Poker Room Roll Call

I’ve been trying to remember all of the poker rooms I’ve been to.  Here’s what I’ve come up with, in no particular order:

• Just about all of them in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe
• Just about all of them in Reno, except the Grand Sierra (the old Hilton)
• Just about all of them in Atlantic City, except the Borgata
• Foxwoods in Connecticut
• Bay 101 in San Jose, CA
• Commerce, Hollywood Park, Hustler, Hawaiian Gardens, and Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles
• Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage, CA
• Spa Casino in Palm Springs, CA
• Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego, CA
• “Artichoke Joe’s” casino in San Bruno, CA
• “Lucky Buck” casino in Livermore, CA
• Casino Club in Redding, CA
• Chumash Casino in Santa Barbara, CA
• The Horseshoe riverboat in Council Bluffs, IA
• The Canterbury Club in suburban Minneapolis
• “Chips” casino in La Center, WA
• Northern Quest in Spokane, WA
• “Diamond Lil’s” casino in Renton, WA (I think this is the very first cardroom outside of Vegas that I ever went to)
• Treasure Casino in Renton
• Club Hollywood casino in Shoreline, WA
• Parker’s Club in Shoreline
• Skyway Bowl in Skyway, WA
• Tulalip Casino, north of Seattle
• Muckleshoot Casino in Auburn, WA (only one time, even though it’s the closest room with higher limits)
• Roxy’s Casino in White Center, WA (this one is the closest one to my house)

I’m sure that I’m forgetting some.  If I remember them later, I’ll edit this list and put it on there.  If I go to any new ones, I’ll discuss them later.

(Mind you, I’ve been to FAR more casinos than these … just haven’t played any poker there.  Specifically, just about every one of them in Michigan and Missouri; Windsor, Ontario; Niagara Falls; Paradise Island, Bahamas; a couple of cruise ships, and even more.)

From the list above, here are a few that are dear to my heart for one reason or another:

• The Excalibur in Las Vegas; the first place I ever played poker.
• The Mirage, the first place I was ever dealt a Royal Flush.
• The Stardust, simply because it’s the Stardust.  A moment of silence, please.  Rest in peace.  (By the way, that was where I was when I heard that the kitty tried to eat Siegfried and Roy.)
• Binion’s in downtown Vegas, where I once made an immense amount of money playing incredibly bad limit poker.  Still gives me shudders.
• Caesar’s Palace in Vegas, where I play the most because it’s such a big room and always has action going on.
• The Bellagio, which is hands down the toughest room.  I think I’ve only left there winner one time.
• Harrah’s Rincon, but only because I happened to pop by during a WSOP circuit event.  Wow, did I see the celebrities!  “Jesus” Ferguson, Barry Greenstein, Joe Sebok, Steve Deano, Erick Lindgren, and a few others.  That was pretty cool.
• Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage.  I think this is my very favorite room.  It’s populated by really old, really wealthy retired guys who come to pass time rather than win money.  There’s a lot to be won there if you just play decent, ABC poker.   (I once saw Phil Hellmuth Jr. there, too.  That’s when I realized that it had to be loose!)

There are a couple of notable home games I frequent too, which I’ll write about sometime.  Well, “frequent” is the wrong word, because they actually tend to occur infrequently, but I usually get an invite when there’s something going on.