There's a great poker vibe at the Orleans. I've felt it on every visit. Even though the poker room is often a vast expanse of empty tables, the tables that are going are really, really going. The tables themselves are a bit small for 10 players, but the seats are the most comfortable I've sat in. The staff is friendly and the players are often loose. It is great having several eats right across from the poker room, including Fuddruckers, Subway, and Baskin Robbins (the sundae cups fit nicely on the indentation for the table cupholders). I should add that the Orleans buffet is not only quite decent, it's very reasonably priced (with all-you-can-eat steak on Wednesday night, unfortunately the one night when there's also one of the two limit tournaments).
A wide variety of people play at the Orleans. A lot of regulars inhabit the games, especially the Omaha/8 game, which usually seems to have 2 or 3 tables running. I've seem some stupid aggression in the Omaha/8 game and some solid play. The $1/$2 NL game seems to be somewhat soft and beatable (in my limited experience in that game). The tournaments, at least the Wednesday limit tournaments, are challenging and frustrating, as you get people playing like low-limit cash games: calling all sort of bets and raises with little or nothing hoping to make draws. Stacks are decent, and 20 minute levels are nice.
Dealers are generally mechanically sounds. I did see one or two who are somewhat slow, at least in Omaha/8. Most call the game well, many are friendly with the players, although I did find one who looked like he was just going through the motions. Omaha/8 is a tough game to deal, and most dealers handled it with aplomb. (And there was one cute dealer who I wish I could have flirted with, but I dared not.)
Waitresses came around regularly, and drinks seemed to arrive quickly, although I never had any myself. However one waitress must be noted. I did not get her name, and I would not normally notice such things, but they were so incredibly prominent, they should become national monuments. I'm speaking of breasts. Boobs. Teats. Bazongas. More than Dolly Parton massive, I have no clue how clothing could be made so strong to keep gravity from doing its incessant work on such great masses. The woman herself interacted very friendly with customers, just down-to-earth nice, and seemed not at all to flaunt her advantages. Except that it was impossible not to. For some, I suppose, these alone would make the Orleans poker room worth not only a visit, but a permanent place to play.
With more than a dozen tables of largely locals playing low-limit games, and usually long lists for the games that are going, management does an incredibly adept juggling job. The list management software shows games and names in somewhat small print, but they are cramming a lot onto that screen. My last day, they even added me to the list, then let me go eat, and noted that I was away for food, and was able to get into a game when I returned without having to go to the bottom of the list. Even though I';m not a regular, but an occasional tourist, the folks behind the counter remember my name.
$1.25 an hour for the fist few hours. But have to get a comp slip from the poker room. Can't use the card in the casino establishments. Separate poker room card and casino card is annoying too.
