Welcome Anton Romer to the Poker Blog

After working in the industry for almost eight years, Anton joined Isle in March 2011 to open the poker room at Black Hawk Isle. But before he began working as a Poker Room Supervisor, Anton explains, “I actually knew very little about poker. I was introduced to tournament poker, like a lot of people my age, by watching the World Series of Poker tournament on television. That peeked my interest, and I began to play with friends in small home games. It wasn’t until I became a poker supervisor that I really began to understand the little nuances of the games.”

The Excitement of the Table

When it comes to managing his favorite game, Anton says, “I think the best kind of poker to manage, is not necessarily the game type, it is the players that keep me interested in the game. I really enjoy it when my players are having a good time, laughing and creating big action. Those are really the exiting games to be around and enjoy.”

However, when Anton is the one on the other side of the table he explains, “My favorite game to play has become Omaha. We have had a tournament in our room for a little over a year now. It’s a very complex game to grasp, and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much.”

Advice for Beginners

• Know your limits.
• Don’t get frustrated. A player that is frustrated is an easy target.
• Be prepared for the game to change at any moment.

Questions about poker? Ask Anton in the comments below.

Poker room move brings influx of new players

By David Stewart, poker room manager, Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles

I mentioned in a previous post that we recently moved our poker room at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles to its new location on the Grand Palais. Since then, it has had an interesting effect as we have seen a marked influx of new players to the game.

The old poker room was more spacious and featured more tables, and these are both good things, however, the room was also on the top floor and not placed amongst other gaming attractions. The new room is placed on the first deck of the casino and sits intermingled with slots, table games, a bar and a cashier cage.

While dealing with a bit more noise may be a minor annoyance to a few players, the high volume of traffic also brings the room itself to the attention of passers-by. Some of these folks were previously unaware of the room’s presence on the property, or even of the existence of live poker in general. Since poker players like a quiet atmosphere, it would certainly be preferable for the room to be tucked away from public view in a quiet corner somewhere, all other things being equal, but, all things are not equal and the visibility of the room seems to be generating a great deal of action. Slot and table games players become railbirds and railbirds become poker players, and that is a win for everyone.

Our poker room is now the place to be. 

Dealers’ fingers busily close in on the inevitable bad beat jackpot ($139,336 as of 4/10/12), seasoned players enjoy a surge of action and novices step out into a gaming experience distinctly different from that of slots or table games.

What about skill? Well, to win consistently a player needs substantial skill, but the beauty (and ugliness) of poker is that luck is a big factor and the novice player may very well beat the pro on any given night.

Of course, some of these new players will try poker and decide it isn’t for them. Others will play regularly, if only very casually. A few will become serious competitors. But, wherever a guest is on the spectrum or where the new players end up, more action is good for everyone.

For more information about our poker room, feel free to contact us.

Return to Isle Black Hawk in the Cards for World Poker Tour

By Matthew Dodd, poker room manager, Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk
Follow him on Twitter @BlackHawkPoker

After offering the first-ever World Poker Tour Regional Event in Colorado last October, the Isle Casino Hotel in Black Hawk has officially reunited with WPT for the 2^nd Annual WPT Colorado Poker Showdown in October 2012. Just like the first offering, this year’s WPT will include multiple preliminary events plus multi-table and single-table satellite events for players that want to win their way in to the Regional Event. The Regional Event itself will be a 4-day event this year; comprised of three starting flight days and a final day with the players from the first three. Players will have the opportunity to buy back in on the same day, or on subsequent days, should they be eliminated during Day 1A, 1B, or 1C.

This year’s offering will include more multi-table satellite qualifiers for the Regional Event, after the two events of this type sold out last year. Additionally, there will be sit-n-go satellites offered up until Day 1C of the Regional Event to maximize the number of qualifying opportunities available. The dates for the 2^nd Annual WPT Colorado Poker Showdown will be October 8 – 21, 2012, with the WPT Regional Event October 18 – 21, 2012. Also new this year will be the ability for players to earn a FREE WPT Regional Event seat by playing live poker between April 1, 2012 and September 30, 2012. Based on hours played, poker players can earn WPT Tournament Vouchers ranging from $400 all the way up to a $1,990 WPT Regional Event buy-in. Check with the Poker Room at 303-998-7905 or on our website for details.

For players interested in satellite tournaments for the event, multi-table qualifiers will be held throughout September 2012 and sit-n-go qualifiers will begin October 1, 2012. In all Regional Event Satellites, the top 20% of players will win seats to the WPT Regional Event October 18 – 21, 2012. Preliminary events October 8 – 17, 2012 will include No Limit Hold Em, Pot Limit Omaha, Limit Omaha H/L, and Mixed Game events.  Please arrive early to guarantee your seat in any of these events, as nearly all of the preliminary events were sold out last October. Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk offers two hotel towers but please book your room early for best availability; both weekends were sold out for WPT last year.

This year’s WPT Regional Event will also be a bracelet event, with the winner taking home the top cash prize as well as a stunning championship bracelet. Last year’s prize pool was over $310,000 for the WPT Regional Event and this year’s total is expected to far exceed that number. With the ability to qualify more players and have more players enter on each of the Day 1’s, we are anticipating a major prize pool. So make sure your tournament plans include a stop at Isle Casino Hotel in Black Hawk, Colorado October 8 – 21, 2012 for the 2^nd Annual WPT Colorado Poker Showdown. To keep up with all our poker room happenings, visit us online. The poker room at Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk: Elevate Your Game!

The Battle for $1 Million!

Our annual Battles at the Beach tournament is so big it gets a page of it’s own! Follow along with blogger Bradley Utz as he writes about the tournament’s main event. You can also get updates from @IsleCasinoPP on Twitter.

Poker room still thriving at Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles

By David Stewart
Poker Room Manager

With the departure of the Crown casino from the property, some people have wondered if poker has left the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles property. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While the poker room has shrunk a little in its move from the Crown to the Grand Palais, it is still thriving. The room is open 24/7 and can be reached at 337-430-2407.

The new room has eight tables on the first floor of the Grand Palais and competent, friendly staff are on hand to offer the same games as were spread in the previous location. Players can enjoy the action in 4-8 Limit Hold ‘Em, 1-3 No Limit Hold ‘Em and 2-5 No Limit Hold ‘Em. While they wait, or between hands, players can watch sports or news on one of the four flat-screen televisions in the room. A separate screen publicly displays the waiting list for available games, making it easy for players to see their progress on the roster. Additionally, slot and table game action is just a short walk away. If you have to travel, the room can be called up to an hour before your arrival to claim a spot on the list for your preferred game.

What would a poker room be without a Bad Beat Jackpot? Well, the Isle of Capri boasts one of the biggest! Over $296,000 (as of 3/7/12) awaits the lucky table where four fives or better gets beaten! Patrons enjoying a lesser measure of good fortune will find that any qualifying hand of four of a kind or better gets a bonus from $25 to $125.

Poker has also gone high-tech at the Isle of Capri. The Bad Beat Jackpot hotline (1-888-475-3268) is a given, but this blog brings an unprecedented level of connectivity to weekend warriors and seasoned locals alike. Automatically stay abreast of promotions, giveaways, special events and, of course, the Bad Beat Jackpot from your computer or cell phone.

Hello world!

Thanks for checking out our new blog!

As we move forward we’ll provide readers with tournament updates, poker room news and more. Posts will be direct from those running our poker rooms as well as some special guests.

If there is something you’d like to see, just comment and let us know.