I'm on it. Should be up and running in a couple of weeks

dcarp

I'll be checking out that 8-16 fish pond tomorrow. I fly out tomorrow morning, and the $25 comp convinced me to play some limit poker.

For those of you in town this past weekend, "I am livid."

Can anyone tell me how many runners the 12PM & 7PM tourneys get on say Monday's through Thursdays? Is there a big difference in the amount of runners between the two. I guess the 12PM is better to play because of the 30 minute levels.

Every time I see/play it, it's around 80+, usually close to 100. And there is little difference between the two in that respect. Obviously the structures are different.

Hey all you cheapos, just do what I do. Walk over to the food court and get a plate of pasta or pizza or salad or whatever with your free Fiji and have a quick meal for around $10. There are 3 or 4 little takeout places across the casino from the poker room.

I was just there 2 weeks ago and even though I had bad sessions at cash tables and bubbled the Second Chance SAturday night tourney I do have to agree that the Venetian has the nicest room and best service.

You just get that feeling that they care. Care about really anything related to what's going on in the room. This attitude probably has to be coming from the higher ups and I'm glad they know what they are doing. On the same trip I was at Bellagio and I had my best win there but I did not care at all for the vibe/attitude I got from their staff. They are good at ignoring you as you walk up and stand at the sign-up desk and I got the feeling they really didn't want to be spreading 1/2 NL. Even with a long wait list for 1/2 NL, free dealers and empty tables sitting there the idea of opening a new table seemed novel until I brought up the idea. They did seem to have a great business going on in their higher limit games so I kind of understand their feelings business-wise. But it still rubs me the wrong way. And I say that as an MGM shareholder. I'll add that has been very -EV for me so far.

Both MGM and LVS (Venetian) are heavily levered and downturn in convention biz is just hurting right now. I hope that gets better. It also makes for even better weekday poker experience when you have those conventioneers at the tables.

I thought the cocktail service was not bad for a room of that size. And I like that they don't flinch if I order a Glenlivet. I have to question if serving Fiji as house H20 is wise to the bottom line. It is not even very good tasting water. Self service coffee area was brilliant. It's a good brew.

An added plus is that the massage girls at the V have that girl next door look, full figure, big tata's and look great in those tight pink t-shirts they wear. I love watching them walk around the room looking for their next mark. At Bellagio the massage girl was just as cute but she was wearing scrubs. Cmon!

Actually there is a house water that they sometimes bring out when the Fiji isn't cold. There was a time that they served both, bringing Fiji to those who asked for it. But I think it just got to the point where when people found out they had Fiji thats what they wanted so the waitresses stopped bothering with the house water. To me it all tastes the same so i don't see what the big deal is.

You can always tell the cheap locals because they get 2 waters and save them under their chairs to bring home. Just because Fiji is expensive. If you do this you should know, your a loser. They tip one dollar for something that costs about 3 or 4 in the store.

I kinda wish they'd triple the food prices in the poker room for obvious reasons.

I agree with this but does anyone else get headaches from the deodorizer the pump through the ventilation system.

It's slightly annoying but I mainly notice it when walking in. Thing is there's so many people who like that scent and identify it with the V.

Ohhh, that smell makes me SO happy!!! I love it and breathe in as much as possible when I'm around it. I TOTALLY associate it with the V. MmMmm!!!

We haven't had a daytime tourny under 100 in about 3 weeks. The 7pm usually is over 100 with it dipping below once or twice a week.

As far as which is better...It depends on what you're looking for. Yes, the 7pm is faster, but many of my more aggressive players prefer that tourny as it tends to have more "recreational" players. Then again, I run the daytime event, so it MUST be better, right? J/K

dcarp

dcarp, is 5/10 NL the highest cash game you guys are spreading? do you guys have any intentions of trying to take some high-stakes action away from the bellagio?

To Pezbaby:

I 'm the guy who sat next to you at the Venetian on Sunday at table 20.

