Casino Pauma

Games
Wait Time: usually not long, but if all tables are full can take a while.

Game Nature: standard low-stakes regulars: a few maniacs, a few rocks, and a few people who are just learning. Also, often a few drunk people who are just there to gamble and have fun.

Rake: $3 + $1 jackpot (2+1 if 6 players, 1+1 if 5 players). No flop, no drop.

Posting: new players need not post to be dealt in

Shuffling: 2 tables with Shufflemaster machines, the others hand shuffled.

Kills: Killer acts last.

House rules: The cap is a bet and three raises, but a live straddle is not considered as one of the raises (if a straddle is on the hand, the cap goes to five bets, in a limit game).

Tournaments

 * Mon 7pm NLHE $15+5+3, 1x20 rebuy
 * Tue 7pm NLHE $15+5+3, 1x20 rebuy
 * Wed 7pm NLHE $15+5+3, no rebuy. $250 added to prize pool
 * Thu 7pm NLHE $15+5+3, no rebuy. $250 added to prize pool
 * Fri 4pm NLHE $25+5+3, 1x20 rebuy. 20 minute rounds.
 * Sat 4pm NLHE $25+5+3, 1x20 rebuy. 20 minute rounds.
 * Sun 4pm NLHE $25+5+3, 1x20 rebuy. 20 minute rounds.

Jackpots and Promotions

 * Play 3 hours in live game, earn 1000 extra chips for tournament (good for any tourn within next 7 days)
 * Bad Beat Jackpot: AAATT beaten
 * High hand has a weekly drawing for prizes
 * Play 4 hours in one day in cash game, earn $5 food voucher good at snackbar or in casino restaurant



Atmosphere
Casino Pauma is an old-style Indian casino in the rough valley country of California, found between the Pala Casino Spa Resort and Harrah's Rincon. Pauma is a low-rent casino, offering low-stakes gambling for those who don't want to pay for the fancy digs of the other casinos. Pauma is a giant quonset hut with slots, card games, and poker tables nestled within. It's not crowded, but it's also not a particularly pretty casino. In fact, you'd probably have to say it's fairly unattractive.

The five poker tables at Casino Pauma are right next to the only card-game pit in the casino, in the back half of the casino. They reside under an unusual latticework awning, with four medium TV's hung on the lattice's support beams. Besides the lattice, the tables are not separated from the rest of the casino at all, and the lattice isn't really even a wall - just some poles which hold up the light roof. As you can imagine, therefore, the noise (and smoke!) of the surrounding casino permeate the poker room. As seen in the photo, there is a cheap snack bar right behind the poker tables, along the wall.

The dealers at Pauma get very little practice dealing poker in general, and often make mistakes: watch your dealer to remind them of how to build side pots, who wins, etc. Pauma is surrounded by larger casinos (Pala, Harrah's Rincon, Pechanga), all of which have very nice poker rooms, so Pauma gets very little poker business. There is usually only 1-2 tables in use for cash games, though their tournaments are the cheapest around and usually fill the five tables to capacity.

Tables and Chairs: 10-seat tables, blue felt, red commit line, black vinyl armrests. Rollup cup trays for holding your drinks while you play. Chairs are very comfy, padded wheeled chairs.

Parking: Parking for a few hundred cars in the open-air parking lot outside. No covered parking.

Smoking: No smoking allowed at the table, but the tables are not separated from the rest of the casino and are next to a blackjack pit, so there is significant smoke around.

Service and Comps

 * Play 4 hours in one day in cash game, earn $5 food voucher good at snackbar or in casino restaurant

Standard casino cocktail service. Sodas come in very large glasses (a nice change from the tiny glasses you normally get).

Links and Notes

 * Visited by MarkT in August 2009.