crushed them tonight. I had a OK session at Red Rock. I felt like a ping pong ball, they kept moving me tables. They had a 1/2 nl open, I was there till a 2/5 opened and that was a must move. $195 profit in 3 hr but I was up $370 and wanted to hit $400 before I left, Oh well, still a good night.

I was going to go to Phucket the spring but now I will check out Cambodia

Can anyone explain what The Rock poker game is at Golden Island in Sihanoukville? Some sort of promotion in the $1-$1 game? Found some video clips on social media.

The Rock is an actual object in the game that represents $2. Any player possessing both it and the button can use it as a straddle. The Rock changes possession based on who wins these straddled hands. While it's value for the game is always $2, they attach a bonus to the Rock that grows by the hour. That amount is then given at the end of the game to the last player standing. The first night of the promotion two players went heads up for 5 hours before finally chopping a $200 bonus at 10:00 AM. It's meant to increase the action and size of the game as well as extending it. It's taken a $1-$1 game that has $2k on the table at its peak to one that has over $4k. Games have also carried deeper into the night and morning hours. Here is what the Rock looks like in actual play.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the button is given ULTIMATE last action for using the straddle. Also the house is adding $50 per day on top of the bonus that I mentioned that grows hourly. It's being done on a trial basis this week and may or may not continue thereafter.




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I'm sitting in the game right now at Golden Island and happened to catch the Rock. The game just started so the stacks aren't quite developed yet, but hopefully it gives a demonstration of how the game runs. Notice preflop that the action skips me on the button and comes back to me last.




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I never played with the rock yet but when you get it you are more or less buying the button for the pre-flop? To get the rock you have to win a straddle hand? The play this a the Bike in LA so I want to go there and will play that if it is in the game.
How did you do at the Golden Island? Is it a busy room? I haven't seen any photos inside the poker room but the casino looks Mom and Pop.

I am aware of the Bike game and while it isn't the same, this version of the Rock certainly took some inspiration from the L.A. game. It has made the $1-$1 game at Golden Island certainly bigger, but I didn't want it to become too big for some of the locals to play. So the Rock is only employed as a straddle when a player has both it and the button. It has had interesting results in the first few days, but mostly positive. It has extended the game later into the night/morning and put more money on the table.

Outside of a handful of casinos in a Sihanoukville, most are going to seem mom and pop to someone who has played both in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. That having been said, the Koreans run a very professional game. Most tourists who play are shocked at how few mistakes the dealers make. But the biggest attraction is no doubt the Koreans themselves. Everyone in town knows the room operator, who everyone affectionately refers to as Mr. Charley. The Koreans play deep and they love to gamble. Most are former baccarat players who are just looking for a game to help them lose slower. Ever since I started playing there, my results are definitely more "swingy" but I definitely win more simply because I face 150-300 bb stacks daily instead of the 20 bb stacks I used to face at the other room.

The Golden Island casino is certainly not the Bellagio, but it is one of the few places in town that slightly even reminds me of the years I lived in Vegas. There is a proper parking lot, doormen who open the door for me, servers who take my order and most importantly security posted at every door.

Regarding the Lion City game, I don't even know where to begin. Things have become so bad that the owner has let every employee go. It's called a "casino" but there are no games that run and every slot machine has either been removed or repossessed. The cashier's cage is completely closed and now the chips are kept completely unsecured in the kitchen next to the poker tables. And they can keep the chips in the kitchen because it has been shut down for months. And perhaps the worst is the fact that I just don't feel safe there. I carry what is considered a significant amount of cash for Cambodia and many times I am not coming out of the casino until the late hours of the night. I don't think that players are even aware of this because security is something we take for granted in the west, but this casino has zero security in any shape or form. I am not sure if the words I am writing can carry the true weight of what this means. We are poker players in a third world country, carrying amounts of cash that equal the locals' yearly salaries and this facility has deemed it appropriate to try and save money by offering their customers absolutely no security whatsoever. I have addressed this with the night manager who told me it was OK because they have video cameras. A couple of robberies have already taken place just outside the casino and it's probably just a matter of time before it happens again.

