The Nugget's new poker room opened about a week ago and it's one of the nicest in town. It hasn't been expanded, just much improved upon. The room is beautifully appointed with wood and fabric and was well designed. There are still ten tables but they are well spaced and the room is secluded, intimate and quiet. Each table is very well lit with a single large overhead fixture that casts a bright but soft illumination over the table, creating the feeling of intimacy. The tables are brand new, in soft beiges and browns. In all, I liked it very much there and will return as often as possible.
The Nugget has always had a mix of tough and easy competition. There will often be two or more passive players calling every card down to the river. At the same time there may be a player or two who are tight and aggressive, keeping you on your toes. I enjoy it there and have had some very successful sessions. The only negative I can voice concerns the no-limit games. There is no max buy-in at the Nugget. I have seen players sit down at the table with $1,000 in chips and put a huge stack of hundreds next to their chips to intimidate. They then proceed to overrun the table with huge all-in bets that few if any are willing or able to match. I don't have the bankroll to compete with that, so I don't play no-limit at Nugget.
The dealers are experienced and friendly, often imparting stories that are humorous and interesting. At my last session we were given the inside scoop about the play of Jason Alexander and Shannon Elizabeth, who are there because there is a poker film being shot at the Nugget.
I don't partake of anything stronger than Calistoga so I can only say that my orders arrived in good time. It's hard to screw up water.
The management is experienced and efficient, keeping the lists up to date, the tables balanced and the chips distributed.
$1 an hour for poker play. They have just installed a computer that will be used to swipe your player's card, thereby giving you the opportunity to accumulate hours.
The Nugget has also just instituted high hand jackpots. Any four of a kind or higher with both hole cards playing and $20 in the pot qualifies.
