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KrackedKings
12-18-2002, 10:11 AM
I'll be in Las Vegas sometime between late February to mid-March. Concidering staying at the Orleans. How do the Orleans, Manadalay Bay, and Monte Carlo compare for low-limit Hold'em? I will also check out the Mirage (of course).
I believe Orleans has 4-8 tables with a half kill and a 6-12 table. What about the other two? What are the typical games like at these places?
I've never been to Vegas before. Plan to arrive on a Thursday afternoon and stay until Sunday night.

Just another one of those...
KrackedKings

HDPM
12-18-2002, 01:15 PM
If you have not been to Las Vegas, I would stay at the Monte Carlo out of those hotels. Mirage would be good too. But the poker room is good at Monte Carlo, the hotel is nice, and the location is great. Orleans location is not so good if you don't have a car, and if you have not been to Las Vegas you want to be on the strip. I like Orleans and often stay there, but I have stayed at Monte Carlo and liked it better. The games are fine at both places. A few more rocks at Orleans. I don't play at Mandalay so I can't comment. 3-6 games at Mirage are very soft, 6-12 not, but they are sometimes very good. 10-20 not so soft. But I think the Monte Carlo would suit your needs well. The tram to Bellagio is very convenient and you can walk around the strip easily. Better location than Mandalay. GL>

Homer
12-18-2002, 02:56 PM
FWIW, I am planning a trip for mid-January and plan to stay at the Monte Carlo. It is a 4-star hotel with what I hear is a very nice small poker room. The rates are very good at that time, around $60 a night for the weekdays that I plan on staying there. Also, there is a tram that runs to the Bellagio which is quite convenient. Lastly, it is nice to stay on the strip, in my opinion, rather than off-strip at a place like the Orleans. As far as commenting on the actual poker offered in each of the places you mentioned, I'm afraid I can't help you.

-- Homer

Dynasty
12-18-2002, 07:32 PM
For those who don't know, the Orleans is about 1 mile west of the southern half of the Strip (New York, New York). They have shuttles which will take you to Barbary Coast which is in the center of the Strip. However, if I were a tourist, I would always try to stay at a Strip hotel near the center of the action for maximum convenience.

The Monte Carlo has a very centralized location and is easy walking distance to poker rooms at Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Bellagio, Flamingo, and Mirage (Mirage would be the longest walk at about 20 minutes).

TruePoker CEO
12-18-2002, 08:01 PM
Dynasty,

I agree about the Monte Carlo. It is a nice room and the staff is friendly. The tram is a good benefit, connecting to the Bellagio (I would not recommend walking that far). The Mirage is another well run room, worth a cab-ride.

Mandalay Bay is a really nice property in general and the poker room is adjacent to a first class sports book (same with Bellagio and Mirage).

Generally, the low-limit games are best at the Bellagio, Mirage, then Monte Carlo and Mandalay Bay in that order. Bellagio has the best dealers of the three, but all four are nice properties.(My gripe about Mandalay Bay is that the 1-2 blinds tend to attract rocks. By contrast, the 4-8 games at Bellagio often offer very loose play, with a 2 - 4 blind.)

I personally prefer Bellagio, Mirage and Monte Carlo, in that order. I will be willing to lose to you, rather than to the same regular players at those locations.

Since I cannot avoid at least one plug here, I would point out that Truepoker is GIVING AWAY a trip to Las Vegas every day in December.

Truepoker CEO

TimTimSalabim
12-18-2002, 09:12 PM
All of the low-limit rooms on the Strip have something to argue for them. Monte Carlo and Excalibur are friendly, laid back rooms. Mandalay Bay is classy, with nice looking cocktail waitresses in skimpy outfits. Luxor has small buyin tournaments on Sat and Sun morning. Mirage and Bellagio are nonsmoking and probably the best managed. And Flamingo usually has the most fishes.

So, you can't really go too far wrong. I like Mandalay best mostly because of the "scenery".

Dynasty
12-19-2002, 03:08 AM
I would not recommend walking that far.

The Monte Carlo and Bellagio are practically next door to each other. Only the small Boardwalk Hotel/Casino is between them. It's a short walk. I think walking from the Monte Carlo to the Mirage is a short trip. You must not be a big fan of walking.

My gripe about Mandalay Bay is that the 1-2 blinds tend to attract rocks.

