Updated OP-Chicagoland/Rockford "Poker" Games?

[ttflyr]

Anyone interested in playing poker this "chilly" Chicagoland winter season?

I am currently playing in a local game, NLHE that usually has about 7-9 players. We play (1) Saturday a month. Really a nice group of people....but that's just not enough!
I would like to increase my games I play this winter. I would be able to host (1) game (8-12 players) and would be looking to travel to a second game. Basically, my travel limits are about the entire area marked on the map. I know my games are not centrally located, but my wife and I do host a very nice, comfortable home game that is worth traveling to.
Please post if you are at all interested. It appears that there are quite a few CT members in this area. If you are interested in hosting just let me know also.
I have included a map of the Chicagoland suburbs I will update in order to get an idea of where interested players and hosts are located. I can also increase the map area if there are a lot of players outside the mapped out area. Perhaps not everyone is willing to travel as far as I am, but it still will be a great chance to be able to invite CT'ers to your games.



Well.....here's hoping that we are able to put some games together, look at some killer chips and playing the poker!

[jamby]

We have a rotating host NLHE micro-cash game that is VERY social and play on average every other week. It's held in Evanston, North Side of Chicago and my place in Forest Park just west of the city. You're welcome to join fellow CTer geewhiz41 and I and some whacko casual players if interested. You are warned though that most of the hosts play with some not so great chips - read dice.

FWIW , I like to get a low buy-in tourney in when hosting.

[Jeff]

TT - when the basement is back up and running, I'd love for you to join us. I'm right in the middle of your map.

[ttflyr]

Originally Posted by jamby

You're welcome to join fellow CTer geewhiz41 and I and some whacko casual players if interested.
FWIW , I like to get a low buy-in tourney in when hosting.

Thanks jamby. We usually play a T3000 with 25/50 blinds. 60x bb is a little short stack, but we run 20 minute rounds and dial them down to allow for fewer players in later rounds. We try to run a (10) player single table tourney in 2 hrs. or just a little less. Our buy-ins are usually $20-$25. Once in a while a $50. Holidays (coming up) may pull a single $100 buy-in. We allways end with a $20-$40 buy-in, .25/.50 cash game. We also keep it friendly, rules are very important, but so is a good dose of common sense. I'm hoping maybe to host a game over the holidays. I've had my best games and participation in December. Maybe something a little special so it's worth peoples time to make the trip. I know it gets busy during the holiday season, but poker makes the Holidays so much more Holidayish (is that a word?)
You will definately be invited jamby....if I can put that together!

[ttflyr]

Originally Posted by JCTC

TT - when the basement is back up and running, I'd love for you to join us. I'm right in the middle of your map.

I've been watching your progress. Your room is looking really nice. My wife saw the pics and is now putting the squeeze on me to finish my poker room/basement. Mine's 80% done, been that way for 10 years. But I must say, it's still a very comfortable poker room. Looking forward to a nice "middle of my map" drive. It's never the drive there, it's the drive home. Don't want to pull a "MA vs NH" Trav and end up on a T-shirt! j/k........believe me, I'm not good enough looking for that.
Thanks for the invite. What do you play...$$$ range?
If you can make it out to one of my games I can guarantee some solid players. As I told jamby, you would also be more than welcome to play here. I hope to do something a little special around the Holiday's. Although I'm hoping to start hosting again by Thanksgiving. I'll keep anyone that is interested, updated!

[abby99]

I'm in Highland Park, at the right edge of your map. Would be interested in car pooling.

Most of my recent games have been $0.25/0.50 NLHE with a max buy-in of 100 BBs. I also host one- or two-table tournaments (that's all I have room for) with buy-ins of $30 or so, starting blinds of 25/50, around 20-minute levels, and starting stacks of between 4500 and 10K.

Our regulars are a mix of CT folks and regular people who think that we're just a little bit nuts but who nevertheless enjoy playing with fine chips and cards.

Local CT'ers can PM me if interested.

