AdamFor beginner poker players, there’s no better place right now than the Plaza. The limits are the lowest you’d find on either the Strip or downtown. $0.25/$0.50 blinds seem to be the norm. That may double in the evening or if it gets a bit crowded. They also offer the cheapest tournaments around. A $10 tournament runs every day. The reason the Plaza can keep their costs down is because they only run three tables and there are no dealers. How does that work? Well, the Plaza poker room has incorporated electronic PokerPro tables.
The electronic tables are a poker purist’s nightmare, but it means more hands per hour and no mistakes. The large center screen displays each player’s chip count, so there’s no guessing. A small light flashes on the player console when it’s a player’s turn to act. Your cards are displayed face down, obviously. To reveal your cards, you simply press a cupped hand(s) near the top of the card display, this will flip up the corners. Making bets is simple and you always have to confirm your move with an extra button. This helps if you accidentally make a mistake.
I sat in the 10:30, $10 tournament on a recent trip. I like poker, but don’t have time for the 6 hour escapades of most Vegas tournaments. This room offers a nice alternative for the time and budget conscious. You’ll be playing with a bunch of regulars, though that doesn’t mean their poker play is anything to fear. The tournament offered unlimited rebuys until the 4th level. A few players rebought multiple times after being knocked out. This helps inflate the prize pool in a budget tournament. An additional, $5 add-on was offered after level 4, the first break.
The room is run well and the manager took the time to introduce the tables to new players. It’s a fairly intuitive, tablet like machine. Nothing to be intimidated about. The tournament had 20 runners and was finished in about 2.5 hours after a four way chop. I opted for the optional add-on after level 4, so I was out $15 at tournament end, but the cocktail waitress came by twice before I was knocked out.
The room offers a great value for those trying to get in a quick poker fix or for beginners looking to try the game out.
I would also recommend the places in town that offer free poker lessons on a regular schedule. I forget which casinos in town that did that though. But I remember it being something scheduled every morning at one place in town, which would be a great way for the extreme beginner. Electronic would help too, I didn’t know the Plaza had those.
Glad to hear about this, I will be there in late March. Most of my poker playing has been online, so this will be easier for me to play.
Nice! It’s a small roped off area. Three tables total, if I remember right. There likely won’t be any ring games if a tournament is near. I would call ahead if you want to be sure a certain game is going. Other laid back rooms are Flamingo and Monte Carlo. I think Monte Carlo is the most comfortable.
Hmmmm. All good points about the electronic tables, but a couple of observations:
1) I’ve heard that the Plaza recently stopped offering comped cocktails at the poker tables. Seems that some of the locals were buying in to the $5 tournaments just to soak up cocktails while stiffing the waitresses. I haven’t verified this, but it would definitely detract from the fun of a $5 tournament for me.
2) I’ve always found Harrah’s to be friendly for new players, especially the tournaments. Not too expensive at $65, and last time out I played against one guy who announced to the table that he’d never played before. Judging by his play, he wasn’t sandbagging.
3) With an e-table you don’t have to tip a dealer, but you also don’t get somebody monitoring play to prevent collusion. It’s not a big concern in a $5 or $10 tournament, but I have seen players at e-tables that appeared to be soft-playing their friends.
– I did not hear about them no longer comping drinks. I have to say I was surprised that I was able to get two comped drinks during the cheap tournament, especially given that their take from my buy-in was so small. I think getting a drink coupon or two depending on the tournament entry amount would be fair game. It’s tough to break even if you’re passing out all those free drinks but only taking a few $ of revenue per player.
– As for collusion, I don’t see it being a major problem. I see poker players being pretty good at self-policing. I guess I’m not sure how different it would be at a live table. I don’t think the risk increases dramatically at an e-table. It’s a fair point, though.
– Great mention of Harrah’s. It seems like an overlooked casino for a variety of games. Usually great, low roller action can be found. Monte Carlo is another favorite poker room of mine. Comfortable, low limits.
When’s your next trip, 77?
For the Madness!!! Arriving March 16 and departing March 22. First four nights at Plaza, then two nights at Mirage (one night free and the other reduced price with MyVegas rewards). BTW…my first name is Matt, but if you prefer 77, feel free…
Matt it is. Awesome! MM is always a great time. I’m glad you found this site. Thanks for sharing your insight. Enjoy your trip!
Hmmmm. All good points about the electronic tables, but a couple of observations:
1) I’ve heard that the Plaza recently stopped offering comped cocktails at the poker tables. Seems that some of the locals were buying in to the $5 tournaments just to soak up cocktails while stiffing the waitresses. I haven’t verified this, but it would definitely detract from the fun of a $5 tournament for me.
2) I’ve always found Harrah’s to be friendly for new players, especially the tournaments. Not too expensive at $65, and last time out I played against one guy who announced to the table that he’d never played before. Judging by his play, he wasn’t sandbagging.
3) With an e-table you don’t have to tip a dealer, but you also don’t get somebody monitoring play to prevent collusion. It’s not a big concern in a $5 or $10 tournament, but I have seen players at e-tables that appeared to be soft-playing their friends.