In contrast, the first time I tried to take a picture inside of Golden Island the security descended upon me like Batman on Gotham. I have received clearance since so I actually have many and will post them here:





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That's 1-2?

No it's the $1-$1 game with the free $2 button straddle.


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When there's a BTN straddle shouldn't SB act first? The whole skipping the BTN and then coming back after BB has acted is really weird.

Also, what if BB raises/3 bets... Is BTN next to act followed by UTG or does it go all the way around the table again to the BTN?

I always thought the SB acting first was awkward. We give the button the ULTIMATE last action so it does skip him and if there is a 3 bet the button still acts after everyone else.


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So when you say a free $2 button, who pays that or is that just short out of the pot or does it carry over from the last pot? I am confused.

Aside from poker what else is there to do in Sihanoukville, what have you done and do for fun? Does Sihanoukville have good safe scuba diving or snorkeling and have you done it? I know there is alway hunting those round tail Foxes if all else fails. Which casino do you feel is the closest and safest to other casinos with-in walking distance.

I admit that was the one part that was a bit awkward as it shorted the pot by $2. Either way the promo ended tonight. I just left the game and left 4 players fighting for the last rock at 2:00 AM. In that it accomplished one of its goals of extending the game. It also created more action and put more money on the table. A few who ended up not playing a single hand during the promo did complain about it, but among those who actually played in the rock game I can only think of one player who did not like it.

I try to go to the beach and swim as often as I can in the mornings before I start playing. Since food is so cheap we also spend a lot of time in different restaurants. When 4_chainz was here we spent a ton of time in the Square drinking, something we still do but just not as much. Then there are of course the girls. I played 11 hours today, during which I took an hour break to go to a short time massage parlor then come back to the game. If I play as much as I should, I generally stay out of trouble and also don't spend too much money. The free time I have gets filled up with the aforementioned activities.

The three main casinos in the busiest part of town that are relatively close to one another are Fortuna, Golden Island and Golden Sands. Of these three only Golden Island has poker. There is of course Lion City but I really wouldn't call that a casino anymore as there are no table games whatsoever, all of the machines have been removed and the owner has sent every employee home. Those who run the poker room are basically squatters playing in an empty warehouse with little or no security at this point.

I haven't done the scuba diving but it certainly exists on the islands. Going to the islands is a popular thing here, but I think more so with the tourists than locals. Than again I had one friend who used to go spear fishing all the time in Soksan. There are a lot of cheap ways to get to the islands and there are of course the waterfalls as well. If you ever come into town drop me a line.




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Been playing a lot of live in PP recently at Red Fox, Nagaworld and River King so thought I'd post an update on the state of the games...

Red Fox have a NLH $20+R on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. They have a $0.25 - $0.25 dealers choice cash game which runs most nights starting around 8-9pm.. The game usually plays a lot bigger tho, I've had a couple $500+ nights there. The most commonly played games are 5 card omaha and Svitten, with some omaha hi/lo, stud hi/lo etc.. There is lots of drinking and smoking involved and sometimes can get a bit crazy depending on who is playing... If you want to nit it out and make some money then Red Fox is not the place for you.. But if you want to get ****ed up, gamble in a smaller game and play some weird games then I'd recommend it...

Nagaworld have $1-2 NLH starting around 8pm, usually 2 tables, sometimes 3. The game is usually 10 handed with really slow dealers and a very boring atmosphere.. They take a 10 minute break every 2 hours to change cards which is super tilting as a lot of players finish playing during the card change, it's what always kills the game... The game is generally pretty soft but I wouldn't recommend playing there as it is so damn boring and so badly run..



River King is by far the best option for live poker in Phnom Penh.. They have $1-2-4 NLH starting around 12am, and the $1-2-4 PLO usually starts around 6pm... Both games are really soft with a lot of action, the softest games in the country by far. The dealers are some of the best in the country and the game plays much faster than Nagaworld. They also offer free food, drinks and cigarettes..



If you are looking to play NLH or PLO then I'd strongly recommend River King.. If you want to play a smaller game and/or mixed game then give Red Fox a try...