Hello everyone, long time no speak. Anyone know if Henry17 is still alive?

Going to be in Vegas late next week. First half of my trip next week will be hiking up in Utah. Will arrive in Vegas on the following Friday and checkout the following Monday.

I basically want a clean room, close to Sphere, and a good pool. I realize Flamingo has a pretty solid party pool, but after hearing stories about how you need to be lined up before 9 AM to get a chair by the pool I'm contemplating changing hotel plans. After hiking, drinking, etc. I just want a pool to lay by without insane noise, difficulty getting a chair, etc. Let a man relax before he leaves Vegas.

That said I've heard the Horseshoe tends to have nicer rooms, every room has a fridge, and the pool is more low-key. The downside is I hear the restaurants inside the hotel itself suck and there's more to do around the Flamingo. I've only been to Vegas once and when I stayed off strip at Alan Boston's house lol. I never really got the full experience so I feel like a fish out of water trying to make decisions.

Here are my questions:

1. Based on wants where would you recommend I stay?
2. Is the Go Pool at Flamingo that intense/busy?
3. Best room for lower stakes cash games in the area?
4. Good sushi restaurants to take my GF to? We're not packing formal wear so I'd like to avoid super high-end places where we'd look out of place.

Here are my questions:

Based on wants where would you recommend I stay? ..... Bellagio or Venetian
Is the Go Pool at Flamingo that intense/busy? .... no idea, sorry
Best room for lower stakes cash games in the area? ..... in the area? Bellagio
Good sushi restaurants to take my GF to?.... There are many, try Kabuto, Nobu (nearby at Caesars) or Roku (is the GF hot ? Pics, please.)

"We're not packing formal wear so I'd like to avoid super high-end places where we'd look out of place."

NO ONE wears formal wear in Las Vegas, most people will be wearing just enough clothes at the end of June not to get arrested.

I'm not much of a pool connoisseur, but I have heard Flamingo has a popular pool especially for the younger crowd. Wynn/Encore has a nice pool, as does Mandalay Bay. MB would be my choice if pool was top priority, but uber/cab would be mandatory to/from sphere.

WSOP starts next week, so Horseshoe/Paris is the place to be for poker (the 2 are connected by an interior walkway). You're also less than half a block away from Flamingo (& Linq, & Harrahs) for more food options and stuff. Bellagio & Caesars Palace across the street for even more food and poker options.

Can't help you on the sushi question. Might try searching the Casual Dining thread.

I see you chose violence today.

Gzesh sometimes you can just sit a thread out instead of vomiting out a nothing burger.

Honestly it sounds close OP, I'd say if you are more in a more touristy explore mood go Flamingo, if it's more a couples weekend do Horseshoe. Flamingo is definitely a party pool on weekends especially. Pool at Horseshoe if I remember correctly is subpar but not loud.

The people that actually know which low stakes are the best probably won't give you an answer and everyone else is just guessing but I would just say give as many places a shot as possible till you feel comfortable. I almost never play live but I have enjoyed the games and atmosphere at Mandalay quite a bit.

Might want to be a little more specific when you ask about Sushi. Imo price for sushi on the strip is more outrageous than any other type of restaurant, although it's tough to beat a night out at Mizumi at the Wynn. Off strip sushi varies in price but middle of the road Sen of Japan is still great, Hiroyoshi is great (both with almost no atmosphere), or you can take a step up and go to Yui Edomae or Kabuto.

there is no "room for the best poker games." it varies by room by table by hour. in general, Wynn is tougher. Horseshoe and Caesars Palace are nittier.
most rooms are enjoyable and during the summer they will all be busy.

3. Places for low-stakes poker

Bellagio, Aria, Wynn, Resorts World, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Caesars Palace, Horseshoe
Sahara, Westgate

off-Strip:
South Point, Golden Nugget, Red Rock, Orleans

During WSOP the best room = shortest list. You'll probably end up in weird places like the Westgate or Mandalay Bay. If they had any smarts, any medium sized casino on the Strip would open a temporary poker room for 2 1/2 months. LINQ, Flamingo, Harrah's, Park MGM, etc. Getting dealers could be a problem unless they plan ahead.

You forgot t this time Paris/WSOP

I think I’m going to book a room at the Horseshoe. That said, are the renovated rooms that much nicer than the non-renovated rooms? I ask because none of the renovated rooms available list a specific view, while the non-renovated rooms do. I wouldn’t mind a view of the High Roller, but not sure if it’s worth it when faced with an older room.

I’d definitely recommend Horseshoe over Flamingo for almost everything. Nicer rooms, quiter pool, and while the restaurants there aren’t great, the restaurants in Flamingo are worse. And it’s very close to Paris/Bellagio/Caesars in any case.

Just be aware that you’ll be there for the opening weekend of the WSOP. So low stakes cash games will be entirely different scene than any other time of the year. Wait lists could be very long, and you’ll probably just need to keep on top of it with Bravo/Poker Atlas.

Any thoughts on MGM Grand? I have a co-worker who swears the pool there is amazing and the lazy river is a nice touch. My GF doesn't gamble and we'll be busy with Dead & Co, pool, bouncing around to different casinos/exploring. Either way we're going to spend one day mostly at the pool. Her biggest concern is a decent pool.

My one concern with MGM Grand is that it's further south. MGM Grand is a tiny bit more expensive, so price is slightly marginal.

Right now my choice is basically down to Horseshoe or MGM Grand.

I'm staying at MGM Grand next week (I want to lounge in the lazy river). they have a poker room and Mandalay Bay is nearby too. it has a monorail stop that you can use to go north if you aren't driving.

in my limited experience it's a nice hotel. I stayed there one night in February and was very happy with the room.

I'm far from a hotel snob but flamingo is the one Caesars property I wouldn't stay at again. By about noon you can hear music blasting from the pool in your room. I tried switching to a quieter room but it was almost as bad.

I've never stayed at main MGM Grand, but my impression is that its rooms are pretty much on par with Horseshoe. It's less convenient than Horseshoe (both in general location and the fact that the casino itself is so enormous), but it does certainly have a better restaurant selection.

I -have- stayed several times at the MGM Signature. Those rooms there are very nice and many have balconies, though the location is not ideal.