L'Auberge poker room review/trip report

[The Dude]

So after years of rumors of them opening a poker room L'Auberge Du Lac in Lake Charles finally did this past July. I finally make my way out there this past weekend, (I dont head to the boats during football season that much), and I was very impressed.

Its only 7 tables, but all the tables had games running. They had 6 2/5 games and 1 low limit game (dont know/care the details on it). Roger the former poker room manager years ago from The Isle is running this place, I always thought he did as good a job as he could with that $#@!hole.

Things i like
-they allow straddle and mississsippi straddle, great for action and the isle did not all the mississippi version
-allow headphones/phone use. the isle finally relented on the headphones a year ago or so, but they still hassle you about using your phone in a hand.
-NO 1/2 games. This is big time for me, i love playing 2/5, but hate it when both 1/2 and 2/5 are spread at a place. The monkeys that just want to play poker as cheaply as possible are at 1/2 and the 2/5 game is a bit tougher. Without 1/2 in the mix if you want to play poker, you play 2/5. Beautiful.
-Chairs/tables/chips are all way nicer than the isle
-all tables have auto shufflers
-all tables have the players card system built into the table, wehre the dealers scan you in/out. you get $1/hr in comps which is like quadruple what the isle gave you. also if you didnt remember to go and check out at the floor with the isle your play would not get recorded. total bs. this is the same system they have at MGM in vegas and other joints. good $#@!. dealers also know your names beacuse it displays on the screen.
-room is right in middle of casino. kinda like ballys in vegas. i really like this, even thought it can be more noisy/distracting, it is much more inviting to the recreational player. they can just walk by and say 'hey, this is that $#@! i saw on TV, i wanna play. as opposed to having to hike to a different boat and up to the 3rd floor. more fish = more fun.
-TVs that actually work. It was $#@!ing ridiculous at the isle how 3 of the 6 tvs would be broke and the ones that worked looked like they were rigged up with a coat hanger. it required an act of congress to get one of the tvs changed also.
-its just a nicer place in general, hot chicks dont want to go to the isle, they are all over the place at laburge. the isle always felt a little dirty and made you feel like a scumbag.

They only negative i could say would be the size of the room, although if they stay really busy i can see them expanding.

Overall the isle is getting what they deserved. After Harrahs blew away they were the only game in town and acted like it. Eliminating the free hot dogs, cutting down on promotions, straight up stealing from rebuy tourney buyins, terrible customer service, outdated technology, dirty ass room, grumpy dealers, worthless floor, and outdated/stupid rules. I dont see myself ever setting foot in that place again. I did check it out before heading to L'Auberge on saturday, they had 5 tables running, 2 1/2 games and 1 2/5. Very little action. A far cry from a couple years ago when all 28 tables would be full with a list on a saturday.

I was on an extended hiatus since the WSOP last year, and this was the first time i have played poker since then... pretty insane for someone that used to play every weekend, but i just needed some time off and to clear my head.

i did ok, played for a couple hours cashed out up 250 went to bw3 to watch the ufc, then went back for a few hours, up 400 on session 2, then drove home. I only played for about 5 hours but was satisfied with the session.

[The Smoke Monster]

Well done... both on the report and the winnings. Wish I could say I did better at Choctaw, but bad beats/poker playing will do that to me sometimes.. .

[blacklab]

thanks for the report.
I'm going to have to sneak over there next time I head to Houston.

[The Dude]

main thing is they have obviously taken player feedback in mind when designing the room and are open to suggestions. at the isle it was basically this is what we do, deal with it. i had a convo with a manager at the isle telling them what they needed to change and improve and said "if laberge ever gets their act together and opens a room you guys are going under" he responded with basically a shrug and said they werent ever opening a room.

now a couple years later isle is selling off that boat and moving to shreveport
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/finan.../D9NSD3F00.htm

[LonghornEE]

If you download the app BravoPoker you can see what tables are open and what stakes they are running at L'Auberge. It's the same system they use at Venetian, Caesers, etc.

[M C Orange]

i can't wait to go lose money at this new poker room.

[Scraps]

i can't wait to go lose money at this new poker room.

Please pay me for the MNC game before you do this..kthxbai

[Houstonian]

See you there this Saturday!

[BearLakeHorn]

The reason you say you like the 2/5 only is the reason I want 1/2 and won't go to any of the Louisiana casinos that don't have 1-2. Now of course you are a better poker player than I which is why you would play 2/5 regardless I assume.

Years ago I played the 2/5 at Harrah's in Lake Charles and that was my game of choice but I'm not as good as I once was (lack of hands really)... The last time I played poker in a casino was 1/2 at Choktaw just north of Dallas...

