The Arena Poker Room at Casino Arizona's Talking Stick Resort (Scottsdale, AZ) -- FAQ in OP
I figured I would start a new thread on this topic since the grand opening is Thursday April 15th at 6am. The old casino is closing at 2am on April 15th.
From what I have heard, the new room will be completely enclosed so there will be even less of a smoke smell than before.
It will have a few more tables than it currently has which is 46.
There will be restrooms located within the room from what I have heard, so no having to walk halfway through the casino to get them, or past the tempting blackjack tables 😀.
I will be there on opening day between 9am and 1:30pm, so I will post my observations and thoughts on it when I get to work around 2pm, and I encourage everyone else to as well.
The new era of Poker in Arizona begins on Thursday!
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FAQ - created 2017-03-29:
Wait I heard there is no no-limit poker in Arizona 
Technically you heard correctly, we play 'spread limit hold'em'
$300 max with 1/3 blinds (buy in $100-$300)
$500 max with 3/5 blinds (buy in $300-$1,000)
in fact $500 is the maximum bet in any legal state casino.
So what can I bet? Does the betting stop at $300??
You can bet up to the max bet. So if someone bets $12, you may raise to $312, and he may reraise to $612 etc. {or $15, $515, $1015 in 3/5}
So it's not that hard to get all in.
We guess you'll see someone estopped from getting all in @once every 40 hours of live play, and most of those situation arise because people bet very little on earlier streets.
Should I know about anything that happens fairly often
Yes. Because we're technically playing limit poker, the betting is capped at one bet and 3 raises. The big blind counts as the bet before the flop [a live straddle does NOT count]. So if utg raises to $12, utg+1 reraises to $21, the next player who raises will have made the 3rd and final preflop raise, after which everyone else may only call or fold.
This is not real poker; you can't bluff 😡
You cannot value bet either, because everyone know you can't bluff 😉
I was told they are opening on Super Bowl Sunday! Hope it's true.
That seems like Late Winter or Early Spring.
Picture of new room. Saw a dealer say it will be open on February 8th, just a few days before Super Bowl.
Might as well post more of their propaganda:
I do like chicken pesto, wouldn't say "adventure."
Hopefully we get real plates again! I hope that giant glass wall faces the casino floor like the old room. That’s gonna be way better for brining in randos that would never have stumbled into the tent
I’m jealous. Curious what the rake is in the 2/3 games…?
Could anyone tell me what mix constitutes (or generally constitutes) the 20/40 and 150/300 mix games?
Are the games still spread limit? Rake? Good action?
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There are still limit games (3/6, 4/8, probably more) but there are also "true" NLHE games 2/3, 3/5 and higher. Rake exists, but it's been years since I've played a cash game there, not sure what it is exactly. There is also a jackpot drop of at least $1. Lots of games, so if the action isn't good at your table, request a change.
Here's the current list per Bravo. 2:45 pm MST.
The spread limit question is from back when we didn't have true no limit.
The 2/3 game used to have a $300 max bet and the 3/5 and above used to have a $500 max bet. Those are gone.
What games are in the 20/40 and 80/160 mix?
HORSE?
I haven't played in years so I'm not the best source but since nobody is answering.
Very large mix of games. Many draw games, stud games, flop games, the whole gamut.
But the mix isn't fixed, determined by game starters, and can/will be tweaked for special players.
Floor has continued to refuse to run / start 5-5 plo, maybe that will change with the new room. Don't have high hopes as at no point has the management / floor given me vibes of anything but pure incompetence/laziness.
20/40 is always just 4 games: super stud 8 or better, big o, dramaha high, and double board 4 card Omaha - all are fixed limit. Technically you are allowed to start it with different games but there are a bunch of regs who just want to play these 4 so that's pretty much always what it is.
The 8/16 and 40/80 are full mix of whatever the people who start the game want to play. I assume the same is true of higher stakes. A typical mix would be something like the 4 in the 20/40 plus Archie, badaci, badugi, 2-7td, super razzdaci, and 2-7 dramaha.
Wow sounds like I need to make a trip to AZ. Sounds fun.
New room opens Feb 8. I guess the Sports Bar is already operational based on FB user group posts.
Not my pics, sorry if that isn't allowed.
Make sure to report on the pesto chicken tomorrow if anyone goes on that adventure.
I am from out of town visiting Scottsdale. I have been there at the soon to be obsolete poker room the last two days. The new poker room in the casino seems big on huge screen TVs everywhere. Actually huge screen TVs doesn't do it justice, they are enormous screens one next to another next to another next to another. The staff seems very proud of the new chairs with wheels at the poker tables of the new poker room. They had some sort of pre-Grand Opening event that I wasn't invited to earlier today, but I got a look from a distance. Officially opens in eight hours or so. I expect I will be there late morning.
Yeah, it was a pre-Grand Opening for staff. Some videos posted on the Facebook group yesterday.
I'm excited to see the new room, which opens in less than an hour, and the action this weekend which will be fueled not only by the grand opening but also by the Waste Management Phoenix Open that just teed off and, of course, the Superbowl promos on Sunday. There's also a chance of rain over the weekend, which will limit outdoor activities.
I won't make it there until around 6:30 tonight but will play bigger than normal to make up for it.
Grand opening at 10am, now 33 tables going 40 min later. I'll stop by tonight to check it out in person. TR to follow...
Can you access this from inside or is it a seperate structure? What’s the best place to park now? The old poker room parking lot under the stairs?
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