Best Trip Report Youll find on this site - Many rooms visited during the WSOP
I've read a number of reviews which werent real helpful or truthful I found after spending this last week in Vegas. Hopefully this helps a lot of you. I will rank rooms in order of my favorites and explain why:
#1. Aria - This is a real nice room with nice atmosphere and a good mix of players. I won money every session I played here. There are poor players, good players, and a lot of I think I'm a pro but they suck players you can take advantage of. The waitresses a couple times were rude but not bad for vegas and the dealers were professional. This and the Venetian are the most played rooms with the most people and its obvious why.
#2. Venetian - Same a the Aria. Real good mix of average players. The reason I did the best in the Aria and Venetian I think is the players are not great but good (theyve played a few times vs someone clueless) and because of that are easy to figure out (Vs other rooms where people are crazy adn bad and therefore hard to predict). Nice room, STRONG drinks. If you're in Omaha they have GREAT 1-2 Omaha game with good players which I enjoyed. DO NOT play this game though if you've only played omaha 3 times in your life. These guys even at the 1-2 level knew how to play which I loved (not just an all in ship fest like some games).
#3. Bellagio - Nice room but MY GAWD Someone needs to teach the people who run the room and bartenders some manners. Rude as Hll. Lady taking names rude. Bartender at bar next door rude. ALso the table are real tight so people are always bumping you. Ok now onto the good. The dealers are awesome. Very friendly. ONe asian dealer there is hilarious. At my table there were (in my opinion) 3 sharks and the reast weak fish and we ate them up. Good mix. Thing is the 2 others were real good 0 much better than the opther places which caused me some trouble but I like the challenge and still made goos money off the fish. Its also smokey in there from the nearby casino and the wait is real long so even though I loved the players and dealers the negatives make me want to play at the other 2 vs this one.
#4. Harrah's - VERY nice room though not as fancy as the top 3 it is sharp. Waitress is VERY rude like most places in vegas in poker rooms. Players are not good poker players but people who have played maybe a yr part time (weaker then the top 2). It is a tighter game like the typical 1-2 games you see away from vegas however I showed a couple of bluffs which allowed me action and make money.
#5. Rio during the WSOP - COLD. Bring a sweatshirt as they keep this room 40 degrees for some reason. Tables are crappy and cash games are tougher than other rooms although action is pretty good. I only played here 2 hours and theres a reason for that. Its like playing in a cold gymnasium. Rake is higher than the local rooms as well. Only reason to play here is for the tournaments which are pretty good and decent structures.
6. Hard Rock Cafe - Nice room. Very poor players which can be hard to figure out since they overvalue their hands. The people who ran the room were TERRIBLE. Bald guy there running the room was rude to players and for hours everyone asked for a setup change and he ignored us. I'll never go back for that reason. Plus its not reallyu a room, just a roped off area. Also it was tough to get a game going and we were short handed for hours with only one table.
7. Planet Hollywood - Ok room. In the middle of the floor so your surrounding by slot machines and smoke. Waitresses are very rude. PLayers are horrendous so again be prepared for silly plays and true varience as noone folds.
8. Orleans - Nice room. Aweful players than do silly stuff like chk raising all in w top pr sht kicker because they think its the nuts. For me these players are hard to win money off of because they play goofy and are hard to figure out. I didn't care for it.
9. Binions, Golden Nugget, Bills, and Imperial Palace - DUMPS. (I didn't play at Bills though, just looked dumpy). Crappy rooms, smoky, beat up tables and drunken idiots. I guess if you want to try stealing money from the drunks goto Binions especially if you can put up with them. AGain very bad players but atmosphere sucks and waitresses are rude.
10. Ceasers - I didn't play here. The room just looked so stale; Being all white is look liked a big cafeteria.
11. Riviera - Roped off area which has one game going if you're lucky. Starts late, doesn't go all night. The Riveria overall is a stinky dump. The people who ran it were cool and the players were poor but not so poor it drove you crazy. Good game just one that keeps breaking up probably because the Riveria is a dump.
So you pretty much dislike something in almost every room you played in?
Great 1st post
I guess its the aria and venetian for my cash game action. I cant pass up those 235 wsop dailies at the rio when i get there. Ill make sure to take a sweater ;] thanks for the awesome review.
So the players were "awful" because they were hard to win money from and also hard to figure out ? It sounds like you might need to work on your game -IMHO
.
On the plus side, you did go to a lot of the different rooms, including those off the Strip. Overall, a good review.
Seems like you have issues with cocktail waitresess.
Anyway, good report. IMHO I'd rather sit in a game full of horrible players than have a "good mix" with sharks in the game, but whatever floats your boat. ...no kidding about the temperature at the WSOP; I didn't even sit down to play and I was already freezing. GL on your future trips!
Interesting to see your perspective on the various rooms. How'd you do on the trip? Hopefully it was a profitable one!
Been to most of the places you visited as my wife and I go to Vegas twice a year. I have mostly the same thoughts on the rooms, and the play. Pretty accurrate, but you just can't put everything in a box like that. Any given day there could be a shark at your table at Ballys and a bunch of fish or toolboxes on tilt at your table at Aria. However, with that in mind, Beliagio is dangerous if you can't identify the sharks when you first sit down. Ceasars does suck as far as atmosphere of the room, but they do have alot of action in there. MGM I've made a killing on every trip, but since they moved the room the traffic isn't there and the toolboxes have gone elsewhere so watch for really tight play. Planet Hollywood - man, alot of action and alot of money to be made, but get ready for all in pre-flop moments where you don't know if your k's are going up against a bs bluff, 10's, or a's. Aria is Planet Hollywood times 10 when it comes to action and huge pots.
