Okay, it's like this. Yes, everything you have seen and heard about this "room" is true. There are no automatic shufflers. It is not really a room, just a roped off side of the hallway, accross from the banquet rooms, that leads to the most horrific buffet in town. And worst of all, it is a non-smoking room. BUT, on the other hand, the atmosphere is great, there are free SOFT fresh baked cookies, sandwiches, coffee, and ice water in the back of the room, it is clean and neat, the tables are oversized, giving more room to every player, it is nice and cold due to the AC vents on the second floor (I love this part), and the seats are comfortable. Smoking is easily accessible, just on the other side of the rope, without missing a hand, and the comps are great. All in all, a great room.
Although there is a small handful of locals that have started to call this place their home (myself included), generally, the competition here is extremely soft. Reason being, the IP caters largely to discount "package" tourists (that get a package deal through some discount agent online, on tv, etc). Also, they cater to bus trip tours and the like, so the competition tends to be mid-west, Canadian, and northeast tourists, all looking to have a good time GAMBLING. The great thing is, it is extremely easy to spot who knows what they're doing and who doesn't. More then once, a new player at the table would ask the dealer to explain how many cards were being dealt and how much to bet (always a good sign). Chasing single pairs to the river, cold calling two raises with on the flop with the hope of catching a runner runner straight, everything you can think of. Just put your money in when you have the best of it, and protect it when you don't (credit to Mike McDermott for that line), and you should be just fine to pull out a decent profit on the 2-4 game in a couple hours.
Although many would say that the dealers here are the weakest link, I would have to disagree. Yes, I had some misdeals, and yes, more then one card flew off the table, only the first of which was the delaer's fault (the tables have a very low rail (lower then the table), so when the dealer is dealing, unless the player catches the card or it gets stopped by the chips, the card may fly off the table. But more importantly, is the attitude and speed in my opinion. The guy dealers are quick and efficient, and listen to your requests (like to deal me in when step up for a moment). The female dealers are a little talkative (Lulu being the most talkative dealer I have EVER seen), but get the job done, and and are all extremely friendly.
Depending on the girl, the drinks were either very quick or very slow. The quality of the drinks was fine, and the girls are as attractive as any other Strip casino.
No problems with management here. They work hard to make sure everyone has player's cards and are getting rated. They also get aon the speaker a little more often then necessary to recruit players to go to other games (like NL). Didn't request and table changes or anything out of the ordinary, so my only contact with management was a very positive experience. Very friendly and quick to take care of me.
Okay, I am going to go out on a limb here, and openly state that I am NOT a fan of high hand jackpots or bonuses, due to the $1 that is raked from every pot. I'm sorry, but quads and straight flushes don't come along often enough for it to be worth it, in my opinion. Just another $1 added to the rake is not a good thing, so I love the fact that the IP has no such system. Instead, you get $3 per hour on your player's card (which is the most generous in town), and if you get a high hand, you get a nice free dinner. Works for me. The $3 per hour comp credit is definately the icing on the cake that keeps my loyalty to the IP. The free cookies, coffee, water, and sandwiches is a very nice touch that just adds to the already great $3/hour comp system. Great all around room, comps system, and staff. Highly Recommended.
