With reports running that the Mirage Poker Room had officially re-opened on Friday morning I went by in the evening to check to see. I came away with some mixed feelings.
The old Mirage Poker Room had been getting a little threadbare, and it has definitely been given a once over. Everything is all new. It also now only has 12 poker tables and takes up less than half the space it used to. In fact, although everything is comfortable it certainly has a cramped feel to it.
The chairs seem a bit weird to me. They have broad backs and they move well. You'd think they would be comfortable. I was having a twitchy back this evening, though and these seats didn't help that.
When I got there I could tell their Bravo system wasn't working well, or the staff still hadn't figured out how to use it. Dealers could scan you in table side so you could get credit for your play comps, but brushes were continuously calling over the PA system asking what tables had open seats. The Bravo display by the podium also showed only one table was playing 1/2NL but there was actually 2-3 tables playing that game.
I chatted with some of the staff and they mentioned that on Thursday it was basically an empty room, and that all the tables and systems had been flung together in a single 24-hour period. That explains why there were glitches getting worked out.
Poker-wise it was a glorious mix of creaky septuagenarians, Asian kamikazes and middle aged golf buddies going all in on Top Pair Medium Kicker. In other words it was 1/2NL grinder heaven.
Earlier I had gone a couple hours at a nitty table at the Venetian. It had been a frustrating session, with me trying to bully people who didn't know they can fold, and thus I walked away from that earlier session down $150 before I could do more damage to my bankroll.
But the golf buddies at Mirage were a great tonic. One went all in with AT on a ten high board and got snapped off by my pocket Kings. The other had Aces and lost a big pot to my 2-pair. Both mega-tilted and started spewing chips right and left. No hands really come to mind, but they did a lot of over betting on thin draws and paid the price.
I ended up $1050, for a net win for the day of $900. I have been spending most of my time lately at the Venetian, mostly because the rake is so good right now. But the games keep getting tighter and nittier and I think I need to move on. This weekend there are a couple of good conferences in town, so I think I'll be hitting some of the other rooms before the WSOP kicks off next week.
It has been a super week for me and I hope I can keep it going this weekend. Bet well all.
First of all, I want to congratulate you on winning. I worked with systems like Bravo. And I heard it - real breakthrough. I'm surprised your feedback. It will be interesting to watch this topic.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, how do you manage to stop in time? Do you have any secrets of self-control? I'll be grateful for your advice)
ReplyDeleteI just try to keep aware of the table and myself. If I feel like I am going off my game because of frustration, hungry, tired, etc then I'll go. I have fun at the table, but the main reason I play is to make money. If It doesn't look like I will be making more money, then it is time to go, and not let my ego get in the way.
ReplyDeleteI think that ego thing is what gets a lot of poker players. You lose a big pot, maybe get a bad beat, so you want to prove you are better than that. Okay, but if it means you are changing your game and forcing the action, then it is time to go.