Vegas During March Madness

[bthallin]

I will be in Las Vegas staying at the Bellagio during the first weekend of March Madness (March 15-18). I come to Vegas a few times a year and generally play middle stakes limit and NL games at Bellagio, Wynn and Venetian. But I have never been to Vegas during the tournament. For you veterans of March Madness, I would appreciate knowing:
1. Where are some good places to watch the games while not playing cards - especially where I might actually be able to find a seat instead of standing all day long. I understand that the sportsbooks are essentially standing room only. Is that true for all of them? What about places like ESPN Zone?
2. If I wanted to play cards while watching the games, which poker rooms have multiple big screen tvs -- especially rooms with a variety of limits?
Thanks much.

[Fish R Friends]

MGM is goot for playing and watching -their Book is on the other side of the wall.

Caesar's has a great set up for the book (the corner of the hallway) they expand the area, move slot machines, bring in extra chairs, and open up the bar, bring in promo girls, contests, etc. It was awesome! plus the poker room is just inside and when you get board of watching girls, you can go play.

[CraigNY]

I went two years ago and the Hard Rock opened an entire ballroom for March Madness, with eight 10-foot projection screens lining three of the four walls. They also moved their sportsbook to take bets in the ballroom and spread some ok food and beverages (not for free, though). It was not difficult to get a seat if you showed up for the early games.

[The Riz]

The best place to watch the games is Bellagio. get there early enough to get a seat and you get free drinks without having to even place a bet. None if you're standing, though.

[pig4bill]

[ QUOTE ]
I went two years ago and the Hard Rock opened an entire ballroom for March Madness, with eight 10-foot projection screens lining three of the four walls. They also moved their sportsbook to take bets in the ballroom and spread some ok food and beverages (not for free, though). It was not difficult to get a seat if you showed up for the early games.

[/ QUOTE ]

Have any of you locals seen any promos on setups like this for next week? Doing the sportsbook thing and gluing myself to a chair all day long isn't my idea of fun.

[Ethan G]

Hello,

Go to the Venetian. They are nice to their sportsbook customers. I got there 3:45 am thurs. last year and got the last 2 real seats. They later brought out a bunch of extra chairs and had as many people sitting as they could manage.
Everyone, including standers, drank to their heart's content starting at around 6am. By sunday, my liver almost shut down.

My favorite memory last year: piss drunk, made fairly large plunge bet (for me) on Alabama +10 over UCLA, then talked some serious smack to all those LA shmucks (after Bama covered) along with a couple of good ol' boys from Bama.

I met a lot of cool, fun people that trip. You'll have a great time.

Best of Luck,
Ethan

[Tarheel]

[ QUOTE ]
Hello,

Go to the Venetian. I got there 3:45 am thurs. last year and got the last 2 real seats.

[/ QUOTE ]

WTF?!? Really?

[Tarheel]

I will also be out there from the 15-19. If you live in Vegas, please PM me. I need help finding a few things in town.

[droopy0021]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Hello,

Go to the Venetian. I got there 3:45 am thurs. last year and got the last 2 real seats.

[/ QUOTE ]

WTF?!? Really?

[/ QUOTE ]

Really. Most sports books are packed, standing room only and what seats they have are usually reserved for big bettors OR have someone sleeping in/on/by them all night. This mostly applies Thur & Fri, by weekend things tend to thin out with fewer games (and people likely unable to wake up).

Your best bet is to find a room like mentioned above at the Hard Rock. Many hotels offer these but it's not consistent year to year. I'd recommend picking up the phone & dialing this week to find out what's available.

Couple general points about next weekend:

1) If you only have 1-2 people it's easier to find a spot
2) If you have 2+ and want to sit together, do your homework
3) If you wait until Wed night/Thur morning to find a place to watch, you're likely to be SOL
4) It's crowded
5) Well worth fighting the crowds if your a college hoops fan

I've gone every year since '95. I REALLY like this weekend. Maybe I'll even squeeze in some poker at night.

I should clarify I go with a group of 10+ and our goal:

1) watch hoops
2) bet on hoops
3) drink beer

That's it.

[Tigerpiper]

Venetian was very nice. Caesars and MGM were overcrowded and charged for drinks. Sportsbook close to poker rooms in those two, though.