Iowa in December

[Proofrock]

I'll be visiting family in Iowa in December, and I was wondering if there are any poker rooms in the area anybody could recommend while I'm there? I'll be centered in eastern Iowa (cedar rapids / iowa city area), but will have a car and would be willing to travel a few hours to find a game.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[tubalkain]

Meskwaki in Tama, Iowa (about an hour and 15 minutes west of Cedar Rapids), Diamond Jo in Dubuque, and possibly the Isle of Capri are the only respectable rooms in Eastern Iowa that I'm aware of. There's also a bar/underground 0.25/0.5 NL game in Iowa City that I'm aware of, PM me for info on that.

I live in Iowa City. I know of four regular low stakes NLHE here in Iowa City. There's a monthly 20$ buy-in tourney at someone's house with about 30 players. There's an 25c/50c cash game with pots routinely at 8-9 dollars at a bar another poster mentioned. It's pretty juicy -- I pull in 40/night on average there. There are also tourneys with side-games following at the american Legion, those are above board, so the most you can win in teh tourney is 50$, but because of that, they pay out like 40% of the field. Fold your way to 20$.

PM me for any info. If these games are far beneath you then you have 3 real options:

1) Isle of Capri (riverboat) in Bettendorf, 2hrs W of IC. I guess they spread a decent variety of games with not-too-stiff competition. Never been there.

2) Meskawki in Tama. They're poker room has died since Prarie Meadows opened up. Still, you cand always find some 1-2 NL and 4-8 limit with bigger games on weekends. Fun tourneys, bad players. A few hours west of IC, 1.5 w of CR.

3) Prarie Meadows outside of Des Moines: Plush, new, clean, competent dealers, nice place. 2.5 hrs W of IC. Spread games at all times up to 5/10. 20/40 and 35 NL on weekends.

I hope this helps. GL. PM me for more info about Iowa City games. They're fun and easy.

[tubalkain]

[ QUOTE ]
I live in Iowa City. I know of four regular low stakes NLHE here in Iowa City. There's a monthly 20$ buy-in tourney at someone's house with about 30 players. There's an 25c/50c cash game with pots routinely at 8-9 dollars at a bar another poster mentioned. It's pretty juicy -- I pull in 40/night on average there.

[/ QUOTE ]

You wouldn't happen to be the guy who took my second buyin on Monday with QQ vs my KQs on a QJT flop?

[Avatar of Wine]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll be visiting family in Iowa in December, and I was wondering if there are any poker rooms in the area anybody could recommend while I'm there? I'll be centered in eastern Iowa (cedar rapids / iowa city area), but will have a car and would be willing to travel a few hours to find a game.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[/ QUOTE ]

Prairie Meadows, in Des Moines, spreads 3/6 and 1/2NL all the time - it also runs 2/5NL, 5/10PL, 4/8, 6/12, 10/20 HOE, and 15/30 (HE or mixed) on occasion, as well as 6/12 o/8.

It is also more like 90 minutes west of Iowa City, not even close to 2.5 hrs.

Tama is closer, but the games there have been dying since PM opened - look for 2/4 HE, sometimes 3/6 or 4/8, sometimes 1-5 stud, 4/8 o/8 or higher HE/Omaha games on rare occasions.

[SharkBait]

[ QUOTE ]
I live in Iowa City. I know of four regular low stakes NLHE here in Iowa City. There's a monthly 20$ buy-in tourney at someone's house with about 30 players. There's an 25c/50c cash game with pots routinely at 8-9 dollars at a bar another poster mentioned. It's pretty juicy -- I pull in 40/night on average there. There are also tourneys with side-games following at the american Legion, those are above board, so the most you can win in teh tourney is 50$, but because of that, they pay out like 40% of the field. Fold your way to 20$.

PM me for any info. If these games are far beneath you then you have 3 real options:

1) Isle of Capri (riverboat) in Bettendorf, 2hrs W of IC. I guess they spread a decent variety of games with not-too-stiff competition. Never been there.

2) Meskawki in Tama. They're poker room has died since Prarie Meadows opened up. Still, you cand always find some 1-2 NL and 4-8 limit with bigger games on weekends. Fun tourneys, bad players. A few hours west of IC, 1.5 w of CR.

3) Prarie Meadows outside of Des Moines: Plush, new, clean, competent dealers, nice place. 2.5 hrs W of IC. Spread games at all times up to 5/10. 20/40 and 35 NL on weekends.

I hope this helps. GL. PM me for more info about Iowa City games. They're fun and easy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bettendorf is about 60-90 minutes EAST of Iowa City. I would think the closest to IC. Iowa City and CR are 20 minutes apart so Tama can't be a few hours from one and 1.5 from the other. Check yahoo maps. I've only played in Tama as I don't live in IA anymore. Nothing spectacular about it.

[Proofrock]

great, i'll check out prairie meadows when i'm there. Thanks for the help.

Sorry about messing up some distances . . . just got here a few months ago. When I go to Prarie Meadows, I stay at a friend in West Des Moines, which is further away. Mapquest says 1hr 44 min. for Prarie Meadows Casino.

To the guy who asked if I busted him last Monday night, I'm not sure . . . there was this attractive girl sitting next to me who was trying to distract everyone with her . . . well . . . I don't really recall to many details about the evening.

[tubalkain]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry about messing up some distances . . . just got here a few months ago. When I go to Prarie Meadows, I stay at a friend in West Des Moines, which is further away. Mapquest says 1hr 44 min. for Prarie Meadows Casino.

To the guy who asked if I busted him last Monday night, I'm not sure . . . there was this attractive girl sitting next to me who was trying to distract everyone with her . . . well . . . I don't really recall to many details about the evening.

[/ QUOTE ]

She would've been next to you after I left... she spent pretty much the whole half hour I was in that game going back and forth with me on whose stack was getting shorter.