A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

It seems that a fairly common question here in the B&M forum is in regards to the "Best Regularly Spread Tournaments in Vegas". So, I figured I would put together a little list of what many agree are the best NL tournaments offered in Las Vegas, as of now (things do change, so it never hurts to double check specifics before you show up).

The details link at the bottom of each tournament takes you to the details chart of that tournament, which includes blind structures/juice/payouts etc.

The total buy in includes admin fee/AO/RB where applicable.

Best Tournaments for Under $100

Sahara
$62 total buy in including single RB/addon
20 min levels
5K Total chips
Avg # players: 70-110
11AM, 7PM, 11PM 7 days a week
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Caesars Palace
$70 total buy in including add on (no RB)
30 Min Levels
2K Starting chips (including AO)
Avg # Players: 40-60
Mon-Sun 11PM
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Best Tournaments for Under $200

Venetian
$200 total buy in including add on; No RB (Bounty tourney; $10 to every knockout issuer)
30 Min Levels
3500 total chips
Avg # Players: 70-90
Saturdays only 8PM
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Venetian
$175 total buy in including single RB
30 min levels
4K chips including RB
Avg # Players: 40-70 @ 8PM 30-50 @ Noon
Mon-Sun Noon and 8PM
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Caesars Palace
$130 total buy in including single RB
40 min levels
4500 chips including RB
AVg # of Players: 80-110
Mon-Sun Noon
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Best Tournaments over $200 (i.e. Best tournaments in the City)

Venetian
$540 total buy in (includes Add on/No RB)
40 min levels
10K Starting chips (including AO)
Avg # of Players: 90-120
Saturdays only @ Noon
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Bellagio
$1060 Total buy in (NO RB/AO)
40 min levels
5K starting chips
Avg # of Players: 30-70 (varies greatly)
Fri-Sat 2PM
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Bellagio
$540 total buy in (no RB/AO)
40 Min Levels
3K Starting Chips
Avg Number of Players: 70-90
Sun-Thurs 2PM
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Wynn
$330 total buy in (No RB/AO)
45 min levels
3K starting chips
Avg Number of players: 90-120
Tues-Thurs @ Noon
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Wynn
$530 total buy in (No RB/AO)
45 min levels
3K starting chips
Avg # of Players: 80-110
Fridays only @ Noon
<u>Details of this Tournament</u>

Note that Caesars Palace requires a W2G form for all tournament wins over $599. Venetian/Wynn/Bellagio/Sahara do not.

I realize that "Best of" anything is always ground in opinion. However, I based this list strictly off what I have read and heard from regular tournament players here, in person, and on other forums.

Hope it helps out anyone interested.

Good luck!

--LVM

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Thanks. Wiki'd.

If you want to copy/paste it up there, then it'll be easier to edit when the details change. But it's your intellectual property so that's your call.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

awsome, you should, like, start a website or something [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

I still think Harrah's should be listed in the under 100 tournies.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Very nice...but you should mention what portion of the buy-in is rake and what portion goes into the prize pool.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

[ QUOTE ]
I still think Harrah's should be listed in the under 100 tournies.

[/ QUOTE ]

Harrahs/Ballys/Paris/Flamingo were all excluded due to a few factors, including that they are generally not considered good or the best tournies. Fun tournies, yes, but not necessarily good ones.

25-40 avg number of players coupled with their 15-20 min levels (depending on the house), and fairly short chip counts, do not translate to a "Best of" list in my opinin, so they were excluded.

Generally, "good tournies for under $100" is a bit of an oxymoron, as all good, better, and best tournies have $100+ buy ins in Vegas. However, the two I listed are accepted as being the most recommended and the best, despite their low buy in (i.e. best value).

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

[ QUOTE ]

Very nice...but you should mention what portion of the buy-in is rake and what portion goes into the prize pool.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. All that info (including rake/juice %, payouts, blind structures, etc) is available from the Torunament Details link at the bottom of each listed tourney.

I wanted to avoid too much clutter in the 5 lines that each tourney got, so I just stuck to the skeleton basics. Anyone interested in more info can click on the link to bring up all the details in a separate page.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Harrahs ususlly has about 70 players in it and has an alternate list. the limits were 25 minutes for the first 3 levels then 20 after the break. I agree that Sahara and Ceasers are the best by far but Harrah's is an honorable mention at least from me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Duly noted. Thanks for posting. Sounds like a pretty good tourney.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Thanks, I enjoyed it almost as much as a similar post on AVP [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I'm heading to Vegas on 2/10 and I think that I will have to try Caesars and Venetian and weigh in.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

I'm not an expert, just a tourist, but I was wondering why the Orleans tournaments didn't make the sub-100 list. The couple of times I played it seemed like a target-rich environment. Rake too large?

