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Ok, now that I played a few tournaments up there I can offer another review. I still like playing there, and I am willing to drive 2 hours just for the huge prize pools - but I should make the readers aware of what it's like there.
The good:
- Playing here is a great value. You pay a $10 door fee once per day no matter how many tournaments or cash shoot-outs you play in. In one day, you can easily play in 3 tournaments. Yet, nothing is taken out of the prize pool of your buy-in. You won't find a better deal at the WSOP- forget anywhere else in Vegas.
- Full bar and kitchen w tableside service. The prices are fair too.
- The competition isn't that tough. Yes, there are a few pros here but the overall completion is loose and fast, but not hard to play against.
- The prize pools are HUGE. Get in on their text alerts for tournaments because they have some good ones. No where else are you going to have 15K guarantees for buy-ins under $100.
The bad:
- Parking is a pain. You typically have to park at least a couple blocks away and due to neighborhood parking rules, you can only be in that spot for 2 hours at a time. So that means every tournament break you have to do the car park shuffle, until 6 or 7 pm. The other option is pay parking spots, but those are even further away.
- The dealers and floor could be better. There are a few good dealers, but overall the dealers need some work. Miscounts, misdeals, slow dealing, and mostly, not keeping the action moving. When there are decisions to be made, the floor has made some rather questionable ones. I think dealers and floor could use more training. I heard the week before I last played that the dealers were actually playing in the tournament they were dealing. Um, sorry, that's not cool.
- You can't tell the dealers from anyone else. I haven't played anywhere else in Portland- but anywhere else in Oregon where I have played the dealers wear a uniform. Here they don't. It looks a little unprofessional.
Anyway, that's my take. Despite the issues I have with the place, I still recommend it as a place to play.
