The L.A. Poker Classic is routinely the one of the largest and most anticipated series on the tournament calendar, but the 2018 edition promises to be bigger and better than ever as the Commerce Casino celebrates the 25th anniversary of the competition.
Welcome to the newly renovated Crowne Plaza Los Angeles- Commerce Casino, within minutes of the local business and industrial communities, as well as 10 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. The Crowne Plaza Los Angeles is attached to 'the World's Largest Poker' Casino- The Commerce Casino. Nov 09, 2019 Commerce Casino cash game information, including games, blinds, stakes, rake, jackpots, and more. Attention Poker Rooms: Get your Real-Time Live Action on PokerAtlas!
Already the longest running tournament series in Los Angeles, this year’s LAPC already has players eagerly anticipating the robust and diverse schedule, the revamped ballroom, new chairs and food menu, and the added prize money put up by the Commerce in an exclusive Player of the Series competition.
“Commerce has really made a commitment to making this the best LAPC we’ve ever had,” said WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage. “From rebuilding the entire tournament area, getting new equipment and chairs, to the huge risks we’re getting to take with these million dollar guarantees. I can’t wait to hear about how players feel about the new atmosphere.”
The massive, yet balanced 64-event schedule includes something for everyone, with 32 no-limit hold’em tournaments and 32 mixed-game tournaments. No two events are the same, with variations on not only buy-in, but structure and format as well.
The action kicks off Jan. 9 with the opening event, a $350 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament that boasts a whopping $1 million guarantee. Players will begin the tournament with 25,000 in chips and will have eight different starting flights to choose from.
The event is a big gamble for Commerce, which is not offering any day 2 direct buy-ins. The risky play means that the event host will need more than 400 entries per flight to avoid a huge overlay! To help ensure that the tournament even exceeds the lofty guarantee, Commerce will be offering rake-free 25-seat guaranteed satellites into the first event.
“The opening event is not only meant as a giant celebration of our 25th anniversary, but also a huge thank you to our players,” said Commerce Tournament Coordinator Justin Hammer. “The rake free satellites and almost impossible guarantee are our way of giving every level of player a fair and inexpensive chance at a six-figure payday. This is a one of a kind tournament that players would regret missing.”
Of course, the LAPC is much more than just one event. In fact, players will see games offered such as Omaha eight-or-better, stud, stud eight-or-better, pot-limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E., triple draw, big O, 2-7 single draw, and even dealer’s choice. On the hold’em side, there’s double stacks, turbos, heads-up, six-max, escalator, and bounties to contend with.
Click here to see the full schedule.
Players of all bankrolls can participate, with mega satellites starting at just $50 and events beginning at $175. Commerce will also host their largest-ever Facebook exclusive tournament, with added prizes and a $50,000 guarantee for just a $120 buy-in. For those with a little more gamble, there’s a $5,250 no-limit hold’em event, three $2,140 events of dealer’s choice, pot-limit Omaha and no-limit hold’em, and even a $25,000 high roller event scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26.
Both Savage and Hammer are on a mission to inject some life back into tournament poker, and that’s apparent in a schedule that includes plenty of unique events that you can’t find at other venues. For example, this year’s LAPC will host events such as all-in-or-fold, two events with an action clock, an event that has a hard stop time of 12 hours, and the second running of The Social Experiment, a popular tournament that doesn’t allow players to use any electronic devices or wear headphones, hoodies, and sunglasses.
“My mantra of late has been to Make Poker Fun Again,” said Savage. “We want to create an environment that’s inviting to all levels of players, and sometimes that just means doing something different. All-in-or-fold is my wife Maryann’s favorite tournament because she feels like it takes the pressure off. The Social Experiment was a huge success because players were forced to be more interactive with each other. There will always be plenty of serious, competitive poker to be played. Having these quirky and fun events is just part of what makes the LAPC unique and exciting, and gives players a chance to wind down and relax.”
This fun-seeking attitude is also reflected in the ongoing cash games, which will also be a part of the anniversary celebration with Rollback The Rates, a set of games running Jan. 8 – March 1 that will feature the games, and perhaps most importantly, the rake of the 90s. Games spread will include hold’em, stud, draw, and lowball.
To sweeten the pot, Commerce has also earmarked an added $60,000 in prizes for the Player of the Series (POTS) competition. That money won’t just go to one red-hot player, however, because this unique POTS will cover four different areas of poker expertise. There’s $10,000 reserved for the overall no-limit hold’em POTS, $10,000 reserved for the mixed games POTS, and even $10,000 for the mega satellite POTS. The overall POTS will take home $20,000!
Cash game players can also get in on the action, with 30 $10,000 seats up for grabs. Commerce will hold a weekly drawing to award five seats. Players just need to make a full house or better to earn an entry into the drawing. Additionally, anyone who wins one of the 64 qualifying events on the LAPC schedule will automatically be entered into a random draw for a $10,000 main event seat into the 2019 WPTLAPC main event.
