frankg
09-30-2004, 04:31 PM
I visited Vegas for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I didn't know what to expect from the poker rooms so I did some research beforehand to find out which rooms close to where I was staying, which was Treasure Island, had the lowest limits. I ended up playing in 3 different rooms for a few hours each time. Mind you, this was also my first B&M casino experience.
Day One: Imperial Palace - Small poker room with about 6 tables. Nothing fancy here. I played 2/4. It was a very loose game, about 75% of the table seeing each flop, with maybe one or two tighter players, but no rocks. For my first real B&M Vegas experience it actually made me feel very comfortable. It was just as I imagined. I settled in and played my game. I bought in at $100 in chips. I basically worked with one $20 stack the whole time, I never had to dip into my other four $20 stacks. After about 4 hours, with a couple of swings, I was only up 10 bucks. Not bad for me!
Day 2: Mirage - Since I didn't use most of my chips the day before I decided to buy in at $80. This, however, was a 3/6 game. First let me tell you that the poker room at the Mirage is very nice. About 20 tables, nice setting. When I sat down I immediately noticed that this game was much tighter than the 2/4 at Imperial Palace, with much better overall players. There were a couple of other rocks at the table. Only one player, an older gentleman, saw every flop. We all had a piece of him that day, lol. But anyway, this was a tougher game and I never found a groove. I took down a couple of big pots ($60+), but overall I lost $60 for the day. Just goes to show that playing tight doesn't necessarily make you a winner. I made some post-flop mistakes, plus had a couple bad beats. Here's something funny: The calling station I mentioned earlier, decided to play his pair of Aces very agressively, even against a board that showed flush. Well, I had the nut flush, and decided to check-raise him on the river, and when I did the whole table gasped! I didn't get it. Is it inpolite to check-raise a weaker player? LOL
Day 3: Harrah's - I entered a 2/4 game at $80, and was glad to see the loose play I saw at Imperial. Anyone else ever see a noticeable difference between 2/4 and 3/6? Anyway, the poker room at Harrah's was also very nice. It actually is a seperate room, instead of a section of the casino floor like the others. Big portraits of poker legends hang on the walls, several TV's showing sports including a HUGE big screen. Very nice atmosphere to play in. The players here were the friendliest. I actually held lively conversations with them. The dealers were also the friendliest. About 10-12 tables, which had cup holders, a big plus. So, after a few hours, and of course a few swings, I was up by $20.
Overall, the best room for me was Harrah's. I highly recommend it if your looking for a 2/4 game. One thing I liked about Imperial is the comp policy. You get $3 for every hour you play. Make sure you sign up for that before you sit down. The others didn't offer this.
I hope this review helps any Vegas virgins who are looking to go soon.
Day One: Imperial Palace - Small poker room with about 6 tables. Nothing fancy here. I played 2/4. It was a very loose game, about 75% of the table seeing each flop, with maybe one or two tighter players, but no rocks. For my first real B&M Vegas experience it actually made me feel very comfortable. It was just as I imagined. I settled in and played my game. I bought in at $100 in chips. I basically worked with one $20 stack the whole time, I never had to dip into my other four $20 stacks. After about 4 hours, with a couple of swings, I was only up 10 bucks. Not bad for me!
Day 2: Mirage - Since I didn't use most of my chips the day before I decided to buy in at $80. This, however, was a 3/6 game. First let me tell you that the poker room at the Mirage is very nice. About 20 tables, nice setting. When I sat down I immediately noticed that this game was much tighter than the 2/4 at Imperial Palace, with much better overall players. There were a couple of other rocks at the table. Only one player, an older gentleman, saw every flop. We all had a piece of him that day, lol. But anyway, this was a tougher game and I never found a groove. I took down a couple of big pots ($60+), but overall I lost $60 for the day. Just goes to show that playing tight doesn't necessarily make you a winner. I made some post-flop mistakes, plus had a couple bad beats. Here's something funny: The calling station I mentioned earlier, decided to play his pair of Aces very agressively, even against a board that showed flush. Well, I had the nut flush, and decided to check-raise him on the river, and when I did the whole table gasped! I didn't get it. Is it inpolite to check-raise a weaker player? LOL
Day 3: Harrah's - I entered a 2/4 game at $80, and was glad to see the loose play I saw at Imperial. Anyone else ever see a noticeable difference between 2/4 and 3/6? Anyway, the poker room at Harrah's was also very nice. It actually is a seperate room, instead of a section of the casino floor like the others. Big portraits of poker legends hang on the walls, several TV's showing sports including a HUGE big screen. Very nice atmosphere to play in. The players here were the friendliest. I actually held lively conversations with them. The dealers were also the friendliest. About 10-12 tables, which had cup holders, a big plus. So, after a few hours, and of course a few swings, I was up by $20.
Overall, the best room for me was Harrah's. I highly recommend it if your looking for a 2/4 game. One thing I liked about Imperial is the comp policy. You get $3 for every hour you play. Make sure you sign up for that before you sit down. The others didn't offer this.
I hope this review helps any Vegas virgins who are looking to go soon.