I finally made it to the Gilpin

[Rick]

Sort of a last minute decision but after a week of rain and snow and cold what better way to spend a beautiful sunny spring day than inside a dark smokey poker room :lol:

I tell ya, I like it. Not sure what the problem was finding the elevator because I couldn't find the stairs and only found the lift :)

Got there at 10am, no game going but some dealer was teaching a guy to play Omaha. So I sat and watched and another dealer stopped by so they broke out some plastic play chips and we played about 20 minutes of NL for fun. By then enough came for a game and after we started with 5 the table filled and a couple of tables stayed filled.

Bought exactly 1 rack of chips and cashed out exactly 1.97 racks of chips.

Not bad for a less than 3 hour stretch of 2/4 poker :moneybag:

[pseudoswede]

I tell ya, I like it. Not sure what the problem was finding the elevator because I couldn't find the stairs and only found the lift :)


It's not that the elevator is hard to find. It's just slooooooooooow.

[TimmieD]

I have been trying to save enough money to get up there. I have heard that it is nice and I know a couple of dealers up there and a floor supervisor at Mt. High.

[Rick]

I liked it and will go back. Maybe tomorrow :)

[hammeru]

Sounds like it is the place to play if your up there..

[Rick]

Well another thing to look forward to at the Gilpin. Bluff Magazine.

I got in touch with Eric the publisher and he will add the Gilpin to his distribution so they can give away free copies of the mag :)

[pseudoswede]

Well another thing to look forward to at the Gilpin. Bluff Magazine.

I got in touch with Eric the publisher and he will add the Gilpin to his distribution so they can give away free copies of the mag :)

Sweet. I got the premier issue (James Woods on the cover). Not a bad read. Hopefully my free subscription to Card Player comes through...

[sherman]

Not bad for a less than 3 hour stretch of 2/4 poker :moneybag: What games are they playing there? Omaha as well as Stud and Hold em? Also, I noticed you said 2/4. Spread or straight 2/4 limit?

[Rick]

The 2/4 was fixed limit. And it wasn't a cap the pot fest :shock:

They will deal just about anything you want to play. Really. The dealers just ask the players what game and limit, if they want it in the smoking or non area, and they set it up. It seems very player friendly. They had 2/4, 2/5 spread limit and 5/5 going when I was there and they were waiting on a couple of other players to get an Omaha game going.

[Timmay]

The couple of times I was up there they had 1/2 going...but once again that old nasty rake rears it's ugly head. I am so happy I am able to help the casinos stay in business.

[idh78]

Sort of a last minute decision but after a week of rain and snow and cold what better way to spend a beautiful sunny spring day than inside a dark smokey poker room :lol:

I tell ya, I like it. Not sure what the problem was finding the elevator because I couldn't find the stairs and only found the lift :)

Got there at 10am, no game going but some dealer was teaching a guy to play Omaha. So I sat and watched and another dealer stopped by so they broke out some plastic play chips and we played about 20 minutes of NL for fun. By then enough came for a game and after we started with 5 the table filled and a couple of tables stayed filled.

Bought exactly 1 rack of chips and cashed out exactly 1.97 racks of chips.

Not bad for a less than 3 hour stretch of 2/4 poker :moneybag:

I finally made it up there, overall I like the room and the dealers. But I just can't do limit poker....I am truly horrible at it, three times I had the best hand on the flop and turn only to get sucked out on the river with some truly garbage starting hands....I don't think I'll be giving my NL winnings away on limit again anytime soon....just don't have the mindset for limit hold em...

[pseudoswede]

I also heard that The Gilpin had 14-15 tables going yesterday! Sounds like business is picking up over there (with help from the holiday weekend).

[Wetdog]

I finally made it up there, overall I like the room and the dealers. But I just can't do limit poker....I am truly horrible at it, three times I had the best hand on the flop and turn only to get sucked out on the river with some truly garbage starting hands....I don't think I'll be giving my NL winnings away on limit again anytime soon....just don't have the mindset for limit hold em...

There is an art to playing limit that also translates very well to no limit. It sounds like you haven't learned that part yet, grasshopper.

As the saying goes, "Lessons are on Thursday."

[tjholdem]

Going up next week to check it out. Sounds like a nice place.

[idh78]

There is an art to playing limit that also translates very well to no limit. It sounds like you haven't learned that part yet, grasshopper.

As the saying goes, "Lessons are on Thursday."

Nope I sure haven't....about all I learned is how to get sucked out on 4 times in 45 minutes :D

Honestly though, if I can't put you to a tougher desicion than $4-$5 into a $30+ pot....my whole strategy goes out the window...

