Golden West Casino



Golden West is the only card club in Bakersfield, easily accessible from SR 99.

Games
Limit hold 'em: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8

No-limit hold 'em: 2/2 blinds, 3/5 blinds

Omaha/8: 4/8 with a full kill (triggered when one player scoops the entire pot of $40 or more).

Rake on all the hold 'em games is $4 + $1 for the jackpot, $1 if no flop. There is some sort of discount for shorthanded games (perhaps it's $3+1 for 6 players, which would be standard). Omaha/8 rakes $1 more per hand ($5 + $1 jackpot).

Game Character: At low limits, bad players abound, though they are usually bad in a loose-passive sense (so you want to play with them). At middle and higher limits, a fair number of decent players mix it up with tight older rocks and crazy maniacs.

Posting: New players (or returning players who missed a blind) can choose to "buy the button" in limit games by posting both the small and big blinds in position after the button, in which case neither of the normal blinds posts anything. Otherwise, standard posting rules apply: new players must post a big blind to be dealt in; missed blinds must pay both blinds to be dealt in.

Kills: Killer acts last on initial betting round.

Shuffling: Standard Shufflemaster shuffling machines on all tables.

Wait Time: Waiting lists vary, ranging from a dozen names or more on busy nights, to most tables having a seat open. There is usually only one table of Omaha, so the wait for that can sometimes be long.

Tournaments
Four tournaments every week. All tournaments are hold 'em and start with initial blinds of 25-50. $5 staff add-on adds 1000 chips at registration.


 * Tuesday 6:15 pm: NLHE 15+5. 2x15 rebuys (optional). 1500 starting chips. 15 min rounds for first 6 levels, then 20 mins.
 * Wednesday 6:15 pm: NLHE 50+8. No rebuys. 4500 starting chips. 20 min rounds. Entry includes free buffet dinner from 5pm-6pm.
 * Saturday 2:15 pm: Limit Hold'em 0+5. 500 starting chips. Unlimited $10 rebuys (for 1000 chips each), plus an add-on. 15 min rounds.
 * Sunday 2:15 pm: NLHE 10+5. Unlimited $10 rebuys (for 1000 chips each), plus an add-on. 1000 starting chips. 15 min rounds.



Jackpots
Main Bad beat jackpot: aces full of kings beaten by quads or better. (Often $25,000+)

Mini Bad Beat jackpot: aces full of 2's beaten by quads or better (fixed at $1,250)

Atmosphere
The Golden West Casino is an interesting poker room that's worth a visit. It's housed in a rambling ranch-style building that looks like it was once a largish restaurant. The timbered beams in the ceiling, stone walls, and the fact that the casino tables are spread through three large connected rooms lend a sort of "remote gaming lodge on a mountain" feel to the place.

Neighborhood: A semi-industrial, semi-commercial area that seems fairly safe, if not particularly hospitable for walking around.

Parking: Decent-sized lot with probably around 80 spaces or so.

Tables and Chairs: Tables have worn, overly-soft felt into which your chips stacks are liable to sink slightly (this makes it difficult to keep them stacked neatly, or to slide stacks out when betting large amounts). Standard 9-player tables with worn commit line that is enforced. Chairs are unusual custom office-like wheeled chairs with adjustable backs, but are a bit old and the backs can get stuck in a wobbly or slight-tilty-backward position. Use some of the available cushions for your back if you'd like.

Tables are all equipped with Station Casinos-style computer systems that track each player as they sit or get up; slide your player's club card and your hours are automatically tracked, and the dealer can see your name (and call you by it).

Service and Comps
Food is decent, and menu is reasonably broad, though the quality and variety is not particularly great. Prices are also only OK; not super-high, but not very cheap either. You can eat at the table using standard side tables.

Links and Notes

 * MarkT visited a few times in 2006 and late 2008.