I couldn't disagree more. The $1 and $2 blind sructure causes players to willingly play all sorts of junk. It also allows you to open up your hand selection in late position.

For the record, the Bellagio is the only 4-8 game on the Strip with the standard $2 and $4 blind structure. All the other 4-8 games have the $1 and $2 blind structure.

bad beetz
12-19-2002, 12:35 PM
I love the Luxor 10AM and 12PM $20 buyin tournaments. so fun. Your skill matters ~0 because of the structure, but they're so fun. I just have to chime in anytime I hear anybody talking about them.

Other than that, I think the Luxor poker room blows.

Kurn, son of Mogh
12-19-2002, 01:24 PM
Not walk that far??? The walk up and down the strip is one of the best activities in Vegas.

M.B.E.
12-19-2002, 03:00 PM
The walk along the strip from the Monte Carlo entrance to the Bellagio entrance takes perhaps 10-15 minutes. But it's actually going to be about double that if you're coming from your hotel room in the Monte Carlo to the Bellagio poker room, because you'll have to walk the entire length of the Monte Carlo casino before you get out to the Strip.

I find that I do a huge amount of walking whenever I'm in Las Vegas. It's just about unavoidable if you're staying at a major Strip hotel and playing at other casinos. Even if you decide to take a cab everywhere, there's still a lot of walking involved just getting through the megacasinos to the taxi stand.

It's not too bad, really, because if you spend most of your time sitting on your ass playing poker you'll need to get exercise somehow.

One tip, though: when you check into your hotel, request a room near the elevators.

M.B.E.
12-19-2002, 03:07 PM
Last time I was in Las Vegas I stayed at the Monte Carlo. It was okay, but the hotel really lacked style. Frankly I liked the Flamingo better. The Flamingo might not be at the same level of "luxury", but at least it has a sense of what it wants to be. (Whereas the Monte Carlo has marble all over the place, but then a McDonald's in the casino.)

The tram from Monte Carlo to Bellagio is terrific. One amusing anecdote. I noticed a security guard in Monte Carlo's tram station who had a Bellagio name tag. I thought it was a bit peculiar, so I said to him "Do you work for the Bellagio?" He said "Yup." I said, "Is your job to keep out the Monte Carlo riffraff?" And he said, without cracking a smile, "Yes, that's part of it."

TimTimSalabim
12-19-2002, 08:44 PM
And if you drive yourself you have to work your way through a big parking garage that's way on the other side of everything, go through elevators and other obstacles to get to the casino. Sometimes I think, paradoxically, that you do less walking if you just walk everywhere. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

Ed Miller
12-20-2002, 07:10 AM
Haha... ya.. M.B.E. got me to play in the noon tourny at the Luxor... ridiculous structure that has everyone in the house woefully short-stacked after 45 minutes. It was fun, though... and I'd go play in it again (if I wake up in time... hehe).

KrackedKings
12-20-2002, 12:03 PM
Dynasty and all,

I should have been clearer in my initial post, I was, for the most part, asking about the poker rooms, and not where to stay. I could change my mind though and stay elsewhere. But I do love to walk.

You and the others did a good job of telling me what I wanted in spite of my confusing post -- I appreciate that very much.

If I'm correct, and I've never played in a game with 1-2 blinds for a 4-8 game, when you merely call the blinds in that structure, you would call for 2 dollars. All raises would go to the 4 dollar level (6 dollars for the first person to raise after the blinds). Is that right?

If that's true it would tend to attract speculative hands, if the table is passive. If the table is typical (meaning changeable with the whim of the players), it would be best to wait for later positions to see if speculative hands are playable. You open up from late position when a number of callers are already in the pot or if no one has entered the pot. That's my take on what you had to say Dynasty. Also you seem to be saying that many of the fish will use the low $2 call as an excuse to play trash or near trash (gambling hands).

Thanks again Everyone

KrackedKings
12-20-2002, 12:09 PM
Thanks Tim

The "scenery" will have to be seen!

KrackedKings
12-20-2002, 12:12 PM
I agree.

I love to walk, and expect to be all over the strip when I'm not play poker.

KrackedKings
12-20-2002, 12:33 PM
Hi HDPM,

I would probably enjoy staying on the central or south Strip, but I'm staying on a, gasp, weekend. And, well..., money is an object -- and the more I don't spend on my room, the more I have to play poker. I plan to sleep my 5 to 6 hours, take a shower and be gone, all day, every day.