The last 2 trips I've taken we've stayed and played at the Station Casinos, which I have to highly recommend. Aliante Station, Green Valley Ranch, and Red Rock are the top 3 and anyone that goes to Vegas regularly have to check them out. It's too bad there's not more trip reports on them. Once you go, you won't want to bother with the strip near as much anymore. The competition is stronger as it's 80-90% locals at the tables, but all of the comps, bad beat jackpots, house share in tourneys and reg, there's just no comparison. Wife and I love to play >100% deuces wild video poker too, and they have the machines for it. We ate 2 meals free every day on our players card and are normally there for 7 to 10 days. As for smokey trashy rooms - it's just not the case when you go to any of these 3 station casinos. You can smoke in there but the air filtration is way better. The buffets are outstanding. The fitness rooms are great. The rooms are perfect. The atmosphere isn't near as loud. And the whole place is clean and doesn't look old and run down. The pools are simply incredible.
Hey frisco, I agree that the newer Station casinos are beautiful. I have not been to Aliante Station but I may give it a try based on your recommendation. I love Red Rock and the whole Summerlin area; in fact I strongly considered moving there a few years ago. I played a little poker at Red Rock and the room was terrific but the players were a little too tight. Same thing with Green Valley Ranch. I was pretty hard on GVR in my last trip report because the game was so tight, but I should reiterate that the room itself was REALLY nice. I also stayed at Boulder Station once. It's one of the older ones, but it's a great value (weekday room rates are often in the $20-$30 range).
While I like staying at off-Strip casinos, I generally don't like to play poker in them because the games are not very profitable. I am not a professional poker player and I like to have fun, but I have a lot more fun when I'm making money.
@harryhood
I'm honest. There's good and bad in eery room you play in. I"m not posting to be a politician. I had a great time but every room has good and bad dork.
@GaminDeBuci
So the players were "awful" because they were hard to win money from and also hard to figure out ? It sounds like you might need to work on your game -IMHO
.
On the plus side, you did go to a lot of the different rooms, including those off the Strip. Overall, a good review.[/quote]
Talk to any pro and they'll tell you they'd rather play a pro vs amatuers who are harder to figure out. Everntually maybe you'll get good enough to realize that. Decent players are easier to figure out and you can actually bluff them because they are capable of folding. If you're playing a drunk calling station you can just wait for the nuts and get value for it I guess if you like playing like that. ALso bad players overvalue their hands is chk raising all in w top pr sht kicker. Doesn't sound to me like you've done a lot of playing to see goffy players like that you are difficult to play against. Your response makes no sense.
@HaysCode
Or they also hook and just hate men because of it? lol
Hey man what can I say. That was really my only complaint about vegas. Waitreses real btchy. Maybe they weren;t happy they couldn't make it as a hooker?
@JonFriedberg
It was. I made out real well in cash. Lost those profits though playing the tourneys at the Rio. I'm going back soon to just play cash.
@meetmeinfrisco
Cool. I'll have to check those out next time.
The people I know who tell me they'd rather play against pros/winning players are usually new and amateur players.
I'm not trying to belittle your post or stance on this matter. Everything just comes down to player dependent adjustments and picking correct spots. Seems like OP is good at realizing whats going on and doesn't want to get in high variance spots. I can respect that. There was a lady at Tropicana the other day bluff raising every other hand and spewing off. I immediately got stacked for $300 when she sucked out on me. REBUY and in the next 2 orbits I'm back up over $900. If you have a proper bankroll then I think these wild and unpredictable spots can be insanely profitable.
Don't bluff calling stations or at charity event tournaments!
GL on the next visit!
I agree with Cajun. You may experience a wild ride of variance against bad players, but that doesn't mean you don't want to play against them. You just have to adjust. Obv you cannot bluff people who never fold, so don't bluff them. You have to take them to Value Town with your big hands. Money comes from playing better than your opponents. It really is that simple.
Once you figure out who is playing stupid than yes you need to adjust. But its a fact when you first sit down you can lose money due to bad players playing unpredictable and can lose a bit intially until you figure them out. Theres lmore variance and therefore you stand to lose more intially until you figure them out. You guys are missing the point. A lot of times these bad players wont be around long enough after you do figure them out if they got you intially with crazy play. Theres plenty of great action at the Aria and Venitian where you dont have to put up with that. If you like playing donkeys and just waiting for the nuts and take them to value town like most amatuer new players like than there you go. I think its the opp and youre the new player and new to the game if you prefer that style of play. Personally I like playing poker w thinking players vs just waiting for the nuts and taking the donks to value town. You can be waiting a long time in this game zzzzzzz.
@wildcrazyguy
You don't have to wait for the nuts. You just have to play better than your opponents. The worse your opponents are, the more likely it is that you can play better than them. Simple, right?
@HaysCode
You don't have to wait for the nuts. You just have to play better than your opponents. The worse your opponents are, the more likely it is that you can play better than them. Simple, right?[/quote]
HaysCode - right on - excellent advice!!
I think that the OP is subconsciously saying he likes playing against passive, highly predictable, ABC poker types (don't we all?) - particularly those on the tight side who will fold to a bluff, so that he doesn't need to include patience in his game skills. However, by using the term "thinking players", the ego gets a boost.
Yes, I am prepared to get flamed . . . again.
Beneficial report. IMHO I might rather sit within a game full involving horrible players than employ a "good mix" with sharks from the game, nevertheless whatever floats ones boat.... no kidding regarding the temperature for the WSOP; My spouse and i didn't even have a seat to play and I had been freezing. GL on your foreseeable future trips!