The Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, USA is one of the world’s greatest cardrooms
California boasts more poker tables than any other state in America, including Nevada. And, not surprisingly given its close proximity to Vegas, the majority of the action takes place in and around Los Angeles. There are five major cardrooms there that combine to spread a wide range of games at stakes that satisfy the needs of any player. Chief among these operations is the famous Commerce Casino, which houses the largest poker room in the world. The Commerce offers a breadth of games that are rarely seen elsewhere, the food is spectacular, and the games are juicy.
The Poker Room
Launched in 1983, the Commerce and its 243 poker tables capitalised on a change of California law, which, in the late 1980s, suddenly made flop games such as Texas Hold’em legal in the state. According to Jerry Stensrud, a 20-year veteran of the Commerce and currently its ‘poker host’, the newly installed Hold’em game satisfied a pent-up demand among locals. But, he adds, it did even more for those from out of state. ‘It was like a gold rush,’ he says, describing the phenomenon of seasoned Hold’em pros flocking to the Commerce and fleecing Californians who were inexperienced at the game but eager to play it. ‘Guys came in from everywhere to take advantage.’
Something For Everyone
The Commerce puts on daily Hold’em tournaments that start at $60, $40 no-limit games with $1/$2 blinds, limit games with buy-ins that begin at only $10, and, on the high end, $600/$1,200 combos of limit Razz and Triple Draw. The biggest games get babied by Stensrud, who keeps them stoked by making sure live ones are present in order to attract the pros. When it comes to mid-level no-limit games, the Commerce can’t be beaten.
Pros In The House
Over the years the Commerce has served as a stomping ground for the likes of Johnny Chan, Jamie Gold, Kenny Tran and Phil Ivey. ‘Back in 2002 or 2003 Phil Ivey lived in the Commerce for a year and a half,’ recalls Stensrud, explaining that the then unknown Ivey resided in the attached hotel. ‘Every morning Phil would come down and start his day by playing poker. He played $100/$200. Six months in, Phil began to get quite a reputation. He came out here to test the waters and the rest is history.’
Celebrity Circles
Regular patrons of the Commerce have included James Woods, Ben Affleck and LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss. Back when comedian Norm Macdonald was writing for Roseanne Barr’s eponymous TV show, he and a colleague became obsessed with the Commerce. They’d zip down after work, play all night, and return to Roseanne the next morning, fresh from the casino, smelling of smoke and fried food. ‘It was pretty disgusting,’ remembers Macdonald. ‘People ate while they played, handling cards with their greasy hands. You had some guys wearing oxygen masks.’
LA Poker Classic
The LA Poker Classic is a mammoth 50-event poker festival, which includes buy-ins from $220 all the way up to the $25k high-roller event and the WPT $10k main event. Even if you’re not a tournament player, it still pays to be there during that entire period. The tables fill with non-professionals who are in for the tournaments, and cash game action gets incredibly lucrative. ‘The Commerce is the best place on the entire planet,’ says Laak. ‘It nudges out the World Series for action. It’s no-limit heaven. I live 40 minutes from the Commerce but I got a room there for the last LAPC.
