I will be going to Vegas this weekend. Was thinking of staying southern strip area, but then I realized I've never stayed around fremont st. and haven't heard much from the area. I know Golden Nugget hosts poker after dark, but do they have a good poker room? They have cheap rates. What about other casinos within walking distance? Thanks for any advice.

Tried searching, couldn't find much on this area and any advice before my trip is appreciated!

Ultrazord, have you booked your room yet or are you just thinking about Freemont street ??

As for cardrooms downtown, well binions by far had the best room but they just recently closed their hotel. Not sure if the cardroom is lcosed yet, it wasn't last I checked but could be a matter of time. Otherwise there's really no meaningtful action downtown. The GN has maybe 8 tables ? and not often full,, cramped little pathetic room... even though the venue is nice. Theres just nothing else down there, the fitz is even worse by far, upstairs, just pitiful.

.... I'm trying to work for you ultrazord but i'm drawing a blank, if binions is closed why would you even stay downtown to play poker ??? chance your reservation to mid-strip like flamingo or harrahs or ballys or whatever that way you can access all the venues, theres nothing downtown without binions last I was there within the last year.

I haven't booked. I'll be driving so will have access to strip as well. I was just wondering if there is any benefit at all to staying and/or playing down here. I know it saves me a few hundred bucks but not sure if that's worth it considering I typically make 10-20 bucks an hour at the tables.

If you're looking for that "downtown Vegas" experience then go for it. Just don't expect the same poker you'll find on the Strip. As far as where to stay...I've stayed at the El Cortez and it wasn't too bad...and now they have some very nice new rooms.

There are 13 tables as of Memorial Day 2009.

And Binion's has been deadsville as of late.

Nugget has nice rooms though. We stayed there once and it's a completely different experience than the posh strip. Seemed to be mostly trailer trash and old people downtown. Lots of mullets, wife-beater shirts and stupor. Pokerwise, we played at Plaza, Binion and Nugget (before the new room) and they were all pretty dead, but that's so many years ago (when FL tables were dominating and there were just one NL table running at the Nugget) so it's not worth much now.

When was the new nugget room put in? last I was there was during the '09 WSOP in July. It looked like the same room to the back and left as you walk in from Fremont. It's not a bad room just feels small and cramped, maybe they've expanded it or moved elsewhere? I like the energy at the nugget and it still has the classiest feel downtown. I love playing the cxrap tables downtown after midnight, you get a real cross section of humanity.

haven't been in a while but Nugget has a fun little room, 1/2 NL is uncapped i believe. and as a hotel it's fine. it IS fun and different to stay downtown.
i think it's worth it because many old spots may not be around much longer-- sooner or later the wrecking balls are lurking. before the downturn a lot of effort was being made to make the downtown area a self sustained little community, with fun little bars, condo buildings and things popping up.
now.... maybe some locals can tel you what's up.

check out the El Cortez... profit wise, it's a waste of time, but as far as travel experience goes, it's fun to watch assorted street people stumble in for low stakes games. (if they still have games)

there should be games for you at the Nugget.

have to add-- it would be hard (but technically possible) to just stay downtown for poker. don't know what u play- making some assumptions

you'd be missing a lot of action on the strip in the bigger rooms.
basically, you'd have to decide that it's worth a little hassle getting back and forth to experience downtown this once.

I'll be in Vegas at the end of the month, and one night I would definitely like to go downtown to play briefly at the Nugget and Binion's (room still open) just because I've never done it before. I'm not expecting great games or anything, just the overall experience. Hopefully that night won't be -EV in more ways than just money.

I travel to Vegas on business and stay at the Golden Nugget twice a year. The rooms in that hotel are fantastic considering the low rate, and the restaurants in the hotel are great - especially the steakhouse. The poker room is cramped but the $1-2 NL play in there has been, in my experience, awesomely terrible. I've booked big wins there. The only other games of note on Fremont are at Binions - where I find the players to be a lot better.

Since OP has a car to get to the strip I suggest staying at the G-Nug.