Glad it only cost me $50 to learn that my skills are weak in limit......maybe if I would have just played Phil's top 10...(although I wouldn't have seen a single flop)

[sloper]

I went up and played at the Gilpin this Saturday. Played pretty much all day. Played in 2 tourneys, and played 2-4 limit hold'em as well. I really liked the room, and everyone was really friendly--the cardroom manager comped everyone at the first table of the day a free lunch. While I was there they had several different hold'em tables (2-4 limit, 2-5 spread), Omaha, and even stud. If you are looking for Omaha, the dealers said that they usually have an Omaha game going just about every evening, and weekends by noon.

[maxstud1]

I went up on Sunday, played 4 hours and won $3....lol....half hour in I lost a big pot when i had a full house 10's over queens and lost to quad queens... took me the rest of the day to get up $3 :-x

[Vandal99]

I don't know if anyone saw it, but on the gilpin's website, it says they have freerolls at noon three days a week (I think it was Mon, Tues, and Thurs), so now, unless you're under 21, you have no excuse not to play there.
-Nick

[pseudoswede]

so now, unless you're under 21, you have no excuse not to play there.


Unless, of course, you work a 9-5 job. ;)

Went last night. Got there about 9pm. Two tables going--one 2/4 and one 2-5. Another 2-5 was opened up, and eventually the 2/4 was busted because there were only 5 people on the table--and they only had three dealers. John, the floor manager, cited the rockslide as to why they didn't have more dealers, which I didn't quite understand.

[Timmay]

Was up there this morning and it was dead. Had 5 of us playing 2/4 then it started to pick up around 3 when every one showe for the free role.

Too may dealers and not enough players...so who knows about the rock slide.

[coloradomrg]

Spent 3 hours or so playing 2-5 last night. Turned $75 into $200... so no complaints. The room was better lit, the spot lights are better aimed. The AC unit in the ceiling was quiter, and the cocktail service was much better. Too bad from what I heard, the room is really suffering financially. They are even going to be making the bad beater easier to hit to try to drum up a little business. I also heard some dealers talking about the 2-4 fixed games going away next week.

[idh78]

I also heard some dealers talking about the 2-4 fixed games going away next week.

that would be fine by me! :D

[Timmay]

Guess I wont be back then...they would be silly to get rid of it, it's the game most beople want to play when I am up there anyway. Not that cap fest 2-5. Talk about a game that takes no skill or reading ability...everyone just caps it as fast as possible. Just a bunch of gamblers hoping to get lucky with that bad beat is all.

[Vandal99]

I agree, I like the 2-4 too, going up tomorrow to play. Thats the hold'em I play most. I feel I understand spread limit, at least resonably well, bet the limit is what I'm best at.
-Nick

[pseudoswede]

I went last night from 8pm to 2am. I think they had about six $2-5 tables, two or three $2/4 tables, two $1-2-5-5 tables, and one $1-2-5-5 Omaha table. Definitely more full tables than empty ones.

I also went on Tuesday night from 9pm to 12:30am. One $2/4 table, which was eventually broken down, and two $2-5 tables.

I've been told they won't put on a $2/4 game on weekdays unless there's enough demand for it. They usually have at least one or two $2/4 game on the weekends.

I also much prefer $2/4 limit.

As for the bad beat...today only (6/25), they will lower the bad beat requirement one hand per hour. It's 10am, so the bad beat requirement is now AAA77 or better. Lowest it can get is about kings full of nines.

[coloradomrg]

everyone just caps it as fast as possible. Just a bunch of gamblers hoping to get lucky with that bad beat is all.

My experience is just the opposite, the fixed limit games end up capped 90% of the time. I think I might have played 2 capped pots in 3 hours of spread limit play Thursday night at 2 different tables. I much prefer the 2-5 games, although the pots are nicer and the hands are played quicker in CC than they were Thursday night in Blackhawk.

[Patrick]

Generally speaking, I'm all for limit poker, but 2/4 is just ridiculous. It's got to be at least 6/12 before it starts to be worth anything at all. At limits this low, I much prefer the 2-5, where there's at least some chance that you can make someone make a decision when you raise it to $7 or $12 and the bet is now 3-6 times the blind. That said, this does still require that the dolts playing up there understand odds at all, which is quite a stretch. Also, the pots are just silly small when it's $2 at a time for the first two rounds.

[pseudoswede]

I played $2/4 on Saturday night. Won $104 in eight hands. Ended up $131 after an hour of playing. :) Needless to say, it helps to get good hands and catch the cards you need.

They also held a 20-person, $40 SnG. Placed 2nd for $240.

The $2-5 bad beat jackpot ($15,700) was also hit late Saturday night. Aces and queens over aces and jacks.

[maxstud1]

A couple of weeks ago I won $200 in about 2.5 hours at the Gilpin 2-4 table, had great cards all afternoon and people ready and willing to bet and raise into me. On the other hand I won $3 in 4 hours last week in the 2-5 :P Can never tell :lol:

[pseudoswede]

mikef sent me this nugget of an e-mail...


