First time visit to Las Vegas - any suggestions regarding best casinos (3 Viewers)

[Jason414]

Hi everyone,

I will be on holiday in Las Vegas for the first time in January 2024. While there I'd like to go to a casino or two and play some poker and hopefully keep a few poker chips to take home as a souvenir of the trip. Does anyone have any suggestions on which casino(s) are worth visiting. I'll be staying at the Bellagio hotel so I'll probably try out their casino at some point but any advice/suggestions beyond that would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[timinater]

Frankly, all of them are worth visiting. If you stop at the Cashier when they aren't busy and ask them to buy a $1 chip as a souvenir you'll find they are really happy to find you a chip in nice shape.

• Bellagio is obviously a great spot and has good poker room.
• Aria is also nearby and also has a good and busy poker room. It will be a bit of a hike since the poker room at the Aria is at the extreme south end of the property, but worth it to go.
• Caesars Palace. The table games pit is iconic and classic Vegas.
• Cosmo is right beside the Bellagio and is fun as well. Momofuku is a favourite spot to eat there.
• Park MGM isn't really anything unique as far as a Vegas casino, HOWEVER it is fully non smoking which can be nice. Crack Shack for fried chicken is a can't miss for us when we go.

I like to visit all of the casinos, but Aria, Bellagio, Cosmo and Caesars Palace are all faves in the vicinity of Bellagio. In the north, Resorts World and Wynn/Encore are really nice and worth the trek as well. You'll find the betting minimums are fairly high in all of those places, however.

For some more value gaming I like OYO and their $1 blackjack - kind of an experience in and of itself. The happy medium though is downtown. You'll find reasonable limits and even a few BJ tables paying 3:2 still. I like all of the downtown casinos, but Circa is great strip style casino with a really impressive sports book. The D has my favorite game of all time, Sigma Derby. Coin operated horse racing. Just a blast.

I'm barely scratching the surface here and I'm sure lots of others will weigh in with some great tips. Enjoy the trip!

 

[Chawks45]

Since you're staying at the Bellagio, definitely check out the poker room and take a peek at the iconic "Bobby's Room," since renamed "Legends Room."

When it comes to other Vegas casino poker rooms, you'll receive a wide variety of suggestions as a lot of degens have their personal favorites.

The poker rooms on the strip I enjoy are Wynn (great poker room, arguably the best on the strip, in my opinion), MGM Grand, Aria, Caesars Palace, Horseshoe, Venetian and Resorts World. You can take a stroll on the connecting bridge to Caesars from the Bellagio. Mandalay Bay is a small cozy spot, but they have weird hours.

Now, depending on degen tingles, I mostly prefer MGM Grand when I'm playing on the strip because it's uncapped. Virtually all the other poker rooms on the strip are capped. I loathe buying in at a max allowed, and automatically become the low stack when sitting down. I want to at least have the option of matching up to the big stack whenever I join a table, and MGM is the only room on the strip allowing it.

For off the beaten path from the strip, Orleans offers plenty of Omaha structures and mixed games, while Golden Nugget isn't a bad option if you find yourself downtown and GN is uncapped. Also, South Point has a nice poker room.

That said, for your first trip, you can check out everything for yourself. Do a poker room hop one night.

Lastly, if you don't have the apps on your phone, consider downloading Bravo and PokerAtlas. These will help keep you in the loop on daily tourneys and how many cash tables are going at the multiple poker rooms in your vicinity. The apps are a big piece of a traveling degen's toolbox and some casinos allow you to get on the waitlist through the app.

Have fun!

 

[DuckFat]

Suggestions would be easier if you provided more info as to what you're looking to do. Here's some general advice.

Food - At Bellagio go to Yellowtail. Oyster Bar at Palace Station around 2-3am on a weekday and pray for no line. Best buffet is probably Caesar's. All you can eat sushi at Sakana. Cosmo has not a secret anymore Secret Pizza and Eggslut. Posh Burger and Din Tai Fung in Aria. If I somehow end up eating in downtown, Hugo's Cellar in Four Queens.

Weed - don't buy anything on the strip or near any casino, it's all trash and mostly fake synthetics. Go to a dispensary like Planet 13 or Reef.

Casino play - the strip is expensive, downtown is cheap, best odds and lowest limits are at local casinos.

Poker rooms - I usually don't play much poker while in Vegas unless I'm there for WSOP. There are far better things to do with your time. Most people will say these are the top 5 poker rooms in no particular order - Aria, Bellagio, Wynn, Resorts World, South Point. My personal preference is Aria because I like the atmosphere and I stay there, you can also check out Table 1 (formerly called Ivey Room). I see pros and players from high stakes streams in Aria fairly often.

 

[Frogzilla]

100% recommend Aria. By far my favorite property in Vegas. Good food and good poker room.

Also it’s hidden but there is a nice shortcut between bellagio and aria. You need to follow the signs that say “Tram to crystals/park mgm” at the south end of bellagio past the conservatory. Instead of tram, take the escalator up to the “walkway to vdara” which is recently renovated covered walkway. From vdara walk out to aria (can’t miss it), and the poker room is around the right when you get into Aria.

Prob 10 min total bellagio poker room to aria poker room in nice walkways.

Non-poker I’d check out freemont st downtown, especially if you’re into sports betting now that circa is there. Downtown is just fun. And much much better gambling odds/limits than strip

 

[allforcharity]

My best recommendation for food on the Strip (so far): Morimoto at MGM Grand (used to be called something different, but rebranded under the celebrity chef's name). Some of the best Japanese (fusion) food and overall dining experiences I have ever had in my life.