Seattle Cardroom Advice

[Jay]

I'll be heading out to Seattle for a week or two and was wondering where the good cardrooms are. I've never played in Seattle before. Also, do the cardrooms have charges on the button etc, or is it just a rake?

Thanks,
j.

[nolanfan34]

Do a search for the word Seattle and you'll find a lot of threads on this. Bernie, Slavic, and some of the other regulars seem to favor the Muckleshoot, due to the loose play there.

There are a ton of smaller card rooms in North Seattle, and a few in Tacoma as well. The Muck is probably your best one-stop-shopping place though.

[Enon]

Hey -

If you are looking for a great 4/8 game, check out The Hideaway in Aurora (thats north seattle). They also spread a 10/20 that is also very loose and very beatable. But if smoke bothers you, stay away, as the ventilation in there isn't very good.

The Muckleshoot is definitely the place to be for some higher stakes play, as they spread a few 10/20 games, a 20/40 with overs (30/60) and sometimes even a 50/100, which is always shorthanded. The Muck also has some great tournament action and I'd suggest the Tuesday night NL 115 buy in with one 100 rebuy. If you bust out early from the tournament, the side game action on tourney nights is really great.

[Ruddiger]

Muckleshoot has the largest game selection as others say, last night I was there and they had a 2/4, 4 or so 4/8 games, 10/20 20/40 and 30/60 going. If you are north of seattle tulalip can be ok, although it isn't the best run place around, but it is non smoking. The hideaway has the lowest rake around, 2 dollars and a 1 dollar jackpot drop. Diamond Lils has 4/8 6/12 (sometimes) 8/16 and 12/24, and also a 6/12 full kill omaha h/l game. Most cardrooms are 3 dollars rake and 1 dollar jackpot drop

[Jay]

I appreciate the advice! I'm specifically going to be in Bothell, I guess a suburb of Seattle.

Thanks,
j.

[Ruddiger]

in the bothell area there is kenmore lanes which spreads 3/6 and 3/6 kill games. smokey and crazy games for the most part

[MaqEvil]

The hideaway 4/8 game has been decimated by the opening of 3 new poker rooms within a mile. Last summer it was great, with 3 or 4 games all the time, but since I got back from school, I haven't ever seen more than one 4/8 game going.

[lostinthought]

For what it's worth, I will be in Seattle visiting a friend next weekend, and I have convinced him to take me to the Muckleshoot one night - (he's not a poker player, but wants to play BJ). I be there either the 9th or the 10th. If any 2+2 ers would like to say hello, PM me.

[bernie]

Im sure i'll be there both days. Primarily in the evenings.

b

[Ruddiger]

muckleshoot has horrible blackjack rules from what I remember

[stir]

Not only are the rules poor, but they deal 8 decks with 2-1/2 to 3 cutoff. Almost any of the mini casinos offer a relatively better game of BJ than the Muck.

[bernie]

If you want to play beatable BJ, the state of washington is not the place to do it. It sucks up here.

b

[goofball]

i've played 3/6 and 4/8 at kenmore lanes, the hideaway, the drift on inn, tulalip, goldies, and diamond lil's

those games are all very beatable. i think at those limits it doesn't really matter where you go.

the 10/20 at the hideaway is also soft, just not as soft as the 4/8 but with teh $2 rake, the price is right.

[lostinthought]

yeah, we're not going there for the blackjack..
it's just something he can do while I play poker..

[stir]

Not entirely true. Beatsble games of two years ago are pretty much gone, however there are a few exceptions.

However, in hopes of preserving the advantage, I won't discuss any specifics.

[MrPoker]

Not certain where the casino is, I found it next to a truck stop after leaving seattle and getting caught in some mountain pass eastbound. It snowed in late April.

Anyways, it was called 'Cleopatras', with a big neon sign that said, "CA NO".

$2.00 minimum, 50 max, I chatted with the pit boss tryin to get a 'meal' comp and asked him if I could use my PDA on the table while I played if I promise not to win more than 100, and if I do, I will give the overage to the dealers. The idiot said yes, and I played with my PDA, 4 deck shoe with deep penetration, rookie dealer, and calculator program running, while I kept a perfect count with side counts on aces and fives. I play one hand, minimum bet.
The count became huge, I placed two $20 hands, hit a BJ on one, 20 on the other, dealer shows a 6 and breaks.

