CARD ROOM / POKER ROOM
- Explained -
Our cardroom (or, card room) is a gambling establishment that exclusively offers card games for play by the public. The term poker room is generally synonymous with cardroom, because the gambling games played (at Napa Valley Casino and all other cardrooms in California) are typically, and often exclusively, variations of poker such as Texas hold 'Em, and most notably in the San Francisco Bay Area, Limit Texas Hold'Em and No Limit Texas Hold'Em.
Card rooms do not offer slot machines, video poker, or craps as you will find in a Vegas style casino. However, casinos most do use the term "cardroom" or "poker room" (usually the latter) to refer to a separate area that offers card games where players typically compete against each other, rather than against the casino (or "the house"). In California, as with other states, independent or stand-a-lone cardrooms are typically the result of local and state laws and regulations, that often prohibit full scale casino gambling. This was the case in California until American Indian tribes were granted additional gambling rights and gaming licenses in the 1990s. California card rooms have also continued to flourish and expand since these laws were enacted.
Because poker games played in card rooms are usually player vs. player instead of player vs. house, card rooms typically create revenues in one of two ways. In most, the dealer (a card room employee) of each game will collect "the drop" (usually $1-$2 from from players "on the blind" or "button" combined depending on number of players at that table) in advance of each hand dealt. At other times, a charge will be levied against each player for a specific time period, typically each half hour. This collection method is more frequently used, though, in No Limit Texas Hold'em, not Limit Texas Hold'em.
Though traditional poker variants such as Texas Hold'Em, Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven Card Stud are by far the most popular poker games offered by card rooms (and sometimes the only games), others may offer games such as Panguingue, Pai Gow, Chinese Poker, and variations of Blackjack. These so-called "California games," or "Asian games," may resemble such traditional casino games as Blackjack, Baccarat and even Craps, but have rules that comply with various state restrictions. At Napa Valley Casino we are pleased to offer our patrons PAI GOW and BACKJACK in addition to TEXAS HOLD EM and OMAHA HI-LO SPLIT.
Most of stand-alone card rooms are located in California. They total about 100 throughout the state. Some are modest establishments with just a few tables, while others are the largest poker rooms in the world, offering as much as five times as many tables as the largest Las Vegas cardroom! A few card rooms even refer to themselves as casinos, even though they do not offer craps, slots, or video poker. We are the best example: Napa Valley Casino offers Poker, Blackjack, and Pai Gow (with all the service you would expect from a top level Las Vegas style card room - we are even open 24 hours a day seven days a week) and we have been in business for decades in Solano County.
Located just 25 to 30 minutes from Walnut Creek, Napa, Fairfield, San Pablo, American Canyon, Antioch, Pittsburg, and Pacheco.