My wife and I recently relocated to Vegas and we were looking for a good, small tournament. Mandalay Bay is the best of them all.
With buy-ins ranging from $40-$65 you get a decent bang for the buck.
Depending on the time of day you may only get 1-2 tables, but with add-on's and/or rebuy's the prize pool for the top 2 always seems to be around $600. The winner also gets a nice little medallion.
Though the locals seem to be a bit too full of themselves with the Phil Hellmuth syndrome, they are easily read and their chips can be yours.
While the dealers aren't all that bad, one or 2 of them should take a trip to Wal Mart and buy themselves a personality.
Management here is top notch! Not only do they welcome you, but they are willing to talk to you like a human being. Their personality makes you feel relaxed enough in there to make you to want to return.