Casinos in Riga, Latvia (X-post to General)

[Peter Harris]

I've done a bit of research about Hold' Em casinos in Riga, was just wondering if anyone has been to Latvia and could recommend one over another.

Also, will anyone be there in January 2006? Last time i posted here i met a 2+2er in Prague, and it'd be swell to repeat the experience somewhere else.

Thanks in advance,
Pete Harris

[Peter Harris]

bump

no rigans in the crowd? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[kylma]

I visited Riga and visited 3 casinos where you MAY find poker.
Also a local player said there are 3 places where they play.

First I joined a $100+ NLHE tourney in Olympic Casino which is located next to Radisson SAS Daugava Hotel. Wednesday night. Tourney was a disappointment, basically a one table sit n go with unlimited rebuys and the add-on.
There was one maniac who bought more buyins then the rest combined.. The best hand I ever received was KQs, but the flop was disgusting for me so. Once saw a flop with A2s from position and stole the pot against BB. The only win. Went all in with A7o when blinds are big enough and the maniac calls with J5o and I'm out. Free money for other players, I decide not to rebuy since a couple of solid plaeyrs have a HUGE stack plus it wasn' even fun.

Next I go to Tobago casino situated next to Riga Hotel.
Five players at first but soon it's actually full table from maybe midnight till 4am. Great, I'm delighted since I havent really played at casinos. Just home games. Dealers choice (PLO or PLHE) with 1/1 blinds (about 2 dollars).. Loose game. I more than double my stack with 77 hitting a set from LP. Some players leave 3-4am I play till 8am (!) in a shorthanded table against locals. Won maybe 350-4oo dollars. Had fun too, in addition to actually winning in the game. From the three , I'd recommend Tobago since it's very close or maybe in fact IN the Old Town ( the historical centre, heart of the city, whatever)

The last casino (next day) is Play&Boy. I join a 15 lat (30 usd) PLO tourney with 15 players- the tourney is absoluteu lottery. You either get very lucky, make several rebuys or leave. I leave since it's no fun.

I go back to Tobago hoping to find a cash game since I believe it takes at least 2 hours for the PLO tourney to finish. Empty table. Staff says there's poker soon. This of course means you'll be up against good local players , or props, in a shorthanded game. Have fun if you're a very good player.. I decide not to wait for them since I have no idea what kind of blinds they'd be interested in.
Back to Play&Boy and to my disappointment there is NO cash game going on even after a tourney.

In summary, small poker scene.
Gotta be lucky to find a game, best time is after the tourneys.
This time blinds were small.
If they get a lot higher , you might get shorthanded and against good local players or even props.
This was wintertime and Tuesday/Wednesday. The situation could be better in the weekend or during the tourist season.

Olympic casino, Tobago, Play&Boy are the only options. There are plenty of other small casinos and if you ask them if they have poker they tell you yes, if you ask if the oker is against other players they tell yoo yes. Then you register with your passport and find out they only have some disgusting against the dealer version of poker. Only check out the three above

[kylma]

One more thing. Same faces in all three casinos.
For example, the players from Olympic came to Tobago the same night (which of course means a cash game nevers started in Olympic after the tourney).

Next day I see three familiar faces at Play&Boy.. Small scene