PDA

View Full Version : Turning Stone, Seneca, Niagara -- upstate NY casino information sought


BarronVangorToth
09-20-2004, 09:01 AM
Everyone,

I'm heading up to upstate NY in a few days for a business trip. Part of the trip I have to spend in Syracuse, so I know about Turning Stone. Then, it's off to Rochester and I know there's Seneca and a new casino around Niagara.

My question:

ANY information on any of these casinos? (NOT directions and the like, but rather about the poker rooms they have)

Anything about the players?

Any anecdotes?

Things I must check out (note: the only casino game I play is poker -- but a fella's gotta eat, right?)

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Thanks!


Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com (http://www.BarronVangorToth.com)

nothumb
09-20-2004, 12:22 PM
Hey Barron,

From what I understand, Turning Stone has a smallish poker room but the games are generally good. Don't know about the other two... but if you're coming a little farther to the east (say, Canaan or New Lebanon, near the MA line) I'll buy you a beer...

I would have posted this in B&M BTW.

NT

ftball0000
09-20-2004, 01:14 PM
Hey man,

1st off, it's getting chilly here, got down to 40 last night. I know a bit about seneca niagara which is the niagara falls casino on the US side. I am pretty sure there are no poker rooms on the canadian side yet.

Anyways, at SN, the poker room spreads 2-4 to I believe 15-30 maybe even 20-40 and they have a small stud game and usually a couple NL games. I think 1-2 blinds, but I haven't played in them. I only play at the lower limits there, but from what I've seen the play isn't that great. At night it'll be pretty busy and that's the time to play

They have a buffet there that is alright, nothing special, and they just opened up a steakhouse there, that I've heard is pretty good, but haven't tried.

I live in Rochester, and went to school in Buffalo for a couple of years before transfering. So if you have any more questions let me know.

-Ftball

Jman28
09-20-2004, 05:54 PM
I went to Turning Stone this summer.

They've got about 20 tables maybe (bad estimate).

They have games from 1/3 spread to 30/60 in the one room I played in, and there's a room next door which may have bigger games. Don't quote me on this.

They have NL $100 max buy in, and then NL $200 MIN buy in. I played the 100 max. Players are standard... lots of kids, some who can play and some who just watch WSOP. A few old regulars who are solid.

I came in late to a table, and the guy to my right had about $500 in front of him, so I figured he played really well. Turns out he's just an extreme rock. Only played AQ+ or 55+ and only raised with QQ-AA. This would suggest to me a lot of loose players who don't notice his standards.

It's a really nice place. No alchohol served, so you won't find easy money drunks.

They offer a few NL tourneys. DO NOT PLAY IN THEM. The most rediculous tourney structure I've ever seen. For one, unlimited rebuys for the first hour! Then, a lot of add-on opportunities, so you are paying about 3 times the actual tourney fee to play. And the BB is consistently over 1/6 the average stack. It's all push or fold preflop.

I was only there for 2 days so I ended up playing for 18 hrs straight the second night. Still enough people to play at 5 am, but the fish were mostly gone.

Also, this being my first B&M experience, (I'm 19) it was the first payoff of my investment in Caro's book of tells.

I threw out a bluff on the river, the board was all blanks, and this guy min raised. I studied him and called him with my AQ high. He showed AJ.

All I can think of now. Oh, I also sucked out on a guy who flopped the nut flush when I flopped a set. But he should've played it stronger.

-Jman28

kantu
09-21-2004, 10:02 AM
i played at seneca a few weeks ago, when we were passing thru that area. big room. 2-4, 3-6, 4-8, (maybe a 5-10),10-20, and two nl games one was 200 max buy in with 5-5 blinds, the other was max 500 with 5-10.
anecdote. filling up the car in niagra, guy at the station says that the casino has ruined the town. i ask why, one of his points is that the locals all go to the casino to drink for "free", instead of going to local bars.
so i played in the 3-6 game that night. and he was right. there were 6 locals getting hammered -- ordered drinks EVERYTIME the waitress came thru. when i ordered a club soda they freaked out. how could i order a club soda, when alcohol was free???
i am an ok low limit player, but i dominated this table.
one tale of the tape:
i have AK diamonds in sb
7 limp (normal) i raise, all call
flop 3 diamonds
i check, someone bets 3 callers plus me
turn, brick, i check, same person bets, 2 call, i raise, all call
river, brick, i bet called by two people

have a fun trip.

Bulldog
09-21-2004, 02:42 PM
I was just at Turning Stone last weekend. Here are a couple of threads you might find of interest:

http://tinyurl.com/6rgyq

http://tinyurl.com/4ek8u

http://tinyurl.com/47az5

http://tinyurl.com/43m69

Bulldog
09-21-2004, 02:49 PM
[ QUOTE ]
They offer a few NL tourneys. DO NOT PLAY IN THEM. The most rediculous tourney structure I've ever seen. For one, unlimited rebuys for the first hour! Then, a lot of add-on opportunities, so you are paying about 3 times the actual tourney fee to play. And the BB is consistently over 1/6 the average stack. It's all push or fold preflop.


[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe things have changed since you were there. I played in the Saturday 11 AM NL $55+$10 (fee not too bad). No rebuys. Starting chips 2,500. 20-minute levels. 25/25, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 150/300, 200/400, and I didn't get past Level Six. Much better than the $30+$10 w/unlimited $30 rebuys and a $30 add-on I played at Borgata this summer. That was T1,000 to start, 25/25, 25/50, 50/100, then wham! 100/200 w/25 ante.

Manimal
09-22-2004, 05:02 PM
Speaking from experience, the limit games up to 5/10 are crushable. Here's my favorite anecdote:

My best friend is on the button in a full 5/10 game. He looks down at AA. It's capped before it gets to him, 7 to the flop. Flop is A-9-6 rainbow. It's capped before it gets to him. 5 see the turn, which is a J, completing the rainbow. This time, it's only 3 bets to him, so he caps. 4 people see a Q hit the river. Now, there's only a bet and a raise in front of him. He reraises, 2 calls and it gets to the guy on his right. He looks at him, and in disgust, he says, "You hit your queen, didn't you?", then raises. Everyone calls, and my friend tables his aces. EP one and two fold, to the last guy, who shows AK. I'm still wondering what those first 2 guys had /images/graemlins/smile.gif

The 5-5 NL is also very soft, but I've never been able to get on the table, so I'm just speaking from secondhand knowledge - a couple friends who usually struggle at our home games have been able to make some serious bank at this game, just because the other players were that bad - like this middle aged Asian ladies that called 3 all-ins in front of her with KJo. She was only up against JJ, KK, and AA, so she made a real solid read to make the call - she just couldn't win the coinflip.

As for the bigger NL game, I've only heard stories from dealers. There's one excellent player that plays very frequently, but other than that, it sounds pretty fishy. Overall, a very beatable selection of games, with free drinks - and that's about the best thing Niagara Falls has going for it /images/graemlins/smile.gif If you're going to be staying a night or two, you might want to look into staying on the Canadian side. A much better night life, nicer hotels, etc. The only thing is that the border guys might give you some problems since you're coming from out of state. If you plan on going to Canada, be sure to carry a copy of your birth certificate with you.