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CCIE SOON

03-10-2005, 09:47 PM Post subject: First Trip to Vegas

#1 (permalink)

Join Date: Aug 2004

Posts: 47

Im making my first trip to vegas and my goal is to squeeze as much poker in, between my convention and bedtime. I am going to be bringing between $750-$1000. I have no clue where to go to get a good game - ive heard the Bellagio and Luxor have some decent games in the 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 range which seems like it will suit my bankroll pretty well. This is my first true casino experience, but i have won the last 2 home tourneys ive played in and consistently profit on PokerStars / Empire, etc. Do the limits ive listed sound about right? Where is the best place(s) to play? Is it tough to get a game (wait)?

Im also a little concerned about tipping - ive read in other posts about tipping 3% on a tourney, but what about a cash game? Do they expect tips? Tip up front? When you cash out? After a big hand? If you can help at all its greatly appreciated.

CCIE SOON

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Brodie

03-13-2005, 09:40 AM

#2 (permalink)

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 95

You're looking to play limit, right? At Bellagio I've only played NL, but I'd be shocked if they had a 2/4 limit game. The Mirage, which is close to as prestigious, bottoms out at 3/6. The Luxor has both a 2/4 and a 1/2 limit game (and a somewhat odd $50 1/1/2 NL game).

With the amount of cash you're bringing, I'd recommend starting out no higher than 2/4 and getting a feel for the how the games play in Vegas. You'll usually find a mixture of really, really bad tourists (typical Party Poker types), somewhat OK tourists and locals trying to capitalize on all of them. It's good to learn to identify each group before risking too much money. The locals that play in the small stakes games on the strip tend to be very aggressive and can be loose or tight, so you're probably better off in a game with passive tourists if you can find one.

As for places, the Luxor isn't bad at all. Excalibur has similar games, I think. The Aladdin has a new poker room that's quite nice and I think they have a 2/4 game. I hear Bally's is great, but I've never played there. The Rio is just off the strip and is also supposed to be great, but I've never played there, either. As an aside, the early rounds of the WSOP are going to be at the Rio this year, so it might be fun to say you played there.

In terms of waiting, sometimes it can be tough to get in a game. Most places will allow you to call and get on the list ahead of time, though, which might save you some time.

When winning a pot it's customary to tip $1-$2. If you enjoyed the service the dealer provided, don't be shy about tipping when they leave the table whether you've won a pot or not.

That's it, Vegas 101. Good luck!

Brodie

"The present success is the hundred failures of the past."

CCIE SOON

03-14-2005, 09:26 PM

#3 (permalink)

Join Date: Aug 2004

Posts: 47

Thanks for the reply, im actually looking to play no limit if there is anything available in the 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 range. I also wouldnt mind playing a tournament if something is available in the sub $200 buy-in range. Thanks for the tips!

Brodie

03-16-2005, 04:52 AM

#4 (permalink)

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 95

For NL, you have lots of choices. The games are known often by their buy-ins and not the blind amounts, so the lower stakes NL games are $50, $100, and $200. The 'quality' of the hotel usually dictates the stakes, so 'lower end' properties like the Luxor and the Excalibur (and I'm not judging -- I've stayed at both of those places lots of times!) have the lowest stakes, nicer places like the Aladdin have the mid-stakes and the high end places (Bellagio, Mirage, Mandalay Bay) have the highest stakes.

Blinds tend to be $1/1/2 for $50 buy-in games, $1/2 or $2/4 for the $100 games and $2/5 for the $200 games. If you want higher, there is a $10/20 $1000 buy-in game at Bellagio, but $1000 is the *minimum* buy-in (the games I mentioned earlier are all min/max buy-ins meaning that you have to buy in for the exact amount that the game requires), so you're instantly short stacked if you buy in for the minimum, which is usually not good. Plus, you're likely to find $25K plus stacks on that table, which makes it a bit rough.

For tournaments, there are a milliom of them. They key is finding ones that are actually playable. A lot of the tournaments are designed to be over quickly (they don't make much money for the casino), so they cripple you by giving you no tournament chips. It's common to find $60 buy-in tournaments that give you $300 in tournament chips with blinds of $25/50 going up every 10 or 15 minutes. Obviously you have to get your chips in the middle early in those tournies and the luck factor goes up quite a bit. For example, the Luxor has a tournament structure like this and it's just awful.

There are some good inexpensive tournaments to be found, though. The Imperial Palace has a Midnight tournament on Wednesdays that's right around $40 with a $20 rebuy and you get $1,250 in chips if you kick in the extra $5 for the dealers. Harrah's and the Rio both have daytime tournaments (11:00am and Noon, I think) for $40 that give you $1,000 in tournament chips. The Orleans has slightly higher buy-in tournaments ($80 - $120, or so) if you're looking for a little higher stakes.

When you get into town, go to a large poker room (the Bellagio or the Mirage, some place like that) and grab a copy of CardPlayer magazine. Lots of tournaments are listed in there. You can also go to the websites for most of the casinos and they will list their tournament schedules.

Good luck!

Brodie

"The present success is the hundred failures of the past."

CCIE SOON

03-16-2005, 03:05 PM

#5 (permalink)

Join Date: Aug 2004

Posts: 47

Brodie - Once again, your information and help is invaluable. Thanks alot, i really appreciate the points from someone who obviously has lots of experience. I am looking forward to this trip more than you can imagine!!! Ill be sure to let you know how i fare.

Thanks again!!!

CCIE SOON

Fnord

03-16-2005, 05:11 PM

#6 (permalink)

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Brodie

there is a $10/20 $1000 buy-in game at Bellagio, but $1000 is the *minimum* buy-in (the games I mentioned earlier are all min/max buy-ins meaning that you have to buy in for the exact amount that the game requires), so you're instantly short stacked if you buy in for the minimum, which is usually not good. Plus, you're likely to find $25K plus stacks on that table, which makes it a bit rough.

Yeah, I heard that game is uncapped. Most games like that die out really fast, so I was surprised when I heard they were running it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvge-c2_Xg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Xz8aLuD7Y

Brodie

03-31-2005, 03:11 AM

#7 (permalink)

Join Date: Nov 2004

Posts: 95

Yeah, it can be a crazy game from what I hear.

The Golden Nugget has a more reasonable no max buy-in NL game that I think the minimum is $100 and the blinds are low...maybe $2/$5 or somewhere in that neighborhood. You still see people with $800-$1000 stacks, but I'd guess $200 would be an OK amount to buy-in for there.

And CCIE, I'm happy to help! Good luck on your trip!

Brodie

"The present success is the hundred failures of the past."

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