Pittsburgh Poker and On line casino Tour, Information to Playing in The Metal Metropolis

Pittsburgh is thought for its wealthy historical past within the metal trade, tradition and sports activities groups. Just lately although, the Metal Metropolis grew to become a spotlight on the Pennsylvania poker map.

Rivers On line casino Pittsburgh set a world file for the most important poker unhealthy beat in historical past. When the jackpot lastly hit, it was over $1.2 million.

The Pittsburgh poker scene had caught my consideration. As a event grinder, sticking to the headlining occasions is mostly the plan. Being a resident of the northeast, Pittsburgh by no means crossed my thoughts for a playing highway journey till the information of the jackpot made an impression.

After doing a little fast analysis on apps like Bravo, I found a pair different energetic poker rooms have been positioned within the space of the Metal Metropolis. It was time for a highway journey.

Analyzing Pittsburgh’s poker scene

Heading west permits for loads of possibilities to roll the cube or on this case, hit the felt. The Pittsburgh space at present has three authorized poker rooms open to the general public. Solely Rivers’ poker site is positioned inside the metropolis limits. The rooms embrace:

• Hollywood Meadows – Washington, PA
• Stay! Pittsburgh – Greensburg, PA
• Rivers On line casino – Pittsburgh, PA

With an absence of poker tournaments within the tri-state space nonetheless, I had some free time on my palms. I reached out to my playing roadster good friend, Joe Samero, and one other highway journey was now on the agenda. In early October, we scheduled just a few free days in our calendar, booked an Airbnb and now the plan was in movement.

Our concept was to go towards Pittsburgh and cease at 4 completely different casinos inside three days. We did our analysis and mapped out the very best route.

Poker and on line casino desk video games have been reside since 2010 within the Commonwealth, however Pittsburgh typically falls within the shadows of the massive identify casinos within the Philadelphia / Atlantic Metropolis areas. Most Pennsylvania casinos supply poker, roulette, blackjack, slot machines and sports activities betting.

On the highway once more – The Pittsburgh Poker Tour begins

With three free days on the agenda, Joe and I made a decision to hit 4 casinos, three of which provided poker. With 5 plus hours of driving forward of us, “The Pittsburgh Poker Tour” was underway.

On line casino No. 1: Hollywood On line casino Morgantown (Morgantown, PA)

Coincidently, like a earlier journey we took, we arrived in a downpour. Joe checked out me as we have been about to get out of the truck and mentioned, “Right here we go once more!”

For the Pennsylvania native, it’s identified this on line casino is nowhere close to Pittsburgh. Although if you’re coming from New Jersey, that is the right first “Pitt cease” to take a break earlier than persevering with the journey west. The on line casino is positioned at exit 298 on the PA Turnpike.

The on line casino has an honest dimension gaming flooring with over 750 slots and 22 desk video games. The world that caught our eye instantly was the Barstool Sportsbook and bar/gaming area. The distinctive sportsbook appears to be like like it’s recreation day, even on a wet Monday morning. The sportsbook gives a full meals menu and even has old fashioned bleachers, as if I used to be stepping again into my outdated highschool gymnasium.

Different meals selections included a Tony Lukes. For the non-Philly native, an Italian roasted pork sandwich with broccoli rabe and cheese is a should.

Sadly, this on line casino doesn’t supply a poker site, so we determined to hit the gaming flooring. This proved to be considered one of my finest selections of the journey. We every pulled out $100 and mentioned whoever received (or didn’t lose) essentially the most was shopping for dinner. I had no qualms about shopping for our meal that evening after I hit for nearly a $1,000 win on the favored Dragon Hyperlinks slot machine. This win now meant I used to be freerolling for the journey, all the time a good way to kick off a playing journey.

Different highlights of the ability embrace:

• Free floor parking
• Sports activities betting kiosks
• Simulcast horse racing kiosks

Cup of Joe

After securing our money, we headed again on the highway. To brighten up the journey, Joe and I all the time search for quirky issues off the crushed path. We discovered one in Bedford, PA.

