A review of the top 10 casinos and hotels in Las Vegas weighted heavily on their poker room quality. A good read for any potential Las Vegas tourist who wants a quick taste of The Strip before sitting down at the tables.
1. The Bellagio
The Bellagio is the most played casino in Las Vegas and is the choice casino for pros such as Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, & Chip Reese. The Bellagio, other than being an AAA 5-diamond hotel and casino, has a wide range of games, a great mix of people and an even greater atmosphere. The Bellagio is known for its high stakes with limit hold'em starting at /8. Away from the poker tables and you have some great attractions such as the wonderful and famous musical fountains and botanical gardens.
2. Caesars
Free drinks and automatic shufflers? What more could you want! Caesars Palace offers a wide range of poker variations from limit holdem to omaha hi/lo. The luxury casino and hotel offers attractions such as an exotic car show room, two free and fantastic fountain shows, a nightclub and a shuttle to and from the hotel. The casino has been featured in over a dozen films and is to appear in the new release, "Iron Man".
3. The Wynn
The brand spanking new casino in Las Vegas is sure to attract all sorts of poker players to its luxury suite. Oddly enough, The Wynn is the first casino to hold a luxury car dealership on the 215 acres of space that it covers. The games at The Wynn are similar to that played at The Ballagio, with highly skilled dealers and automatic card shufflers. Anything goes here, if it's in demand then it will be played; it's not uncommon to come across a 6 man / Chinese poker game!
4. The Mirage
The wide variety of games and limits at The Mirage is what appeals to most. This is one of the only casinos where you will see less popular variations of poker, such as Omaha, being played at high stakes. The resort has a great exotic theme to it, with a huge Atrium at the entrance to the casino containing palm trees and water features to mention a few. There is also an artificial volcano that erupts during the evening which rivals the spectacular views at The Bellagio fountains.
5. The Venetian
The Venetian boasts the largest poker resort in all of America and even contains its own shopping mall. The Venetian offers over 122 casino games and a sports lounge. At The Venetian you won't have to leave the resort, there are 17 restaurants and attractions that would keep you more than busy while you're not at the tables.
6. MGM Grand
The MGM Grand holds one of the largest poker rooms in Las Vegas and is one of the places seen to play a "kill blind", similar to a "straddle" in no limit hold'em. If you are looking to play poker to make a killing while on holiday in Las Vegas then this is the poker room for you; as the poker room is situated near the entrance and so fish are constantly passing by. There are plenty of exciting attractions at The Grand including a glass walled lion habitat which has several viewings a day!
7. Binions
Binions is renowned as being the birth place of the World Series of Poker. The poker room contains over 70 poker tables with a featured table to use as the final table for their daily tournaments. Binions casino and hotel is marked with years of history after opening in 1951. Binions is also referred to as "The Horseshoe" which was the brand name used for many other casino properties.
8. Rio All-Suite
This is the home to the modern day World Series of Poker, which is held in the Rio's convention room rather than the poker room. Some say the resort is better known for its delicious 5 themed buffet meal than it is for poker; however the poker room is certainly more than adequate for all types of poker player.
9. The Orleans
Situated far from the main strip in Las Vegas, The Orleans is great for those who want to play lower limit variations of poker such as Omaha. They even have tournaments for any poker players bankroll including a daily Omaha Hi/Lo game. The Orleans is not the destination for European and Asian tourists but more for the Las Vegas locals and long term residents making the atmosphere far more low key.
10. The Palms
The Palms has had its name publicized recently after being home for the popular show, Celebrity Poker Showdown. The poker room is spread over 2 separate rooms with just 10 tables and dwindles in comparison with some of the other casinos in Las Vegas. One room is dedicated to limit and the other to no limit making the variations of poker very limited. The Palms redeems some of its poker credibility with a progressive jackpot for hands such as a straight flush or four of a kind.
