Poker News

Commerce Casino

While the Las Vegas Strip is known for big money games, the home of highstakes poker on a regular basis is the Commerce Casino, the world’s largest poker casino.

John Griffo, Commerce Casino Development Manager, said Commerce probably conducts more high-limit games than all the casinos on the Vegas Strip combined. Commerce Casino’s location, just minutes from downtown Los Angeles and in close proximity to wealthy enclaves like Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Hollywood probably played a role in the casino becoming a haven forhigh’stakes players. Fifteen years ago staff began to see an increase in the number of big players at Commerce Casino, according to Commerce Casino Manager Tim Gustin. But both Gustin and Griffo believe one of the primary reasons high’stakes players choose Commerce is because they can play in peace and are treated well.

On any given day there may be upwards of 40 big games taking place on the casino floor. Those include $400-$800 combo games, $100-$200 limit hold-em and 7-card stud, and big buy-in no-limit hold-em games too.

Jerry Stensrud, Commerce’s poker host for high-limit games, is the man who oversees highstakes games and players. He said a lot of the big players appreciate that staff remember personal wishes for food, drink, game preference and privacy.

“Los Angeles is a big money town with big money players, and we take a lot of care to make sure these players are comfortable and enjoy their visit,” Stensrud said. “We get people that fly in from all over the world and make Commerce Casino a stop during business trips.

If it’s high’stakes you want, Commerce Casino can set up a game.” While Stensrud won’t reveal the names of frequent high’stakes players who visit Commerce, he did say that it’s not uncommon for some of the biggest names in business, sports, entertainment and poker to be found somewhere in the poker room.

Commerce is always keeping up with its market, recently adding fifty highdefinition 50- and 60-inch plasma TVs throughout the casino, as well as new carpeting and a paint job to freshen things up. They also feature the easiest jackpots in the Los Angeles area, requiring only aces-full-of-anything beaten by four-of-a-kind to qualify, as long as both cards play.

For more information about high-stakes opportunities, go to Commercecasino.com or call (323) 721-2100 and ask for the top section floor personnel.

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