When Did AC and Vegas Start Cash NL Hold'em? When Was Your 1st NL Game? (2 Viewers)

[Old State]

Trying to settle a debate I had with a friend the other night. We’re reminiscing about how many of our old poker crew played poker at the Borgata the week it opened (20 years ago!) At the time AC only had Limit Holdem for cash games and I don’t think NL was spread until 2005 or even 2006. Our home game was $2/4 or $3/6 limit and we played that at home and in AC.

I also stayed at the Wynn the year is opened and I’m 90% sure there wasn’t NL games yet.

He was claiming AC and Vegas adopted NL almost immediately in 2003 with the poker boom. Anyone old enough who played at the time to remember?

When was the first time you played NL Cash? Home or casino? I’m almost positive it was 2005 at the earliest for us.

 

[doublebooyah85]

2003 at home for us. I was a junior in high school. We were playing limit as freshman and sophomores but then 2002-2003 was the explosion of WPT/Mike Sexton and Moneymaker etc so we transitioned to NL. I’m fairly certain casinos had NL cash games before 2005 as you’re asking. In fact…I played NL at Bellagio when I was 18 (they didn’t ID at the poker room) that would have been 2003 as well.

 

[Mick]

I started playing nlhe online in 2005. Here in Edmonton for live poker the only NL games were tournaments until the summer of 2006. The floor of one poker room told me when I asked why they don't run no limit that, "We'll never offer no limit poker for cash. The bad players will lose too quickly and the player pool will dry up."

The "Klondike Days" exposition in 2006 had a poker room that offered 1/2 nlhe cash. It was the first live cash nl that I had ever seen. I made enough that weekend to buy a "new" (to me) car that I badly needed. The casinos all slowly adopted nl after that. I still remember that first time though. God I was bad at poker back then. Luckily, everyone else was worse.

 

[pltrgyst]

Ignpring the NL part, it looks like 1967 in Vegas and 1993 in AC.

From wsop.com:
"After the game gained popularity throughout Texas, it was taken to Las Vegas in 1967 by Texas natives. After its initial introduction to Vegas, the game was only offered at the Golden Nugget Casino. This casino did not draw in many high profile players so the game did not receive much publicity until 1969 when Texas Holdem poker was made available at the Dunes Casino. In 1971, the directors of the World Series of Poker decided to feature no limit Texas Holdem as the Main Event tournament and Holdem has been played in the Main Event ever since. The popularity of Texas Holdem surged during the 2000s because of its exposure in literature, the internet and television."

From Nolan Dalla:
"During Atlantic City’s first ten years (1993-2003), Seven-Card Stud was the most popular poker game by a wide margin. Some casinos didn’t even bother to spread Hold’em. In fact, during the first few years, the Taj and Resorts (located next door) were the only two poker rooms that regularly offered Limit Hold’em, and that was for modest stakes which rarely got any higher than $15-30."

 

[kirchhausen]

@Chippy McChiperson and I used to go up to the Trop in AC in the early 2000's and play NLHE, but I don't remember exact years. Maybe he has a better memory.

 

[Poker Zombie]

I learned poker in the boy scouts. I did well as I recall, tough it was 5 card holdem, (probably) limit, and for snacks, which meant I ate most my profit.

Actual holdem started for me in 2005 during the boom. I played NL. Shortly afterward I started hosting games, all NL tournaments.

My first trip to a casino was the Gold Strike in Tunica, Mississippi in 2007. I was confused at first (but quickly adapted) because the only game they pitched was limit.

In 2009 I made my second casino trip. This time to Vegas, where I settled into my preferred NL, which was the predominant game.

 

[BEANO52]

. . the Gold Strike in Tunica, Mississippi in 2007. . .

Ah, the good old days. Home of the $9 poker rate ($9 rooms with 4 hours play) not to mention a printing press.

 

[Old State]

Ignpring the NL part, it looks like 1967 in Vegas and 1993 in AC.

From wsop.com:
"After the game gained popularity throughout Texas, it was taken to Las Vegas in 1967 by Texas natives. After its initial introduction to Vegas, the game was only offered at the Golden Nugget Casino. This casino did not draw in many high profile players so the game did not receive much publicity until 1969 when Texas Holdem poker was made available at the Dunes Casino. In 1971, the directors of the World Series of Poker decided to feature no limit Texas Holdem as the Main Event tournament and Holdem has been played in the Main Event ever since. The popularity of Texas Holdem surged during the 2000s because of its exposure in literature, the internet and television."

From Nolan Dalla:
"During Atlantic City’s first ten years (1993-2003), Seven-Card Stud was the most popular poker game by a wide margin. Some casinos didn’t even bother to spread Hold’em. In fact, during the first few years, the Taj and Resorts (located next door) were the only two poker rooms that regularly offered Limit Hold’em, and that was for modest stakes which rarely got any higher than $15-30."

I’m thinking the Vegas games may have been NL cash at first then just for tournaments. I pretty sure when the Wynn opened, Vegas didn’t spread cash NL but rather limit holdem. I could be wrong and that it just wasn’t as popular yet.

The “Big Game” was at the Bellagio and was often around $1000/2000 LIMIT holdem even several years after they had no limit cash. Hence why Mikes character in Rounders says “NLHE games like this seldom come together…even the pros don’t like playing NL”. I remember Card Player magazine doing an article around 2006-07ish on the myth that the biggest pro games were NL. They were actually still limit games…but eventually changed.

As for AC I’m 100% sure cash Holdem was only limit up through 2003. What I can’t remember was if it started in 2004 or 2005.

The first time I ever played poker in a casino was on a work trip around 1999-2000. I played $2/4 stud at the Sands in AC. I remember walking in and seeing two tables full of gray haired men under a cloud of cigarette smoke The Sands was a nasty casino.

