I wasn't expecting the Venetian but this place is below average even for a mid sized room. The room is located in what used to be the Sports Book. No problem with that except the tv's are situated for the stadium style seating of a sports book rather than the tables of a poker room. I found them difficult to view from anywhere in the room. They never had more than two or three tables going but chose to use the tables closest to a door that opened to the outside. This made this part of the room uncomfortably cold. The tables are in good shape and have automatic shufflers and table side comp tracking. The rest of the room looks and feels a bit rundown.
I was staying at Harrah’s because they gave me a free room. I think there were a number of other tourists who were there for the same reason. The room also attracts a fair number of locals. My main problem with this room is there was almost never a game going. I would get up about 8 AM expecting the “breakfast club” promotions I had read about and there would be noone in the room. I heard the games started up around 11 but by then I left and went some place else. A couple of times I stopped in mid day and there were no tables. When I would come back at night they would have only one table going.
The dealers I met were very friendly. I know this because I spent a fair amount of time talking to them while we patiently waited for a game to start. It was a nice touch that I felt as though they remembered me when I came back the next day.
Service was a little slow. The selection is what you would expect from a mid-sized strip casino.
Every person I met in the poker room was professional, friendly and helpful in anyway. I have no complaints about the dealers or the floors. I have a real problem with paying the highest rake in Las Vegas in a run down room in a run down property. I was also annoyed that the dealer has to request permission from the floor to go to a light rake in a short handed game (most places its automatic.) The promotions they run are patently unfair to tourists. It is obvious that Harrah’s management is not serious about attracting players and it shows in the number of hours the tables are empty.
This is definitely the bright spot for this room. I received a free room based strictly on playing poker in Atlantic City. The total rewards system is the best comp program in the industry.