The next time I come to Vegas, I'll come mid-week and see which of the luxury or semi-luxury strip hotels has a great rate. This trip I'm coming with someone who can only do extended weekends.

I could possibly do the Barbary Coast though, they are within my price range (discounted). And, even though they don't have poker, they are on the central strip -- close to all the casinos with poker rooms.

Did I tell you how much I love walking?

Thanks,

Kracked

Terry
12-20-2002, 01:58 PM
Just understand, though, that the Orleans is not a place from which you can walk the strip.

scalf
12-20-2002, 02:06 PM
/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif monte carlo...what a surprise. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif

bad beetz
12-20-2002, 02:27 PM
Another interesting anecdote.

I'm coming out of the Belagio at 3am after a binge of Negative EV games and Johnny Walker black label (which, mind you, comes in pitcher sized glasses at the Bellagio)

I'm drunk and can't see straight. I get on the tram, my buddies point out that I have taken my Johnny walker (in a Bellagio glass) with me on the tram. No one is on the tram except my friends and I, and I'm chanting "monorail" like in the Simpson's episode. I'm hanging from the hand rail by my feet, trying to prove that I can drink Black Label hanging upside down, I'm not proving it very well cause it's coming out my nose and hurts like bloody hell. We arrive at the next stop, and there is, for some unknown reason, a horde of people waiting outside the door to get on the tram at 3 AM, all looking at three guys, one of which is hanging upside down trying to drink scotch. They need better security.

I was, "monte carlo riffraff."

Dynasty
12-20-2002, 08:26 PM
Just understand, though, that the Orleans is not a place from which you can walk the strip.

Sure you can. I've walked down Tropican from the Strip to the Orleans and back several times. It's only a mile.

lonehunter
12-21-2002, 02:16 AM
Poker room info:
The Orleans is great for low buyin tournaments, every day at noon and 7pm. The tourneys are well run and organized. Usually 75 to 100+ entries and decent payouts for the money. The cocktail sevice was quick and efficient; the locals were friendly. I was there last year and it was very smoky. I hear they have a new poker room now that I have not seen.
The games I played at the Orleans were 6-12 Holdem, which was not too tough, and 1-5 Stud that was so tight it squeaked.

I highly recommend the Poker room at the Monte Carlo. I posted my short vegas trip and mentioned it there. Great staff and good games. Their holdem is spread limit $1-$4-$4-$8. The blinds are 1-2; the bets are 2 to call and raise any amout from 1-4, so the max raise would be call 2, raise 4 is $6. The next two betting rounds are any amount from $1-$8. So you could call $6 pre flop and bet $1 on the flop, then $3 on the turn. In practice, it usually plays like regular 4-8 limit. One time I played there for 8 hours and had a great session, up about $500.

Ted Geisel
12-21-2002, 08:51 AM
Dynaty, we get it ... you like to walk, but

.. the walk from the Orleans to the Strip is WELL over a mile and goes under railroad tracks, along a very busy noisy street, past a couple of adult businesses, through a light industrial-zoned area, across intersections not designed for pedestrians and up over a freeway, all before you get to "the Strip".

Save the time, next trip spend a couple of bucks and take a taxi or wait for the Orleans shuttle. The railroad underpass and freeway overpass alone should suffice to rule out walking.

Ted Geisel
12-21-2002, 08:57 AM
He kids you not, the Mandalay Bay poker room faces the casino floor route between two very popular dance clubs in the Luxor and Mandalay Bay respectively. The only drawback is that the front table game can stop periodically as a result .... seriously, intermittent stoppages happen every weekend between about midnight and three am.

(By contrast, I've sat in LA games which did not pause for earthquakes.)

budman
12-21-2002, 03:17 PM
YUCK!

Those are a couple of real toilets you are looking at. If you only can make infrequent visits, I recommend trying out poker rates at any of the better strip hotels.

I've stayed at Mandalay Bay and found their prices to be high on everything. The rooms were ok. The poker room was small but well run. But, if you want a real experience you should go into the Mandalay Bay Spa. It is unbelievably luxurious and costs about $35 for the day if you are not staying there.

