During the Aladdin Classic several people were talking about doing the next event someplace other than Las Vegas. The conversations tended to assume Atlantic City but I was thinking about that and wondering if LV and AC were the only two choices. What about Tunica? What about Foxwoods? Anyway, how about a little poll to see what others are thinking.
Where would you like to see the next WPBT event held?
Las Vegas
Pros: Uh, it’s Vegas, man! Ladies with missing teeth picking up on Joe Speaker.
Cons: We’ve done two events there already.
Atlantic City
Pros: You could run into Johnny Chan and bluff him out of one hand and think you’re the best poker player in the world. Oh, and it’s on the East coast which would make it somewhat convenient for the right coast folks.
Los Angeles
Pros: Tons of card rooms. The Bike, Commerce, Hollywood Park, Hawaiian Gardens, Hustler, etc.
Cons: There’s not much non-poker stuff to do near any of the card rooms unless you want to jump in the car and drive an hour.
Tunica
Pros: ?
Cons: ?
Foxwoods
Pros: ?
Cons: ?
New Orleans
Pros: Bourbon Street is within walking distance of Harrah’s.
Cons: ?
A cruise ship
Pros: A vacation within a poker vacation.
Cons: Drunken betting on shuffleboard at 3am is –EV.
Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Pros: Airfare is about the same from LA to NJ as it is from LA to Nassau. Plenty of non-poker stuff to do.
Cons: No Plaza-esque $59 a night rooms.
Other places ??
Throw in your own pros/cons and your vote for the next WPBT event.
Disclaimer: Voting results are non-binding. The purpose of this post is entertainment value only. This is an exhibition, not a competition, so no wagering.
[Update] Human Head suggests a Greyhound bus station . . . hmmmm :-)
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Hi, my name is Bill Rini and this is my poker blog. I've been blogging about poker and the poker industry since around 2003-ish. Like most people I started out playing poker as entertainment in home games whenever we wanted to sit around and smoke cigars, drink beer, and eat pizza, and needed a good excuse. I started playing online shortly after the first online card rooms opened and it wasn't long before I was playing 20, 30, or even 40 hours a week or more. One day I received a phone call about a program manager position at Tiltware which was the company that consulted to Full Tilt Poker on software development and marketing. After Tiltware I spent about 2.5 years working at Party Poker where I was the poker room manager.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I vote for either New Orleans or Tunica.
Tunica is Cheeeeaaaap! And close by.
New Orleans is a drunkards paradise. I already have serveral favorite hangouts. So does Otis. and AL INVENTED New Orleans.
New Orleans is my choice. I’ve never been before.
Minneapolis
Pros: Virtually everybody will flyover it anyway to get to the coasts. This will cut your flight time in half.
Pros: Canterbury Park. Quite possibly the best run card room in the country. The Wynn took a couple floor people and a ton of dealers to staff the new poker room. That’s how good it is.
Pro: Unlike LA, you don’t have to worry about being shot/mugged on the way out to your car, even in the depths of Minneapolis.
Pro: Mall of America. Don’t laugh until you’ve been there. It really is something.
Pro/Con (you decide): If we do it in winter, you’ll get to experience bone numbing cold. If we do it in summer, you’ll get to experience mosquitos the size of small birds.
Con: Canterbury is _busy_. There’s no way we’d be able to get a private table or anything. No NL or craps. No free drinks.
I think that last one will kill it entirely.
I didn’t go to the last one, prolly won’t make the next one, and am completely unknown to most of you. But, it would be “really” cool to watch to final table of the next WPBT on “Live at the Bike” If they won’t set that up, some of you could sit in on the 30-60 or 200NL games they broadcast.
Re: Tunica -
Pros: There’s more poker there than you can shake a stick at - more card rooms than the folks there know what to do with. For me, and the other southern bloggers, it’s very close-by.
Cons: Not exactly a party town. Rooms aren’t always cheap and easy to come by, at least not when anyone else in the universe is coming to town at the same time you are. Outside of poker, there is very little else to do here. Casinos tend to be spread out, making driving a necessity if a venue change is desired.
Re: AC -
Pros: Atlantic City rocks. Plus, the US Poker Championships are going on in September. I’ve kicked around the idea of running blogger satellites for the $300 event, and there seems to be a fair level of interest.
Cons: It’s a little out of the way, meaning extra ground travel after the airplane ride most of us will have to take out there. Buses through New Jersey kinda suck.
Bottom line: there’s nothing quite like Vegas, so anywhere else we play is going to be a unique experience. If I’m voting with my heart, I say AC. If I’m voting with my wallet, I say Tunica.
Might I suggest Niagara Falls?
Lots of gambool - 3 casinos right in the falls. The WPT is coming October 19th.
Buffalo offers cheap eats and drinks, bars open until 4 am, and perhaps a Bills game thrown in there somewhere.
Canada offers Canadian Strippers who get completely naked for Canadian money.
Oh yeah, there’s the falls too.
Rene/Tahoe was not mentioned, and that is closer for me…..I like Vegas, the best though.
Anything east of the Rockies is p[robably too far for this kid, unless it happened to coincide with a holiday, like Christmas/New Years.
Considering that I missed the last two events, I probably shouldn’t get a vote, but… I say Vegas.
