As the new Central California ambassador for Ante Up, I’ll be covering poker rooms and players on the Central Coast and in the Central Valley, ranging from Sacramento to Ventura.
You may be shocked to know there are nearly 30 cardrooms in the middle of the Golden State. I’ve played in these rooms and look forward to investing more time with them and sharing my experiences with you.
In the upcoming months we’ll take a closer look at these establishments, their games, tournaments and players.
One room dear to me is at the Central Coast Casino in Paso Robles, a charming town in the heart of the central coast, two hours north of Los Angeles and two hours south of San Francisco. It’s the home of the California Mid-State Fair and hundreds of wineries. Locals here have a saying: “It’s darn near paradise.”
The casino opened many years ago, but recently moved to a new location and changed ownership. The new owner, Robert Ezzell, is making improvements to the room and working to expand and acquire licensing for more tables. CCC offers no-limit hold’em and Omaha/8, and it has a great series of “Poor Boy” tournaments with a $5 buy-in.
It also offers daily bonuses such as Aces Cracked, high hand of the day and a bad-beat jackpot. Players are also rewarded for hours of live play, including the “Win A Jeep” promotion, where players can use their hours for eligibility. Ezzell believes in building strong relationships with his players, and he offers complimentary food and beverages to everyone who plays. However, once his beer and wine application is approved, he might have to change his tactics of operation: free wine in Paso Robles could be dangerous!
If you’re looking for an enjoyable place to play in an entertaining town, I recommend the Central Coast Casino. It’s just off highways 46 and 101, which makes it easy to find. CCC has some of the friendliest dealers on the Central Coast. For more information, visit pasoroblespoker.com.
— Leslie Pauls is the Ante Up Ambassador for Central California and pro poker player. Email her at anteupcali@gmail.com.