I had a very nice time staying at the Venetian. Even though they don't have poker, they are right across the street from Mirage and all the rooms are at least mini suites. The hotel and canal shops are a real experience.

If you end up at New York New York, don't upgrade to a strip view. You will have people screaming all night outside your room on the roller coaster (I found that out last visit).

Good Luck. I hope you enjoy your stay and win enough to pay for your trip.

Terry
12-22-2002, 12:58 PM
Don't forget to mention the everpresent street people who live under the overpass.

KrackedKings
12-23-2002, 11:19 AM
Ted,

I must confess, if I finish a Mirage or Monte Carlo poker session at say 2 or 3AM, I'd take a taxi back to the Orleans or some like (Gold Coast) off the strip hotel that I am staying at-- as the shuttles stop a little after midnight. On the other hand, during the day, I could take a shuttle to the Barbary Coast and walk from there to where I desire on the strip. So one late taxi ride to home base is all that is necessary.

KrackedKings
12-23-2002, 11:55 AM
Budman,

Honestly, I read online reviews from two different sources, and none of those reviews (as many as 25 for Orleans and 12 for Barbary Coast) said anything about these two places having dirty or smelly rooms. In fact most mentioned the cleanliness of the rooms. I have heard that the Orleans rooms get much noise from the hall, and they didn't lay them out very well. I heard the poker room was smokey at the Orleans.

And I've read similar reviews from these same places about hotels such as San Remo, New Frontier, Imperial Palace, the Stratosphere, the Boardwalk, and several others. There are often comments detailing odd smells, non-smoking rooms rank with smoke odor, clogged sinks and tubs that the hotels ignore when reported, stains on bedspreads and carpets, stains and gray worn looks on furniture, drapes, and even peeling wallpaper, and the stinky bathrooms to finish it all up. A number of these reviews have been extremely blunt, not likely they are shills for the properties.

So, if almost all the reviews I've read have been that these places are very clean (specifically the rooms, not other parts of these properties) where did you get the info that these places are "toilets?"

Could it be that no honest reviewer has ever stayed at these properties, and a bunch of people connected to the properties, say in employee relationships, have all lied to me and others? God, shills are everywhere!

Or perhaps your review is a bit too harsh.

Dynasty
12-23-2002, 07:40 PM
I heard the poker room was smokey at the Orleans.

The new poker room at the Orleans is non-smoking.

Almost everybody who has posted on this forum about Barbary Coast has said the same thing- if you want a clean inexpensive room with a place to sleep and shower without any thrills, the Barbary Coast is for you

If you're looking for a high end hotel, your best choices n the Strip are the Bellagio, Venetian, and Mandalay Bay.

KrackedKings
12-24-2002, 12:09 PM
Dynasty,

Very true. The Barbary Coast is a great alternative to my initial selection. Cost would be similar as I wouldn't have to take the 3AM taxi back to my room each night.
And I'd probably have time for more sight seeing during the day.
You've been very helpful, you and several others.

Thanks

Porcupine
12-24-2002, 12:41 PM
We enjoyed our stay at Barbury Coast. Since it is relatively small (198 rooms I think) and has a lot of loyal customers, it does seem to fill-up in advance fairly often. One benefit of a smaller place: It was nice to be walking on the strip less than 5 minutes after leaving our room - contrast with the (seemingly) 20 minute haul from a Bally's room to the strip.

Trefo
12-29-2002, 03:19 AM
Great Simpson reference......Monorail....monorail.....

budman
01-01-2003, 03:17 PM
Good point. It is a rat's maze trying to get from the street to your room at the hotels I've stayed at.

budman
01-01-2003, 03:21 PM
And if you stay at New York New York don't pay the extra $20 per night for the strip view room. I did and had people screaming in terror all night long as the roller coaster sped past my window.

budman
01-01-2003, 03:28 PM
I had fun playing in the Luxor tournament. We played past lunch time and the other player and I threatened to give up so we could eat (there was no food service). After my triumphant victory I went to the food court for lunch, and when I came back there were NO games going in the poker room.

KrackedKings
01-01-2003, 07:06 PM
Budman,

I like to approach luxury on an a la carte basis, I won't stay in my room long anyway (clean, Holiday Inn quality is good enough). I may check out that Mandalay Bay Spa though.
And I will have a look at the Venetian's canals and stores.

Thanks