This goes on awhile, I have 210 in front of me. I cash out 100, and ask the dealer if she wants me to decide what to do with the 110 tip. She says yes, it becomes 250 before I need to leave. I'm asked to return, the table thought I was remarkable cause I never lost a 'big' bet, and yet they kept plodding along with their 2 -5 bets. sheesh.

Tap on my shoulder. Young guy, shirt says 'Security'. He asks what that is, I told him a pocket computer, I'm counting the cards" and he says, "OK. Can I get you a drink!"

I can't imagine the place is still in business.

As for poker, I visited several places, names forgotten they were that impressive, except for Muckleshoot.

I found the dealers as a team when I visited were way above par for the numerous others rooms I've visited throughout the country. Most are excellent. The poker comp policy is meager, 1 'meal' per calender day.

I liked the room very much, it was busy, the low limit game loose and eaasy, (about 18-20 tables total) and highly reccomend it when you're in the area. They also have two bad beat jackpots, the super was over 200K. SF over SF.

[wayabvpar]

[ QUOTE ]
way above par

[/ QUOTE ]

You rang?

I would agree with that, actually. The Muck's dealers are solid as a group. Try Tulalip sometime to see the other side of the coin; the entire operation is breathtakingly incompetent.

[bernie]

[ QUOTE ]
Try Tulalip sometime to see the other side of the coin; the entire operation is breathtakingly incompetent

[/ QUOTE ]

Which is too bad. I hear their room is fantastic. I haven't made the trip up there yet to play at the new place, but i shudder when i remember the lazy dealers up there when i was there awhile back.

Mucks has a couple dolts dealing. One in particular. But they are by far the minority. They are a great group to hang out with in a cardbarn.

Now the waitresses...

b

[bernie]

I know this is a late response.

An individual game can be beatable. Yes. But preservation of said game is very limited. The reason i said this state sucks is that you need a multitude of good beatable games within decent driving distance to really take advantage of the game. Not just win a session. When the reno games were good in the early/mid 90s, it was a goldmine for awhile. All the games were very close by and accessible.

Yes, i know of places that have gravy games too. Wizards in burien was one. Go kick some ass in there for a week or so str8 then look for another place close. It's just not ideal up here. At all.

b

[stir]

W isn't bad, but not as good as it was, due to higher min bet on DD. Also I would be reluctant playing a week str8.
I'd prefer to hit them more sporadically over a period of time. They've booted a lot of AP's over the years.

As to your overall point that it's not ideal up here, I don't disagree.

[wayabvpar]

[ QUOTE ]
Which is too bad. I hear their room is fantastic. I haven't made the trip up there yet to play at the new place, but i shudder when i remember the lazy dealers up there when i was there awhile back.

[/ QUOTE ]

The new casino is pretty sweet, and the poker room is non-smoking (a point in its favor for me). The layout (impossible to stand near the board if ANYONE else is trying to sign up), the lazy and outright unfriendly dealers (not all, but a decent sized sample), and the semi-friendly but seemingly overwhelmed manager add up to a crappy experience.

It has been about a year since I have been up there, so things may have gotten better since then. Anyone else have some newer info?

[ccgreg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Which is too bad. I hear their room is fantastic. I haven't made the trip up there yet to play at the new place, but i shudder when i remember the lazy dealers up there when i was there awhile back.

[/ QUOTE ]

The new casino is pretty sweet, and the poker room is non-smoking (a point in its favor for me). The layout (impossible to stand near the board if ANYONE else is trying to sign up), the lazy and outright unfriendly dealers (not all, but a decent sized sample), and the semi-friendly but seemingly overwhelmed manager add up to a crappy experience.

It has been about a year since I have been up there, so things may have gotten better since then. Anyone else have some newer info?

[/ QUOTE ]

I was there a week ago Sunday (the 11th). Got there about 9:15 AM. There were two tables: no limit and $4/$8. Sat down at the 4/8 with 7 other players. The dealer was very slow. The players seemed average. After a few hands the floor supervisor gave the dealer a break. He was much better. After about 9 hands got AJo on the button. Won with two pair (AJ). A few hands later, the lights went out in the poker room only. No emergency backup lighting! They couldn't find the breaker. After about 20 minutes of waiting for the power I left up $35. Nice place though. I'll be back.