Here's my personal review on all the poker rooms in Las Vegas that I regularly play. I mostly play 2-5 no-limit hold 'em. I am starting to play 5-10 NL a lot and also 10-20 NL if it looks like a good game. I also play 1-2 NL and 1-3 NL when it appears that the hourly earning potential is higher at those games or when I'm trying to qualify for a promotion based on hours played and that's what's available.

There are many rooms in Vegas that I haven't been to or don't visit often and won't be writing about here because I don't have first-hand knowledge of them. I have observed games at Hooters and Planet Hollywood for example, but these rooms have lower-limit action that I don't want to play. I will say that the level of skill of the competition at these places is generally VERY low and if you're looking for a soft game for low stakes, they are probably perfect for you. Other rooms I don't know much about are Stratosphere, Circus Circus, Sahara, Bally's, Monte Carlo, Harrah's, Flamingo, Mandalay Bay and many others.

The places I visit most are MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, Wynn, Bellagio, Venetian, Rio, Palms and Red Rock.

A number of qualities go into my selection of a poker room to play. These include the following:

The rake: this is important because it comes right out of the bottom line hourly rate you can earn. $3 an hour in rake savings is another $3 an hour in your pocket. This adds up.

Parking and ease of access: I look for this because I want to be able to get in and out easily both in the interest of time and of convenience.

10-handed vs. 9-handed: Some casinos' NL games play 10 to a full table while others play to 9 spots. This is less important to me than it used to be, but I prefer 9-handed games to 10-handed. 9-handed games usually mean you have more room at the table which is more comfortable and helps prevent fatigue. Also, 9-handed games mean there's one less person being dealt a hand which means you can play poker a bit more including bluffing more often. In 9-handed games you'll also get a few more hands per hour.

In 10-handed games, on average, you're looking at a slightly higher quality of hand in your opponents holding and it's more likely that you're going to have to make a good hand to win. In other words, in 10-handed you gotta get the cards. 10-handed is nicer if you're on a short bankroll and want to wait for the nuts because the blinds come around a little less often. 10-handed is also nice because if 2 or 3 people get up for a break, you still have 7 or 8 players which is, in my opinion, a full game.

All in all, I prefer 9-handed. Also, I think rooms that spread 9-handed games make more money for the house because they get more hands per hour and because then they can potentially spread more tables to the same number of people. (One might argue 10-handed means more max pots which would translate to a higher per-hand rake for the house. This may be possible.)

Max buy ins: I prefer games that have no cap on the buy in or at least a high cap. Often in games with a high cap or no cap, people get in over their heads and play for more money than they should be. This is good if you're on the other side. Also, no cap gives more flexibility. You can always add money if there's a reason to do so.

Shuffle machines: Many poker rooms have automatic shuffling machines on the tables and this speeds the game up a lot because it diminishes the shuffle time. The players get more hands, the dealers get more tips, the house gets more rake. It's really good for everyone. All the rooms I play in have machines.

Cell phone usage permitted: Some rooms have strict no cell phone usage (calls or text messages), others just don't let you talk on the phone while you're in a hand, and others will let you sit there and talk, text, whatever, all you want as long as you don't slow down the game. I like to use my phone to look up news, sports, and such while I'm playing so it bothers me when I can't. It makes playing at the room less enjoyable for me when I am unable to use my phone at the table.

Comfortable Chairs: At 6 feet tall, I'm taller than average and some rooms have really low chairs. After a while my legs can fall asleep because I can't stretch them out enough. Also, some rooms have rock hard seats while others are quite soft. Those rock hard seats can really take their toll on your bum after a few hours.

Good food: I play the graveyard shift a lot and in some places there are either few or no food options in the middle of the night. Other poker rooms have 24 hour food service. In addition, some rooms have terrible food, others have decent, and others have very good food. It's impossible to play 6, 8, 10 or more hours of poker without eating.

Good comp system: Some rooms give you no comps at all. Others give you an hourly rate from $1 to $2 an hour. Others will give you a discretionary comp for a sandwich or buffet if they see you in the room playing. Free food is a nice savings.