[The Dude]

Interesting this thread just got bumped today because I just got back from my 2nd trip to the LDL poker room on Saturday night. Had my best ever single session at 2/5 and only played for about 4.5 hours.

Showed up and there were 35 people on the list for 6 tables of 2/5, after a $20 handshake with the floor manager, I got a seat about 10 minutes later. Bought in with $500 and one of the first hands I played was 22, floped a boat, turned quads, won about $350. I took town mostly smaller pots and built my stack, suprsingly I never got caught with my pants down, which is not normal for my style.

There were 2 pretty interesting pots:
One I had JJ on the button, raised to 30, 2 players on my right called. They were the 2 most aggressive and better players at the table. Flop KQ3, guy on my right (young asian guy) bets $25, which was a weird amount to bet for that size pot so i called as did the other guy. Turn was a J, which gives me a set, its checked to me and I bet $75, young asian guy calls. River is a 4. young asian guy thinks for a bit, and starts trying to talk to me, then bets $500... I was not expecting that and start trying to figure out what he is doing. Only thing im really scared of is if he had A10 and just bet the flop trying to take it down, then hit the gut shot. i ended up calling and he showed air.

After that hand my stack waivered between $2000 and $2500 and I was getting ready to leave to drive back to houston. Right before i leave this hadn happens. Young black guy wanders over to the table filling one of the 3 empty seats. About 30 seconds later 3 new people show up to take their seats, but there are only 2 left. Floor comes over and asks young black guy who told him he could move without getting transferred, blah blah, and caused a delay and a little drama. Floor ends up letting young black guy stay in the seat. Next hand, he straddles to $10. 4 people call including me with Js8c, young black guy raises to $45 and everyone calls. Flop is 10h9c7c, jackpot for me... i set there for a second and before i could act, young black guy bets out of turn $125, dealer asks if i checked, i said " i guess i did". one player calls and its back to me. I have the nuts, and the pot is already ~$500, since I am planning on leaving soon and am satisfied with my session, I would be happy to take the pot right now instead of trying to milk more of out the 2 players on this board, i have a bad feeling young black guy has a flush draw. Young black guy has about 1k behind and other guy has like $100 left.

I have $2k left in my stack and shove out 2 stacks of green for a bet of $1000. young black guy instacalls other guy folds, he has 10cKc, top pair K kicker and a flush draw. That was exactly what i didnt watn to see, as i dont feel like fading clubs in a 2.5k pot. Turn is a K giving him 2 pair and 4 more outs. River is an A. i sit back down in my seat and stack my chips. Floor manager (the guy I greased and also the guy that got into it with young black guy over table transfer) comes to color me up since my reds are taking up alot of space. I tell him when players dont go through him to transfer I take them out, he got a kick out of that.

I end up coasting for about 20 more min then cashing out with $3560 i believe, I take pics of my chips before i cash out for my records, so here is my chip porn.

[blacklab]

holy $#@!, good job.
I'm going to spend a lot of time in houston over the next few months, hoping to make quite a few trips

[Beast 512]

where did they put this room? There used to be a circular bar right in the center of the casino.

[The Dude]

when you walk in its off to the right, in a little cut out on the perimeter of the casino. its not a separate room

[M C Orange]

where did they put this room? There used to be a circular bar right in the center of the casino.

walk in main entrance. show id to guy. walk about 25 paces. take a right. walk about 50 paces. take a left. its back there on the edge. right side. ask id guy if you get lost.

[Houstonian]

Interesting this thread just got bumped today because I just got back from my 2nd trip to the LDL poker room on Saturday night. Had my best ever single session at 2/5 and only played for about 4.5 hours.

Showed up and there were 35 people on the list for 6 tables of 2/5, after a $20 handshake with the floor manager, I got a seat about 10 minutes later. Bought in with $500 and one of the first hands I played was 22, floped a boat, turned quads, won about $350. I took town mostly smaller pots and built my stack, suprsingly I never got caught with my pants down, which is not normal for my style.

There were 2 pretty interesting pots:
One I had JJ on the button, raised to 30, 2 players on my right called. They were the 2 most aggressive and better players at the table. Flop KQ3, guy on my right (young asian guy) bets $25, which was a weird amount to bet for that size pot so i called as did the other guy. Turn was a J, which gives me a set, its checked to me and I bet $75, young asian guy calls. River is a 4. young asian guy thinks for a bit, and starts trying to talk to me, then bets $500... I was not expecting that and start trying to figure out what he is doing. Only thing im really scared of is if he had A10 and just bet the flop trying to take it down, then hit the gut shot. i ended up calling and he showed air.