The best entertainment I had in Vegas last week was watching you toss it back at those three guys across the table. Unfortunately you were on break when the table broke up and I did not get a chance to tell you how much fun it was.

As a player who plays in Vegas about five days a week, the Venetian is by far my favorite place to play. Because of the comps, I never have to worry about paying for food. On the weekends, the pizza place will deliver to the table and the food is quite good for the money (Chicken Parmesean especially). The room service food takes awhile and is not necessarily warm when it gets to you. Compare this with the Bellagio where it is impossible to get a comp (however, a new comp tracking system is in place to help alleviate this problem), the food at the snack bar is expensive, and, because there is no space between the tables, it is almost impossible to eat at the table. Some people put their take-out on a chair (no small side tables available). The Bellagio's redeeming quality is the 5/10 NL games are quite good. They usually have at least two tables and the must-move games don't get too short-handed. Don't understand why the V can't attract more tourists/conventioneers for the 5/10 game.

It's true. At first it bothered my allergies but I got used to it. Now when I walk in on my first day in Vegas, I have an "ah - I'm home" moment.

13 days and counting.

I've been saying it's the best room in LV since just after they opened. Just played in a couple of nooners a few weeks ago (mmmm....bubblicious ). It's my home base during WSOP. I've stayed there at other times of the year and never left the building.

Good dealers too (Sabrina ftw imo).

As for a quick bite...that nearby noodle place is my choice unless it's super busy (which does happen...it's goot!).

DSE only a couple weeks away!

I would just like to throw in my love of the Venetian into this thread.

I was in Vegas 5th - 15th Oct, and played at the Venetian the last 4 days, in the tourneys. The room, service, atmosphere and players were all great, although the last one may be influenced by me getting to 3 final tables in that time!

I will be back!

Bumping for awesomeness of the V poker room. Was out there this past summer in middle of June during the craziness of the WSOP. Stayed at the Rio and have to say that the V's poker room is leagues ahead of the dinky poker room at the Rio. After donking out of a $1500 at the WSOP, headed over to the V to see if all the hype I have read on here was accurate.

At first, I would have to say that I was quite impressed with the overall aesthetic and layout of the poker room. As soon as I entered, bam, it was right to my left, no long walk needed. Chips shuffling, hot massage girls scurring about, cards flying in the air, rich drunk idiots giving money away at the $1/$2 tables. I could tell right away that this was going to be my poker room of choice for my trip. Got on the list for $1/$2, was third or fourth and ended up getting a seat within five minutes. I found out throughut several trips to the V that getting a seat was wayyyy quicker than at the Rio, where there could be several open seats and a list of 20 people waiting and the staff shuffling their feet. The $1/$2 was way soft, ended up winning around $500-$600 in one three hour session on my trip. Noticed that I either wound up on really active tables with people throwing their money away or really tight tables with a bunch of regs where we would hardly ever reach showdown.

Played a $300+$30+$10 DeepStack event also when I was there this past June. The structure looked great, and after busting the $1500 WSOP (which wasn't that great of a structure for that amount of money) I was determined to not donk off my stack. Registered the night before the tourney, and am glad I did cause the lines got pretty long right before the tourney started. 12,000 starting stacks with 40 minute levels and blinds starting at 50/100, and automatic shufflers. Already seemed leagues ahead of the WSOP donkaments. Managed to get quads in the second level and won a decent pot, then lost a decent sized pot to a middle aged donk to my right one hand before the first break. He had 5 or 6K, I had 18K or so, and doubled him up when I turned a straight and flush draw with AKs against his set of jacks. So back down to starting stack after three levels, but still all right. Antes began in third level, at 100/200 25. There was a good mix of solid players, donks, spazzes, nits and rocks. Went on a heater in the fourth and fifth levels and got my stack up to it's peak at around 80K or so in the eight or ninth level. Leveled off after that and went extremely card dead and ended up busting in 64th out of 813 at blind level 5,000/10,000 1,000. Had just doubled up and now have 72K in middle position. Pick up QToff, jam and get called by pocket queens on the button and lose after flopping open ender and bricking. Was twenty minutes or so away from the end of day one and winning that hand would have gave me a decent shot to make the final two tables or so.