Comp Red Bull and premium liquor: Some rooms will comp Red Bull and sugar free Red Bull. Others won't bring you one at all or they charge $5 to $6 for it. Also, some rooms will bring players an Absolut or Jack Daniels, while others will only give you the well drinks. I don't drink when I play, but I cringe whenever someone asks for an Absolut and tonic, and they're told they can only get well vodka so they say forget it.

Number of games available: the more available tables the more opportunity to find a good game. A place that struggles to keep one 2-5 NL game together is touch and go. It might be a good game, and it might not. If they have 4 tables going, then you should be able to find a good one to play. (By "good one" I mean a number of bad/drinking players who are putting lots of money into the pots frequently.)

Noise level: I hate loud noise when I play. That includes loud music, loud chip handling noises, loud slot machine sounds, construction... anything loud. My tolerance level for noise is very low. I like silence or close to it. I find loud noise also distracts me from playing well and fatigues me more quickly. I do carry ear plugs with me when I play, and will wear them if it's noisy, but I sometimes will miss a verbal clue that may help me in a particular hand. That's not good.

Skill level of the competition: This is likely the most important of the qualifications. (With rake being second, and number of games available being third.) Your hourly earning potential skyrockets against bad players as compared to good players. I can't sit on a rock hard chair in a very noisy room with no food for too long even if the competition is atrocious... but I will sure as heck try!

Now on to the casinos....

MGM Grand Poker Room

MGM is in many ways the best room for 2-5 NL and an excellent choice for 1-2 no limit. Where MGM stands head and shoulders above the others on their 2-5 game is their rake structure. They rake $1 at $20, $1 at $40, $1 at $60 and then the fourth dollar at $150. They also do not take a $1 jackpot drop which many rooms do. Some rooms take $1 at $10, $30, $50, $70 and a $1 jackpot drop at $10. The MGM structure probably means anywhere from $2 to $6 an hour in your pocket depending on your style of play (the looser you are the more rake you pay, hence a loose player benefits more than a tight player).

MGM also has a weak level of competition with many unexperienced tourists playing at the tables. On the $1-$2 game, the rake is pretty standard (though still no jackpot drop), but you'll see tables full of frat boys and other wild gamblers. If you see a table of 10 people, you'll likely see at least 5 Coronas. I like tables with a high beer factor. The $2-$5 players are a bit better than the $1-$2 but still very green when it comes to poker.

As for food, the Stage Deli is right next door and has excellent soups and sandwiches. Also, the MGM gives $1 an hour in comps which is decent. The MGM also comps Red Bull and premium liquor to players (AND they have Diet Coke which I prefer to Diet Pepsi).

One nice touch at the MGM is they have a hand sanitizer dispenser next to the cashier's cage. I'm not aware of any other room in town that has that feature.

Cell phone usage is mostly permitted with the exception that you can't talk on the phone during a hand. Since I'm mostly surfing the Net and not actually talking to someone. This doesn't bother me.

As for number of tables, the MGM always has plenty of $1-$2 games to choose from. Sometimes they will struggle to keep a $2-$5 game together. That's mostly midweek though. On weekends you'll have 3 or more tables to choose from which is acceptable.

MGM loses points to me on a few factors. The chairs are quite low to the floor, although soft. I like to sit up higher. Also, there is some ambient noise which isn't too bad, but every 20 minutes there's some loud music that plays while the bartenders in the bar next door get up on the counters and dance. That noise every 20 minutes is a bit annoying to me but not a deal breaker. Another negative to me is that they play 10-handed. Another is that the $2-$5 game has a $500 cap on the buy in. I wish it was $1k or higher. One last drawback is I find it difficult to access. The parking garage can be hairy, and the poker room is clear at the other end of the casino (and the MGM is a BIG place). Some people say they park at the Tropicana and walk across. I've tried that but didn't see it as any more (or less) convenient.

Overall, on a 5-star scale, I give the MGM 4.5 stars. I mentioned a number of negatives, but the low rake overcomes a lot of it. Also, it scores highly in my opinion on the low-skilled competition and number of tables ratings which are very important.

MGM Poker Room

Rake	5 stars
Parking / Access	1 stars
10-hand vs. 9-hand	10-hand
Max buy in	3 stars
Shuffle Machines	Yes
Cell phone usage permitted	Yes
Comfortable chairs	2 stars
Good food	5 stars
Food comps	4 stars
Red Bull and premium liquor	Yes
Number of games available	4 stars
Noise level	3 stars
Skill level of competition	5 stars
Overall rating	4.5 stars

 

Caesars Palace Poker Room

I've spent more time in Caesars' poker room than any other room in Las Vegas. That should tell you something.

