Re: Mirage 1/2 NL and Up
I like staying at the Mirage and have chosen it as my home base for several of my poker trips. Still, it has its advanatages and disadvantages as compared to the MGM.
On the plus side, I like the location. From the Mirage, it is an easy walk to several major card rooms, including Caesars, the Bellagio, the Venetian, and the Wynn. So, if you like any variety in where you play, the Mirage is a good place to start out from, and I'd decline the poker room rate to take advantage of these other great card rooms. You'll find plenty of action in all of them.
One neutral factor as compared to the MGM is the poker room itself. The Mirage's room is nice, but it's not the poker mecca that it once was. By today's standards, the poker room at the Mirage is much more cramped than the MGM and the other rooms that I mentioned above. In terms of game selection, I think that you will find it comparable to, or even a little better than, the MGM, but I don't think that you will be as comfortable at your table as you would be at the MGM.
On the accommodations side, I think that the Mirage is a good value. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and a standard room is definitely on par with the MGM. Given its mid-Strip location, I think this gives the Mirage the nod if MGM is expensive because of some event going on there.
Finally, the Mirage has some decent dining options if you don't feel like venturing out. It has a Stage Deli and California Pizza Kitchen for cheap meals. I also really like Samba -- a Brazilian steakhouse -- for something a little nicer, but not really expensive. Plus, if you do feel like leaving the hotel to eat, you have a ton options by walking next door to the Forum Shoppes at Caesars, or across the street to the Canal Shoppes at the Venetian.
Bottom line for me is this: if the MGM is your usual place, the Mirage is a good alternative if the room rates are cheaper. You'll have a lot options for where to play poker, for where to eat, and for where to enjoy some Vegas nightlife, and you'll find your room to be clean and comfortable.
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