Only complaints I have are that we played ten handed way too long in the deepstack (I think all the way up until the bubble busted) and the huge snafu that occurred in the event I played. Top 72 in the tourney I played cashed and when we got down to hand-for-hand, I was fairly short-stacked and card-dead. We get down to 73, according to the tournament clocks, and a big hand occurs on another table. Everyone gathers over, as all other hands were done, and a guy ends up busting. Everyone is cheering and high fiving and so we re-draw for seats and the TD announces that everyone left is in the money. Cool.

So we re-draw and I take my new seat. The dealers are waiting for a go-ahead to start dealing. Well, something like 10-20 minutes passes and nothing has changed. We see the floor and TD whispering to each other, and then the TD gets on the mic, and announces that THEY MISCOUNTED AND THAT THERE WAS STILL 73 PLAYERS LEFT. What?!?!?!?! How does something like that happen? Even if a player was in the bathroom or whatnot, all you have to do is count the chip stacks at each table and add them together. It's not like the WSOP main event where some 600 odd people cash, I mean this was 72 players cashing. How do you f that up??? So, the TD says that we have to go back to hand-for-hand. People are pissed and eventually the TD proposes that we can pay the actual 73rd place min-cash money ($403 in this case) from first place money if everyone agrees to it. Well, everyone but one player agreed so we had to go back to hand-for-hand. People were pissed that the V wouldn't take the hit (a whopping $403) since it was their mistake.

Want to thank DCarp for posting in these forums and reaching out to the players, just wanted to let him know about this incident that happened that could have been easily avoidable. By the way, how have the PLO games organized by Jeff Hwang been going? What about the mixed games that another 2+2 has been trying to get going on a regular basis?

Oh yeah, the pay structure was horrible at the deepstack I played. Min cash was $403 for a whole $63 profit for approximately 12 hours of play. I see that they have now changed the payout structures for the DSE's so I applaud them for doing so, since they look much better now.

Just a heads up for the people who aren't aware. Besides the food court on the casino floor, there's is another on the 2nd level. Just take the escalators by Grand Lux, walk toward the parking garage and the entrance to it is on the left side just before you get to the doors leading out to the garage. I couldn't remember all the places so I got this list from a website:

Bella Panini, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Cocolini Casino, Cocolini II, Haagen Dazs, Johnny Rockets, La Italian Kitchen, Lime Ice Frozen Bar, Nathan's, Panda Express, Pizzeria de Enzo, Shake N Burger, Towers Deli, Trattoria Regiano, Wasabi Jane

My favorite is Panda Express, good stuff imo.

It's my pleasure, really. As far as the "incident" goes...I have, and anyone who has ever run a lot of tournaments has, broken a table before I have had enough seat cards. It happens....it's just very unfortunate that it happened at the bubble. It shouldn't have happened, extra precautions are taken at that crucial time, but I can how it could have. We'll just have to make sure it doesn't occur again.

Terri (from cash games), tells me that PLO is spread every day...sometimes $1/2, and other times $2/5.

dcarp

This is the event I cashed in. It was unbelievable when that mix up happened. That guy who wouldn't agree was such a jerk. I wonder where he placed. I mean mistakes happen but everyone was so tired by then that we didn't really need the hassle. I lasted just a bit longer than you did so I too am really glad the payouts have changed. I think I was 46th and the payout was $560 something.

toss it back? Please elaborate. And remind me who you were. Were you sitting next to me?

I'm glad I could entertain, even though most of my banter is to entertain myself so I don't end up playing marginal hands out of boredom.

And FTW, I like the way the air in the Venetian smells and I think the food prices are reasonable. If you play there enough, you don't have to pay for it anyway.