[Paul Levy]

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All in all the Mirage has seen better days. And for the premium they charge over other lesser know places like Ballys, MC or TI, not even close to worth it.

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Can't agree more. Went there last July during the wsop, the hotel was under renovation, and from any point at ground level you could hear the sound of jackhammers. The whole place looked very rundown and infested with the ugliest breed of white trash. The poker room was particularly ugly. They had a daily tournament with less starting chips and shorter clock than the comparables tourneys at Caesar's and Venetian, yet the on duty manager insisted it was great value. The room itself was an noisy open corner near rows of slot machines, the waiting list a crumpled sheet of paper, the furniture old and worn down, the chips discolored and so dirty you could make them stick by pressing them together. Most of the dealers were grumpy old pensioners, throwing cards at a bunch of sad middle aged men that looked like they had just been stacked in the game of life. Not to mention that they must be the last casino in the whole US that charges withholding tax on tournament winnings to non-US residents.

I've read a few times that when it opened, the Mirage was regarded as one of the world's wonders and some put it in the same league as the Bellagio, the Venetian and the Wynn. Imho that defies comprehension.