derby lane

[4_2_it]

Sorry for the partial high-jack, but I will back home in the Bay area between Christmas and New Year. If (and it's a big if) I can get away for a 2-3 hour afternoon donkfest, where should I go? I know 1/2 limit is game, just want to know which room is the nicest.

Thanks.

[Etaipo]

I wrote the card room this morning with some questions, still no reply =(

42, your options are Derby, Downs, or Hard Rock. I think Derby runs a fine room for what it is. I found the floor and the waitstaff to be MUCH more accomodating than the Hard Rock. I have not been to Downs yet, so I can't comment on them.

However, I found that in general the game at Derby is much tighter, and the Hard Rock is much wilder.

[4_2_it]

Thanks.

[vox]

It's also important to note that smoking is allowed at the tables at Hard Rock, since the Seminoles refuse to follow the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act.

Depending on the player, this could be good or bad.

Also, Hard Rock is open 24/7/365, and games are usually good til 6AM on weekends. All pari-mutuels are open 12 noon to 12 midnight, and certain ones close on specific days because their animals aren't running or their jai-alai is dark.

The Hard Rock floor is incompetent, and the dealers are chatty, but the facilities are on par with a mid-level Vegas casino. Derby Lane is a little less chi-chi, but the floor has its act together, and I remember the dealers being more professional. I've never been out to the Downs, but my brother and his friends love it.

Enjoy your visit to the Sunshine State.

[MeanGreenTT]

Enjoy 4-2 but I wouldn't recommend the tourney at Derby due to the discussed structue, just my opinion but it sucked before and now it's simply unplayable!

Silks at Tampa Downs has tourneys at 6:30 when the horses run, they also spread 1/2 like Derby and like Hard Rock.

Enjoy with the rest of the snowbirds!

And unfortunately Silks was closed yesterday but open today, trip report to follow...lol

[Etaipo]

FYI: An email conversation I had with Downs card room.

ME
>I live in Venice, and I am planning on heading to your area on
>>Wednesday. I've been to Derby Lane a couple of times for tournaments,
>>but some acquaintances let me know of your card room, and told me that
>>your tournament structure is much better. I would love to give it a
>>try! So I have some questions for you.
>>
>>1) In your tournaments, how many starting chips, what do the blinds
>>start at, and how often do they go up?
>>
>>2) Do you have a tournament schedule available? Or is it simply NL
>>Hold 'Em tournaments at noon and 6:30 every day?
>>
>>3) What is the max # of entrants per tournament? Or is there no max?
>>
>>4) On a typical weekday, what time do I need to be at the track in
>>order to secure a seat in the noon tournament? Do they usually sell
>>out? It's a long drive, and I don't want to get there only to find out


>>that I can't play (happened several times at Derby)
>>
>>5) During the week, do the single table tournaments run frequently?
>>
>>6) Do you have internet access available at your facility?
>>
>>Thanks a bunch, and I hope to see you next week!

REPLY

You start out with 2500
>Blinds start at 25-50
>First 3 levels are 15 min then 20 min levels after that
>Multi's are every live racing day at noon and 6:30 pm
>No max on the number of entries
>We start registration at 11am and 3pm
>Singles run continuosly starting at noon we run 30 to 40 a day
>No internet access

Also, I was going to go up on Wednesday, but I got this reply:

We are not open Wednesday
We are open Sunday Tuesday and Friday this week

[MeanGreenTT]

Yup, they've changed their structure too and of course it's bad for the players! [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

And yes, they're only open when they run the horses, odd but that's the scoop.

Got a couple of good hands paid off early and played great poker overall but down to 30 people, top 9 paid out of 118 runners, with 259k chips in play, the average stack was 10k, 5xbbs....WTF???

The best Florida tournaments are here. Online. Thats the fact jack.