After that hand my stack waivered between $2000 and $2500 and I was getting ready to leave to drive back to houston. Right before i leave this hadn happens. Young black guy wanders over to the table filling one of the 3 empty seats. About 30 seconds later 3 new people show up to take their seats, but there are only 2 left. Floor comes over and asks young black guy who told him he could move without getting transferred, blah blah, and caused a delay and a little drama. Floor ends up letting young black guy stay in the seat. Next hand, he straddles to $10. 4 people call including me with Js8c, young black guy raises to $45 and everyone calls. Flop is 10h9c7c, jackpot for me... i set there for a second and before i could act, young black guy bets out of turn $125, dealer asks if i checked, i said " i guess i did". one player calls and its back to me. I have the nuts, and the pot is already ~$500, since I am planning on leaving soon and am satisfied with my session, I would be happy to take the pot right now instead of trying to milk more of out the 2 players on this board, i have a bad feeling young black guy has a flush draw. Young black guy has about 1k behind and other guy has like $100 left.

I have $2k left in my stack and shove out 2 stacks of green for a bet of $1000. young black guy instacalls other guy folds, he has 10cKc, top pair K kicker and a flush draw. That was exactly what i didnt watn to see, as i dont feel like fading clubs in a 2.5k pot. Turn is a K giving him 2 pair and 4 more outs. River is an A. i sit back down in my seat and stack my chips. Floor manager (the guy I greased and also the guy that got into it with young black guy over table transfer) comes to color me up since my reds are taking up alot of space. I tell him when players dont go through him to transfer I take them out, he got a kick out of that.

I end up coasting for about 20 more min then cashing out with $3560 i believe, I take pics of my chips before i cash out for my records, so here is my chip porn.

Hey Dude:


You were a player back in the hornfans days and still are. Awesome story.

[Scraps]

walk in main entrance. show id to guy. walk about 25 paces. take a right. walk about 50 paces. take a left. its back there on the edge. right side. ask id guy if you get lost.

What if your paces are bigger than mine?

[Beast 512]

walk in main entrance. show id to guy. walk about 25 paces. take a right. walk about 50 paces. take a left. its back there on the edge. right side. ask id guy if you get lost.

ok, but if I end up in the women's bathroom again I'm whipping your ass.

[The Dude]

Hey Dude:


You were a player back in the hornfans days and still are. Awesome story.

You played in one of those houston hornfans poker tourney right?

I made it to 2 of them, one was at a hotel meeting room, holiday inn over by reliant area i think. and the other was at some dudes loft in midtown, hornian maybe?

the one at the hotel, i brought a friend, who was a long time lurker at hornfans and wanted to play in the poker tourney, he registered on hornfans they day before the tourney as "bullets". well he ended up winning and it caused some drama since i supposedly brought "a ringer" to the tournament. which couldnt be further from the truth, dude just caught cards that day. he was later banned from any future hornfans poker events. lmao.

anyway, the ironical thing is "bullets" is MC Orange little brother. coolstorybro

[TXSooner518]

wheeeeee nice fade Dude

[CBT]

awesome stack is awesome

[deech]

holy $#@!, good job.
I'm going to spend a lot of time in houston over the next few months, hoping to make quite a few trips

Let me know if you need to get in to some games around town.

[Houstonian]

You played in one of those houston hornfans poker tourney right?

I made it to 2 of them, one was at a hotel meeting room, holiday inn over by reliant area i think. and the other was at some dudes loft in midtown, hornian maybe?

the one at the hotel, i brought a friend, who was a long time lurker at hornfans and wanted to play in the poker tourney, he registered on hornfans they day before the tourney as "bullets". well he ended up winning and it caused some drama since i supposedly brought "a ringer" to the tournament. which couldnt be further from the truth, dude just caught cards that day. he was later banned from any future hornfans poker events. lmao.

anyway, the ironical thing is "bullets" is MC Orange little brother. coolstorybro

Yup, I was at both. That was my loft. A couple weeks MCO told me about his brother winning legitimately; I always thought he was a ringer.

[PhatAtUT]

i played in both tourneys as well. /csb

[unclegoose]

How far is this place from Downtown H.? I might be moving there in about 6 months and need a place to play that isn't too far away. I drive an hour to choctaw right now.

[unclegoose]

Edit Fail....

Very nice stack by the way. My best venture into 2/5 so far is 2200.

[The Dude]

like 2.5 hrs

[M C Orange]

What if your paces are bigger than mine?

oh its bigger haha

[The Dude]

The action here is pretty insane at the moment.

I went again on Saturday, locked in a nice $425 profit and headed home. When I got there the list for 80 people for 2/5, there are only 5 2/5 tables. Average stack at my table was like 2.5k, I saw a guy at the table next to me wiht a 10k stack. I got there at about 7pm, and left at 2:30 am. I got a text that my seat was available at 3am. 8 hr wait for a seat, lmao.

[huge]

I was also at those tournaments. Pretty sure my buddy Chambo won the one at the Post.