Compared against the other small rooms in Vegas, TI is top notch. Room is small and cozy (8 tables), with a friendly and festive vibe. Room is well-located near Kahunaville and Mystere, and right by the tram from the Mirage, leading to good walk by traffic. Room was generally busy into the early am hours, even midweek, though games may be tough to find early morning to noonish. Tables are nine-handed, which I like for comfort purposes. The weekend headhunter tourneys are fun and a great value.
Overall, I just feel comfy playing at TI. I also love to play at Venetian, Wynn, MGM, and Bally's, and I like to move around when I'm in Vegas (a great part of the experience). That being said, there is just something about the staff, the vibe, and the games at TI that make me find myself wandering back, even when I'm staying at the other end of the Strip.
Something of a mixed bag. There are a lot of tourists, a smattering of poker-drinkers, and a handful of local sharks. The 1/3 NL game recently moved to buy-ins of $50-$300, which I think has added to the number of casual players joining the cash game (a good thing). If you catch the right table, this is a highly profitable location. On an average table, you should still find a juicy game.
Most of the dealers have been around for a while, and are top notch in terms of skill and game management. Overall a friendly and highly personable bunch, and they add a lot of value to the game with good player interaction. Frankly, for 1/2 and 1/3 NL games in Vegas, dealer personality can make a big difference to how a game plays, and these dealers certainly add to the game profitability. Players having fun while losing money are all I could ask for!
No premium drinks, but the usual array of beer and liquor is available. Service is usually pretty fast, though one late night server has a real attitude issue, and seems to display it by working slowly. Overall, though, drink service is a notch above most small rooms on the Strip.
This is the biggest strength of the room. Management goes out of their way to help players. I have had room reservations made by management. One night, I called to see if games were running; the manager recognized my voice and put me on the list without my request--talk about great service! Another late shift manager went out of his way to keep games up and running into the early am, and even tracked me down in the casino to see if I wanted a seat that had opened up after my game broke. Tourneys are very well-run. I defy anyone to find better management or customer service anywhere in Vegas.
Comps are as good as you could want. TI offers a great poker room rate. You also get $2/hour towards meals at any TI restaurant (let me sugest Social House or Isla). There are also HHJs for quads and straight flushes. I won a freeroll tourney for front-row UFC tickets. Hard to compete with this array of freebies!
