FeliciaLee
09-21-2003, 02:29 PM
Well, the last month has found me all over Arizona and Nevada.
I started my journey in Kingman, AZ. I traveled clockwise around the entire state, avoiding the big, hot cities like Phoenix and Tucson. I looked at dozens of houses in about 25 small towns.
I think I wrote of some of my poker experiences in another post (cashing in a tourney without winning a hand).
Most of the card rooms weren't the best. Here is my review of Cliff Castle.
I played at Cliff Castle in Camp Verde. It was a beautiful casino. They had poured countless millions into it. It was very upscale and classy.
The poker room sucked. The staff wasn't friendly, and they had rules for everything. I am used to a lot of rules to dissuade angle shooters, but this was ridiculous. They had rules on top of rules. I told the table that I had never been in prison, but I would expect that playing poker in Leavenworth would be akin to playing poker at Cliff Castle. The table laughed and told me that they were "used" to it.
The dealers did their very best to run off the fish by being unfriendly and enforcing ridiculous rules. One huge fish who had never played in a casino, and was clearly nervous, went all-in. He decided to buy in again. The dealer asked him if he wanted "in" while he was getting his money out. The fish replied that he did. When the action got to the fish, he tried to throw his hand away. The dealer told him he was not allowed to throw his hand away because he'd already replied that he "wanted in." The fish said that naturally he understood the question to mean did he want to be dealt in (as did everyone else at the table). The dealer argued and yelled at this guy until the guy was forced to play the hand. After the hand was over, the fish left the table. /images/graemlins/mad.gif
As the fish was racking up, I went over to him and said (in front of the dealer), "don't ever let a dealer treat you like that in a card room again. Don't let anyone talk to you like you are some kind of scumbag, immediately ask for the floorman."
I called for the floorman. I explained the entire situation to him. how the fish misunderstood, as well as the entire table. The table backed the story, the fish backed the story, the dealer ranted and raved and the floorman AGREED with the dealer. I told the floorman that the question was entirely misleading and unfair, not only to a beginner, but even to a seasoned player like myself and the rest of the table.
He argued on and on that this is an Indian casino, with a billion rules and how strict they are on him and the staff, blah, blah to the nth degree.
I blamed both the dealer (bad attitude) and himself for running off the fish in a 6-12 game with 1/2 kill, when there was just one big fish, for something so trivial and stupid.
During this same session (I left not long after, even though a seat opened up in a bigger game and the players were generally bad), I also got "in trouble" for having my protein supplies on the food table (I drink protein shakes for diabetes). I also took out fifty cents to tip the waitress and not only was I frowned at and scowled at by every member of staff, but then I was yelled at by the floorman for having 50 cents. They yelled and yelled at me until I put it back in my pocket. I thought they were going to kick me out of the casino for having 50 cents in plain sight.
I think that "rule" is to dissuade players from tipping an appropriate amount and promote over tipping. I may be a cheapskate, but 50 cents is all I am tipping a waitress who has forgotten my coffee twice after I ordered it 30 minutes previously.
They seem to expect dollars. At least one for a small pot, two or more for a larger pot. Everyone who worked in the room frowned at my 50 cent tip.
Needless to say, I left within a very short time of play at the Cliff Castle. It sucked, and I don't usually tolerate abuse from dealers and staff, nor will I tolerate abuse from players to the dealers.
The Cliff Castle is a horrible place to play, with a beautiful poker room. What a waste.
I started my journey in Kingman, AZ. I traveled clockwise around the entire state, avoiding the big, hot cities like Phoenix and Tucson. I looked at dozens of houses in about 25 small towns.
I think I wrote of some of my poker experiences in another post (cashing in a tourney without winning a hand).
Most of the card rooms weren't the best. Here is my review of Cliff Castle.
I played at Cliff Castle in Camp Verde. It was a beautiful casino. They had poured countless millions into it. It was very upscale and classy.
The poker room sucked. The staff wasn't friendly, and they had rules for everything. I am used to a lot of rules to dissuade angle shooters, but this was ridiculous. They had rules on top of rules. I told the table that I had never been in prison, but I would expect that playing poker in Leavenworth would be akin to playing poker at Cliff Castle. The table laughed and told me that they were "used" to it.
The dealers did their very best to run off the fish by being unfriendly and enforcing ridiculous rules. One huge fish who had never played in a casino, and was clearly nervous, went all-in. He decided to buy in again. The dealer asked him if he wanted "in" while he was getting his money out. The fish replied that he did. When the action got to the fish, he tried to throw his hand away. The dealer told him he was not allowed to throw his hand away because he'd already replied that he "wanted in." The fish said that naturally he understood the question to mean did he want to be dealt in (as did everyone else at the table). The dealer argued and yelled at this guy until the guy was forced to play the hand. After the hand was over, the fish left the table. /images/graemlins/mad.gif
As the fish was racking up, I went over to him and said (in front of the dealer), "don't ever let a dealer treat you like that in a card room again. Don't let anyone talk to you like you are some kind of scumbag, immediately ask for the floorman."
I called for the floorman. I explained the entire situation to him. how the fish misunderstood, as well as the entire table. The table backed the story, the fish backed the story, the dealer ranted and raved and the floorman AGREED with the dealer. I told the floorman that the question was entirely misleading and unfair, not only to a beginner, but even to a seasoned player like myself and the rest of the table.
He argued on and on that this is an Indian casino, with a billion rules and how strict they are on him and the staff, blah, blah to the nth degree.
I blamed both the dealer (bad attitude) and himself for running off the fish in a 6-12 game with 1/2 kill, when there was just one big fish, for something so trivial and stupid.
During this same session (I left not long after, even though a seat opened up in a bigger game and the players were generally bad), I also got "in trouble" for having my protein supplies on the food table (I drink protein shakes for diabetes). I also took out fifty cents to tip the waitress and not only was I frowned at and scowled at by every member of staff, but then I was yelled at by the floorman for having 50 cents. They yelled and yelled at me until I put it back in my pocket. I thought they were going to kick me out of the casino for having 50 cents in plain sight.
I think that "rule" is to dissuade players from tipping an appropriate amount and promote over tipping. I may be a cheapskate, but 50 cents is all I am tipping a waitress who has forgotten my coffee twice after I ordered it 30 minutes previously.
They seem to expect dollars. At least one for a small pot, two or more for a larger pot. Everyone who worked in the room frowned at my 50 cent tip.
Needless to say, I left within a very short time of play at the Cliff Castle. It sucked, and I don't usually tolerate abuse from dealers and staff, nor will I tolerate abuse from players to the dealers.
The Cliff Castle is a horrible place to play, with a beautiful poker room. What a waste.