Birthday Trip 7/27-7/29
Me and a couple of friends and my fiance stayed at the excalibur 7/27-7/29. Didn't play as much poker as I wanted to, but I got engaged so I have good reason. Played in a couple of the cheapo excalibur tourneys. I can see how it is very good for a beginning player as it is an inviting atmopshere, but the structure was pretty bad. I guess you get what you pay for. It pretty much stuck to what everyone else says.....after the second level of blinds, it is pretty much an all-in fest. The drink service was quick, which is good, because so is the tourney. Dealers were very good. I never saw any mistakes the entire time I was there.
I also played some 2-4 limit late saturday night. Bought a rack. I sat around there forever. Even if you semi-know what you are doing playing holdem, this is probobly the best/cheapest way to get trashed in vegas. As i said, late on saturday night the drink service was really good, so they were re-loading me with miller lites and jack and cokes before i even finished the previous one. I had a couple of donks at my table. One regular claiming to be v.i.p. (we all asked why he was playing such low limits). He raised every hand no matter what. Didn't even look at his hand most of the time. Too bad i didn't get any good cards to take him down. I must have watched the guy rack up at least 5 times. The floor was pretty bad, because the guy was really vulgar and kept swearing and belittling(sorry for sp?) women at the table. He asked to get kicked out on several occasions and finally the dealer called the floor. I guess he must be important, because they never kicked him out. Let him sit back down and he got back at it. Even told the asian dealer to "love him long time." It was really dissapointing actually. Another guy who didn't speak a lick of english gets pocket aces and showed everyone at the table. I pick up pocket 3's hoping to give him a bad beat. Turns out another guy at the table actually did. I'm surprised they let him spin the wheel. Shouldn't showing his hand forfeit the bad beat wheel?
All in all down $160 on poker. I did however hit $1,000 on a $1 wheel of fortune machine. Also go engaged in front of the belaggio fountain. I will be back October 19th-21st for my sisters 21st, which i plan on playing a lot more poker. I would love to play in a tourney or cash game with other AVPers, so let me know if you will be out there at that time.
This is my first post, but i have been a lurker for a long time. Thank you AVP for all the trip advice and poker insight. It has been very useful.
Glad we were able to assist in your trip planning. Engagement is a semi-legit excuse, I guess
Thanks for coming out of lurkdom and posting!
sucks you couldnt play more poker.
I didnt know Excalibur had VIP..how VIP can you be if your homebase is excal?? I would venture to guess he plays higher stakes at table games perhaps.
Im considering going back in October for that weekend.
I was thinking the same thing. What exactly is a VIP at the Excalibur? Isn't that kind of like being "one of the best hockey players in all of Mexico?"
That kind of over the top crude vulgar behavior is par for the course in that poker room in my experience, especially on the late night shift. I'm not sure it's possible to get thrown out of there on the late shift. They'll let it go on for hours all night long even as it drives dozens of players away from the game. I really think someone could physically assault the dealer, let alone another player, and keep their seat at the table. I think some people who actually have been barred from other poker rooms are aware of that and go there because of it. I know I've seen a guy who's been kicked out of the Plaza (a permanently angry violent drunk) who's apparently adopted it as his happy home. You don't get tossed from the Plaza for using the wrong salad fork, unless you're using it in the pit boss's eye socket.
The floor is better on day shift, though some of the day dealers are also burn out cases who won't call for them when they clearly should, in my opinion.
@Local Rock
I note that using the correct fork in the pit boss' eye is not a problem at the Plaza. My Excalibur experiences have generally been OK, but I've seen some bad behavior at the Ex. Generally just obnoxious players and some player abuse. Usually the dealers don't get too involved or get abused directly, but running a game where everybody at the table is bitching at each other has to get old after a while.
I've seen a player throw his cards (Chris Furguson style) at a dealer with no reaction....loose standards at this poker room....although I've cashed $500+ a couple of times, so I'm a little more tolerant of bad behavior....
Jon in Denver....
So is the Excalibur pretty good for a beginner? I've played a lot of poker with friends, and been to Vegas a bunch, but have never played in Vegas. I'm going to be at the Mandalay Bay all next week and was wondering what the best place would be for me to get started.
Free flowing drinks (as it seems is normal at the Excalibur) wouldn't hurt either - since I am not a hard core gambler. Just looking to have a good time and not get taken too hard by the pros like you guys on this board!
I think you will enjoy the Excal for a beginner. Whether your game is 2-6 spread, 2/4LHE or even 1/3NL ($200 max), it is a good starting ground.
Sup par room quality, but quick cocktails.
@LasVegasMichael I should mention that I mostly agree with this too, to be fair, since I had some harsh things to say about some aspects of the place. It's not like I've seen the stuff that I complained about, and the original poster saw, going on at every table all the time, and there are usually enough games going that you could ask for a table change if you don't like the one you've got.
my 2 cents worth on the excalibur. i made my first trip to vegas may 28-june1. i travelled alone and stayed at the excalibur based on the price and the posts here regarding the 1/2 nl game. i figured for a vegas newbie that would be the game for me. during my entire stay i did not play a single hand of poker at the ex. i cant really put my finger on it but i just did not like the vibe there. half the poker area < you cant really call it a room > was open tables while the other side was packed with players who all looked miserable to me. i figured i didnt fly halfway across america to play with a bunch of grumps. its been my experience that the juiciest games are usually those with some people who are playing poker to have fun and i just didnt see anyone there having any fun.
as far as the rooms and the overall excalibur experience i think people tend to be too hard on the place. when i travel i tend to stay at places like super 8 and budgetel. just give me a clean room with a decent bed and a hot shower and im content. the ex meets that criteria. i would say that if you want your homebase of operation to be a big part of your vegas experience pick somewhere other than the ex. if you want decent lodging at a decent price in a good location its hard to beat this place in todays vegas from what i can see.
when i was out there in may i walked down to PH 3 times a day for their tourneys i was impressed enough that when i return later this month this time with the wife in tow im staying at PH. when i go back alone in december ill be quite content to stay at the ex again. who knows maybe someone there will have grown a smile by then
@LasVegasMichael
I agree as long as you're at MB. The Ex is pretty adequate. If you were mid-Strip and just wanted cocktails and soft games, the IP and Bally's would be my picks.