This article first appeared in the WSOP 2012 special issue of World Gaming magazine.
Whether you’re a high roller or play for more modest stakes you will find a game to suit your bankroll at Crown. WGM gives you the lowdown on taking the Aussie dollars home.
The Crown Poker Room is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. They don’t just specialize in tournaments – there are plenty of cash games. Ask the friendly staff for whatever you want to play and if the interest is there you will get your game.
Some casinos run great tournaments but don’t really know what it takes to keep the cash games pumping, though the Bellagio and the Venetian in Las Vegas are obvious exceptions. Now you can add Crown to that list as they run a 50+ table card room 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Don’t expect to wait for hours when you get knocked out of a tournament. Crown regularly opens more tables and makes sure cash games are a priority so there is always plenty of staff manning the cash game tables. So what sort of cash games can you expect to find at Crown?
No limit hold’em (NLHE)
[Note: the Australian and US dollar are almost exactly the same value.]
If you are a Texas Hold’em player you have nothing to worry about. Stakes start with $1/2 NLHE and $2/3 NLHE. Both these games run with a clock that ensures the game moves along at a good pace so you get to see plenty of hands an hour.
The next level is $2/5 NLHE and Crown also offers $5/10 NLHE but it is during major championships like the Aussie Millions that the cash action really fires up. In addition to the lower stakes games already mentioned Crown also spread $10/20 NLHE and $25/50 NLHE and above.
Other games
Crown also spreads some good limit games if there is enough interest. You will also find some great Omaha games spread over every conceivable structure with a wide array of games with forced straddles and the like. There is a regular $2/4 pot limit Omaha game and $10/20 and $20/40 limit Omaha games are also firm fixtures. With a big tournament on expect Crown to run $5/10, $10/20, $25/50, $100/200 and $200/400 pot limit Omaha and even higher games at times.
Mixed games are also available and Crown run dealer’s choice games that include no limit and limit Hold’em, pot limit and limit Omaha (both high and hi-lo), five and seven card stud and deuce to seven triple draw. There is even a local poker variant called Manila, which uses a stripped deck of 32 cards, though don’t expect to get the best of the natives here as they have all been playing it for years.
The staff running the Crown Poker Room listen to their customers. If the players want a certain game then they are prepared to run it. Here’s hoping we see you down under and good luck at the felt.