Your favorite casino

We are going in a couple of weeks for our friend's 40th birthday. We are staying at the Golden Nugget. I've never been downtown so I am really looking forward to it.

The thing about Vegas is the "jorts" and the cut off t-shirts. So tacky. It is hard to look at especially when you consider the way they used to dress...ie. the original Ocean's Eleven.

Well I have only been to two in my life, The Casino in Copenhagen, Denmark and Casino Ruhl in Nice, France but none of them was wow'ing to me, but I must get into the Casino in Monte Carlo next time I am down there, looks amazingly gorgeus from the outside.

Girl Friday said:

We are going in a couple of weeks for our friend's 40th birthday. We are staying at the Golden Nugget. I've never been downtown so I am really looking forward to it.

The thing about Vegas is the "jorts" and the cut off t-shirts. So tacky. It is hard to look at especially when you consider the way they used to dress...ie. the original Ocean's Eleven.

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Yep, suit and tie required for men in the '50s and '60s.

I've only been to two casinos. One of which is where I work as a blackjack dealer.

Very interesting, Alex--too bad I'd thus have to steer well away from your table, as single-deck blackjack's the only game I'll seriously play. (In Reno for my 21st, I saw a coupon from one of the casinos of "present this for a free ace", which is a 16/52 chance of a Blackjack right off the bat, 24/52 if you're willing to gamble on "dealer won't have 19 or better." That scenario's 'bout as close to even odds as a player can get, right? )

Well, they just re-opened Casino Windsor under the Caesars name with a 400 mil renovation and they made a ton of changes. Billy Joel was there for the opening, looks pretty cool but have not been yet. I'll be sure to comment more after I go later this summer.

Foxwoods take 1

Well I just went to Foxwoods for the first time to play hold em. I've been to Las Vegas a few times but I never played poker there - I think the poker players at MGM (?) looked really grumpy and being about 25yo at the time, and female, I didn't have the nerve to dive in and play.

First, just to get the gripe out of the way, the poker room, and the whole place in general, is cold! Bring a sweater! Even capris were a mistake in the poker room.

I arrived in the morning, (and as a female who was at the time, alone) when the poker room is kind of creepy. I later figured out that this is a lull period, with players who have been playing all nite and some are pissed off and tired. So if it's your first time, maybe don't go down until noon.

The 2/4 limit tables are very friendly and not intimidating at all. Generally casual players and people like me trying to get more playing hours in. Sometimes there is the occasional insane rich person who never folds before the flop, so that's always nice, if not a bit weird. The dealers are generally pretty tolerant too, of amature mistakes - no one will yell at you for the wrong blind etc. at the lower levels at least.

Drink service was more cheerful and faster than any place in las vegas. Of course I tipped, so that helps. I drank mostly hot tea drinks since I was so darn cold - the one bloody mary I got (out of hunger) was ok and had about 6olives on the swizzle stick- they want you to keep playing, so, technically olives are food. I guess that's thoughtful...

The decor wasn't my style but it was "classy contemporary" I suppose. Very spacious, but heavy on the blue family.

Overall it was a great experience. I'm trying to do a bunch of things I've never done this summer, and casino poker was one. Unfortunately now I'm hooked! I did come out ahead $50 though. I'm sure my reviews will be grumpier if I start to lose! lol

Girl Friday said:

The thing about Vegas is the "jorts" and the cut off t-shirts. So tacky. It is hard to look at especially when you consider the way they used to dress...ie. the original Ocean's Eleven.

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Wow really? Huh. IMHO as a 26 year resident, the only people who I have seen dressed thusly (tacky) have been tourists. And believe me, I see a lot of out of towners on a daily basis working at the Convention Centers. I had noticed this trend even as a youngster, wondering why when people go on vacation so does their since of what looks right.

Recently my fav has been Boulder Station. I've been taking in a lot of movies, and they have great stadium style seating. So no annoying feet on the back of your chair. Nice and roomy seats, and no fighting over the arm rests! (they also move up so if your there with a honey you can cuddle while watching, me, I was there with the offspring)

Totally. I was talking about the tourists. I have heard that the places the locals hang out are fabulous. My apologies, I was talking about people watching on the strip and downtown.

We were back in Vegas at the beginning of Sept. and once again, the Paris had the friendliest wait staff.

