I was in LA with Brigid this weekend, and on our way back to Vegas we stopped to check out the Commerce Casino. There's a chance I'll move to LA at some point, so I wanted to see what the poker options there are. I've read quite a bit about the differences between Vegas and LA for poker (most recentlyin Malmuth's Gambling Theory and Other Topics), but I wanted to see first hand. I've heard the Commerce has the largest poker room in the world (by number of tables). Actually, it's two rooms - one high limit and one low limit. Both are bigger than any room in Vegas, with the low limit room somewhat larger.
Since I stopped playing at the Bellagio, seeing the big name poker stars isn't as routine for me as before, so it was fun to see all the recognizable faces at the Commerce. The first star I noticed was Gus Hansen, Brigid's favorite player for obvious reasons. At his table were Phil Ivey, David Benyamine, Lyle Berman, Eli Elezra, and a couple others I don't remember now. Todd Brunson at David Williams were playing nearby, too. Unlike at the Bellagio, where there is a semi-private room for the "big game," the big games at the Commerce are right on the floor with all the other tables, which is pretty cool.
Except for some inconvenience getting to the Commerce (lots of traffic in LA), it seems like a viable poker option. Next time I go I'll check out the Bicycle. Any other good poker rooms in LA?
4 comments:
Whoa, Gus Hansen is not at all attractive. Though, I guess at least he's young.
I quit.
You quit what?
I love the Commerce. I had more fun playing poker there than I've ever had in AC or Vegas.
If you play on the high side they comp you full meals at the table. Considering you can get anything you want for a $5 tip to the waiter, the food is pretty good.
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