Our subsequent espresso break on the highway led us to one thing that percolated our curiosity. The world’s largest espresso pot is a ride-side attraction that has caught the attention of passersby since 1927. In keeping with the world file academy:

“When it was initially constructed, the Koontz Espresso Pot was used as a small restaurant. In 1937, it grew to become a bar and was hooked up to a lodge. It additionally served as a bus cease, however, slightly apparently, it was by no means a espresso store.”

On line casino No. 2: Hollywood Meadows (Washington, PA)

Situated about 10 minutes from the border of West Virginia and about half-hour south of Pittsburgh is Hollywood Meadows. That is linked to the opposite Hollywood Casinos of the state. On first impression, the scale of the gaming flooring caught my consideration. The on line casino is spacious with over 2,500 slots and 65 tables.

We ventured across the on line casino and located just a few surprises, together with a skilled bowling alley beside the horse monitor. The on line casino additionally had a Barstool Sportsbook and bar space, as effectively.

Although we took a quick tour of the bottom, we had one factor on our thoughts, “Let’s hit the poker tables.” We grabbed a contemporary on line casino card on the rewards heart, bought our $10 free slot play after which migrated towards the cardboard room.

Hollywood Meadows poker site

Hollywood Meadows gives 14 poker tables and is open every day. The room is open till midnight on weekdays and 2 a.m. on weekends. Sadly, Meadows doesn’t supply poker tournaments, solely money video games.

We jumped right into a $1/$3 no restrict maintain ’em recreation and started working. Although there have been loads of tables, the cardboard room solely had one recreation operating that Monday evening. We spoke to the locals and so they mentioned this was fairly normal. The poker site finds the occasional $2/$5 recreation on the weekend, however $1/$3 is the usual.

There isn’t plenty of motion, so I’d advocate calling forward to examine seating availability. Among the standouts of the poker site embrace:

• Progressive unhealthy beat jackpots
• Nice view of the horse monitor
• Play 4 hours and get a $25 meals comp
• As much as $200 bonus money wheel when a participant hits quads

Joe and I attempt to not depend on widespread on-line websites for meals selections. Typically we attempt to carry this up as a subject of dialog on the poker desk for some suggestions. The locals all agreed that the very best place within the space was really positioned within the on line casino. Tablemates extremely really useful Bistecca Steak Home.

I ended up down one buy-in for $300 on the desk, however I assumed the reward of a top-notch steak home would make up for my woes. We headed upstairs salivating after an extended day on the highway. To our demise, the steakhouse is closed on Mondays. The Bistecca evaluate should wait till our subsequent time within the space.

We settled for a Joe’s Crab Shack once we bought into Pittsburgh for the evening.

On line casino No. 3: Stay! Pittsburgh (Greensburg, PA)

After some relaxation we headed to Stay! Pittsburgh the subsequent morning. Stay! is positioned about half-hour outdoors town in Greensburg, PA. It’s also house to the solely every day poker tournaments within the Pittsburgh space. We packed up our poker luggage and bought on the highway to leap within the 11:15 a.m. Fats Stacks every day occasion.

On our quest to the on line casino, we found one thing huge. When searching for a breakfast place on our journey, we discovered that the “World’s Largest Massive Mac” was alongside the way in which. The selection was clear. McDonald’s it was.

Standing at 14 ft tall in Irwin, PA, this Massive Mac pays homage to Pennsylvania resident Jim “MJ” Delligatti. In 1967, he created that authentic Massive Mac and it has been considered one of McDonald’s finest sellers because it was invented.

Stay! Pittsburgh poker site

The Stay! poker site is also referred to as the Westmoreland poker site, due partly to its location within the Westmoreland mall buying heart. Just lately opened in early 2022, the poker site is the latest one in Pennsylvania. When getting into the on line casino, it’s positioned upstairs above the gaming flooring.

The cardboard room is small, however is likely one of the most aesthetically pleasing rooms I’ve ever performed in over time. It didn’t really feel like I used to be in a on line casino, however extra like an underground personal house recreation. The wooden framed partitions complemented the seven-table room properly.

The event permits for some respectable play to start with due to a “Fats Stack.” The event bought about 30 entries. Native gamers mentioned this was concerning the norm for a Tuesday event.

The room was abuzz concerning the upcoming Pokerstars Platinum Move Match occurring later within the month. They have been anticipating lots of people and deliberate to carry the event in a unique space of the on line casino.