I am coming down this Saturday for a 6 day poker trip. We had booked Binions, but then it closed, so our reservation was moved to 4 Queens. Few questions:

1) Is 4 Queens ok room-wise? I have stayed at GN and Plaza downtown before - is 4Q somewhere b/w these 2 in terms of quality?

2) Is anybody playing the tourneys at Binions? That 10K chip tourney was one of the main attractions.

3) Is there any point in playing downtown at all now, or should I change our hotel to something on the Strip? I really liked the GN poker room last time, but if it's dead...

Thank you.

Next time go to Vegas I want to stay at the GN I like sketchy vibe of downtown.

It reminds me of how NYC used to be.

The only problem is that Harrah's sends me free room offers every month so I probably wont

I say go for it GN is actually really nice (not as Luxurious as the Venetian or any of those) and the vibe in the casino is really fun.

Last time I played 1/2 at the GN I was up $200 in about 20-30 min. Ran a little hot, but honestly I mostly out played ppl it wasn't all that hard..

Binions room is not closed. its been recently remodeled and moved to the old sports book area. its really nice. its small, but it is a piece of old vegas. when you step into the room you feel like you've gone back in time to the days of puggy pearson, amarillo slim, jack straus, doyle, stu, etc. They do quite a few tournaments and have binions poker classic each year, biggest poker event outside of the wsop and DSE from what I've read.

I think it was 4 years ago, maybe 5. It was only 4 tables (2 FL, 1 NL) and it was in an open area amongst the slot machines. For good measure they had a slot machine tournament (?!) there once a week or something, so there were like 35 seniors hammering the spin button around us. It was a nightmare. The dealers died a little every time they had those tournaments.

It's been a while but I've stayed at the 4Queens a couple times. It's fine if basic accomodations will suit you. It's usually SUPER inexpensive and they have a pretty good coffee shop. Pokerwise it'll be most Binions and G Nugget downtown.

For the Strip on the cheap I'd suggest Bill's Gamblin Hall. Rooms are very nice, reasonably priced and location is sandwiched between Bellagio, Bally's, and Caesars. Can't beat it. I also like the fact it's relatively small which means it doesn't take 10 minutes to go from room to street-- more like 3.

Cheers.

I would ditto most of what's said here since my post: 1) That the downtown area isn't just all trailer trash, there's a real assortment of people. I think it's getting better. It hit bottom just before then put Fremont Street Experinece in. 2) The vibe is quite different than the strip, it is a throwback vibe in a way. 3) The rooms are incredible bargains. Just do an online search at orbitz or expedia, the deals are amazing. 4) BUT for poker it's just not up to speed with the strip unless, in the past for example, Binions during the WSOP (at the rio) had a nice parallel tournament going with lower buy-ins. But I can't help but think the action at binions is less now that the hotel is closed, but maybe not. It was/is absolutely the most action downtown. 5) the GN poker room is nicer layout but I think it's the same since I wwas there last, for me it has a cramped feel but you might not mind. 6) having a car is an advantage otherwise you're going to get fleeced for a 25 dollar cab ride to the strip that used to cost less than 10 before the traffic got insane or ride the bus which takes forever. I'd play the strip for poker but go downtown later for the FSEexperience and take in the later-night vibe around 11pm or later.

I was staying at the GN in November and found the action pretty good in the $1/2 NL games. Poker-room staff are all friendly and comps are decent too.

The Saturday $10k gtd. tourney at Binion's is the best event of the week downtown and was getting around 120 runners when I was there.

Personally I prefer staying at the GN and taking the bus to the strip, great rooms and exceptional value for an hotel of that quality. I was chatting to someone who was staying at 4Q's and he said that the rooms were "okay" at the price. He had also stayed at El Cortez in one of the new rooms which he said were very good value and reasonable quality too.

my last in vegas I took the duece out to freemont. very good ex. with GN and Binions. teh dealers here are just better than the strip as in they actually give a *** that everyone is having fun. they will treat you nicer than the dealers at the normal strip rooms

This the dealers are a lot better downtown. In the poker room and pit.

Most of the dealers I dealt with during my stay downtown for BARGE were very friendly for sure.

The wizard of vegas website has a pretty indepth review of the four queens, as does cheapovegas