Big Easy Poker Room, Crosslanes WV: A trip report

[Da_Big_Fish]

I finally made it up to the new poker room that just opened in Crosslanes, WV on Thursday. There are 24 tables with auto-shufflers and some kind of digital readout where it can alert the pit guy (is that the right name for him) that there are open seats at the table. They also use it to keep track of how long you play for the Player's Club card.

Their auto-shufflers are a little weird. It's set in almost at a slight angle which seem to always catch cards and won chips that were slid to you. The chips appear to be real clay chips, might be composite clay but they looked and felt different than the other chips I've played with. Chairs a very comfortable and swivel. Cards are of the plastic kind. The room sits above the place where people sit to watch dog races.

Games they had while I was there were 2/4, 1/2NL, Omaha Hi-Lo (not sure of the limit) and 7 Card Stud. Most of the tables were taken up with 2/4 and 1/2NL. I've read elsewhere they they also spread a 5/10NL game usually in the evening.

The women behind the cage seemed very timid about taking money and exchanging for chips. In fact, when I put down my $100 and ask for chips, she counted out $200 and pushed it towards me. I alerted her to the mistake and she profusely apologized. Told her it was fine, she thanked me for my honesty. I doubt I would try to take those extra chips even if I wasn't honest. All those camera on the people in the cage I am sure that that would have been picked up and then I am arrested for stealing.

The dealers were very nervous and timid too. We had several situations where we had to call the floor guy over to resolve. Nothing big, just one dealer wanted a player who way posting after the button to put in both a SB and BB where he needed only to put in a BB and another situation where someone threw out a $5 chip and didn't receive any change back. These were quickly resolved though. We did get some good dealers that had dealt before and the game ran smoothly.

I played for 2.5 hours and doubled my stack +$1. The play was standard 2/4 stuff. Call with everything, ride it to the river and don't think about folding. I was in a few hands that had 6-7 players. Had a guy to my left that looked like a mountain man who played everything and it didn't matter if it was raised he'd call whatever. He hit some big pots but when I quit was down quite a bit. I think I played 5-6 hands in that 2.5 hours. I realized I was giving off my usual rocky rock (not sure how to fix that) and played a hand just to play it. Wasted money playing it, but I was trying not to seem so rocky.

I figure once the dealers and other personnel get more experienced it will be a great place to go play cards. I know I am glad that I only have to drive 40 minutes instead of 3 hours to play live.

[SpaceLord]

[nsidestrate]

[Da_Big_Fish]

Thanks NSide.

I was going to post a question about that and ask "Does it really matter anyway?" since I am playing in the lowest of the low live limits. I expected the same answer you gave.

I had few hands where I had AQ or KQ and hit a queen on the flop on a rainbow board and I had like 5-6 people calling my bets. It scared me for sure and got me thinking, "Oh no, here comes the suck outs." Every hand like that I was expecting one of them to flip Q-TRASH for 2 pair, but surprisingly that didn't happen. All my good hands stayed good.

If I could only double my buy-in every time I went, then I could move up quick. I figure I could handle 3/6 and 4/8, probably similar to 2/4. 5/10 has been my goal since I started playing. Anyway I ramble!

[packone]

Thanks for the report. I am going to take a ride up there this fall. Any recommendations on lodging in the area?

[Da_Big_Fish]

Look for places in Nitro and Crosslanes, WV. Both of these towns are very close - like 10-15m- to the racetrack. You may also want to check out Charleston, but it's a little bit farther away, not by much though. I am sure though you should be able to find a hotel room in either Ntro or Crosslanes.

[clabbers]

I'm 4 hours from there, closest legal cash poker to me now. I'll get there within a month.