ES
I believe Bay 101 is the biggest card room in the bay area. I play 1-2-2 ($100-200 buy) and 2-3-5 ($200-500 buy) here. Their 1-2-2 is ok. It is 1-2-2, 4 to go. This is not ideal; 1-2-3, 3 to go or 1-2-2 5 to go would both be better, in my opinion. Their 2-3-5 is a good game, with a good structure. New players have to post to come in for both games, which I don't really like, but isn't a big deal. That said, the action is pretty good, and the staff is generally profession and ranges from competent to fantastic. The man who usually runs the board for the smaller games in the evening stands out as a great guy.
The space itself is nice, and feels more spread out than other places, despite having so many tables. The area seems safe, and it is easy to get to Bay 101 from the freeway.
The biggest problem with Bay 101 is the drop. There are no jackpots, bonuses, or other promotions because the City of San Jose will not allow them. Despite this, Bay 101 drops as much as the most expensive other card rooms in the bay area. However, since $1 goes to the jackpot in other places, this essentially means they are taking an extra $1 for the house (and you can find places to play that have a total drop with jackpot that is still $1 less than Bay 101). Not only that, if there is a chop or a bet and no flop Bay 101 still takes $1 from the button's blind!
I've been disappointed with their food, particularly for the price. It's expensive and consistently not great. I don't drink, so I can't comment on the drinks.
