smallest limits at Bicycle and Commerce?

[David K.]

I want to go to one of those Los Angeles casinos (because that's the only ones I've heard of) and play limit hold'em. I was wondering: what is the lowest limit game they spread?

Ideally I'd love to start with a $1-2, $1-3 or $2-4 game.... not much of a bankroll!

[Evan]

Commerce has 1/2.

[memphis_aces]

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Commerce has 1/2.

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If you're just looking to get familiar with a table this is a good idea. However if you're looking for realistic poker, I'd suggest starting with AT LEAST 2/4. 1/2 is true no foldem holdem.... you'll have 7 or 8 to the flop every time (especially in the notoriously loose LA cardrooms) and will find that even if you wait for premium hands you're going to get sucked out constantly.

A $100 bankroll is more than sufficient for a 2/4 table assuming you're going to play sound poker. If that is too much money then I'd suggest building a bankroll online at the .25/.50 tables first, then move on to the casino.

Just my .02

[TheMetetron]

$100 isn't anywhere close to a sufficient bankroll for $2/4. That's a pretty high risk of ruin with that small of a roll.

[Jeffage]

I'm pretty sure he meant for a one-day visit.

Jeff

[Evan]

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If you're just looking to get familiar with a table this is a good idea.

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I agree.

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if you're looking for realistic poker, I'd suggest starting with AT LEAST 2/4.

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I don't know what you mean by "realistic," but if it involves people folding, as you seem to suggest, you're going to have to go a lot higher than 2/4. The 9/18 games at Commerce are loser than Party .5/1.

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you'll have 7 or 8 to the flop every time (especially in the notoriously loose LA cardrooms) and will find that even if you wait for premium hands you're going to get sucked out constantly.

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Okay, I'm going to stop reading now.

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A $100 bankroll is more than sufficient for a 2/4 table assuming you're going to play sound poker.

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Ugh, okay I tried to stop reading, but this line caught my eye. This is ridiculous. NOW I'm stopping.

[CORed]

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1/2 is true no foldem holdem.... you'll have 7 or 8 to the flop every time (especially in the notoriously loose LA cardrooms) and will find that even if you wait for premium hands you're going to get sucked out constantly.

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That's right. You can't beat all those terrible players. You need a game where it's 2 to the flop and whenever you bet your top pair on the flop, you take down a monster 2BB pot, unless, of course, your opponent has top pair beat, and he raises you and bets the turn and river to beat you out of 3 or 4 BB. Those are the games you make money at.

Actually, the smallest limit games can be hard to beat. It's not because of the bad players. It's because, in B&M games, rake, jackpot drop and tips take a big chunk out of every pot at the lowest limits. To beat these games, you have to play very tight, and very agressive. You've got to build big pots when you have the best hand, and yes your opponents will frequntly suck out, but the pots you do win will be huge (in terms of big bets if not dollars).

[Hellmouth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1/2 is true no foldem holdem.... you'll have 7 or 8 to the flop every time (especially in the notoriously loose LA cardrooms) and will find that even if you wait for premium hands you're going to get sucked out constantly.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's right. You can't beat all those terrible players. You need a game where it's 2 to the flop and whenever you bet your top pair on the flop, you take down a monster 2BB pot, unless, of course, your opponent has top pair beat, and he raises you and bets the turn and river to beat you out of 3 or 4 BB. Those are the games you make money at.

Actually, the smallest limit games can be hard to beat. It's not because of the bad players. It's because, in B&M games, rake, jackpot drop and tips take a big chunk out of every pot at the lowest limits. To beat these games, you have to play very tight, and very agressive. You've got to build big pots when you have the best hand, and yes your opponents will frequntly suck out, but the pots you do win will be huge (in terms of big bets if not dollars).

[/ QUOTE ]

I played Commerce for about a week a few weeks ago. I played 1/2 and had $100 as a bankroll.

If you play tight and avoid some of the good players (yes I think that there were a few even at 1/2) then you should be able to break even at least, even taking into account the rake and tips. However the rake is $2.50 per pot and the tip usually .5 or $1 can add up. I lost about $50 during the week and I played for about 40 hours total. I would say that I broke even but was killed by the rake. (and the fact that I didnt't avoid some of the good players) I know that I didnt play optimal at all times and it was only the second real casino that I have been to so it was worth the experience.

Good luck,
Greg

[private joker]

Commerce and The Bike both have 1/2, and I prefer the Bike game. If you sit down with $50 at the table and play tight and solid, there's no way you'll lose it all. Get a feel for the table and move up limits as soon as you can.

[David K.]

Thanks everybody for your answers and opinions. My experience of Hold'em is limited but I'd rather make sure I can beat the $1-2 game before I can move on.

I've been beating the $1-3 (spread) game at the Excalibur consistently (4 nights, $100 to $200 profit a night) but then I've lost $100 in a few hours playing $2-4 at the Sahara. I know the reason is that at the Sahara, I wasn't that comfortable with the ratio bankroll/limit, and lost my $100 because I wasn't comfortable enough to be aggressive when I should have been.

As far as thinking you will get sucked out in a loose game... isn't that precisely what Ed Miller explains is a mistake? My understanding is that the more your opponents make mistakes the more you can capitalize on them. Please feel free to develop.