[Rich G]

Going to Vegas in April and staying at the Bellagio. Was wondering if anyone has been to the Bellagio poker room? I'll be going on the weekend and hope to play there or near that area. Not looking to strike it rich in the big games but was looking at the 1-2 NL or 1-2HO games to keep away from the craps and slots. Haven't played poker in vegas for years and back then all I played was 7-stud. Suppose there are the usual tourists and some local sharps feeding on them..

Any advise on good places to play and the talent level is appreciated.

[dad604]

Bellagio is geared towards the higher limits, you will find those limits there but the lower limit area is crowded and they don't treat their low limit patrons very nicely. Also I find that the players at Bellagio are more knowledge on poker than the other poker rooms. You will find 1/2 NL at almost any casino that has a poker room in Vegas with much more fish and better treatment from management than the Bellagio. Some of the other places are MGM, Venetian, Orleans, Mirage, etc.

[Quads]

http://www.tworags.com/Bellagio.html

The Bellagio 40-table, smoke free poker room is one of the finest poker rooms in the world. The service, game selection (mid-stakes and above), amenities and setting are all first-rate--there's a reason why most regular players consider the Bellagio their favorite place to play. Unfortunately, because it's so popular, wait times can be a bit long even mid-week--it's not uncommon to wait up to an hour on weekends and evenings for some games. That said, if you're a poker player, you need to put the Bellagio on your "must play" list when visiting Las Vegas.

The room spreads a variety of games (mid-stakes and above), including stud and Omaha daily. Note to novices: the smallest limit game is $4/8 and lowest buy-in NL game is $200. In addition, there are daily tournaments (2p; see the schedule under Items of Interest for more info) and two major WPT events each year (the FIve Diamond Classic in December and the WPT World Championship in April).

Expect to find better players here. There are tourists and recreational players, of course, but it's not uncommon to find 2-3 local pros at the juicier tables. The biggest game in town takes place in Bobby's Room, a private room off to the back. Look for Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Harmon & Co. playing at all hours of the day and night.

The chairs, tables and other amenities are all high-end and the service is top-notch. The dealers are all highly efficient and professional, the floor staff courteous and knowledgeable and the wait staff friendly and responsive. There's a poker room rate, but youll need to call ahead and play at least 6 hours to qualify.

[200 Motels]

Originally Posted by dad604

they don't treat their low limit patrons very nicely

I hear ya there. I waited for 10 minutes before someone acknowledged me. I signed up or $4/$8 FL, they put my name on the list for a new table. I saw that I was #5 and said "almost enough for a new table". The floor guy said "No, not even close" and walked away.

Someone missed the 1st day of Hospitality & Tourism.

Go to Cesars. A great room and the staff are friendly as heck.

PS: I don't even think they have $1/$2 NL at the Bellagio. I think NL starts at $2/$5.

[Slim7]

I played at the Bellagio almost exclusively when I was in Vegas back in December. I would agree that the people running the room were not very cordial. I just really liked the room because of all of the pros playing there. It may not be a big deal to some, but I thought it was cool. Also, when I was there 2-5 was the smallest no limit game they were offering. It was the weekend before the 5 diamond classic, so that may be why. Overall, I liked the room very much, after I got onto a table and did not have to deal with the floor people anymore

One important thing to note is that their chip racks will actually fit 21 $5 dollar chips, rather than the typical 20 chips. This is significant, as you may cheat yourself of $5 per stack when turning them in if they check it by just running a chip along the top of the rack, as they often did when I was there. I discovered it by accident and wonder how much money that have made on that error alone!

[moneyhustler]

I'm goin' 2 visit LV in summer.. Are there any of the bigger casinos, that offer NL cash game with smaller blinds? Something like 0.25/0.5 or 0.5/1 ?!

[Rich G]

On the same note, anyone have info on daily or weekly tourneys either at Bellagio or nearby casinos.

Rich G

[Quads]

Check tworags.com or allvegaspoker.com for tourney listing / action / etc.

[BlondWidow]

Yeah, if you're looking to play a lower limit/buy-in no limit game, I would definitely recommend you head across the street to The Venetian. They have a great room and friendly staff. Caesars also has a great poker room and friendly staff. Both are in close proximity to Bellagio. As far as I know (and someone mentioned this before) Bellagio's lowest no limit game is $2/5. If you want to buy in on the cheap, try Flamingo's card room. That isn't too far from Bellagio and they have a $1/2 game. If you decide to venture down the Strip a little, check out MGM Grand or Tropicana for a $1/2 (or $1/3) no limit game.

Venetian is supposed to have a good $130 daily tourney as well (according to another thread here). If that's too steep a buy-in, wander on down (or take the monorail from Harrah's/Imperial Palace) to the Sahara. That place isn't glamorous by any means, but they have a fun nightly tourney for like $40. (I think it starts at 7:30, but don't quote me on that time.)

Wherever you end up I'm sure you'll have a blast. There are so many options for cardplayers out there right now that you don't have to play any place 2 sessions in a row if you don't want to. Make sure to give us a report when you get back.

Originally Posted by Quads

http://www.tworags.com/Bellagio.html

Quads, thanks for posting that link. I've never seen that site before. Very nice find. (Tried to pos rep you, but I have to spread it around first... )

[bostonterrier]

I just got back from vegas,the lowest nl is at the luxor 1/2 nl 50 min and max,it had to be the craziest nl table I have ever played also the cheapest to