Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

Last weekend, my girlfriend and I traveled two hours east from L.A. to Casino Morongo, outside of Palm Springs. We were there to celebrate my friend's 40th birthday with about 20 others.

Let me first state, I was not expecting much, as our last foray to an Indian Casino (Pechanga) could best be described as, "Ghetto Casino."

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Morongo is on par with some of the best Vegas casinos - it's modeled after The Palms - only bigger. It has a great pool, a "Rain" Nightclub, a "Nine" steakhouse, and a fantastic restaurant called, "Belly." More on that in a minute.

The rooms are spectacular. I've stayed at the Bellagio and I have to say Morongo has better rooms. Huge room, very expensive and poofy bedding (not "hotel bedspreads"), a plasma screen TV, and a gigantic bathroom with a glass walk-in shower, that has various nozzles, a bench, and a smoked glass divider between it and the bedroom. Very cool.

One thing that surprised me the most was the casino games - no California games here - REAL Blackjack and REAL craps! Okay, for some reason the craps games didn't use dice, only two shoes of cards with decks of only Aces thru Sixes. The dealer flips up two cards at once - say, a 5 and a 4 - for a 9! And so on. The odds are exactly the same. The only thing I didn't like about their craps game was they only offered 2x odds.

On to the poker room. I sat down first at a 6-12. In all my poker experience I have never been at such a loose, passive table. 6-8 people seeing the flop EVERY hand. People calling raises with third or 4th pair, all the way to the river. It was ridiculous. I was up a rack and a half in two hours!

Saturday, we played 36 holes of golf at the PGA courses up the road. 2 rounds for $138. Great course, fantastic weather.

Saturday night we ate at Belly, an east-coast-like Italian restaurant. Very upscale but comfortable. A five page wine list with nothing but Italian wines! We split a few appetizers, ordered three bottles of wine - one white and 2 red, and I had the NY Sirloin done "Al Forno" - that's with parmesan cheese baked on the top and drizzled with some balsamic. Fantastic. The desserts and coffee and cognac were also superb.

I have to say that my dining experience at Belly was perhaps the best part of the trip - easily one of the five best meals I have ever had. A week later, my friends and I are still raving about it - and we live in L.A. - a dining mecca.

That night, my girlfriend and I both sat down at the 2-5 NL game. Not as fishy as the 6-12 but close. A lot of wannabes in sunglasses and headphones going all-in preflop with AJ. It was awesome. I only played an hour and cashed out $170 up.

Sunday was spent at the huge outlet mall that's right next to the casino. Every designer and retail store imaginable. Great deals everywhere.

The only thing negative about Morongo is their player rating system - they don't seem too concerned with keeping the gamblers happy with comps. Vegas is by far an easier place to get rated.

Other than that, however, I'd have to say that Casino Morongo is a place well worth a visit.

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

I was there Saturday night, we left around 1am, was your game the one inthe corner? My friend was playing 3-6 right in front of your table, I posted a mini trip report a few days ago, and while we didnt venture into the casino, yes it is very nice.

BTW, how long ago were you at Pechanga? Pre hotel? I havent been ther in over a year but it is nicer than the trailors they were in before, if you want upscale, try playing at LAke Elsinore for an evening, everyplace after that will seem like the Bellagio.

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

sorry but Pechanga is not the Ghetto Casino u say it is. its rated the best casino in Calfiornia! it must have been a while since you have been there last. and of course there are no "California" games at these 2 casinos because they are both Indian. they can offer real blackjack and any real cardgames. no dice games though, thats why they use 2 shoes on craps (if people would have voted for prop 70 last Nov. then we would be playing real craps right now [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]) Pechanga's poker room has 50+ tables. Morongo has (according to cardplayer.com) 10. i have yet to go to the new morongo but i do know its a bitch to get to driving wise. takes me 30 minutes less to get to pechanga and i would rather go there.

duno if morongo still does this, but last time i was there they took a mandatory 50 cent rake per every hand on blackjack! and if your bet was over $25 then the rake was $1. that was the 1st and last time i would play there again!

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

I was at Pechanga only a few months ago....it's not bad, but on par with something like the old Vegas Strip casinos - The Aladdin, Tropicana, etc. They do have more poker tables but the room was ugly, barren, and it smelled. It makes Hollywood Park look like a palace.

As for the Blackjack prices, I don't know - I didn't play any at Morongo....

That being said, after visiting both Indian casinos, I would never go back to Pechanga - and I've already booked areturn trip to Morongo.

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

I think I heard a commercial a while ago that Morongo stopped collection from the table games. They moved the poker room to a new larger location, they had at least 40 tables, I didnt count but it was good size, it was larger than Pechangas original downstairs rooms.

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think I heard a commercial a while ago that Morongo stopped collection from the table games. They moved the poker room to a new larger location, they had at least 40 tables, I didnt count but it was good size, it was larger than Pechangas original downstairs rooms.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pechanga's new room has exactly 54 tables (I counted [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]) and is nicely located on the second floor across from a nightclub. The lobby area just outside the room overlooks a circular bar in the center of an atrium of sorts.

~ Rick

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

Was the wait for a game that long you had to count the # of tables? And my next real estate move will locate me closer to a casino, I live in Ontario and The Bike is like the closest to me, maybe behind Lake Elsinore, but thats still a drive.

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

[ QUOTE ]
Was the wait for a game that long you had to count the # of tables?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nah, I was waiting for the big blind in a 20/40 after a washroom break. Since I'm in the "biz", it's good that I know what is going on. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

~ Rick

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

Went to Morongo a few months and it was a waste of time. 4+ hour waits for poker games. I don't understand rebuilding a casino a making it small. Poker room is small, no tables to start new games. I won't be returning.

I don't agree with your description of Pechanga. I would go there anyday. I've never seen so many bad and aggressive players. Pechanga did their remodel right. They expanded when they remodeled. To each his/her own.

Re: Trip Report: Casino Morongo
 

Morongo no longer takes a collection for BJ.

No way in Hell they have 40 tables in their room, and there is equally no way in Hell they have more than Pechanga's room.

Tob, although Lake Elsinore is a veritable dump, it rocks!! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

To the original poster. If you were so impressed with Morongo, I don't see how you couldn't like Pechanga's new wing/addition where the poker room is located, but oh well.