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

A similar post? Wouldn't know anything about it [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

In all seriousness, in order to allow this thread to be posted, I needed to make some reasonable adjustments to it (in order to follow 2+2 guidelines), which is why it is presented the way it is here.

++++++++

With regard to the Orleans tournies, once again, I opted to just include the best two overall for the under $100 section, as most tournies under $100 are all pretty standard and vanilla (and not the best in the city). I hesitated to even include the ones I did, as really, but due to demand, I included what is agreed overall to be the two best.

In general, of course, the best tournies are the ones over $100 (over $200, actually), so just including the popular Sahara and CP ones seemed like enough.

Sahara?
 

I am curious as to why you have included the Sahara with it's 34% rake. Is it because of their large starting chip count compared to other low buy-in tourneys?

thx

Re: Sahara?
 

That rake amount percentage is based only off the initial buy in, and does not take into account the single rebuy (which 99% of players take), thus reducing the overall juice percentage by a bit.

Also, yes, their starting chip count of 5K (with RB), 20 min levels, and blinds starting at 25/25, coupled with the consistent high player turnout, make it one of the best and most popular under $100 tournies in Vegas. As said previously, tournies under $100 are rarely good. Most have high rake, low player turnout, short levels, and low chip counts. Sahara is one of only two or three decent ones in town.

Re: Sahara?
 

This is a very good list.

Very pleased to see you mentioned the Venetian Saturday deepstack event - that truly is in a class all by itself, I think.

Caesar's is v. strong, too.

Thanks for this list.

Re: Sahara?
 

OK, that makes sense. I've played the 11AM tournament twice and appreciated the good turnouts for that time of day. An interesting crowd there, played next to a guy who was in Vegas to celebrate the end of a 15 year term at San Quentin State Prison. At least that's what he claimed.

good luck

Re: Sahara?
 

[ QUOTE ]
An interesting crowd there, played next to a guy who was in Vegas to celebrate the end of a 15 year term at San Quentin State Prison. At least that's what he claimed.

good luck

[/ QUOTE ]

Was he by any chance a muscular white guy that was completely bald, mid to early 40s or so?

If so, he is a local and has been using that line for years. I have played with him at Sahara beofre in a cash game and he said the same thing. Might be true, considering is tone and physique, as no one was willing to refute it.

Yo Adrians: Thanks. That is what I have heard about that deepstacked event. I have also heard that it gets the most pros of any of the other events (like Tomer B, Krux, and that kid with the shades that was on TV that plays in it every week, can't remember his name). One of these days, I want to play in a sat for that tourney and try to win a seat in it, as I would love to play in it (up until now I have not played in any of the higher dollar ones).

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

[ QUOTE ]
Caesars Palace
$130 total buy in including single RB
40 min levels
4500 chips including RB
AVg # of Players: 80-110
Mon-Sun Noon
Details of this Tournament

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll be in Vegas in February for work, and I have some time to kill on a Wednesday afternoon before my professional obligations begin. I'm not a tourney player, but I've also never had much luck finding good mid-limit limit games in the middle of a weekday the times I've been out there, so I thought it might be fun to donate $130 to the Caesar's noon tournament.

However, I don't want to luckbox my way to the bubble only to have it conflict with my work obligation.

How long does this tournament typically go on a Wednesday afternoon?

-McGee

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Caesars Palace
$130 total buy in including single RB
40 min levels
4500 chips including RB
AVg # of Players: 80-110
Mon-Sun Noon
Details of this Tournament

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll be in Vegas in February for work, and I have some time to kill on a Wednesday afternoon before my professional obligations begin. I'm not a tourney player, but I've also never had much luck finding good mid-limit limit games in the middle of a weekday the times I've been out there, so I thought it might be fun to donate $130 to the Caesar's noon tournament.

However, I don't want to luckbox my way to the bubble only to have it conflict with my work obligation.

How long does this tournament typically go on a Wednesday afternoon?

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

i played a few weeks ago on a saturday, and having 186 entries, we chopped 10-ways at 6:30 or so. that's the best i have to offer.

