[TimmyP]

I am looking for a good card room near San Jose.
I will be at Moffett Field for a week and just need some suggestions of where to go and where not to go.

[tomb1]

Try here:
Bay 101 - Come to Play!

It's just down the road from Moffett near SJC airport. There are probably others but this is the only one I know.

Are you going to see the Google Air Force when you're at Moffett?

[famousramos]

Garden City is where I learned to play. Its in San Jose as well.

The last time I was there, The Garden City wasn't allowed to have NL. However, they had a $3-$100 spread limit game.

Bay 101 and Garden City both have tournies as well.

The Bay 101 has midnight tournaments.

I miss living in San Jose, where a card room was only 5 minutes away from me!

From Moffett Field: State Route 85 south to Interstate 280 south. Exit at Saratoga Ave. Go north one light. It will be on your right.

[ovo]

I don't like the rake at Garden City. Can't remember specifics though.

[Quads]

Go S. on 101 to Bay101
Go N. on 101 to Lucky Chances.

[legend]

do you know the way to San Jose ? (sung like Dionne Warwick )

[luckychick]

Bay101 and Garden City are the two places to play in San Jose. Bay 101 is a bit bigger, but both are a fair size. Check the Bay 101 website for tournament schedules.

The city ordinances are such that true NL cash games are not allowed; there are a couple of spread limit games at Bay 101 (and I *think* GC, but I'm not sure). Both places are more of a limit poker kinda place. Bay101 regularly has Omaha games (both hi and O8, if I recall correctly) and occasionally will have a stud (high only) table going. GC has more stud games, including a Stud 8 game that I watched for a while and became convinced was insanely profitable, and which I almost jumped right in having never played before.

If you've never played Cali poker before, the rake is a bit odd - it's a per hand basis. At the lower limits is $1 per pot with no flop, and $4 with flop (Note: In the NL games, I *think* it's action, as opposed to flop, so a pf raise with no callers will get raked the full amount. I also *think* there is some crazy button post, but I'm not sure... they've changed it a couple of times). In the limit games if get gets folded around to the cutoff, the cutoff and the button will often just muck and yell "Chop, chop!". The play is typical wild Cali poker.

Artichoke Joe's in San Bruno is not too far from Moffat field, in the other direction (really close to SFO). I've only played there once, but I *think* they have a true NL game.

Warning: the lists get crazy long on the weekends. If you show up on Friday or Saturday at 8 pm expectining to play 3/6, expect to wait 1-2 hours. Showing up earlier (say, 4 or 5) will end up in about a 30 minute wait. Both Garden City and Bay101 have pretty good menus available, so often I'll arrive, put my name down, and get something to eat while I'm waiting.

FWIW, Bay101 had BudJones chips, and GC has mostly Blue Chips with the sunburst (or whatever it's called) mold. Some of the older chips have the same inlays but are Paulsons.