Not sure what I'd do if we got an Illinois/Wisconsin thing going. I was born and raised in Wisconsin but have lived in Illinois for more than twenty years now. I keep moving north (started out in Chicago's Loop), getting closer and closer to Packerland.

BTW, I'd love to start a regular (monthly) mixed game. Cash games would be HORSE or mixed games (a very scaled down version of the Big Game at the Bellagio). We could also do HORSE tournaments or 8-game tournaments (wouldn't have to be the same eight games played in the P* tournaments of the same name). I'd keep the stakes low until folks became comfortable with the various games. Y'all want to learn to play Badugi, right? PM me if interested.

[ttflyr]

Hi abby
Sounds like your cash & tourney's are in line with what we play out here. You go just a little deeper stack in the tourney's. We like to turn the table over a little faster. We try and get (3) single table tourny's played in just under 6 hrs. Then we do a .25/.50 , 60-100 BB's cash game. We just try to move some money around.
Small problem.....we usually just hit NLHE as we don't play often enough to try another game. Looks like we are playing tonight. Just found the invite on my cell phone. Last minute game....perfect. I really feel like playing tonight. I will be playing at a friends house. This game use to be my home game until I agreed to move it so his house so his wife could play since they have small children. Good game, but lots of distractions, sooooooo... I'm trying to get my game going again at my house. As soon as I do.... poker! I'm really looking forward to playing cards with some CT'ers!
As far as a Wisconsin game, I would love it, but that would have to be up to them. I was hoping to get a few of the better players out here to play so maybe a Rockford vs. Chicagoland battle?

[24tex24]

All: I live in Warrenville, which is just slightly south of the bottom of the posted map. By way of example, if anyone was at the Chicago Poker Live event on Thursday, 10/30, it was literally a block from my house. I'd be willing to travel for a game every once in a while - I normally play .25/.50 no limit and tournaments but would love to get involved in HORSE or any other game. I'm a quick study.

My one problem (a blessing really) is that I have young kids and only have so much time for poker on the weekends before I feel guilty. I usually try and put poker games on the calendar weeks in advance so we can plan for it.

So, now that I'm thinking about this; can a mod create a calendar section on this site and give one person (or an approved group) control of it? For example, there could be a poker game calendar by region - Chicagoland could have a calendar and any games added to the calendar would be open to CTer's. This could be a great way to get the word out on live games. Just a thought, but it would be cool...

[ttflyr]

I'll update the map tommorrow to include anyone that has posted. I'll also increase the area south to cover 24tex24 (do you host?). By the way, I also like to plan my game on the calander about 2-3 weeks in advance. You can allways hit a tourney or two and leave before the children even know you were gone!
Off to my game!

[24tex24]

Originally Posted by ttflyr

I'll update the map tommorrow to include anyone that has posted. I'll also increase the area south to cover 24tex24 (do you host?). By the way, I also like to plan my game on the calander about 2-3 weeks in advance. You can allways hit a tourney or two and leave before the children even know you were gone!
Off to my game!

I'm starting to host a small cash game once a month and we could handle a few more players. Problem is that it's on a Wednesday night and not conducive for people making a long drive and having to work the next day.

I PM'd Tenpercenter regarding my calendar idea for local games and he said we could give it a shot. Do you chicagolanders think that would work? We'll have to come up with some guidelines for games to be posted.

For example, I think it best not to provide details about games on the calendar. Rather, we should put an entry like this for games available to CTer's:

November 14, 2008
Live poker in Warrenville, IL
Start time - 8 pm
Games:
$30 freeze out tourney, 4,000 starting stacks
.25/.50 NLHE (after the tourney)
If interested, please PM 24tex24 for further details.

So, if I got PMs regarding this event on the calendar, I can give the details (address, directions, etc) to any CTer that PMs me.

What do you think? Greg offered for me to Mod the calendar, but I'd be happy to share that responsiblity with someone else. I can sometimes get crazy busy at work and "disappear" from CT for a few days.