/end brag

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Usually, this tournament does on for about 6-7 hours, and usually ends in a chop, from what I have heard (and further agreed upon by rageo).

The estimated length is also listed in the details link at the bottom of each tourney, but of course, it can vary.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

[ QUOTE ]
Harrahs ususlly has about 70 players in it and has an alternate list. the limits were 25 minutes for the first 3 levels then 20 after the break. I agree that Sahara and Ceasers are the best by far but Harrah's is an honorable mention at least from me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[/ QUOTE ]

really?? they barely have 7 tables at Harrah's. I played one tourney their out of boredom and it was aboout 30 people and the structure made a terrible leap late in the game, my problem wasn't so much the level time as the structure just going wild late.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Oops, that's right. I forgot that he was the AVP guy.

I welcome working with sites such as AVP so to help index and link their content on the wiki in a way that respects the value of their intellectual property.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Say NO to any tournaments at Harrah's properties. W-2g forms are -EV.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

W2G forms make absolutely no difference whatsoever unless you're a tax cheat.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

Well, you gotta win to claim something, right? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

US tax laws are draconian for gamblers. It seems like the govt. is more than willing to screw us with their rules. I'd be happy to pay taxes on my winnings, if they'd allow it to be on the net. I don't have enough deductions to itemize, so I get hosed. Hello, cash games. That's one rake that's too much.

Sorry if that runs afoul of your standards.

I don't win, anyway, so it's not a problem. lol

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

[ QUOTE ]
W2G forms make absolutely no difference whatsoever unless you're a tax cheat.

[/ QUOTE ]

I started to make this same post and then didn't; there is one case wehre they do make a difference. Some casinos want to issue the form for the amount 1st place was posted as not the amount first place was actually paid when they are different (when a deal is made). If this is the case you have to say no to deal unless the person you are dealing with is willing to give up the info needed to send him a tax form (even then I don't know if that form is appropiate, the one I am thinking of is used if someone owns a part of your gambling win, I don't know if it can be used when a deal is made or not).

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

For folks who can't itemize I won't look down my nose at ya if you don't do your taxes exactly by the book. I tend to figure 2+2 folks are overall winners, so a couple $1500 W2G's during the year shouldn't be any problem. But if you have an overall flat or losing year, yeah, those W2G's are evil if you can't itemize (mortgage interest is sometimes a good thing).

Suggesting everyone should boycott Harrah's tourney's 'cause of the W2G's is a bit draconian. I think LVM did good by including the boldface commentary about Caesars giving W2G's while the others do not. That pretty well spells it out and folks can decide for themselves whether it's an issue.

As for Harrah's tourneys' being particularly good... no... they're just run-of-the-mill low-buy-in tourneys. Typically they get about 3 tables during the week, maybe a couple more on weekends, and they're over in 3.5 hours. Nothing wrong with 'em compared to most of the other cheapy daily events, but they're nothing special.

Re: Sahara?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
An interesting crowd there, played next to a guy who was in Vegas to celebrate the end of a 15 year term at San Quentin State Prison. At least that's what he claimed.

good luck

[/ QUOTE ]

Was he by any chance a muscular white guy that was completely bald, mid to early 40s or so?

If so, he is a local and has been using that line for years. I have played with him at Sahara beofre in a cash game and he said the same thing. Might be true, considering is tone and physique, as no one was willing to refute it.



[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, that's the guy. He had the physique and attitude of someone who has dealt with a lot of s*** in his life so my take was he may not of just gotten out of prison, but he has spent a fair amount of time in one.

Rubbing elbows with interestering characters, a fun part of the game.

Re: Sahara?
 

Sorry, guys. I didn't mean anything. As one dealer at another property said, "Harrahs made a deal with the devil."

A friend told me he got audited when the IRS pulled all his comps all over town and sent him a tax bill for his computed winnings. (He was surprised it was close to his own stats.)

I like the way the Brits handle gambling taxes. But then, the Brits seem to have a handle on everything better than the US.

Re: Sahara?
 

The Wynn classic that is coming up will be giving the W2G's also. Does anyone know what the usual payouts of the 1k Bellagio tourney are?

Re: Sahara?
 

I think I scanned this whole thread and didn't see anyone mention the Orleans $115 (I think that's the buyin)... On a friday night, they get 250+ players, and they have the best blind structure BY FAR for a smaller donkament...