Tunica: The rooms CAN be cheap. My dad often gets a $49 poker rate there, which isn’t hard to get. However, it’s casino action only. If you want any kind of action other than that, it’s a 30-45 minute drive to Memphis.
New Orleans: This is my fav, only because of the out and out debauchery it would offer and I know New Orleans pretty well (if we make it happen, you have to go with me to Mothers after waking up from a night of drinking). Of course, we’d have to convince Harrahs to spead a tourney for us, which might be difficult.
AC: Likely fair and convenient for the right coasters. I’d do it, I suppose.
Vegas: Always.
Minnesota: Um…um…
Bahamas: They only have live poker during the WPT PokerStars event. No good. Plus it is expensive as hell.
Cruise: Now THERE is an idea, but I ain’t taking on the organization.
For Foxwoods, there is absolutely NOTHING to do outside of the casino. At least from my perspective. It’s in the middle of fucking nowhere.
It’s huge though and there’s plenty of action. No idea how amenable they are to private tables/tournies.
Vegas: Because there is so much to do other than gamble… Especially if you have spousal considerations. Shows, Food, etc. Plus there’s the gambling thing.
I’m gonna offer up 3 suggestions, but I’m biased by proximity:
1. A cruise
2. Reno
3. Lake Tahoe
I love Vegas so that will always be my first choice. I would also consider a cruise, Reno, Tahoe. Anything on the East coast would require me to visit family but I would consider that also.
Of course the deciding factor will be cost so it may not matter anyway.
Btw, is there much to do in Laughlin? I hear it’s actually pretty cool when you get the college kids out there for spring break, but other than that, I don’t know a thing about it.
H-Double pointed out Reno…interesting and good call.
Yet, being from the E. Coast and only two hours away from AC I want to say AC…BUT!!! E. Coasters please don’t kill me for this…but I say New Orleans or Tunica. I enjoy Southern folk and it would be fun to play down there. Just my take on things.
I’ve got to say Vegas - much easier to entertain the non-poker players, and there’s always things to do.
But, a cruise is a close second, as there’s still other things to do as well for the non-poker players.
I could be convinced to do Nawlins, as well, but that’s a definite third place, even though I haven’t been there before…
1. Tunica - I could drive to and, thus, would have wheels while there - Memphis is about a half hour away for extra curricular activities.
2. New Orleans - would be able to convince some buds to come along, and could drive to if I extend it to a week…
3. A cruise sounds great - but would be pricey factoring air fare, etc. especially for us solo travelers if a roomie isn’t available (ideal port of departure for me would be Galvelston)
Canterbury is top-notch but lack of free drinks and for how busy it is there, it would suck :(
Suprised Felicia hasn’t tried pushing Laughlin more, decent little gambling town and dirt cheap to fly into. Since I can’t drive, I’d need somewhere with places I can walk to. Vegas of course being the best.
Heard some inside info about AC and possibility of a WPBT event there already.
Now that I stirred up potential rumors…
I have been trying to get friends to go to Tunica. Never been there and would like to experience it.
Reno would be a good time too. I like the Canterbury idea. Nice place. Too bad they don’t have much else, plus traffic totally sucks up there.
1) New Orleans - really close to me compared to Vegas
2) Still want to go there..
3) AC - Was there in 1980.. be cool to see how it has changed.
New Orleans would mean I would definately make it…. if that counts for anything. heh.
First choice. Vegas. I don’t think any other place could compare. Airfare should be reasonable all over the country.
Second choice. New Orleans. I always have a good time there and haven’t been in ages. In my opinion the casinos are terrible though. Worse than the Plaza.
For some of us to be able to continue to make it having non-poker entertainment is fairly
New Orleans.
I am still drunk from two visits ago.
It may have the best food in the world.
People will ask you how you are doing and care about the answer.
WWII Museum is outstanding.
24 hour city.
Used to large, drunken crowds.
I think we need to narrow it down to two…when does the vote take place?
Tunica and New Orleans are withing driving distance for me, so the crowded probucer mobile would be there (that’s an ancient G-Vegas reference).
I still love Vegas, too.
Bottom line, no matter where it is, I’m there!!!
I would love an East Coast friendly location, in order:
1.) New Orleans
2.) AC
3.) Tunica
Here is my suggestion - The Heafy Hotel and Casino.
Pros: Allows Heafy to play. Decent chips, awesome tables (that I built myself), and friends we ask to be cocktail waitresses will have all their teeth. There is a bottle shop just down the road, plenty of beds for the free nights stay, near River Side Theatre for non-poker activities. Also internatinal flights have free alcohol - may or may not include SoCo.
Cons: Allows Heafy to play. Have to go up three flights of stairs, and also the airfare from NJ to Sydney is slightly more than to LV or AC. Another Con is previous criminal history and inability to pass through customs may limit some players availability.
Detroit and Chicago would be options as well. My vote would be for AV or Vegas.
1. Vegas - It’s freakin’ Vegas!!!
2. South Florida (Miami/Ft Lauderdale) - The Hard Rock Seminole has bevy of unused tables. They might be able to accomodate us. Plus I like to check-raise senior citizens.
If the event will be in the fall/winter, it should likely be someplace warm. That way significant others aren’t stuck in a casino all day.