Higher Limits In Colorado May Be On The Way

AliasMrJones · #1 11-10-2003, 10:38 PM

I just heard on NPR on the way home that because of the defeat of video gaming terminals in the recent election, which was to fund tourism advertising, that the betting limit may be raised from the current $5. The story mentioned that betting limits were raised from $5 to $100 2 years ago in South Dakota. If this passes, it sounds like it would be good for poker in the front range area.

Oblivious · #2 11-11-2003, 03:11 AM

It would be, although I doubt it will happen. The policies that leagalized gambling in the formerly impoverished areas of BlackHawk and CC can no longer take effect from what ive heard. I think this state is too conservitive to allow expantion of legalized gaming, but I hope it happens anyway.

HDPM · #3 11-11-2003, 01:45 PM

I don't know, I think tweaking the limits in just the areas where gambling is legal would be accepted. It would certainly help poker.

Colorado is weird politically tho. You have extreme right wing authoritarians, extreme left wing authoritarians in Denver and Boulder, and then some sensible people thrown in as well. Always has been a bizarre political climate. So I don't know if tweaking the limits is possible or not. My guess is that if it could bring in an extra $3.97 for the state they would go for it. Does it have to be done on a referendum or something, or can the legislature just do it?And if the whacko right wingers could be told that the $5 limit protects the casino in that a large win is about impossible but a large loss can be arranged easily......

P.S. On your way to the mountain from Boulder do you ever stop by the Rocky Flats Inn? Or do you go the other way? Always meant to have a couple at that bar but never did. Looked interesting.

rharless · #4 11-11-2003, 05:05 PM

This could be a new twist. Before the Amendment 33 measure was defeated, there were a couple stories/editorials about how if the measure passed, that Colorado Gaming would seek an increase in the $5 bet, to offset the lost business to the racetracks.

From my experience, various casino operators/employees have different stances on the betting limits. Of course many want it raised, but I know many -- much more than a "vocal minority" -- who like the gaming just as it is. Tippers are ridiculously generous when the betting limit is only $5. It is not uncommon to see $2-$3 tips at the $5 poker tables, or even red birds.

I, of course, would love to see the limit raised. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Oblivious · #5 11-11-2003, 07:54 PM

Sorry, never stopped there. I think I take hwy6 up, not I-70. I do however stop at loafnjug in Golden to get a soda and a bag of gummie bears. They keep me occupied on the way up.

For the record, I hate our spread limit betting along with the blind structures. I think it decreases the skillful player's ability to make money at a reasonable rate. Im a big time loser in 5-5 and 2-5, and I have no idea how to adjust. If the limit were raised, perhaps we could play with a real betting structure, and my game would improve.

HDPM · #6 11-11-2003, 08:47 PM

Rocky Flats bar, if it's still there, is on the 2 lane from Boulder to Golden, 93 I think is the #.

I have not played in CO in about 10 years, so game conditions may be different. I also didn't put in a lot of hours. However, I found the 2-5 game to be soft and definitely profitable. I avoided 5-5 because it looked ridiculous, too wild and ridiculously aggressive. But the 2-5 was pretty passive, and people played bad. You could see most flops for 2 and could get a lot of action on the later streets. Guys would go multiple bets on the river when they were obviously beaten and such. Anyway, find a passive 2-5, and reread TOP on adjusting to structure.

AliasMrJones · #7 11-12-2003, 01:46 AM

[ QUOTE ]
If the limit were raised, perhaps we could play with a real betting structure

[/ QUOTE ]

I just a newb so higher limits don't mean much to me EXCEPT that we might get a standard blind/betting structure. I'm working too hard on my regular limit game to try to adjust to the spread thing.

J.R. · #8 11-12-2003, 01:20 PM

Its a green bay packers' bar that's full of blue collar and budweiser sitting right beside the center of the coors empire. Its on 93 and its cliental is heavy made up of those working on the rocky flats clean-up project.

CORed · #9 11-12-2003, 08:04 PM

The $5.00 limit in Colorado is in the state Constitution. Gambling in the old mining towns was instituted by a constitutional amendment, and the $5.00 limit was included in the amendment, which was modeled on the South Dakota initiative. This ammendment also limited games to poker, blackjack and slot machines. "Poker", however includes such house banked sucker games as "Let it Ride", "Three Card Poker" and "Caribean Stud". Constitutional amendments in Colorado must be enacted by a vote. They can be put on the ballot either by the legislature or by petition. Since the original ammendment that brought gambling to Blackhawk, Central City and Cripple Creek, every attempt to expand gambling has failed.

However, I don't believe any of these proposals were for higher limits. Most were to allow gambling at other venues, and the existing casinos vigorously opposed them, as they did the most recent proposal, because they didn't want the competition. I found it amusing and ironic to see TV ads, payed for primarily by the casinos, about how terrible more slot machines would be. I actually thought that passage of the ammendment might motivate the mountain casinos to try to get limits raised on table games, in order to be able to offer something different from the race track/slot palaces that would have been closer to most of the target population. In my experience, even though casino employees will often talk about getting the limits raised, The owners of the casinos don't seem to be too motivated to do so. Most of their revenue comes from slots and video poker, which aren't really hurt by the low limit. I would like to see higher limit poker games. I get tired of 2/5 spread limit and I don't like the 5/5 structure: Too high a blind: pot ratio.

HDPM · #10 11-12-2003, 08:24 PM

Yeah, I was thinking it was one of the idiotic amendments or something. I recalled reading some statutes on it, but that was probably just the regs passed after the amendment allowing it. I didn't pay much attention to the process of getting limited gambling there, or if I did I sure don't remember. I was doing my gambling in pool halls and bars at the time IRRC. The amendment process in CO is kind of a mess sometimes. The $5 limit doesn't much hurt the house. People will lose about what they are going to lose probably, with the exception of some high rollers who would probably fly to las vegas anyway. But $5 flat bet table games virtually insure a win for the house.