Re: Sahara?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I think I scanned this whole thread and didn't see anyone mention the Orleans $115 (I think that's the buyin)... On a friday night, they get 250+ players, and they have the best blind structure BY FAR for a smaller donkament...

[/ QUOTE ]

this is also the worst location BY FAR for a smaller donkament.

good to note, but maybe not on THE list

Re: Sahara?
 

[ QUOTE ]
The Wynn classic that is coming up will be giving the W2G's also. Does anyone know what the usual payouts of the 1k Bellagio tourney are?

[/ QUOTE ]

The usual payouts are listed in the info link at the bottom of each tourney (along with blind structures/rake/average duration, etc).

Large special events like the Wynn Classic (as well as any WPT event) will have W2g requirements. However, the regularly spreads do not.

+++++

Played a cash game at Venetian tonight, and when I left at 11PM the noon $540 was STILL GOING! 6-8 people that refused to chop were still there. It had 116 players today.

The $200 bounty tournament was still going too (as expected, as it started at 8PM). It had 87 entries (they were prepared to cap it at 90 due to staff limitations).

Re: Sahara?
 

Michael,

Great post - especially since I'm gonna be in LV the end of april and was looking for just this type of info - short, sweet &amp; to the point.

I just have one question - I have stumbled across the following link - http://www.pokertournamentformula.co...ournaments.htm – and was wondering what you think of it.

I am more or less wondering your opinion on how he classifies the tournaments in regards to patience &amp; skill level. It's kinda hard sometimes to judge things when people are also pushing a book.

Thanx

Re: Sahara?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I just have one question - I have stumbled across the following link - http://www.pokertournamentformula.co...ournaments.htm – and was wondering what you think of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've run across that web page and like the basic summary. It hasn't been updated in a while, but it's approximately accurate and it jives with my basic beliefs.

Sahara's tourney gets a 4.29 on the patience scale (but they give you more chips now than then), V 8pm gets 5.88, Caesars noon and 7pm get 6.18, Bellagio $540 gets 9.00, Wynn gets 10.42, Bellagio $1060 gets 13.56.

On the other hand, tourneys like Alladin's get 2.75, Harrah's is 3.3 or 2.1, Paris is 1.65, Luxor is 1.19.

There you have it, objective proof of what we've been subjectively saying for eons... Luxor sucks! Worst rating of any tourney.

Re: Sahara?
 

can we sticky this?

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

how bout the nugget. my friend likes to play there. i ddint see the blind schedule posted but from my understanding

if u do the rebuy and the chip bonus u start out with 6K starting. i m assuming blinds start out at 25/50 with 20 min blinds

what do u think? anyone play it?


Tournament Detail

Casino Name: Golden Nugget
Game Type: NL Hold'em
Day of Week: Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su
Time of Day: 07:00 PM
Total Buy In: 65
Admin Free: 19
Fees Returned: 70%
Rebuy: Yes
Rebuy Description:
Single (1) $40 rebuy available in the first hour for 3000 in chips.
Addon: Yes
Addon Description:
$5 staff add on bonus taken at signup for 500 in chips. Included in starting chip count and casino + dealer fee.
Starting Chip Count: 2500
Avg Number Players: 30
Payout Structure:
coming soon
Level Time: 00:20
Avg Tourney Length: 2-3 hours
Blind Structure:
coming soon

Re: Sahara?
 

[ QUOTE ]
can we sticky this?

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not an option, per 2+2 powers that be, as the B&amp;M forum is a "forum, not a FAQ".

It is stickied at AVP (as they are more FAQlike, for lack of a better term), but I have a pretty good feeling it will be bumped fairly regularly here, as it has widespread interest on this forum (which is why I posted it. obviously [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] .

Re: Sahara?
 

Don't eat the 7pm sandwich at the Sahara.

Re: A List of the Best Overall Hold \'em Tournaments in Las Vegas
 

I have played in the GN tourney many times - won the first time I played there, so I might be biased [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

The blind structure starts out well but does accelerate quickly near FT time. Often turns into an all-in donkament at that point. That being said, the tourney is pretty well-run and fun. The times I have played, they had at least 6 tables going, so decent numbers. The players generally are AWFUL (that doesn't mean easy, by any means, as we all know how easy it is to be bounced out by a friggin' novice) ... but you know what I mean.

All in all, I enjoy the tourney there.

Good luck.

Leapus