The room is spacious and well lit. It is also completely separate from the casino so there is no music and no slot machine noise. The room, when full, can get a little loud with the chip shuffling clatter of the players, but this is only at the very peak of times when it's completely full. In general this room gets the highest of marks for it's noise level. At night when the Pure nightclub is going next door, tables near the entrance to the room can hear the loud music next door, but even that isn't too bad. The upside to the club being next door is that drunk rich kids come in late at night from the club and seem like they're on a mission to lose their money.

Caesars' low stakes no-limit game is $1-$3 no limit which has an excellently high $500 cap. Their $2-$5 game max buy in is equally excellent at unlimited. This means people who don't belong playing poker in the first place can buy in for $2,000 or more. Sometimes rich blackjack or baccarat gamblers come in there and lose thousands on the $2-$5 game simply saying, "I would have lost 20 times more out on the tables."

Caesars gets a lot of tourist traffic. In general a high tourist factor (as opposed to Vegas locals) equals better games. Also, tourists at Caesars often can afford to lose more money than tourists at smaller places like the Sahara or Hooters.

All no limit games at Caesars are 9-handed which is my preference for reasons above stated. Most tables have shuffle machines and there are usually a number of games to choose from at the $1-$3 and $2-$5 level.

Caesars gives $1 an hour in food comps, which is acceptable. They do not, however, comp Red Bull or premium liquor, much to my chagrin. This is especially true when a rich guy from the baccarat tables comes in and asks for Grey Goose and they tell him no they only have the well vodka. Sometimes they just pick up and leave. I hate that. Plus, for myself, I'd like to get a Red Bull sometimes.

The food menu is served at the tables, which is convenient, but the quality is not very good in my opinion. People like the prime rib chili but when I've tried it there have been chewy weird pieces of something in it. They also have nachos and chicken wings but who is going to eat nachos or chicken wings while playing poker? Too messy. The chicken caesar is OK but often the chicken is very dry.

When I'm hungry, I order from their food menu, but I rarely enjoy my meal. One exception: their breakfast menu has a "Healthy Start" breakfast with fresh fruit, yogurt, and oatmeal. That is excellent. The poker room manager has told me that in a couple months there will be a 24-hour food stand attached to the poker room. We'll see if it's good or not. I sure hope so.

At Caesars you can freely use your cell phone at the table, including talking, as long as you don't slow down the game. That's very nice. I even like when someone talks on the phone and plays a hand, because they'll often make mistakes. Primarily I like the rule so that I can surf the Net and if I need to answer or make a call, there's no stress in doing so.

Caesars rake is average. It's not as good as MGM but it's a little better than other casinos. They take $1 at $20, $40, $60, $80 which is slightly better than the $10, $30, $50, $70 places. They do take a $1 jackpot drop which is annoying, but it isn't quite as bad as the places that have a bad beat jackpot where you may never get your money back. They have a high hand jackpot for any 4-of-a-kind or straight flush so it's a bit more likely you'll get some of your money back in this lifetime.

The chairs are comfortable enough. They don't have good lumbar support, but they are height adjustable, wide and soft seats. I usually fold a pillow under my thighs and another one to support my lower back. This eases some fatigue in those areas.

Parking and access is OK. The parking garage has entrances both from the Strip side and behind on Frank Sinatra drive. It's a medium walk from garage to room (not short like Wynn or long like MGM).

