The Monarch Casino is a moderate-sized full-service casino in Black Hawk Colorado. Black Hawk and its contiguous neighbor Central City hold more than 18 casinos, four of which have poker rooms (The Monarch, Bally’s, Isle Casino, and Ameristar). The Monarch Casino Poker Room features 14 tables set in a modern, upscale environment.
Author: Heather
Throwdown Thursday: Tru by Hilton or False?
On our recent drive from Boston to Las Vegas, we stayed in a wide variety of accommodations. While some were fancy, and others humble, Paul and I generally agreed on their relative merit. The one place that we did just not see eye to eye on was the Tru by Hilton that we visited in North Platte, Nebraska. While Paul loved it, I saw it more like a low-budget hotel that was trying too hard to be cute. Let the Throwdown begin:
Heather: I can’t believe what a sucker you were for the Tru by Hilton experience. The place was basically a college dorm on steroids.
Paul: Not sure what your college dorm room was like, but mine was a wannabe morgue. Waking up every morning with the thought of “Is this what death is like?” is not ideal for an education.
Tru does the Southwest Airlines thing, tries to inject a bit of fun into a service (i.e., mid-tier short stay hotels) that is often viewed as purely functional, somber, and a necessary evil. What’s wrong with a few bright colors, funny sayings in the bathroom, and a pool table in the lobby, or as Tru labels it “The Hive”?
Heather: I found the whole vibe to be oppressively positive. Let me tell you, I do not need my hand soap to preach joy at me.
Paul: OK Wednesday Addams, I know whimsy falls well down your to-do list, behind cleaning toilets and clothes shopping, but how can a bit of levity be this offensive? I don’t laugh at every corny joke the Southwest Airline flight attendants pipe through that scratchy intercom, but I admire the effort.
You’re just upset that we looked like idiots when we could not immediately figure out that the circular desk (known in Tru by Hilton form as the Command Center) in the Hive, was actually the registration desk.
Heather: A “bit” of levity? Levity was screaming from every orifice of that place. It wasn’t only the hand soap. The hair dryer, the shampoo, the elevator doors, the front door, the room key, and the “do not disturb” sign all had something they needed to say to us. I was exhausted just reading all the perky signage.
Paul: Was your exhaustion allayed at all by the good IPA available at the front de…I mean Command Center? That was nice after a long trip to have some decent beverage and snack options right there. And they were there with the bottle opener when we needed it too.
Yes, the room might be a bit modern geometric to make the best use of space, but the bed was comfortable, the blackout curtains worked, the shower was decent, and despite the festive atmosphere, the hotel was quiet. They hit the key deliverables while throwing in a bit of life coaching on the side. I just don’t see the harm.
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Heather: I am really not looking for life coaching in my hotels, thank you very much.
And yes, the furniture. This is the second part of my beef with the place. The furniture was the cheapest, ugliest, 1972-iest furniture I have seen in decades. I mean really…
You call this a night table? First, it is ridiculously small. No way my glasses, water glass, iPhone and noise machine all fit on that Halloween toddler stool. Secondly, it is ORANGE. This is not helping me shuffle off to dreamland. And finally, where are all the fancy plugs to recharge my gadgets overnight. Again, I say, 1970’s dorm room. No thank you.
Other “amenities” included a hard linoleum floor with no carpet or padding anywhere. So when you step out of the shower with wet feet, you are at risk of cracking your head open all the way to the bed. The room has hooks on the wall rather than any kind of closet whatsoever. And what serves as a “desk” is just a narrow block of plasticky “wood” on two legs. I would like to have words with the “stylist” of this fresh hell.
Throwdown Thursday: Tru by Hilton or False?Click To TweetPaul: It’s Dada meets Bauhaus furniture baby! It’s like a piece of absurd but functional art right in your room. You’ve got to just roll with the vibe and embrace the aesthetic.
Of course, in the hotel that we visited in Davenport, Iowa that logic would have meant trying their jet-powered bidet – which would obviate the need for a colonoscopy ever again. Not saying I tried it, but really, they should make the off button more obvious!
Heather: We’re going to have to agree to disagree on the Tru by Hilton, I think.
Still can’t believe you used that bidet in Iowa…
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Mohegan Sun Pocono Poker Room Review
The Mohegan Sun Pocono is set on a hill in the middle of Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania. It has the look and feel of its sister casino Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, but with a much, much smaller footprint. While we don’t particularly recommend Wilkes-Barre as a destination, the casino is attractive and full-service.
A Quick Guide to WSOP Logistics
The World Series of Poker has returned! For many years, the WSOP has taken place at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino, which is off-Strip in Las Vegas. If you are staying on the Vegas Strip, this can be more of a challenge than you might imagine. There are a number of issues and WSOP logistics to grapple with in order to maximize your play and your stay. Finding meals between (and during) poker tournaments, traveling from your hotel to the Rio and back, and managing the hordes of players at the World Series of Poker all present challenges.
This year will be our third time attending the WSOP, and we believe that any hassle is worth it to participate in the poker world’s biggest party. The WSOP is great fun. However, you need to know how to navigate a number of WSOP logistics before you go that will help enhance.
5 Ways to Enjoy the WSOP in 2021 Without Spending $10,000
Paul and I are heading to Las Vegas in October for the 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP). No, we are not laying down $10,000 and playing in the Main Event. While that is a bucket list item for us, we imagine fulfilling that dream many years down the road. Instead, we are lucky enough to be heading to Vegas for the entire month of October to live and work in the shadow of the WSOP.
We have attended the WSOP in the past in our role as ambassadors for Advanced Poker Training, the poker training site for which we also blog. However, we have never been able to spend more than a week in Las Vegas at a time. This month, due to our flexible work situation and the recent departure of our youngest children to college, we are able to spend an entire glorious month in Las Vegas. Do to the aforementioned college tuitions, we are not looking to play tournaments with high buy-ins (although we may sneak in a Seniors, or Ladies Tournament for the first time). We have always found numerous lower-stake options during the WSOP for our poker pleasure, and look forward to partaking in as much poker as we (and our bankroll) can stand.
Low Stakes Tournament Options During the WSOP
There are plenty of options to play well-structured low stakes tournaments during the WSOP. For the purposes of this article, we define low stakes as anything at or below $200. If you are looking for such a game, here are your top five options: