Isle of Capri in Lake Charles

[TomCollins]

Anyone know anything about Poker at the Isle of Capri in Lake Charles? I've heard they have 3-6-12 and 10-20. Will I have to wait 2 hours to get a table? Are the games juicy? What should I expect?

[sucka]

Several months ago they completely revamped the poker room - which was much needed. Their previous room was practically a closet in the back of the casino with 7 foot cielings and about 10 tables. The smoke was unbearable.

About 6 months or so ago I guess they moved the poker room to the 3rd floor of the same boat. The last time I was there (a few months ago) it was the entire 3rd floor with about 17 tables or so and I heard that they were adding a few more.

They always spread the $3-6-12 game and I know they have structured $10-20 now as well as the $10-20-40.

I've heard they occasionally will run a $6-12 game, although I've never seen them do it as I'd much rather play that structure than the spread game.

As far as your competition goes - there are some of the worst players I have ever seen playing down there. A TON of regulars. My friends and I will go every few months and inevitably we will see the same faces every time.

The spread game really increases the 'suckout' factor. Your implied odds from the start are better so don't be shocked when you see people table T4s from UTG+1. Almost all of the 3-6-12 games are pretty loose-passive but can change quickly depending on the lineup.

Couple things to keep in mind - the rake absolutely sucks and most of the dealers do too. The rake is $5 max +$1 jackpot drop. You'll pay alot to play there and it ain't like your hanging out at the Bellagio sitting in ultra-comfortable chairs with gorgeous ladies bringing you cocktails.

I've never played the $10-20-40 game so I can't really comment. I almost racked up last time we were there and played a $10-20 with a seat open but I scouted the game and it was a rock garden. Not to mention I would have been the youngest player at the table by about 40 years. /images/graemlins/grin.gif I go out there to play for fun (and of course try to win a few bucks) but I'd rather watch paint dry than sit at that table with a bunch of crusty, grumpy old dudes grinding it out with their SS checks stacked up in front of them.

Anyway, the games are definitely beatable. I'm still up significantly even after taking a little bit of a pounding my last time out there. If the deck hits you just right it's not impossible to make $400-500 in a session. I've done it a couple time.

You might want to read up a little on how to correctly play spread limit games. There's a couple school's of thought on it - but I know there have been some posts on here about it and although I can't remember which book now - I know one of S&M's books have a chapter or two on playing these types of games. The variance can be a little high at a loose-passive table but ram and jam when you have the best of it and you'll get paid off.

Good Luck! Let us know how it goes.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

I've been there. The games are quite good. The rake is high, 10% to $5 max. I really hate the double again bet on the end, it favors idiots who like to chase, then can bet double on the end. You need to put more value on drawing hands in that structure. The 10-20 games were good too, filled with weak-tight and generally weak-loose players. The food is pretty good at their restaraunts, especially the chinese. I didn't stay there, I stayed in a motel about 10 miles away that was cheap and plenty nice for the $40 a night. The smoke will choke you out, it's a very cramped room and I wish they wouldn't let you smoke in there.

al

[Al_Capone_Junior]

Other than that, I basically agree. Scout the 10-20 or 10-20-40 well before joining. I decided to play last time, but the previous time I chose not to, too many rocks.

al

[sucka]

oh, as for wait times - the longest we waited in the old room was about an hour but it was about 3am and the room had quieted down a bit so there weren't as many seats available. I just played a little 7-stud while I waited for a seat. FWIW, relatively speaking, I suck at stud and had no problem posting a 25BB profit in a little over 3 hours. Their 1-5 stud game has no ante's so you only have to pay $1 to bring it in when you are low card. Most of the players are pansies and I think I was the only there in 3 hours who bet $5 without the nuts. Pretty cheap entertainment and if you hit some hands you'll get paid off. I recall one hand where I had trips showing (had a boat) and ended up with 3 callers on 7th street. One of the dudes couldn't even beat what I had showing. Nice.

At the new room we never had to wait more than a few minutes to get a table. Like I said, it's been a few months since I've been there so I'm not real sure what it's like right now - but they had ~20 tables or so with most running the 3-6-12 spread game. They almost always have at least 2 or 3 of the 1-5 stud going and I've never seen a higher stud game going than that. I recall once at the old room seeing a table of 15-30 going. I watched it for awhile and it seemed like a pretty solid lineup.

