To some, Puerto Rico is the 51st state in the United States, to others it was the part-time home of the Montreal Expos baseball team last year, and to Custom Poker Tables? Well our mission to you as always is to find you the best poker rooms to get the cash on the table; this time on vacation in San Juan, Purto Rico. I might add that as the US takes governance over Puerto Rico, it is not a state. As well the Montreal & San Juan Expos have been purchased by Major League Baseball and moved to Washington D.C., known now as the Nationals. But hey this is not Jeopardy; let me get to the poker!
Let’s start with the bad news about poker in Puerto Rico. No-limit poker in Puerto Rico is not allowed and only limited to pot limit 5/10 and 10/20; minus actual poker tournaments. Poker is regulated by Puerto Rican Tourism Company. So a typical situation is capped at 3 rounds of betting per hand. You should expect to see 8 people calling to see the flop with 2-3 chasing the 1 outter to the river.
If you can look past that, then you can make Puerto Rico an enjoyable and lively poker plus beach experience. There is live play available at several hotel resorts in town including the Ritz Carlton (2 tables), the Condado Plaza (24hrs 2 tables), the Embassy Suites (Isla verde Fri-Sat 2 tables) and the Intercontinental which reigns supreme with a semi-private poker room of 6 tables.
We’ll talk about the Intercontinental which is 12min walking distance from the Ritz. The Inter has No Limit Texas Holdem tournaments daily, 8pm Monday through Thursday at $65 2,000 chips. Also 8pm Friday & Saturday at $120 3,000 chips and 6pm Sundays at $160 4,000 chips. Re-buys allowed until level 4 and alternate seating is faster than before. You will find free drinks & sandwiches while playing, just be sure to tip the waitress or your well will dry up. If you like tournaments, this is the place for you.
On my last trip to Puerto Rico, I stayed and played at the Rio Mar Beach Resort, formerly owned by Starwood Hotels now operated by Wyndham. The golf courses were excellent yet it was a mere one poker table casino. With that said I won enough to cover part of the trip as the tourist players are very loose and chase any 4 card hand from start to finish. Expect a few flushes and straights to beat you, but if you have the odds on a monster ring up the 3 rounds of bets every chance you can get.
If you have the time, the Bacardi Rum factory just outside of San Juan is a fantastic place to go visit. Take the train ride around the facility, walk through the factory, and the admission includes two free cocktails, not too shabby.
What are the pay-offs (cash) for the no-limits tournaments at the Intercontinental
One aspect of some concern is that there seems to be a steady crowd of local regulars who all know each other and engage in frequent chatter in Spanish during the tournament. It is not clear if there is an "English only" rule, but if there is such a rule, it is not enforced at all. So if you don't understand Spanish, you may be at a disadvantage. Also, they can be VERY picky about bets and folds…
1. Don't move your cards toward the dealer at all unless you intend to muck your hand.
2. The minimum bets and blinds are often smaller than the smallest chip a player has. They will allow you to put down a 1,000 chip for a 500 blind (or calling a 500 bet), but if you mean to RAISE to 1,000, say RAISE and then put the chip down. Otherwise, they will assume you are just calling the 500 bet.
Settling the pots after the end of the hand after such chip use can be interesting, so pay attention.
The last time I was there, it got down to four players (I was 5th) and all players then settled the prize (I think the big stack got $1,000, and the other three got $300 each).
Wrong, International and other rooms now have 2-5 no limit…
I've been playing at the Intercontinental every day, for the past week. They have 1 to 3 tables running daily. All no limit 2-5 or 5-10. No tournaments. I am staying at the Rio Mar Beach Resort, and tho they have a table, it's never open.____The players here are very weak. it's a grinders paradise. Everyone loves going to the flop. They feed you at the tables, for free. All communication at the table is in spanish. Players are all very nice, and they know English also.