Trip Report: Pala Hotel and Casino - Pala, CA

This is a brand new Poker Room that just opened a few months ago. They just started running tournaments in September.

The room itself is beautiful. Pala really did it well. Approximately 20-30 tables. I've been there twice since the room opened and unfortunately most of the table sit empty. I sure hope that changes.

They have 2 tournaments during the week, and a 12:00 Noon one on Saturday and Sunday. $50 buy in, a bit steep compared to the other casinos in the area who regularly have $20-$40 buy ins.

The chairs there might be the best/most comfy chairs I have ever sat in a Poker room. Good poker room, good casino, 4 star hotel, good entertainment, good food..hard to beat Pala.

Grading:

Poker Room: A-. You can tell they really spent the money on a top class facility. Only complaint is things don't always run smoothly, but since they just opened recently, they get a "free pass" for now. I can't wait to play there again.

Dealers/Staff: B+. Very friendly, and I recognized some from other local casinos. However they might need to be trained a bit more. Twice they didn't know how many starting chips each player was supposed to get, what the blinds were, etc. I am sure this will improve as time goes on.

Strength of Players: 4/10. A few good players but a lot of tourists and weaker players. However, the $50 buy-in keeps a few of the real fish away, unfortunately. Players rank about the same as you would find at Pauma down the road a few miles. Pechanga and Harrahs players are definitely more seasoned.

Overall, had a great time playing poker there. In about 6 months time, this room might be on par with Pechanga as the best in the entire area.