The Lodge last night.

Four limpers to me in the cutoff with 55, eight of us see a flop of 345. I'm the only one that bets, get 3 callers. Turn is 3452. Now this worries me. Everyone checks. River is 34522. Much better. Bet to me, I raise, get reraised, suffice it to say it got capped and I see 22 in the hole and lose to quads. OK.

In the blind (one $2 blind at Lodge), get QQ. One limper to button who makes it 7. This guy next to me is a nutcase playing all kinds of crap. I make it 12 and we see the flop heads up. Flop is 346. Cool. I bet, he raises, I suspect a set so I just check and call the rest of the way. He shows 25 for a flopped straight. OK.

Last hand. One limper, nutcase next to me. I make it 7 with AdJd. We see a flop heads up of AQ5. He checks, I bet, he calls. Turn is AQ59. He checks, I bet, he calls. River is AQ59Q. He bets. Ugh. I call and he shows Q8. OK.

I go home and kick the cat and call it a night.


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[adaugust]

And that is why I do not like limit hold em! Put a 30 raise in preflop and I bet he doesnt stay with that crap!! Maybe the 2's but no the 2-5, and probably not the Q-8. Limit poker sucks!

[tjholdem]

OHHHHH, that really sucks. Was it doggie that he was playing against??????. He plays stuff like that... Don't ya Doggie. Takes me out everytime..lol :17: :what: :17:

[coloradomrg]

Went up again last week.... After dealing with moronic dealer to start the day..."oh, we're playing 5-5?? Oh man I thought it was 2-5..." "I'm still hung over from last night, I shouldn't be dealing" and then being berated by a dealer (who was playing, not dealing) for playing what she thought were sub-par hands and taking her money, I don't think I'll be back to the gilpin anytime soon. There were atleast 2 dealers playing at the table the whole time I was there. How in the world Suee(sp?) manages to keep a dealing job at any casinio is beyond me. She's always got a piss poor attitude and doesn't know when to shut up whether its poker in Cripple Creek, or Poker in Blackhawk. I'll send my tips to dealers who are not only competent, but friendly. I thought that with time they would get better, but they haven't really. Nothing has changed except that now they don't have the sit and go's. The room has been profitable to me, but there are closer rooms to me that I end up doing just as well at.

[adaugust]

I went up there last week and had a fairly good experience, The dealers are definitely not as good as vegas dealers, but they are ok. Yes sometimes they dont know what game the table is playing, but considering they are dealing at least 3 tables every hour that does not surprise me at all. The tables are not marked as to what it is playing. I think if they had a table marked with something that said what game was going on that would help. Great poker room. Nice being away from the noise of the rest of the casino!

[pseudoswede]

The floor manager usually places a small card stating the current game in front of the rake collector thingy.

I'll also concur that I've never really experienced any extremely incompetent dealers at The Gilpin. Of course, I normally go on weekend nights, and sometimes weeknights.

[coloradomrg]

I wouldn't say EXTREMELY incompetent... I would say not so great sometimes although I've had a few good ones there. The guy that started the day just kinda annoyed me, and dealing with Suee made it even worse. The dealers are definetly better on the weekends than I've experienced on weeknights though.

And I meant to say Suee dealt blackjack in Cripple Creek... not poker there. She's a VERY talented dealer with a worse mouth than anyone I've ever met working at a casino. Its really too bad....

[Patrick]

And that is why I do not like limit hold em! Put a 30 raise in preflop and I bet he doesnt stay with that crap!! Maybe the 2's but no the 2-5, and probably not the Q-8. Limit poker sucks!
It's just a different game that you need to play differently. Limit poker is no less profitable or skillful for a good player than no-limit. Also, you've got to realize this is 2/4 (or 2-5), which is the very, very entry-level of poker. You're going to run into quite a few idiots.

[idh78]

I agree, however my limit game is quite poor and I am going to be the sucker at the table if I play it...but a good limit player can win at 2/4 and 2-5 consistently....

The strength of my game comes from putting people to tough decisions, and making tricky plays....limit poker is much more straight forward and is more difficult for to exploit weakness...

and of course the bluff is pretty much impossible in no-fold em hold em...I have seen people call down to the river with bottom pair in hopes to catch 2 pair...

[sherman]

limit poker is much more straight forward and is more difficult for to exploit weakness...

and of course the bluff is pretty much impossible in no-fold em hold em...I have seen people call down to the river with bottom pair in hopes to catch 2 pair...

I would disagree that limit poker is more difficult to exploit weaknesses in play. It's consistency and Patience that matters. If you only play premium cards, you'll get the money in the long run. It sucks being sucked out three or four straight times but that is exactly the guy you want in the pots with you - isn't it?