Pros: number of games, low-skilled and well bankrolled opponents, lack of noise and lots of space, cell phone usage permitted, large max buy ins permitted on all games

Cons: Food quality is mediocre at best, no Red Bull or premium liquor

Overall rating: 4.0 stars

Caesars Palace Poker Room

Rake	3.5 stars
Parking / Access	3 stars
10-hand vs. 9-hand	9-hand
Max buy in	5 stars
Shuffle Machines	Yes
Cell phone usage permitted	Yes
Comfortable chairs	3 stars
Good food	2 stars
Food comps	4 stars
Red Bull and premium liquor	No
Number of games available	4 stars
Noise level	5 stars
Skill level of competition	4 stars
Overall rating	4.0 stars

 

Wynn Poker Room

I have spent less time in this room than in Caesars, or MGM. I have about 100 hours of playing time logged at the Wynn. I think this is a well run room, with a friendly and professional staff, but my results at this room are lower than in other rooms so I don't play there too often. The main reason I go to Wynn is when I can't find action at one of my primary rooms, or if I want to play $5-$10 NL. The only places to find $5-$10 regularly are Wynn and Bellagio. The Venetian seems to be getting $5-$10 more often than not these days too. Caesars will get a $5-$10 game going at peak times too.

The Wynn has a reasonable rake. From memory, I think it's 10% on the $1-$3 game and 5% on the $2-$5 game. They also don't take a jackpot drop which is nice.

Their max and min buy ins are ideal in that there is no cap on any buy in. You can buy in for $50,000 on a $1-$3 game if you want. You'd look pretty silly, unless someone else had that much money on the table too, but you can do it if you choose to.

You can order Red Bull and premium liquor here. They also have some of the best drinks in town. Their bloody marys are fantastic. I think they make their own mix daily. They also have an orange julius, strawberry julius, and other exotic non-alcohol and alcohol drinks (and they got some smokin' babes serving the drinks too). Their coffee is good but served in a glass. I don't think coffee should be served in glass. Either a mug or paper cup please.

The room is a distance from the casino floor and there's no music (or maybe it's really soft music) so it gets good marks on the noise factor. One thing I don't like, but other people do, is that the room is somewhat dark. I find that I get tired faster when playing in a dark room. I wish it was a little more brightly lit.

Their chairs are very comfortable. They are height adjustable and well-padded and wide. They also have a felt coating, similar to a soft corduroy, that is pleasant to the buttocks.

Probably my main concern with this room however is in the skill level of the competition category. I find that the Wynn attracts a tougher and more knowledgeable level of gambler which makes the games less attractive to me. I like the soft easy money. I don't want to have to fight for it.

In some ways, I feel that the $5-$10 game can be softer than the lower limit games at Wynn because at the $5-$10 level it seems that the players are so wealthy that the money doesn't matter. At the lower limits, the people don't want to part with their couple Benjamins. I'm sure others would disagree with me on that.

Also, the $1-$3 game is unique from other $1-$3 games in town because they use $3 chips instead of $5 chips. I'm told this is to speed up the game because when $5 chips are in play, the dealer is constantly having to make change for people. This eliminates that necessity a lot of the time.

This may be true, and I'm all for speeding up the game, but I think it may keep people from making big mistakes. In a $5 chip game, someone pushes a stack of chips (20) in and it's $100, but in this game it's $60. I think that psychologically, the lower-denomination chips may keep people from overbetting (i.e. making a larger mistake).

Parking and access at Wynn is the best in town. The poker room is the first thing  you get to when you enter from the parking garage. I have talked to people who play at Wynn exclusively simply for this one reason.

They give $1.00 an hour in comps on lower stakes games, and $1.50 an hour in comps on the $5-$10 and higher. This is a little higher than most places. Higher is good. Also, their food is excellent and served to you at the tables. I'd say it's 2nd only to the Venetian's food, which I'll discuss later.

Cell phone usage is freely permitted as long as you don't slow down the game. Also, they play 9-handed. Another plus.

Pros: lots of games to choose from, excellent food and drink service, easy parking and access, cell phone usage permitted, comfortable chairs

Cons: tougher competition than some other rooms, room is too darkly lit for my taste

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

Wynn Poker Room

Rake	4 stars
Parking / Access	5 stars
10-hand vs. 9-hand	9-hand
Max buy in	5 stars
Shuffle Machines	Yes
Cell phone usage permitted	Yes
Comfortable chairs	4.5 stars
Good food	5 stars
Food comps	4 stars
Red Bull and premium liquor	Yes
Number of games available	4 stars
Noise level	4 stars
Skill level of competition	2 stars
Overall rating	3.5 stars

 

Bellagio Poker Room

I avoid the Bellagio poker room for a number of reasons. I think their $10-$20 NL game can be excellent and that's the main reason I go there. There are a lot of positives about this room, but I find that for the limits I play regularly it isn't well-suited to me personally.

