Cash Game Best Vegas Poker Room and times for 1-2 and or 2-5 NL Hold em (2 Viewers)

joseywales said:

I wish there was a smoke free casino. I enjoy a cigar once in a while, but can't stand stale smoke in the air. I know the Parx casino, in PA, has their poker room in a completely separate building, smokefree. I like that.

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In January, Parx opened the new poker room in the main casino and closed the one in Parx East. The new poker room is in the corner of the casino and smoke-free but right outside of it is a smoking section. I suppose they have new plans for the room in the Parx East building.

Rhodeman77 said:

I love the Mirage Poker room. It is small but well run, 2 bathrooms next to it, right next to the sports book.

It usually only has 4 tables or less of $1/2 going but they are always very soft games. Mostly people staying at the hotel playing the games and they don't know what they are doing for the most part.

The Venetian, Belagio, Wynn, & Aria are all more popular but they attract better players too.

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Mirage used to have the big game before the Bellagio opened.

There isn’t a single card room that is the “best”
The games change from day to day, minute to minute
You should play where the room is run well and there are enough tables to choose from

The best days and times are Friday and Saturday nights (8pm and later) this is when the games will be the juiciest and the most tourists will be playing

Warnings: avoid any room with generous comps, this is where nitty regs live.
The Aria, Bellagio, Venetian all have big rooms but unless you are willing to change tables at a moments notice there is a good chance you will be playing against tough competition. I would recommend these rooms if you play PLO though.

Recommendations: my personal preference for card rooms are the MGM, Encore (formerly Planet Hollywood) and the Flamingo. These rooms have consistently had the friendliest players and the least amount of nit regs

Encore

Very much is true that the game changes from hour to hour so there is no hard and fast answer to a soft 1/2 game in Vegas.

However, some great insight in this thread so far. Playing off the beaten path places like the Golden Nugget, Mirage, Mandalay Bay *should* offer some softer games simply by the logic that they are isolated. Some may argue Mirage is still on the strip but in reality Mirage is actually pretty far from what I would call the poker mainstays (Aria, Venetian, Bellagio).

The poker scene in Vegas for serious players focuses on the Aria, Venetian, and Bel so it makes sense to avoid those places if your goal is a soft game. If your goal is playing in a nice room and maybe seeing a poker celeb then definitely hit these rooms.

Playing at the Flamingo on a Friday night or at the Planet Hollywood is a crapshoot...no one can predict what your specific table will be like. Just play a few orbits and if everyone seems solid and sober then get a table change.

My main room when I am in town is PH but that is only because I always stay there.

Like planet hollywood, seems there are a lot of players who played just for fun and prepared for many recave.

Sh4nks said:

Like planet hollywood, seems there are a lot of players who played just for fun and prepared for many recave.

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I like it there too. But it seems like the games aren't as good as they once were. I think regs got caught on to it.

I'm going to Vegas in May for the first time! glad I found this thread....was wondering where an amateur can go in LV to play some serious, but casual poker. Thanks for all the info!

Bumping this thread for some more $1/$3 poker room advice.

OK. I've only played at poker rooms a few times. My first, happened to be Ballagio. It was in February. I sat at a $1/$2 table, late afternoon. I did well.

I went back the next night, just after dinner, $1/$2, I did very well.

I'm not as good as my winnings. Players just refused to fold and as they bet, my hands only got better. True, I was catching cards, but they had no business being in those hands at that point. On day 2, I was the center of attention, highest stack, taking shots from people, but also giving as good as I was getting. It was the most fun I've had in a casino - winning has that affect I guess ; ) Even most of the players were laughing, it was that ridiculous. Now, I'm not talking thousands of dollars, but it was a hoot.

A coworker was playing the $3/$5 at Ballagio and did twice as well. Again, players just would not fold.

I don't like smoke and unless you sit on the edge of the room, where is comes in from the casino floor, you'll be fine.

Perthmike said:

Bumping this thread for some more $1/$3 poker room advice.

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Aria $1/$3 is always bumping but plays a little higher than you'd expect. Table depending.