Mirage 1/2 NL and Up

chiTown22 · #1 10-16-2007, 03:43 PM

I am planning to head out to Vegas in early December for some poker. I have only played 1/2NL at MGM the last few times I have been out there, but have never stayed at MGM. Its a minor pain but still a pain to have to travel back and forth to your room each day. This trip I want to stay where I will be putting in most of my hours.

I am looking to play mostly 2/5 and some 1/2 NL and stay in a moderate priced room(650ish for 5 nights). The fight is going on the weekend I am there so MGM's rooms are higher than normal. I am leaning toward the Mirage, but know nothing about the poker room there. I did a search on here and couldn't find anything referring to the NL games in a semi-recent post.

I heard the Mirage was the place to play back in the day and is now know for spreading 7stud and OH8. How is the NL action? Am I making a mistake to spend 5 days playing NL there? The poker room rate is only like $40 off a night so I guess if it really sucks I can go play some where else. However, I would rather stay in one place.

Sorry if I rambled. I'm looking to book a room in the next week or so and I don't want to make a mistake.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

mxp2004 · #2 10-16-2007, 04:47 PM

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.

chiTown22 · #3 10-16-2007, 11:28 PM

Thanks for the info, great post.

redfisher · #4 10-17-2007, 12:25 AM

I also wouldn't lock in the Mirage poker rate. I was there during the WSOP this year and played a couple of times in their room. I didn't find the games to be good compared to what else was available. I found better games at Bellagio, TI, Caesar's, Venetian, and MGM.

Mirage is a pretty standard Vegas cardroom from what I can tell. A lot of 3/6 LHE, 1/2 NLHE, some 2/5 NLHE. I'v seen occasional stud, 6/12 or 10/20 LHE, and 5/10 O8 Kill games but they're not always going even in the evenings. It's run OK but I just don't like the players/action.

jeffnc · #5 10-17-2007, 09:28 AM

Mirage has often had good $10/20 and $20/40 games when I've been there.

sternroolz · #6 10-17-2007, 11:17 AM

If I were you, I would look at regular rates at Harrahs, IP, Flamingo, and TI before booking at Mirage. TI rooms are nicer than any of the above, Harrahs is lesser quality rooms than Mirage, and IP and Flamingo are kinda crappy. But, its so easy to access so many low limit NL games from any of those places. Venetian, TI, Mirage, IP, Bellagio, PH, Ballys, Cesars. Harrahs is literally right across the street from Mirage and so easy to get to the poker room.