Poker in Montana

[Cubswin]

Interesting.... i just read that Montana has 172 card rooms...more then any other state. I assume most of these are ma and pa type places?

[Ray Zee]

reminton has the best game currently full of drunk rich kids, there are one or two others, and up on the ski hill in the winter, full of drunk tourists.

[Ray Zee]

bars are allowed some slot machines and keno machines as well as poker tables with a limit of 300 in the pot(state law). so most decent sized towns have at least one place that spreads some kind of holdem game, mostly small stakes high rakes.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
so most decent sized towns have at least one place that spreads some kind of holdem game, mostly small stakes high rakes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmm... So if I want to come up and bust you in Montana, it'll have to be in what, your home game? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[MtDon]

I live in Billings.

There is a state law that caps all pots at $300.

Billings has an ordinance that requires all games to end before 2:00 am.

Doc & Eddy's:
They now just have a 6,12 structured holdem game. I haven't played there, but I think it starts at 11:00 am. Sometimes it continues into the evening, sometimes it doesn't.

Shooters Casino:
M-S: 2-6 spread limit, no check raise. Texas Holdem.
Sunday: 2-10 spread limit, check raise. Texas Holdem.
Promo: $100 in chips for $50 for the first 6 players before 5:30pm. Game often starts at 5:00pm.

City Club:
2-5 spread limit, no check raise. Dealers choice: Texas Holdem, 7Stud Split, 7Stud High, 7Stud Low. (mostly holdem and 7 split)
Not certain, but think they have Overs.
Promo: $60 in chips for $40, first 8 players before 7:45pm.

RiverBoat Casino:
M-S: 2-5 spread Limit, no check raise. Dealer's choice: Holdem, Omaha Split, Omaha High, 7Stud Split, 7Stud High. (Mostly Omaha Split)
Sunday: 2-4, 4-8 Limit, no check raise. Dealer's choice: Holdem, Omaha Split, Omaha High. (Mostly Omaha Split)
Promo: extra $15 in chips for first 8 players.
Games usually starts before 5:00pm, sometimes as early as 3:45pm.

Wild West Saloon: (A country/western danceclub, casino, with a poker room)
1-5, spread limit, no check raise. Dealer's choice: Holdem, 7Stud split, 7Stud High. ( I haven't played there in a while, so the games may have changed.)


Crystal Lounge:
3,6 structured, check raise. Texas Holdem.
Game usually starts in the afternoon, continues, or starts again in the evening.

There are also several other card rooms in town, which I don't know much about.


All this information is subject to change. Some of the card rooms do quite a bit of experimenting to try to attract more players. Also, there is talk about a possible change in the state law that caps the pot at $300.


-- Don

[Fishwhenican]

Hey Don,

Thanks for the info!

My son and I made it into town Thursday and played in the 3-6 game at the Crystal Lounge. Had a good time, the boy lost and I won so things were as they should be! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] It was his first time in a live game and he just couldn't keep from chasing things and trying to make things happen and just played too many hands. But, he did last longer than I did my first time live, so that was good.

They had a third table set up in the front that looked like it was a 2-4 game. They said it was something new they were trying but they only open it now when the other two tables are full and there are enough people to get the third game going.

We did check out one other place. It was the Little Nevada Casino by 13th and Grand. It looks like they have a 2-4, 4-8 spread limit game there after 5:30pm. We didn't play there but that's what the sign said at least.

Again, thanks for the info!

[MtDon]

Dave,

Are you visiting, or living in Montana?

There are two tournaments this coming weekend in Billings.

At Shooters, on Saturday, July 31, 1:00pm: NL Holdem, $50 + $10 buy-in, $25 rebuys, $35 add-on. Expect between 20 and 40 players.

At City Club, on Sunday, August 1, 2:00pm: NL Holdem, $50 buy-in, $25 rebuys, $25 add-on. Expect 30 - 40 players.

Get there at least 15 min to 30 minutes early to register.

I'm planning on playing in Shooters' tournament, not sure about City Club's.

Both usually pay the top 5 or 6 places, depending on number of entries. 1st place usually between $1,000 and $2,000.

Both have ring games before and after the tourneys.

If you live here, or are here quite a bit, ask about getting on the mailing lists of the different card rooms.

The following card rooms have regular tournaments

Doc and Eddy's, Crystal Lounge, Shooters Casino, and City Club Casino.

Doc and Eddy's usually has one or two large (for Montana) tournaments a year.

The Cat's Paw in Bozeman also has some bigger tournaments. I've never been there but several people from Billings think they are good enough to make the 2 - 3 hour drive to participate in them.


-- Don

[Fishwhenican]

Hi Don,
I live in MT but not in Billings. I am about 2 hours out of town in Ashland. For any looking at the post it a REAL little town WAY out in the middle of nowhere which I really like with the two exceptions of missing a good Pizza joint, OK ANY Pizza joint, and a place to play live Poker close by.

I get to Billings fairly often but usually am busy with the family shopping. I'll have to try and work on the wife leaving me at a poker room while the rest of them shop so I can try and at least cover the gas money to get there and back. :-)

I have never done a tournament before but would like to try it one of these days. I am still pretty new to the poker thing and am really enjoying the ring games right now when I have the chance to play.

I may try to get up there this weekend but have family coming back home from Helena and Wisconsin so I have a feeling I am going to have to stick around home because of that.

If you hear of other tournaments up there PLEASE let me know. If you don't want to post them here just PM me or email me directly.

Also, do you know of any 2-4 games in Billings and where do you normally play?

Thanks again for the info!

Dave

[MtDon]

First, I just found out that the City Club is not having a tournament this Sunday, August 1. It will probably be Sunday, August 8.

I play mainly at Shooters. It very often has some very good games, with inexperienced players and lots of drinking and very loose play. I play some at City Club and some at the Riverboat. They are all good places to play. The Riverboat tends to have some-what tougher players than the other two card rooms, but not as tough as at Doc and Eddy's or the Crystal Lounge. Of course, the second tables at all the card rooms tend to be much better games than the first table.

Little Nevada does have a 2-4, 4-8 Texas Holdem game. I've never played there and don't know much about it, but a dealer from there was playing at Shooters tonight and I asked him the basics.

Another Casino that has a game is the Circle Inn. I've never played there. I'm not sure whether they play just Holdem or Dealer's Choice. I believe they play Pot Limit Holdem one day a week - don't know which day.

A week or two ago, there was a player at Shooters that was from Colstrip. He said they had some good games there. I didn't ask him, but they may be private games. You'd have to ask around.

I believe they have a public game in Hardin, but don't know where or how often.


Be sure to ask about what it was like playing when breaking the $300 pot cap was just a misdemeanor rather that a felony (not sure if it's a felony, or just an offense which will lose the casino it's license). I wasn't playing then, but have heard some wild stories. Also stories about Lane Flack, who is from Montana, and Benny Binion who had a ranch here. Annie Duke also lived and played in Montana for a while.


-- Don

[Fishwhenican]

I'll have to make sure and stop by Shooters next time I am in town and have time to play. Sounds like fun.

I HAVE heard some of the stories from "The Old Days" around here in Ashland. Stories about $10,000 buy in tournaments running out of one of the little Saloons in town and guys losing their ranches either bit by bit or in one big chunk in card games over the years. Crazy stuff!

Later
Dave