What happened to Northern CA card rooms?

[DanS]

I was bored and looking at the list of Bay Area card rooms on www.gocee.com/poker (http://www.gocee.com/poker), and I was shocked at how many small cards rooms there are (were).

Other than the usual suspects that I have played at: San Pablo, the Grand, Bay 101, the Oaks, Garden City, Lucky Chances, AJ's, etc. are any of these rooms still in existence/worth playing at???

Thanks,
DanS

[haakee]

In Mtn View, I know the Wagon Wheel is closed. I frequently walk by the R Card Club in downtown Mtn View, but I've *never* seen anybody enter or exit the place. It looks like it's not operating anymore.

[Pot-A]

The Outpost in San Ramon is still struggling along. They have a pretty wild 10-20 full kill game on most nights, but call ahead, since it doesn't always go.

[Pot-A]

Incidentally, most of those small cardrooms have gone the way of the dinosaur. When Lucky Chances and San Pablo opened they just couldn't get the critical mass of regular players. That caused a doom spiral where people stopped going because they weren't sure there would be more than one or two games going.

Oddly enough, California Grand seems to have escaped this spiral through some shrewd management and a good location. But they don't have anything bigger than 6-12 except on Friday and Saturday, when they have a 12-24 game. And they drop $4 in every game, so you have to play rock-tight to be a long-term winner.

Oh, and I forgot to add, don't believe the Outpost guys when they say they're "about to start" a game. Make sure you only go if a game is going.

[Ray Zee]

when times were better and poker was new there(except lowball) they were able to stay in business because of so many new dropins to supply money. then with slowdowns and the auwful rake they like to take, few regulars were able to win in their games. and they need winning players to come and start and keep games going. the losers do not do that. the jackpot drop added to the already high rake taken too early in the hand doomed many cardrooms to death. greed.

[Pot-A]

There's a certain type of low-limit player who doesn't realize how badly the drop is hurting them. Whichever club offers the biggest jackpot seems to get the flock for that week. I don't really blame the casinos for having jackpots, but I wish one of them would cater to more serious players (like the Oaks used to do).