As a result of blind construction of the Fats Stacks event, it doesn’t profit the participant to indicate up and late register into the event. My private recommendation is to arrive early to get a bonus.

Extra info on the Tuesday Fats Stacks:

• $125 buy-in
• $25 bounties for every participant knocked out
• 20,000 beginning stack
• Re-entries are allowed
• 20-minute ranges

The locals have been pleasant and the sport was run effectively by the employees.

Poker success and victory dinner

As per standard, we requested round and discovered that there have been about three Chinese language/hibachi eating places within the instant space that provided good meals for an inexpensive worth.

On the finish of the event, Joe and I discovered ourselves within the closing 4 of the event. I positioned in fourth for a bit over $200 plus bounties. Whereas Joe chugged alongside, I jumped right into a newly shaped $1/$3 money recreation. As I used to be rooting on Joe, I used to be in a position to money in one other $350 revenue from the sport.

After about an hour, Joe took down the event, together with some stable money. Joe was on deck to pay for dinner after his win.

After we cashed out, we checked out the gaming flooring downstairs. The room had over 750 slots, nevertheless it was jammed right into a small space. The on line casino flooring is tight. There’s additionally a Fanduel Sportsbook Bar and over 40 desk video games.

After a fast tour, we headed to dinner. As really useful, we hit a neighborhood Chinese language place and indulged in an all-you-can-eat buffet. We have been kindly requested to depart after we ate for about two hours. What can we are saying, victory makes you hungry.

On line casino No. 4: Rivers On line casino (Pittsburgh, PA)

For our final on line casino cease, we hit the record-hitting house for the most important unhealthy beat jackpot in historical past. The 30-table Rivers On line casino poker site was the ultimate vacation spot for the journey. That is the solely poker site within the metropolis limits and has common operating video games. We bought to the tables late on a Tuesday evening and located no less than eight stable tables operating, in addition to a $5/$5 no-limit recreation.

The on line casino is positioned within the sports activities stadium district and is just minutes from the house of the Steelers and Pirates. Bear in mind although of parking costs on a busy day.

“The on line casino modifications costs on a recreation day,” says native poker participant Paul Fero. “Parking can price as much as $60 throughout a soccer recreation until you may have an upgraded gamers card.”

Rivers Pittsburgh poker site

Rivers is the place for normal money video games within the space. They at present host two poker tournaments month-to-month that are typically on a weekend. In the intervening time, they don’t host any every day tournaments.

Common promotions included:

• Dangerous beat jackpot
• Month-to-month Deepstack Match
• Hourly excessive palms

From the skin, the 24-hour gaming complicated will be deceiving, however inside, the on line casino gaming flooring and sportsbook are giant. There’s loads of area and over 2,400 slots.

Rivers offered a one buy-in loss for myself within the $1/$3, however Joe discovered victory within the $1/$3 recreation. For a Tuesday evening, the video games have been very energetic and I might solely think about the motion on the weekends.

Joe and I met plenty of pleasant gamers on the on line casino and our curiosity in native eating places continued. Over the few days we have been within the space, gamers continuously instructed us we needed to hit Primanti Bros earlier than leaving.

Headed house with a sandwich and quarter

After a financially worthwhile journey, we knew we needed to hit the extremely really useful Primanti Bros on our manner out of city. This world well-known sandwich store now has a number of areas, however the authentic is positioned at 46 18th Road in Strip District.

Our plan was to hit the store at opening to keep away from any crowds and we have been glad we did. The place was packed inside the first half-hour of opening. We bought some giant sandwiches, filled with french fries, coleslaw and extra. The suggestions didn’t disappoint and the sandwich hit the spot for an extended experience house.

General, we had an amazing journey and realized Pittsburgh was crammed with poker motion. The tables will not be as packed in comparison with another casinos, however there was loads of free cash to be received. Pittsburgh folks have been very pleasant and accommodating.

On the drive house we needed to hit yet another “World’s Largest Exhibit” earlier than calling it a visit. With some cash in our pocket, we discovered the right final cease.

The World’s Largest Quarter is positioned in Everett, PA.

For extra poker motion, examine our PA month-to-month updates for reside and on-line tournaments across the state.