7 Places to Play Poker in Las Vegas

From Zeke Quezada,
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Need to make some money playing poker?

If you are looking for a poker room in Las Vegas where you can make some money here is a few where I have enjoyed myself and have been lucky.

Obviously, Las Vegas poker rooms that I am fonder of usually are those where I have won more often at. However, these are a few of my suggestions based on a little more than my actual earning potential on any given day.

Mandalay Bay Poker Room– I will typically play $100 or $200 Buy-in No Limit at the Mandalay Bay.I only play mornings here, usually after 8 AM, but before 10 AM. This poker room is cold so make sure you bring a sweater. Look around, the guys dressed for the occasion will rob you blind.
Most players are solid but what you get here on most weekday mornings are those guys who are here for a convention but want to get a few hands in before they head over to the convention center.They play loose and reckless. It’s not difficult to cash in on these guys if you have the patience to seek them out.Typically, they are what I like to call the “in a hurry calling station.” They want to make a few bucks so badly, just to have something to brag about to their coworkers, that they play weak hands and call or raise on small and middle pairs.
The solid players will let you steal a few pots but they will surprise you when you get too confident with their money. There is an old guy there, bald, almost always wears a turtleneck that seems to always have the cards. He's trapped me so well that I practically open my wallet for him.

Bottom line at the Mandalay Bay Poker Room - You can make some money at the No-Limit tables if you have a little bit of patience and you realize that most of these players are solid. Pick and choose your prey and you should easily double up.

Bellagio Poker Room – This place is plush. It has been renovated and it feels like big money. If you’re feeling lucky get there early to play in a satellite for the daily tournament. Sunday – Thursday the satellite buy-in is $130, weekends the price doubles and the sharks come out so it is not as good. These satellites pay the top two for the afternoon tournament at 2PM . It’s a $500 buy-in but you get in by wining the satellite. They start at 9AM. Single table satellites are pretty straight forward here, just be patient and do not chase the low percentage draw. I have been pretty successful getting to the top two in these single table satellites. My problem comes when I lose my patience in the afternoon tournaments.
I have not played No Limit at the Bellagio because there are a lot of players there with money to burn, in other words, you will probably not push someone off a pot with ease. But I have played 4-8 and 8-16 with some success. Solid players can always be found here and rarely will you get beat by some goof ball who holds his 7 -2 off suit.Lower limit tables are hard to find here on weekends.

Bottom line at Bellagio Poker Room - Simple, unless you took a few people at another Poker room you should only consider the Bellagio Poker Room if you want to play a high limit tournament. The regular tables include too many good players, with money, that lessens your chance to make some money. You will have fun, but making some extra cash will be harder.

Monte Carlo Poker Room – The room here is simple and on the weekends the wait can get very long. I like this place because the limits are generally lower than at the bigger places around town. Afternoon players range from the guy who has been watching too much poker on TV to the guy that knows how to steal money from your stack while you smile at him. I play 2-4 or 3-6 here often enough to make money to pay for dinner. The weekend crowd drinks enough that they call almost anything and usually suck out on you. Be careful with the alcohol drinkers at the Monte Carlo. However, because of the alcohol factor you can make a little cash.

Bottom line at the Monte Carlo Poker Room – If you’re staying at the Monte Carlo it is very convenient to crawl out of bed and walk down and play a few hands. If you’re looking to play at night you might have to wait for a while because they don’t have as many tables as some of the other places. They have a decent $30 tournament every weekday morning.

MGM Grand Poker Room – This room is new and it’s in the middle of the casino. With all that is going on around you, you can get a little anxious and want to play a lot of hands. The secret here is the drunken tourist factor.Play here late at night and you can almost always get the “drunk calling station with money to burn” You can make some money at the MGM because the quality of players is definitely a notch below the Bellagio and the Mandalay Bay. They spread a lot of games so the wait is not too bad and you will always find some first timer at your table.

Bottom Line at the MGM Grand Poker Room- Start counting your cash as you keep a lookout for the guy who has had way too much to drink.12 Next

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