If you are playing for comps and like a baby buy in NLHE, Bill's might be your best option.

They give $2 per hour comps on the Bill's players card, and offer live .50/1 NLHE with a $20 min and $200 max (vast majority of players buy in for <$100).

The Excal game is a GREAT game, but it helps if you feel comfortable putting at least $100 on the table so you can play. Most of the Excal NL players are entry level at best, allowing the games to be buttery soft for an average to above average player. Average tourists usually do not have a problem with buying in for the $100 min, but as I mentioned earlier in this thread, lowering the min might be a good idea to being in more entry level NL players.

The fact that they had 4 2/4LHE and 2 NLHE games is quite telling of what kind of customer Excal attracts (entry level recreational tourists).

_________________
Incessant Twitter Ramblings available here: LasVegasMichael

Take it from one who accrued hundreds of dollars during the electronic age of excalibur:
1) never eat at the buffet
2) never eat at the italian restaurant
3) the coffee shop is overpriced but has edible food
4) if you are a starbucks person, use a $4 comp at the location nearest the poker room
5) the steak house is surprisingly excellent (i.e., accumulate $4 comps into small piles)

_________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Poker Player 4 Jesus

just to satisfy my own curiousity, and hopefully not to confuse forum threads, does the above mean that you have forsaken the various promotions at Harrah's?

_________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Poker Player 4 Jesus

I'm definitely not a fan of having a baby 1/2 and a regular 1/2 game. However, why not have a 1/1 game with a $40-$100 (or 80 max?) buy in and then a $1/$2 with a $100/$300 buy in available?

Or, have a 1/2 with a low max buy in and then spread 1/3 or 2/3 for those that want to play a bit bigger?

i thought ed was gonna be "involved" with this thread, he has not been seen nor heard since like day 1 of the grand opening ??

I will send him an e-mail as a friendly reminder. I'm sure he has simply been busy with the room.

_________________
Incessant Twitter Ramblings available here: LasVegasMichael

I just got back from a weekend in Las Vegas and played two sessions at the Excalibur. We stay there because I"m one of those people who brings his young kids to Vegas. Before I get blasted, I have family there and I can kill some time with the kids downstairs playing games so at least there's something else to do. however, after walking through the casino after checking in late at night and walking past the strippers/entertainers I may have to prevent my kids from walking through at night! I was even more surprised to see one in the poker room. WTF? do people really want to see this?

Anyway, I got into town Thursday night and started playing at about midnight. I was surprised that there were 6 tables going and at least 3 maybe 4 were $1/$2 NL. I played at one of the tables and came into the game in the cutoff. I literally literally played and won 5 hands in the first orbit and was up about $175. I fluctuated from there though eventually being down almost a full buy in to ending the night even.

The fish were out in force though which I was glad to see. Everybody was there just to have fun but some of the play was horrible. that's why I lost but I want the bad players to make calls when they're behind every day so I can't complain that I got outdrawn!

I played until 8 AM and there was one 1/2 table going. we played 5 handed for a while but at about 6 some more people joined the game and we were back up to 8 handed.

I played again Sunday night and oddly enough there were fewer tables. only 2 NL games going at about 10:00 PM but they were going strong when I left at 2:00 AM to go to bed.

the Excalibur is where I first played live in the old 1-3 spread limit game so although it may not be the classiest place in town, I like it! I'm glad it's back to live tables.

Michael

NYNY might be a better option for you with your kids. The arcade at NYNY is much better. Last time I took my son to the arcade at Excalibur, it was run down and many of the machines were broken. We walked over to NYNY and it was like night and day. The arcade is so much better! And I haven't seen any stripper/go-go dancer types over there.

_________________
Follow me on Twitter as I tweet from the felt: http://twitter.com/AlaskaGal1

kids are 6 and 3 so they don't play too many arcade games. they like the carnival games. for now anyway.......

Do Jackpots and Wheel Spins really affect the table? As a tourist at Excalibur I never paid much attention to it. I'd see someone get 4 of a kind or straight flush and they'd get a wheel spin. If I got a made hand like that then I figure'd I'd get to spin the wheel too. But I never once thought to myself how I should play differently. I mean a hand like that either comes or it doesn't. Do you think I was in the minority, assuming most at the tables are relatively clueless tourists? I dabbled in online poker, and played a fairly regular Wednesday low stakes home game for a couple years, which makes me feel pretty typical.

Obviously now that I'm living here I'm paying attention to it. Starting off for the simple fact I never bothered to realize that they were taking money off the table for it. Yes I was pretty oblivious. I just came to play and have fun - not to decipher the unique structure.

So basically two questions -

1) Are tables with jackpots really that much looser? On average people pay enough attention to it that they chase?
2) How should I adjust my play accordingly when I play at places with jackpots, using Excalibur as an example?