Introduction

Welcome to Poker in the Valley of the Sun, the greater Phoenix metro area.

I am a local poker player that has been playing live or as I prefer to refer to it as table poker for most of my juvenile and adult life.

I moved to Phoenix about 12 years ago, before the great casino sell out that severely put a crimp in the local poker scene. In the past the Phoenix poker scene was a rival to the best in the country like Vegas and LA.

A few years ago the casinos in an effort before the poker boom to make the most out of their situation sold out poker players in order to get black jack and other table games like three card "poker" and Pai Gow. Currently the maximum bet in poker allowed in $150, which has resulted in a strong limit hold'em community but has killed the big bet games like PLO and NL hold'em.

With the void in place, social gaming is taking up the void and slowly filling it. Under AZ law it is legal to host a poker game as long as the host is not taking a rake from the game. Some inventive ways have come up to take advantage of this loop hole, like button charges and membership fees.

I primarily play in the social gaming clubs now in the Phoenix area and make regular trips to Vegas to play higher stakes games. This blog will follow my adventures in the social clubs and trips to the Wynn.