Low limit Hold'Em in Vegas....

[rbreitling]

Going to Vegas soon and was wondering where the best place to play low limit Hold'Em ($3/$6 or less) is? Any recommendations?

Bob

[Ted Geisel]

Mirage .... the best for $3-6 by far.

[me454555]

Monte Carlo 2-4 w/1 $2 blind
Excallibur 1-3 spread w/1 $1 blind

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
Mirage .... the best for $3-6 by far.

[/ QUOTE ]

Except, of course, that they rake more from their 3-6 pots than any other room on the Strip. For that, and other reasons, I never play low-limit hold 'em at the Mirage. It's the worst choice.

[Howard Burroughs]

Whie the Mirage has a lot of nice things going for it, I agree with Dynasty about the rake issue in the 3-6. If 3-6 is your game of choice, you can do a lot better then the Mirage.



IMHO, All the other 3-6 games in town have a better rake, better comps and better games.



As another poster pointed out, Excalibur 1-3 is a great place to get your feet wet playing live poker in Vegas.

My friends at the Plaza tell me they have been gettng a $1-2 hold'em game up there lately. Sometimes multipe games! Kind of smokey in there but worth checking out if you don't mind the smoke.



Where ever you play, have fun and good luck!


H.B.

[Jeffage]

If you are going on vacation in Vegas, you will want to check out Mirage in my opinion. The extra buck IS a big deal if you live there and want to play low limit frequently, but not so big for the tourist. It is a nice place to play and I'm sure the poster would enjoy it (though I prefer Bellagio). Maybe play more at other places but def. at least play one day there or Bellagio.

Jeff

[mrbaseball]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are going on vacation in Vegas, you will want to check out Mirage in my opinion

[/ QUOTE ]

I totally agree with this. Mirage and Bellagio are the 2 "real" poker rooms with lots of action. Plus they are the places with the standard structured games that you read about in 2+2 books and play online at places like Party, Stars and Paradise if you play online.

The smaller rooms have one game and on rare occasions maybe 2. And then it's spread limit rather than standard structure.

If you live there it may be different. But if like me you go there twice a year for a vacation and accompanying poker play you will want to experience the bigger rooms.

[Howard Burroughs]

Mr Baseball & Jeffage make some very good points.



But, "The smaller rooms have one game and on rare occasions maybe 2", is just plain wrong on the weekend (and most week nights too).


One "small room" on the Strip (The Castle), has had ten full tables going at 3:00 am on the weekend the last few times I have been in there. Ten full tables at 3:00 am is hardly, "one game and on rare occasions maybe 2".


Other rooms I play in (I play almost every night) are busy too.

Though I can't speak for the Luxor (every time I go in there, it's like a morgue).



I do agree 100% that vactioners (who love the game of poker) should give the Mirage/Bellagio/Binion's/Orleans a look. As well as a few other places (such as the poker room at their host hotel, if they are staying at say Texas Station or Sahara).


Best of Luck

Howard

[sucka]

I second the motion...

Personally, I really like the MC poker room as well. However, the last trip down I took my 2 buds down there to get into a game and they only had 1 table open and it was full. They had a $1/2 game running in the back but we had no interest in playing that. The brush said they were going to bump the table up to the spread $4-8 but didn't know how long.

On the other hand, you can walk into the Mirage or Bellagio and get a game, depending on the night and time of course, usually within a half-hour. I have never waited longer than that at the Mirage for a game. If I want to play $6-12 and there's no seats open, I'll sit down and play some $3-6 for awhile until a seat becomes available.

I also enjoy the atmosphere better at the bigger rooms and ESPECIALLY like the no-smoking. If you get stuck at the HE table right by the entrance to the Mirage room it's almost like you are in a smoking room as everyone just stands right at the entrance when they go smoke.

I would love to go play more rooms when I'm there, but frankly, I just hate risking the fact that I'm going to hoof it or take the time and $$ to catch a cab and head to another casino only for there to be no games running - or only one game with a wait.

Anyway, just my .02 but as others have said - I definitely recommend playing at the Mirage or Bellagio - or both. They are fantastic rooms with a good variety of games.

[sucka]

Where is the Castle? I've never even heard of that place - let alone that they have a decent sized poker room?