There wasn’t any Holdem I knew of but I learned after the Taj had limit in the late 90s. I never noticed in the Rounders casino scene they were playing holdem. With that and the exception of Teddy KGB I think every other scene was stud…which makes sense for 1998.

 

[gmunny]

Just saw this thread. I started playing NLHE online first back in 2001 or 2002. I remember just starting a new job and my work buddy comes over to show me this new website called Party Poker. I have to laugh now, as there was no IT security back then and I was able to download the PP software and run it from my work PC. I was hooked on NL after that. In our home game, we only played limit poker and it was dealer's choice.

The first time I played Hold Em live was in Vegas around 2002 or 2003 at the Golden Nugget, but that was limit HE $2/4. The GN didn't spread NL at that time. I think back then, the only place that I think spread NL was the Horseshoe. I recall walking over to the Horseshoe and watching the 1 table running with this one guy that seemed "mentally challenged", but he was bullying the table and winning a lot. Not sure if they spread NL at the Mirage, but that would probably be the only other place that would have NL back then. There were not many poker rooms in Vegas at that time.

I recall playing NL at GN either the following year or the year after, so in 2003 or 2004. More rooms were opening and more places were spreading both NL cash games and adding NL tournaments.

I would check or search the 2+2 forums archives. That site has been around a long time and probably has more info.

 

[JustinInMN]

Trying to settle a debate I had with a friend the other night. We’re reminiscing about how many of our old poker crew played poker at the Borgata the week it opened (20 years ago!) At the time AC only had Limit Holdem for cash games and I don’t think NL was spread until 2005 or even 2006. Our home game was $2/4 or $3/6 limit and we played that at home and in AC.

I also stayed at the Wynn the year is opened and I’m 90% sure there wasn’t NL games yet.

He was claiming AC and Vegas adopted NL almost immediately in 2003 with the poker boom. Anyone old enough who played at the time to remember?

When was the first time you played NL Cash? Home or casino? I’m almost positive it was 2005 at the earliest for us.

Minnesota has a bet limit in our public rooms. (Presently $100, used to be $60.) So I may not be the best to answer this for certain, even though I have been playing since 2003. In the past decade or so $2-100 "Spread Limit" has been popular. For certain NLHE tournaments have been spread that long.

My first NL game for sure was the 1-3 at Wynn my very first trip to Vegas in 2011.

"High Stakes Poker" debuted on GSN in 2006, so cash games on TV from Vegas are certainly that old, and presumably some older. I would be shocked to learn NL cash games weren't going on at least a few years before that.

If someone has their copy of "Super System" handy (not sure where mine is atm, to be honest) I am pretty sure there is mention of no limit structures going back to the 1970s in vegas rooms.

 

[MegaTon44]

I turned 21 in 2003 and spent the better part of 2003-2004 commuting regularly to AC from Philly (as @Old State knows, poker wasn't approved in PA until much later). I predominantly played $20/$40 LHE at the Taj and $40/$80 LHE at the Borgata.

Based on my recollection, through 2004 (when I was very active in AC), I'm with Denis in that I don't recall NLHE being offered aside from tournaments (Taj had the best midnight $60-65 tourneys). Entry level cash games were $2/$4 and $3/$6 LHE. I know it changed shortly after, but I'd put it at 2005 or so for those 2 main poker rooms really embracing NLHE cash.

 

[JWC]

Reno Hilton spread it occasionally in the 1997 / 1998 time frame. I played in it a few times. The game was the exception, not the rule.

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

I never played poker in a casino until many years later but I know my group started playing NLHE tournaments at people's homes mid to late 1999 latest. I still remember the Y2K debate & thinking my dice chips were cool.

 

[ThrowBack]

Just saw this thread. I started playing NLHE online first back in 2001 or 2002. I remember just starting a new job and my work buddy comes over to show me this new website called Party Poker. I have to laugh now, as there was no IT security back then and I was able to download the PP software and run it from my work PC. I was hooked on NL after that. In our home game, we only played limit poker and it was dealer's choice.

The first time I played Hold Em live was in Vegas around 2002 or 2003 at the Golden Nugget, but that was limit HE $2/4. The GN didn't spread NL at that time. I think back then, the only place that I think spread NL was the Horseshoe. I recall walking over to the Horseshoe and watching the 1 table running with this one guy that seemed "mentally challenged", but he was bullying the table and winning a lot. Not sure if they spread NL at the Mirage, but that would probably be the only other place that would have NL back then. There were not many poker rooms in Vegas at that time.

I recall playing NL at GN either the following year or the year after, so in 2003 or 2004. More rooms were opening and more places were spreading both NL cash games and adding NL tournaments.

I would check or search the 2+2 forums archives. That site has been around a long time and probably has more info.

I only hope that one day I am described as mentally challenged but winning a lot

 

[DZPoker]

My wife was working standard attorney hours…

I was given the option to work 9-80s (9hr days with every other Friday off).

Every other week I would drive her to work at the train station, then down to AC to play 1/2NL poker for 6-8hrs, then back to pick her up.

 

[Old State]

Before I had kids we would play for hours too. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we would pile in a room at Borgata that my friends degenerate gambling Mom would get comped …for an hour or two of sleep before driving home to the Philly suburbs.

Unlike most of my friends, I only played poker. I would play 12 hours and maybe have enough comps dollars to get a coffee at the Starbucks. Poker is not what the casinos want you to play . My two friends would escape to play blackjack for a few hours and get comped a meal at a restaurant!

 

[Chanceman]

The earliest I played NL in a casino was in May of 2004 at the Excalibur in Vegas, They spread a $1-2 with $100 buy-in. There were no higher options.

The summer before I played at the Grand Casino in Biloxi and they offered strictly limit.