As for the food - the restaurant was much better this last trip than on previous trips. I'd just hit the little snack bar area behind where the band plays instead of going to the restaurants. They have pretty decent food there - as well as Krispy Kreme doughnuts. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Couple funny dealer stories while I'm babbling...

Very young black lady dealing - probably the worst dealer there pushes in and about her 3rd hand in this happens. There's a guy that was sitting next to me (on my left) that was up walking around for an orbit or so and comes back in when I'm on the BB. Like a moron, he posts. Action goes around with about 7 people calling and I knuckle. Now, this guy raises. About 4 people call before me and the SB look at each other and tell the dealer that this guy can't raise - he's posted UTG and already checked. She just kinda shrugs her shoulders mutters 'oops' and the rest of the table calls and we continue on. I was going to call the floor but thought fuggit.

That last trip there were 3 occasions where I had raised on the flop and the dealer (all different ones) burned and turned before everyone else had called and the pot was right. The floor was called each time and on several occasions it ended up totally screwing me as the decision was to pick up the flop and reshuffle and then redeal the flop. I had hit the flop pretty hard on a couple of those and after the reshuffle ended up mucking my hand on 2 occasions. Dealer errors likely cost me $75 bucks or so that last trip. Not fun.

Anyway, take it for what it's worth. Hopefully you have a great experience - but don't expect too much, especially if you have played in Vegas. The dealers and floor at the Capri are like amateur hour compared to even the worst run rooms in Vegas.

[TomCollins]

I have only played in a riverboat casino in Indiana, and it was an interesting expirience. I played 5/10 the first time, which might as well hve been play money. 7-8 in every flop, etc... First hand rivered by 2 7 os when i had AQ suited and raised preflop (called $10 cold). Ended up losing big that time, but I learned and came back another time, and won back most of my losses. Dealers were pretty bad there, huge waits, so my expectations are nowhere near playing in vegas.

I'll check out the games, hopefully the 10/20 brings some fish in, and I can come out ahead. Otherwise, there is always the 3-6-12.

Wish me luck!

[sucka]

Yeah, same story at the Capri. They have a jackpot there so people just play practically everything that has any potential at all at being a jackpot hand - which includes any 2 suited cards that are 4 gappers. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

I once had an old lady berate for me laying down pocket tre's in EP against a couple raises telling me that was a jackpot hand and I should never fold a pocket pair.

Your competition there is pretty much the bottom of the barrel - but like I said, variance can hurt in the really loose games but if you can hit a hand you'll make money.

[sucka]

but I learned and came back another time

Exactly. I barely made a few bucks my first trip to the capri because of my unfamiliarty of spread limit games and never playing in a game that was THAT loose. I like to limp with a lot more hands (like AQo) that you would raise or 3 bet with in tougher games. The goal is to outplay the rest of the field post flop when you hit your hand. On the other hand I'll routinely raise with hands like KQs, JTs, etc... in various spots - particularly when there's a bunch of folks already in. Even if I'm first in, I'll occasionally raise here because I know half the table will call and there's a very small chance of being re-raised.

Forget about putting players on hands - just play a smart game and you'll do fine.

I recall my last of hand of a recent trip there - probably about a year ago. The blinds are about to come back around and I'm racked up ready to go. I'm UTG with AA and raise and get one old lady on the end to call. Flop and turn are all blanks with no straight or flush draws. I bet and she calls both times. River comes a King - no flush. I bet and she raises. I figure she's got AK or KK and decide to just call - of course, she shows me KK and scoops. Not that I'm complaining here as this hand cost me a lot less money than it should have. However, my point is - she could have easily had pocket 3's, a set or nothing - I had no idea until the river and then I could put her on a range of a few hands.

Good luck to ya - hope to hear a report when you return.