[Howard Burroughs]

Hi Sucka,


The Castle is a name that a lot of locals call the Excalibur. It's a small room (11 tables).

They used to get a few hold'em games up and a few stud. Since the "Poker on that there cable TV show" explosion, they've been busier then hell on the weekends.


I did not play there this weekend but the last few on graveyard were jam packed including one graveyard shift where all 11 tables were going with long waiting lists.


Most of the other rooms I play in (over 2 dozen) are busy also. It might not last forever but there are lots of games on the weekend in most rooms for the time being.

Best of Luck

Howard

[sucka]

Ah, I should have known...

I've actually been over there a couple times - never played - but did notice a pretty decent crowd. I'm anti-smoke though, and that place was like a chimmney so that alone kept me away. It sounds like a good game though, so I may have to suck it up and go check it out one trip...

[Ted Geisel]

The Mirage rake issue raises a point; Does the self-selection practiced by such poker veterans as you and Dynasty tend to ensure a softer field than what a lower rake might attract ?

How much value is there to a tourist to NOT having to face you all ? Isn't that a +EV compared to an occasional rake dollar ?

Ted

[mrbaseball]

Things may have changed? I gave up on the smaller rooms for the Mirage and Bellagio after my first few poker trips.

Most of my time in LV is mid week. And my experiences with MB, MC, Lux, Exc, etc were that they almost never had more than one holdem game going. I used to try and play at all those places when I was first starting out. But since I avoid them now I am in no position to judge.

I still usually play in the MB or Luxor morning/noon tourneys but just avoid those (and other) places for ring games in the evenings. I've graduated past 4-8 anyway and am not a fan of spread limits.

I'm going out next week and I can't wait /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[oddjob]

part of the fun for me as a tourist in las vegas, was to play at as many different card rooms as possible, to check them all out. i managed to play at 5 different rooms. i agree that as a tourist you would probably like the experience of the mirage and bellagio better then the rest, but i wouldn't set up camp there. you don't want to tell your friends that you sat in the mirage card room the 3 days you were in vegas, so with that thought, i'd go to other places.

binions: dirty, dingy, everyone was pissy and people wouldn't even bet the nuts... loved it. something about it so unglamourous, made me feel like i was playing before poker went all hollywood.

el cortez: they have 1 table and i think it was a $1-3 spread game. there's a big hump in the table, and if you're lucky, you may have more fingers, toes and teeth then the entire table. the action was slow, and boring, and i recommend everyone try it at least once, because it's so ridiculous to play poker in the middle of the other table games, and watch all the pit bosses smoking.

excalibur. i think i was playing the $2-6 spread game, this was during the day, the game was easy, and i was the only aggressor at the table, but it was quite boring. after an hour and up a rack i was ready to leave. i can see it being more fun at night

mirage: it was nice, the game was pretty fun, and everyone was having a good time. i enjoyed it and would recommend you play there. for some reason i thought the room would be much bigger.

bellagio: same impression. the room was smaller than i expected. this could be due to the fact taht i was at commerce the month before and got spoiled with their room. it was really busy, as it was a sat. evening, but it was a good experience.

next visit, i hope to check out some of the other poker rooms. good luck

[Howard Burroughs]

Great read Oddjob. I feel the same way you do about all the places you mentioned. Loved your Binion's comments.

[Howard Burroughs]

Hi Ted,

I believe Dynasty mostly plays higher limits (well higher then me) but sometimes plays "Low" for fun.


I play mostly "Low" but sometimes higher (10-20/20-40) for fun.

I would be much less a threat to a vacationer's bankroll then Dynasty would.

But getting to your main point. A very good point btw.


IMHO, just about all the games on the strip (low-limit) are very soft. A "player" here or there, now or then, but you don't find too many Dynasty type players (ie, top players) at the lower limits. And all games on the Strip shoud have plenty of vacationers (who don't read 2+2), having fun on vaction gambling into the night (regardless of rake).

BTW, the toughest low-limit game (I know Mason will call that an oxymoron), I have seen in a while was at the Flamingo a few weeks back. The Flamingo's rake is not exactly low and they give back zero comps.


