Ocean View Card Room Review
On a small side street near downtown Santa Cruz. Doesn't technically have a view of the ocean, but it is only about three blocks from the shore. Phone: (408) 423-6257.
This is a small card club, with usually only one game running on weeknights, two or three on Fridays and Saturdays. The dealer's choice game is made up almost entirely of a colorful cast of regulars who know each other well. Tourists and surfers wanting a break from the sea for a few hours show up in the game from night to night and serve as the source of funds.
Game Info
3/6 was fairly loose; just friends having fun and trying to bad beat each other.
At 3/6, the rake is $4 for 7-9 players, $3 for 6 players, $2 for 2-5 players, and no flop no drop. At Dealer's Choice, the rake is $4 for 7-9 players, $3 for 2-6 players, and $1 if no flop. At No-limit, rake is $6 per player per half hour, time charge.
Rake is taken pre-flop. For a full 3/6 ring game, this means that the blinds post and then the dealer takes all the chips and slides them into her tray, and puts a $4 marker on top of the drop slot. A bit daunting to realize the pot is empty preflop! So much for the "poker begins as a struggle for the antes" concept. Luckily, the players aren't deterred from struggling for what isn't there.
Posting: New players do not need to post, and can choose to wait until the button passes before entering the game.
Shuffling: Hand shuffled. No machines available.
Tournaments
* Saturday: 12:00pm No-limit spread-limit hold 'em. $20+$10 buyin. 1 optional $20 rebuy. 36 max players.
* Sunday: 12:00pm Crazy Pineapple high/low split. $20+$5 buyin. 1 optional $20 rebuy. 36 max players.
* Monday: 4:00pm No-limit spread-limit hold 'em. $20+$10 buyin. 1 optional $20 rebuy. 36 max players.
Atmosphere
An actual storefront in a downtown area, with big "store glass windows" in front so passersby can see everyone playing. Sort of weird like that, I guess, but not threatening, unless you don't like being watched. A big skylight in the center of the room lets in the sunlight (which in Santa Cruz is a lot!) during the day. They keep the doors open a lot so the cool ocean breezes can waft through the room, though not so much that your cards fly around or anything. Sometimes, seeing the community cards can be a pain, if the sun is reflecting off them into your eyes.
Very much a "neighborhood poker room", but open and friendly (and physically open as well). The original Ocean View was on Front Street, then moved to its current location in 2000 (story). Some of the regulars have been playing here for decades.
For a period during the late 1980's, Los Angeles and Santa Cruz were the only counties in the state where flop games could be spread legally. As a consequence, several now-defunct Santa Cruz cardrooms such as the Pleasure Point Casino were the only option for Northern California Hold'em and Omaha players. When flop games were legalized statewide, the large Bay Area clubs eventually drove Santa Cruz clubs out of business. The Ocean View is the sole living heir of a town with a once-thriving poker scene.
Neighborhood: The Ocean View is located at the southern end of Pacific Avenue, a block typically considered seedier than the rest of downtown, but there is no real threat. Surfers and tourists wander by the front of the room, which is in a typical storefront. The bright sunlight and cool ocean breeze make for a very pleasant walk to the room.
Artist/Author: PokerWiki April 1, 2007 | |
