2+2 Magazine: Status of Las Vegas Poker- Winter, 2010 - Poker Card Room

My quarterly survey of the poker rooms on the Las Vegas Strip was done for the February issue of the Two Plus Two Magazine.

Status of Las Vegas Poker- Winter, 2010

Here's the raw data.

I'm thinking of trying to expand the survey so that it at least includes the largest off-Strip poker rooms. However, in order to accomplish this, I'm going to need reliable volunteers to be present at the Orleans, Red Rock, and other properties to do the counting on a designated date and at a designated time.

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02-01-2010 , 07:30 AM

Howard Burroughs

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1,673

Thanks for doing these, Dynasty. They are great!

I would be happy to help out with Orleans & Red Rock (one, I'm in a lot - the other I live very close to) but the time of day I could do it may not work well for your survey.

Anyway, thanks very much for your series!

Hojo

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02-01-2010 , 07:41 AM

Howard Burroughs

old hand

Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 1,673

Heck, if you give me plenty of notice, I should be able to handle a bunch of rooms for you on your next one.

Just let me know if I can be of any help.

Hojo

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02-01-2010 , 09:47 AM

One Big Ass

journeyman

Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 361

How much of The MGM Grands number is due to being at the intersection with the highest number of hotel rooms, with the adjacent hotels having no or very little poker. (Trop, Hooters, Excal., NYNY)?

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02-01-2010 , 11:07 AM

PardoG

veteran

Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,795

so sad to see the wynn crapping out....my first trip out to vegas was when the Wynn first opened and I really loved it there, the chips, the room , the staff everything...on all of my trips back i try my best to be faithful and play there but as you can see it's just so hard because the 2-5 action is really light compared to the venetian and they never have PLO anymore which they used to a couple years back, it's a shame it was always my favorite room, but the venetian is just too good, and they offer so many other games....maybe aria will become my new spot when I head out in may for my yearly visit....

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02-01-2010 , 01:32 PM

pflwardog

adept

Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 959

Yeah MGM just seemed to luck out and find a niche, they seem destined to always be a top 5 room no matter who comes on to the scene

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02-01-2010 , 02:27 PM

Frond

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,892

Great work as always D

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02-01-2010 , 03:42 PM

ml02kr

grinder

Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 645

awesome work

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02-01-2010 , 08:17 PM

THeCDXX

newbie

Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 16

Hey I play regulary at boulder if you need some help there

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02-01-2010 , 09:38 PM

#10

callipygian

slowrolled by tpiranha!

Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 19,880

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Burroughs

Thanks for doing these, Dynasty. They are great!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frond

Great work as always D

Quote:

Originally Posted by ml02kr

awesome work

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02-01-2010 , 10:40 PM

#11

torontotablecpt

adept

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 745

Good work Dynasty...could you expand on the "other" category. I'm looking for Stud variations.

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02-02-2010 , 12:06 AM

#12

Dynasty

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 25,942

Quote:

Originally Posted by torontotablecpt

Good work Dynasty...could you expand on the "other" category. I'm looking for Stud variations.

Venetian (5): two 4-8 Omaha/8, one 8-16 Omaha/8, one 30-60 stud, and one 1-2 pot-limit Omaha.

Bellagio (3): one 30-60 Omaha/8, one 20-40 stud, one 150-300 mix (HORSE, TD 2-7, PLO)

Aria (5): one 9-18 Omaha/8, four 4-8 HORSE

The Venetian 30-60 stud game is new. It's been running on weekends for a few weeks.

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02-02-2010 , 12:48 AM

#13

any2cards

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 246

Dynasty ... I live about 2 miles from GVR. If you have any interest in including this poker room in your next survey, I would be willing to help.

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02-02-2010 , 12:51 AM

#14

any2cards

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 246

Quite frankly, I play about 1500 to 2000 hours a year in various rooms around town. So, much like HoJo, give me some notice, and I could help out with all kinds of rooms.

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02-02-2010 , 05:39 AM

#15

chubby checker

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 143

At the moment, is it just yourself collecting the data? I imagine there might be a two hour difference between the Wynn data and, say, the Mandalay Bay. Across the afternoon/early evening period this could be all the difference in the world. This is not a criticism, just something to aid interpretation of the results.

How long does it take to gather the data? And do you work North-South or South-North? I personally would find a timestamp in each line of your spreadsheet very informative.

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02-02-2010 , 09:31 PM

#16

Lote

journeyman

Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 280

Do you think Aria's immediate success is sustainable or is it just a flash in the pan? Also, was this survey taken before or after MGM's change to 1000 cap 2/5nl?

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02-02-2010 , 10:11 PM

#17

Cooling Heels

adept

Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 740

Quote:

Originally Posted by One Big Ass

How much of The MGM Grands number is due to being at the intersection with the highest number of hotel rooms, with the adjacent hotels having no or very little poker. (Trop, Hooters, Excal., NYNY)?

Yes, the MGM does have a great location. The hotel is one of the largest in the world, and Excal, Trop and NYNY are all very large hotels. The physical placement of the room front and center also helps; they don't hide the poker room like HP, TI, or C.

One thing I like about MGM is that they consistently have games early in the day. If I am in town for a 3 day weekend then I can count on finding a game there Saturday or Sunday morning.

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02-03-2010 , 02:32 AM

#18

otter

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 5,477

I'm not surprised the Wynn is going downhill. Going back 3-4 years the Wynn had the tightest games. Despite that people loved playing there because they wanted to be seen there or to say they played there.

What time was the survey taken?

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02-03-2010 , 04:05 AM

#19

Dynasty

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 25,942

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubby checker

At the moment, is it just yourself collecting the data?

How long does it take to gather the data? And do you work North-South or South-North?

I do the survey by myself and it takes about four hours to go from Bally's to Mandalay Bay to Wynn to Flamingo/Bill's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by otter

What time was the survey taken?

I started the survey just before 5:00pm and finished about four hours later.

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02-03-2010 , 10:43 AM

#20

Stelios

centurion

Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 154

Quote:

Originally Posted by PardoG

I agree. The Wynn was the first Vegas room that I ever played in. They used to have a 15-30 and 30-60 go all the time. As well as a 8-16 and 40-80 mixes. It's still probably the best looking room in town. Just sad that it deteriorated to a low limit room.

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02-03-2010 , 11:16 AM

#21

PardoG

veteran

Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,795

otter don't forget about the perfect 10 cocktail waitresses back then, not that they are shabby now, but before the venetian, aria etc, the wynn had the best ladies

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02-03-2010 , 03:17 PM

#22

ml02kr

grinder

Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 645

Quote:

Originally Posted by otter

i dont think so buds, u obv. never play there, it is pretty loose 1-3 anyway; how many 1-3 games have 3k pots? its been 6 months for me but still...

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02-03-2010 , 05:32 PM

#23

grdred944

veteran

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,254

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dynasty

I do the survey by myself and it takes about four hours to go from Bally's to Mandalay Bay to Wynn to Flamingo/Bill's.

I started the survey just before 5:00pm and finished about four hours later.

Great survey. Have you considered perhaps doing it on two nights and reversing course for the second night? The difference between a place at 5:00PM and at 9:00PM seems significant but if you averaged it out by reversing your lap around the Strip the next night it may help.

And if the issue is time you spend on it I would imagine some would be willing to help. I would be glad to volunteer.