Girl Friday said:

Totally. I was talking about the tourists. I have heard that the places the locals hang out are fabulous. My apologies, I was talking about people watching on the strip and downtown.

We were back in Vegas at the beginning of Sept. and once again, the Paris had the friendliest wait staff.

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We are headed there this Thu. We always dress nice while there, and quite frankly get complimented for doing so. Casinos were not meant to be dumps.

Where did you go Martini's? I was there that same weekend. I ate at The Golden Steer on Sahara Avenue and at Piero's on Convention Center.

I have been to Las Vegas and seen most of the casinos on the strip in their current incarnations. I have been to Laughlin and been to about 3, the Edgewater and the ones on either side. I have been to a couple of nearby Indian casinos in Southern California and found I don't win there which gets boring very quickly.

For entertainment: just walking around and looking, the major casinos in Vegas are nice to visit. They may have art or lions or tigers or even dolphins to see. Many have great shopping malls and entertainment connected to them like at Caesars Palace and their robotronics spectaculars in the mall. If you look thru the magazines you may find a free pass to the Car museum at the imperial palace. If you are into Kitsch a trip to the Liberacci museum is fun. Most major casinos have interesting architecture and themes to evoke a feel of an exotic location. Some have thrill rides, others have the finest dining in the Western Hemisphere. This makes Las Vegas a great package of entertainment. Vegas has a fair number of antique stores too.

For gambling I want a $2 craps table and you won't see that on the strip any more. During the week at the Gold Coast you may find it and at Laughlin you can still find it. So cheap gambling fun is what I seek when gambling.

A cruise thru the sports book at a major casino is also worth the time, I don't bet sports much but the excitement of a major fight is pretty compelling to make a small wager.

Many people I know have said for the slot machines, they have had their best luck at the Riviera.

Gambling as entertainment is better than as compulsion, it's best to know when to walk away.

John now you've got that song in my head...

You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run. You've got to count your change when you're sitting at the table....lol

BAH!

Good Grief the dormancy of this thread is absurd! I am personally going to sacrifice and review the not-so-new-anymore, Mohegan Sun Poker Room by the end of this month. I'll have to take a personal day off, but I'm prepared to go that far for the lounge...

I find that all casinos have their own vibe and if the theme is good it makes for an interesting visit. The question is when visiting places like Las vegas what are you there for and what do you need. I have had the opportunity to stay at the Venitian. the last incarnation of the Alladin, the Desert Inn as some really nice rooms, well appointed and luxurious. The Rio suites room was pretty cool too. I was not impressed really with Bally's or the Flamingo Hilton which is a while back too.

What I have found is that the room should be comfy and clean and a decent bed and a decent tv. If the plumbing is good so the sinks and shower and bowl are good then things are fine. I tend not to spend a lot of time in the room so luxury tends to be over kill. In good weather in Vegas, my day is one of out and about until mid afternoon. Back to the hotel and a little swim in the pool maybe a dunk or two in the hot tub. Shower and change for dinner relax with some tv or a quick nap then up for a cocktail and dinner. Then out until when ever and back for sleep. Clean up in the morning, perhaps the buffet or the coffee shop and back to out and about. REPEAT.

If I should win then the evening's choice of dining may change and the activities may include a show.

I like the newer rooms at the Gold Coast which are clean and comfy OR to stay out by the South Pointe a little past the airport on the same road as "the Strip" it is comfy and even newer.

When I am there for the Aapex / Sema show I am just glad to eat and then sleep at night. The last time I stayed at the South Pointe happily although the Craps table was colder than dry ice and cost me $60 in minutes as it's a $5 table.

Win Big and have fun.

A little of topic : Since I have begun learning Poker, a friend of my father was so kind to surprise me with a set of playing cards from Monte Carlo with this lovely back:

Not sure I mentioned earlier, but I also like the card rooms in California. I have played poker at Commerce Casino in L.A. and also The Bicycle in L.A. Up the road in Bakersfield, I have also played at Golden West Casino.

Here is a vintage casino I visited in Saltillo, Mexico on a recent motorcycle trip from Houston. This has been a private club since 1928. The building dates from 1874. Very nice inside and with a very well dressed crowd. When I walked in I was greeted by the maitre'd. Just inside the entrance was a man playing the piano for the guests as they dined and socialized. It doesn't get much swanker than this place. It's not a gambling operation, hence any gaming on the premises is private.

The tower next door is from the city's main cathedral.