[David]

The 10-20-40 is gone. They now have a 10-20 and 20-40. They still have the 3-6-12. The 10-20 on weekend nights is usually a "hold on to your a$$ wild and wooly rollercoaster". Poor players overall with always 1 or 2 sharks picking off the the fish. But, sometimes the fish bite back, lol. The 20-40 can be kinda wild at times too, but overall MUCH better players in this game. I have played both games extensively. Some of the regulars at the 20-40 are as good as any anywhere. Some are as bad as any anywhere. The room is up to 20 tables now and the smoke is much more bearable. I had quit going there on a regular basis because of the smoke. MUCH better now. They also have a poker cashier now, I love that. My last trip I dropped a little (biggest loss was when John Bonetti cracked my AA with KQ in the 20-40) but overall the quality of play is about equal to Party Poker. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[TomCollins]

Thanks for the reply. I plan on sticking to the 10-20 (unless its a rock garden of course), and if things go well and the table looks right, move up to the 20-40. From what you've said, it sounds pretty wild. Think $1000 at 10-20 is enough to withstand the swings for one weekend?

[TomCollins]

Thanks for the advice. I think I have finally gotten to the point where I can beat many different types of games, so those adjustments are crucial. I think I got a little cocky when I was starting out, having won a grand online and feeling invincible. I had been playing Hold'em for two months! What more was there to learn? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Fortunately I have wised up, read up, and recovered from my false sense of confidence of the past.
With the typical maniacs, it wouldn't make sense to fold to one bet on the river if you have any sort of hand. Pray tell, what are the details of the jackpot? Assuming $1 out of every hand goes into it, I'd assume it is pretty significant and might be worth some strategy adjustment (albeit nowhere near the little old lady's strategy). We have a jackpot at a home game I play in that requres two cards used and hands showed down. So obviously if you have quad aces, you don't scare anyone out of the pot!

[sucka]

The jackpot qualifier (in HE, not sure in stud) is Aces full of Tens or higher. Both players have to play both cards, there has to be 6 people at the table, pot has to be $40 bucks or more and a few other things that I can't remember.

One example where jackpot doesn't play that I thought was interesting...

Board is A A A J T

One player has A2 for quads and another player has KK for Aces full of Kings. No jackpot here as the player with A2 can't beat the 'kicker' on the board - ala, he's got quads but the 2nd card in his hand doesn't play. That's probably pretty standard - but it's definitely hard to hit that sucker. Basically what ends up happening out there is the Texans all come in for the weekend and donate $1 a hand to jackpot and the locals win it during the week. /images/graemlins/grin.gif Pretty sweet deal, huh?

I've heard the jackpot there has gotten into the $30k range, but I think the highest I've seen was $18k or so.

[David]

[ QUOTE ]
Think $1000 at 10-20 is enough to withstand the swings for one weekend?

[/ QUOTE ]

NO !!!!!!!!!! I would not go there for a weekend planning on playing 10/20 with only 1K. As I said the game is "hold on to your a$$ wild and wooly". That 1K could be gone in a few hours even if you play well. If I only had 1K to take and wanted to give it a shot I would buy-in to the 10/20 for $400 and if I lost it drop down to the 3/6/12. Just be prepared to lose it. My best win (in one day) in that game was +$2500 in about 8 hours on a Friday night. The cards absolutely ran over me. My worst loss( in one day) has been $630. No way I go there for a weekend with less than $2500 in my pocket if I am playing 10/20 and 20/40. Remember the games there are NOT for the faint hearted! /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[David]

They do NOT drop for the jackpot on the red chip games. Only the 3/6/12.

[Lost Wages]

I know one of S&M's books have a chapter or two on playing these types of games.

Winning Middle Limit Holdem.

Lost Wages

[TomCollins]

I don't plan on playing 20/40 unless the occasion is just right (very beatable game, and I'm doing well). $630 as a worst loss for 10/20 isn't so bad, hopefully you weren't down a lot more and made a comeback. Maybe I will take a little bit more. Worst comes to worse, I will move to the 3/6/12. I might have to just pretend im playing 1/2 and don't sweat losing the big hands. I'll give you a full report. Thanks for all the good advice!

[Al_Capone_Junior]

From having played there in the 3-6-12 and 10-20 games, I wouldn't bring less than $2000 if you plan to play only 10-20 or 20-40. all the games were wild except for the lone 10-20 during a weekday, which was full of rocks. but on the weekend nights it was wild and crazy at all tables.

al

[TomCollins]

Leaving for the Isle today. I'll most likely be the youngest player at the table. Full report coming soon.