For more information about the upcoming 25th anniversary L.A. Poker Classic, and to book a hotel room, visit the Commerce Casino website. For the poker rate, email j.hammer@commercecasino.net.
| Commerce Casino | |
|---|---|
| Location | Commerce, California 90040 |
| Address | 6131 East Telegraph Road |
| Opening date | August 1983 |
| Theme | Assyrian/Babylonian[1] |
| No. of rooms | 200 |
| Total gaming space | 91,694 square feet (8,518.7 m2) |
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | California Commerce Club, Inc.[2] |
| Renovated in | 2001 (hotel addition) |
| Website | www.commercecasino.com |
Commerce Casino is a cardroom located in the Los Angeles suburb of Commerce. With over 240 tables on site, Commerce Casino is the largest cardroom in the world.[3] Established in 1983, the casino accounted for 38% of Commerce's tax revenues for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.[4] As of 2016, the casino was providing $22 million a year in licensing fees to the city.[5]
Commerce Casino Poker Room Rates
In addition to the main cardroom, the Commerce Casino complex includes a full-service 200-room Crowne Plaza Hotel, which houses dining establishments, a day spa, beauty salon, pool and sundeck, banquet rooms, shops and entertainment. The Commerce is also home to several restaurants and host to live boxing, MMA and Professional Wrestling events. Commerce Casino opened a Playboy-themed gaming lounge in 2014.[6]
- 1Poker
Poker[edit]
The Commerce Casino offers a wide variety of limit, pot limit and no limit poker games, including:
The casino spreads more Texas Hold'em games than any other casino in the world.[citation needed] Commerce spreads hold'em games as low as 2-3 and 2-4. 3-6, 4-8 & 6-12 exist on the main floor, with 8-16 and larger limit games in the Hotel section. No Limit Hold 'em games have buy-ins as low as $40 and go much higher. There is a new $5/10 $500/$1500 spread No Limit Hold'em game which was first created in 2008.
The Casino's bad beat jackpots sometimes grow into six figures.[citation needed] Commerce Casino offers a $100,000 Super Jackpot for Hold 'em.
Players can bring members of a home game to the Casino and they will provide game instruction, dealers, a pit boss, cards, chips and poker snacks. The 'home' games act as live cash games and are eligible for jackpots.
Classes[edit]
The casino offers free poker lessons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Beginner classes are Tuesdays from 8 pm to 10 pm and intermediate classes are held on Thursdays from 8 pm to 10 pm. Registration is available at the company website. The instructor is Roger Rodd 'Poker Comedian and Poker Instructor to the Stars.'
Tournaments[edit]
Commerce Casino Poker Tournaments Schedule
The Commerce Casino is home to several poker tournament series,[7] including:
- Los Angeles Poker Classic - Annual tournament beginning in January and running through early March. This is Commerce's major tournament of the year, involving a World Poker Tour event, a Professional Poker Tour event and the celebrity event, the World Poker Tour Invitational.
- California State Poker Championship - Annual tournament, held in May. Originally held in June, the tournament was moved to avoid conflict with the World Series of Poker.
- Commerce Hold 'em Series - Annual tournament held in September with smaller buy-ins where every event is Texas hold 'em.
- The L.A. Poker Open - Annual tournament held in November.
Restaurants[edit]
The Commerce Casino is home to several eating establishments,[8] including:
- Wood Dragon Restaurant - Chinese cuisine, the restaurant is located in the Main Lobby of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
- The Arena Sports Bar & Grill - Offers a variety of International cuisine with entertainment, live sporting events and karaoke on various nights. Located in the hotel near the Hi-Limit Section.
- The Commerce Cafe - Near the Main Poker Room offering Traditional American cuisine, pastries and Starbucks hot and iced coffees.
- Tableside Dining
California games[edit]
Commerce also offers Pan, No Bust Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, Let It Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker, 21st Century Baccarat, EZ Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Super Pan Nine and 13 Card (Chinese poker).
Games besides poker, such as the ones listed above, are called 'California Games' and have been modified to conform to California state gambling laws. The primary difference between California Games and normal casino table games is that the player does not play against the house but rather plays against a third party provider that banks the games. California law requires that all non-poker games at the Commerce Casino or any California card room are player-banked, meaning players play only against one another, and never against the house. Any player that regularly banks the 'player banked games' and does not have a contract with the casino to do so will be barred from the casino. The Commerce serves as a host for these games, providing a venue for their play and benefits indirectly off the gambling revenue through 'rent' payments from the third party provider. The casino also charges a collection to play the game usually 1% of the bet wagered (rounded up to the nearest dollar) for hosting these games.[9]
Off-Track Betting[edit]
The Racebook at Commerce Casino opened in July 2009, featuring mini satellite wagering from California and Eastern U.S. race tracks. There is no admission fee.
Popular culture[edit]
- In 'So Close, Yet So Far', the second episode of the AMC television series, Fear the Walking Dead, an aerial nighttime shot of Los Angeles in the early stages of the zombie apocalypse shows the casino and hotel tower engulfed in flames next to a gridlocked Santa Ana Freeway.
- A comedy sketch promoting the casino was featured in First Night 2013 with Jamie Kennedy, a New Year's Eve television special hosted by comedian and television producer Jamie Kennedy.
- In Twin Peaks the return, the casino was featured as the Silver Mustang.
Notes[edit]
- ^Commerce Casino Media KitArchived 2006-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, p. 14
- ^Ibid.Archived 2006-10-22 at the Wayback Machine, p. 15
- ^Two Rags review
- ^City of Commerce 2006-07 complete budgetArchived 2007-02-21 at the Wayback Machine, p. 4
- ^Elmahrek, Adam (September 7, 2016). 'Mountain resorts, rent subsidies and saunas: The benefits of living in a city plagued by scandal'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^'Lucky Rabbit Party Pit Playboy Poker Room'. The Commerce Casino. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^Commercecasino.com: TournamentsArchived 2009-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^Commercecasino.com: RestaurantsArchived 2011-06-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^California Games and Jackpots
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 33°59′54″N118°08′41″W / 33.998407°N 118.144587°W