Best of Luck

Howard

[Howard Burroughs]

Hello Mr B,

If you are in town on a Wednesday, please come by a WPDG meeting to talk poker (if you have time). You & all 2+2ers are always welcome.


Best of Luck

Howard

[Dynasty]

I agree with Howard that all the low-limit games are pretty much equally beatable.

While I think the Mirage and Bellagio are the worst choices to play low-limit hold 'em, they're certainly worth checking out for a few hours. These posts often sound like the poster is trying to find one room to play exclusively at. I think the best idea is to move around and play in as many rooms as possible for fun.

The big mistake would be playing exclusively at the Bellagio or Mirage.

[Jeffage]

Hey Dynasty,

The rake is definitely a factor but I always find it interesting how good you guys have it in this department. In AC, 20-40 is $7 per half hr, 15-30 is $6 and 10-20 is $5. Low limit games are raked 10% to $4 max BUT $1 out at 10, another out at 20, another out at 30 and another out at 40 (I believe it is more spread out in Vegas). Another thing is this...while I think Vegas is the FAR better town, I think Atlantic City has MUCH softer games. I admit I was only in Vegas once (for 4 days) but never saw a mid limit game there come even close to the juiciness of the Taj 15-30 or 20-40 games (though the games still were very good at times). Plus in AC, with the comp dollars, people who play 10-20 and above can always eat for free (low limit regulars to). So I guess it's all in degree. But...I just thought I'd throw out some food for thought. BTW, I will be in Vegas on business for SIX DAYS starting Oct. 21 so I'm sure I'll see you guys out there.

Jeff

[Losing all]

Hey Howard, I notice you mentioned the Orleans. I played there almost daily a couple years ago. Has a lot changed since then?

[Howard Burroughs]

Hello LA,

I'm assuming you were playing there when they moved to the new room.
Just in case (and in case there are any 2+2ers out there reading who have not been to the Orleans in a few years)..........


The new room is bigger and much better. They have overhead video monitors that tell you where you are on the waiting list (which is real convenient). They run lots of low buy-in tournaments that are well run and very popular with locals & tourists a like.



They have many restaurants at the Orleans (my wife loves the Mexican restaurant). They also have a movie theater, bowling alley, big events arena with lots of headliners and boxing and such.


The new poker room is off the beaten path a little (but parking is great) but there is a Subway right next to the card room. Use your swipe card and basically get a free sub.


While they do have more then their fair share of grumpy locals, the games alway seem good there. I especially like the 6-12 with a kill to 10-20.


I do have a few Omaha friends who feel that the Orleans regular O/8 players are a bunch of nut peddlers for whatever that's worth. I play mostly hold'em.


You probably knew all of the above but I figured I'd mention it just in case.


As far as "new" things at the Orleans. The cardroom manager got fired a couple of weeks back. They had a kid from the pit (who knows next to nothing about poker, I'm told) running things until further notice. That was a few weeks ago. Maybe they have somebody in there by now, I have not played there in about a week or so.

I'll probably play some 6-12(w/kill) there this weekend.


Peace Out

Howard

[RollaJ]

Binions was very cool I thought, not the glitz of Bellagio but it did have that old west feel, especially when they sent me through a service hallway to get to the poker room. They deal a lot of low limit and also had a $1-2 NLHE game which was a lot of fun.
The 2 places Ill hit next time Im there are Binions for NLHE, Bellagio for 20-40.

Bellagio serves espresso and real cappucino (not the powder mix), thats worth $10 a day to me w/o a question /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Losing all]

Thanks Howard.

It sounds like a lot has changed, while a lot has stayed the same. If that even means anything /images/graemlins/smile.gif

When I head back I'll probably get back in the swing of things there.

[cottonmather0]

This is what I was wondering about, too.

I'm going to LV for the first time in about 18 months and since then the WPT/ESPN phenomena have taken place. That leaves me wondering about the effect it's had on all the rooms? Longer waits or just better games?

I have also spent most of my LV time in Vegas at Mirage and Bellagio - the atmosphere is just better and the other rooms are either full of local rocks or just have a few games and long waits.

Has this changed? Is it now worth my time to branch out to these joints that I wrote off in favor of the big rooms?

[fireman664]

what was the average buy in for the NLHE game?