Also, one thing you mentioned is raising with premium hands. I've found it more useful to limp quite a number of times with quality hands and if it doesn't hit, or the board is scary to adjust after the flop. Also, by limping, you might hope for a raise behind you and then reraise to limit the pot where your big pair will stand up better. By making raises preflop and then allowing someone to chase you with bottom pair, he or she is, in many cases, actually getting correct odds to call you with those draws or middle pairs. Obviously it depends on position, texture of the game etc.

[Vandal99]

I agree with Sherman,

I realized that playing in the 2-5 spread games, Playing aggressivly before the flop is a waste of money. With few exceptions, you will always get 3-4 callers or more when you raise, so we haven't thinned the field. You have announced your bigger cards now, so if you catch on the flop, they usually either fold or have you beat. I fully advocate aggressive play after the flop, but my hourly rate seems to double if I just call most hands instead of raise preflop.

-Nick

[juanez]

Nice to see the complimentary posts about The Gilpin. I work there myself, so the more satisfied players the better. :D Feel free to direct questions and/or suggestions my way.

So, to clear up a few misconceptions and to add a few nuggets of info about the place:

The 2/4 Game:
Someone posted that the 2/4 game may not be spread any longer or it might only be spread on weekends. Not true. 2/4 is very popular and will be spread whenever players want to play it. In fact we will spread ANY legal poker game. Just ask. If enough players are interested, we'll spread it.

Game Structures
1/2 limit HE. Beginners love this...and it actually has a bad beat jackpot. There is a single $1 blind and a max of three raises. This isn't spread all that often, but ask if you are interested.
2/4 limit HE. Two blinds, $1 and $2. Five raises max.
1-2-5-5 limit HE. Blinds are $1 and $2, unlike everywhere else in Black Hawk/Central City where the blinds are $5. This saves you $30 or more per hour in blinds. 8) You can call the $2 blind preflop, or complete to $5. All bets and raises are $5 after the flop.
2/5 Spread Limit. Blinds are $1 and $2. All bets and raises are anywhere between $2 and $5. Five raises max. Very popular game.
5/5 Omaha. Same structure as the 1-2-5-5 HE game. Usually H/L, but sometimes high only. This game has taken off and is spread very often.
2/4 7 Stud. Fifty cent ante. Very cool game. We have two Stud tables. H/L or high only. Not spread that often...too bad. I love dealing and playing this game.
2/4 Choice. This is a choice game. Any legal game can be chosen, including HE, Omaha, Stud, Pineapple, Crazy Pineapple. This is new and we're the only casino in CO with a choice game that I'm aware of. This is FUN!!!

The Bad Beat:
We have changed our bad beat structure. Currently, the 2/4 bad beat qualifier is Aces full of eights. The 2/5 bad beat is Aces full of Kings. The casino has staked $30K into these jackpots. Soon we will be adding $1,000 PER DAYto the jackpots. I don't have the info in front of me or I would elaborate, but $1K a day is pretty sweet if you play for the bad beat. And many players will play a game because the BB is large....

Tournaments
We have tried a bunch of different tourney structures and spread them at different times and days. You tourney folks have probably realized that we no longer do sit and goes. It became a royal pain in the asss and players would sometimes sit and wait (not playing at all) for hours waiting for enough people to sign up for a $30 SNG. If we didn't get enough players, they would get mad at us...lol. All in all, I'm glad the SNG's are history. Check the web site for the tourney schedule: http://www.thelodgecasino.com/pokerroom.html

The new tourney is the AM950 The Fan Tourney on Thursday nights at 7:00PM. $60+$10 buy in, 66 players max, top 6 get paid. The top three each week get to play in a grand finale tourney in October. The winner of that gets a trip to Vegas for two and an entry into a World Poker Tour Satellite.

The Gilpin is trying to be a little different than the rest of the rooms in town by trying different things and tournaments are a big part of it. If you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to tell the floor person!!

The Action
Honestly, if you want the out of control, capped 8 ways before the flop 5/5 action, go to the Lodge.

If you want a friendly atmosphere without the buzzing and ringing of slot machines and shorter wait lists, try the Gilpin. The whole room is dedicated to poker ONLY. No slots, no blackjack, no Bonus 6 or three card poker. There's full service wait staff for drinks and food, restrooms, and an ATM (of course) all in the room. And half of our room is non-smoking.

Getting There
Some have mentioned that it's a bit hard to find the place. We're in between the Canyon Casino and Fitzgeralds on Main Street. We have free valet parking across the street. We're on the 3rd floor. When you enter, ask which elevator to take or look for the signs directing you to the room.

Man, I'm sounding like a commercial here. Just trying to spread the word a little. Good luck ya'll!