The Bellagio always has a game and they excel in the number of tables category. They also regularly spread 7-card stud, Omaha Hi-Lo and mixed games in addition to their Hold Em tables. Thus, if you're interested in one of those forms of poker, this is probably your best bet. They also will have numerous tables of $2-$5 and $5-$10 no limit to choose from.

The noise level is relatively low although it is near the casino floor and the sportsbook which can be noisy. They do allow cell phone usage as long as you're not slowing down the game.

You can order Red Bull and premium liquor and exotic non-alcohol and alcohol drinks and their coffee is quite good too. They oddly don't have drink holders and serve many drinks in a tall glass that is narrow at the bottom and wider at the top. I've seen drinks spilled from time to time and only can wonder why it doesn't happen more often. There isn't a lot of space at the tables so drink holders may be out of the question, but I think they should consider a more stable type of glassware.

Speaking of space at the tables, this is one of my primary concerns about the Bellagio room. The tables are smaller than at most casinos and they play 10-handed (another drawback). This means less space and more people which means you're kinda sitting on top of each other. As a result, I get fatigued and unable to play longer sessions at Bellagio.

In addition, the tables are physically close to each other so there isn't a lot of room to walk around them. I understand they have a limited space to work with and want to get as many tables as possible, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

Comps at Bellagio are a mystery to me. It seems like if you're a regular you can get a comp to the buffet (which is excellent), but it's hard for just anyone to get one. There isn't any hourly rate given to you as a player. Generally speaking, I have to order food, which is always of a high quality, but it also sets me back about $25 to $30. Two meals a day is $50 to $60. This alone is one reason I don't play there often.

One nice positive to Bellagio's room is that it has Bobby's room, and although it's enclosed by glass, you can still see the big players playing the big game. Heck, it's fun to see the people from TV playing in a cash game with half a million dollars in chips in front of them.

Parking and access is very good but not free, well sort of. There's a valet off of Flamingo which gives great access to the room, but unless you feel like stiffing them, it'll cost you a couple bucks. If you don't want to valet, you have to park in the garage off the Strip side which is usually BRUTAL to get in and out of, and then you have a very long walk to the poker room.

In general, like the Wynn poker room, I find the skill level of the competition to be higher at Bellagio than at other places. Again, give me the fun-loving tourist to play poker against, not the hard-nosed shark. Bellagio does tend to get some real well heeled live ones, but there's a lot of competition getting into the right game there. I hear that tipping some of the staff can help, but I don't know how to play that game.

Their waiting system is also a bit harem scarem. You wait in a line to sign up for a game, and people are always jumping in front of you. Then they scribble it down on paper, rather than put it in a computer, and it seems to me that there are people that get preferential treatment.

Their max buy ins are a bit low for my taste. At the $2-$5 game it's $500 max and at the $5-$10 game it's $1,000 max. I'd like to see double those limits.

Their rake on the $2-$5 game is as high as anywhere I know. It's 10% up to $4 so they take 1 on $10, $20, $30, $40. They don't take a jackpot drop out which is nice, but that 10% rake is expensive compared to other places in town. The Bellagio always packs their room, so they can charge what they want.

Pros: lots of games to choose from both hold em and other, higher stakes games available, star watching for poker pros and sports pros and movie stars, good drink comps including Red Bull and premium liquor, easy access (although a gratuity is expected), cell phone usage permitted

Cons: lack of personal space, wacky sign up system, low max buy ins on $5-$10 and lower, difficult (or non-existent) comp system, high rake on $2-$5, 10-handed

Overall rating: 3.0 stars

Bellagio Poker Room

Rake	1 star
Parking / Access	4 stars
10-hand vs. 9-hand	10-hand
Max buy in	2 stars
Shuffle Machines	Yes
Cell phone usage permitted	Yes
Comfortable chairs	4.5 stars
Good food	5 stars
Food comps	2 stars
Red Bull and premium liquor	Yes
Number of games available	5 stars
Noise level	4 stars
Skill level of competition	2 stars
Overall rating	3.0 stars

 

I'll continue with my writeups on Venetian, Rio, Palms and Red Rock in the next few days.

 

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