Researching Vegas

As online poker activity is non-existant for me at the moment, I've recently been spending a lot of time researching a possible trip to Las Vegas in late October. Being unable to get time off work to fly off during the WSOP and with it being too hot over August, it is October time which is my only real window of opportunity to get there this year. Now by far the best website for checking out all the angles on poker in Vegas is the All Vegas Poker site. As I mentioned before, Bill's Casino & Gambling Hall puts you right in the heart of the action and seems like the top contender when it comes to a place to stay - it just puts you right there near all those meaty venues.

Now while doing all this research, it's become increasingly clear to me that the nicest places to play poker are not necessarily the best places to play; that is, if you put the higher likelihood of financial rewards over luxury and comfort. Posh and plush places on the west side of The Strip like The Mirage, Caesar's Palace, The Bellagio and Aria seem to generally attract tough players (according to All Vegas Poker) as does higher-end places like Wynn and The Venetian, whereas cheaper establishments like Bill's, Bally's, Excalibur, Luxor and Imperial Palace seem to be softer. The one exception looks like The MGM, which is considered to be a grander place with a "big poker room" but which seems to have less stiff competition.

For me, while a visit to places like The Venetian and The Bellagio will be high priority, it's still the case that I'm actually going with the intention of trying to win some money rather than for the "I Played Poker At The Venetian And Got Hit For $3000" T-shirt. (The Venetian does seem to be the ultimate shark tank by the way.) With the aim of just sticking to $1/$2 cash games (with perhaps the occasional cheap MTT thrown in) it looks like I'll be spending most of my time on the east side and the south end of The Strip with all the plebs.

So without further ado, let's make a nice little list of: (1) Poker Rooms To Avoid and (2) Poker Rooms To Play:

TO AVOID

1.  The Mirage

2.  Ceasar's Palace

3.  The Bellagio

4.  Aria

5.  Wynn

6.  The Venetian

TO PLAY

1.  Imperial Palace
2. O'Shea's

3.  Bill's Gambling Hall & Casino

4.  Bally's

5.  Planet Hollywood

6.  MGM

7.  Excalibur

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For the most part, I have included casinos that are within easy walking distance of Bill's Gambling Hall and have excluded those in the area that either do not really cater for the poker player or which just look plain bad. (I am still undecided about Harrah's and Flamingo.)  The content of these lists are, of course, influenced heavily by the reviews of players who contribute to the All Vegas Poker site but my research has been quite extensive. It might well be the case that I may sit down at an "Avoid" poker room just for a couple of orbits, just so I could say I played there, and hit huge jackpot hands! Such is the nature of short-term visits, but I'll generally play most sessions at the places in accordance with what the list recommends and I reckon it'll be possible to get some decent sessions in. The best places seem to be Bally's and MGM, by the way, with Planet Hollywood and Imperial Palace along with Excalibur jostling for 3rd, 4th and 5th place.

Finally, a word about minimum and maximum buy-ins. Most of those mentioned above have buy-ins of between $100 and $300 which converts to sums of between £60 and £180 which is very affordable. A few, like Imperial Palace and MGM have a minimum buy-in of $60 with Bill's and The Bellagio setting their maximum at $200. But get this: the minimum buy-in at Bill''s is a measly $20!! Interesting.

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Anyway, thus ends my blog on my early research into Vegas and the likely poker rooms to visit and play in.