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Hard Rock Poker Room Review Last updated: 08/21/08 Sponsored Advertisement Phone: (702) 693-5874 Web: http://www.hardrockhotel.com/las-vegas/casino/poker-lounge/ Email: Address: 4455 Paradise Road Editor's Review Hard Rock Poker Room News Hard Rock Poker Room Information Tables: 18 Betting Limits:
Hard Rock Poker Tournaments: Yes
Weekend Wait-Time: Unknown at this time. Smoking Allowed: No Poker Room Rate: No Editor's Review - Hard Rock Poker Room Total Rating: 4.25 Room Quality Rating: 5 The Hard Rock Poker Lounge is quite simply the most amazing poker room this reviewer has ever come across. It is evident from walking into the Poker Lounge that no expense was spared in putting together and designing this poker paradise. 18 tables, with 5 tables in privately railed back rooms, all with auto shufflers, an in room bar and smoking lounge, dedicated cocktail waitresses, players card tracking at the table, electronic list tracking, text messaging capabilities (to notify players of open seats), restrooms in the poker room, high hand jackpots (optional at 5/10NL and above), and a host of other amenities elevate this room into a class all by itself. Starting with room aesthetics, this room is simply top notch. Adjustable height plush high back chairs with wheels complement the lush tables that have beautiful and soft felt, with soft supple arm rails and cup holders built in. Side tables are also available. The color palate of the room compliments the décor perfectly. The room is dark glossy burl wood veneers, with dark brown sueded microfiber chairs complemented with tufted leather lounge chairs with side tables for those waiting for a seat or sweating the live games. This room has a large amount of lounge seating, and a dedicated poker bar, with video poker, and a smoking lounge, where customers can smoke while waiting for a seat (non smoking lounge chairs are also available throughout the room). The tables are all well spaced apart, with no chair backs coming close to hitting each other, and the lighting above each table is superb. The room has a distinctive ultra lounge look and feel, and is quite a comfortable poker room overall. Oversized tasteful pictures of various celebrities adorn the walls in glorious black and white (including Billy Bob Thornton and Mick Jagger). The room does not have the Hard Rock traditional memorabilia scattered around the room, as this room seems “above” that. Overall, this is simply a beautiful room, aesthetically. The room’s layout is quite impressive as well. There is a dedicated cashier cage in the room, as well as Restrooms. Restrooms located in the poker room are something that only one other room in Las Vegas has, and is something that every poker room needs. There are chip runners that retrieve chips for the players, so there is no directing the players to the cage to get their own chips. Also, the Hard Rock spared no expense when it came to technology. When a player signs up to get on the list for a game, the host can take their cellular phone number and send them a text message when their seat opens. Also, Hard Rock Players cards can be made for the players in the room, and are swiped at the table itself (much like MGM Grand and TI). Comps tracking is done right at the table. The room is open to spread any game, from 2/4 Limit Hold’em to 3K/6K Badugi/Baduci/2-7 Triple Draw/Omaha 8 mixed. They are open to spreading any game of any limit, and have plaques for everything. They even have plaques for 1-5 Stud and 25/50 PLO. As far as overall customer service, the room is quite open and welcoming to its players. Management was very hands on to answer any and all questions, as well as alerting all customers to the many amenities the room offers. A few other amenities include: Tableside foodservice with a reasonably priced menu (average entrees starting at $7 and going up to $12), Bottle Service, Sports Book writers/runners available in the room 24/7 for sports betting while at the table, and convenient parking, with the Poker Lounge being located along the parking garage hallway. The room also offers a very unique straddle concept. They offer something they have deemed the “Hard Rock Straddle”. The BUTTON can straddle (double the big blinds). This is NOT the same as a Mississippi Straddle. The Button straddle takes priority over the UTG straddle, and gets last action REGARDLESS of action in front. If there is a raise and a re-raise, the action around the entire table (including the blinds) completes before the button straddle acts. When the button straddles, UTG still acts first. This is a truly unique aspect to the Hard Rock Poker Lounge. Overall, this reviewer was simply in awe over this poker room. Not since the Venetian has a room truly blown me away as far as overall room aesthetics, amenities, service, and overall expense. I strongly recommend this room to everyone that visits Las Vegas. It truly sets a new standard in the Las Vegas poker landscape. Competition Rating: 3 The Hard Rock Poker Lounge just opened 4 hours ago at the time of the writing of this review, so it is impossible for this reviewer to properly gauge the quality of the competition yet. An educated guess would be that this room will have some sick action due to the gamblers that often stay in the hotel. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino cater to a late 20s through early 40s Classic Rocker that has money to burn and people to see. When the multitude of nightclubs let out, I am guessing that this poker room will have some very soft tables of loose and wild action. Until I can verify the customer base that this room will garner, I will rate the competition as a 3 until I can reevaluate in a few weeks. In my brief time playing on opening day at the Hard Rock, the game was loose and the players were experienced yet willing to gamble. The Hard Rock Straddle that is offered truly stimulates the action, and the players seemed to really enjoy getting their money in the pot. As word spreads, this room will more than likely develop a locals base of deep stacked NL grinders and loose and wild tourists. This section will be revised in a few weeks. Dealer Rating: 4 All dealers at the Hard Rock Poker Lounge, with the exception of some internal transfers, were very experienced and from other properties in Las Vegas. Dealers from Venetian, Treasure Island, Monte Carlo, Sahara, and other properties were recruited over by the Poker Lounge Manager: Houston Waldie In my time at the tables, I only experienced one dealer who was noticeably green and new to dealing, and he was an internal transfer from the Sports Book. All other dealers had a minimum of two years experience dealing poker, and were very familiar with game control and proper dealing procedures. Cocktail Rating: 4 Cocktail service at the Hard Rock Poker Lounge is phenomenal. There is a full service bar located within the Poker Lounge (also doubles as a video poker bar and smoking lounge), where the Poker Lounge dedicated cocktail waitresses get their drinks from. The ONLY reason that we cannot rate Cocktails as a 5 is due to the Hotel/Casino requirement to charge customers $3 for Red Bull, whether mixed or in the can. If it wasn’t for the charge for Red Bull, the cocktail rating would easily be 5 out of 5 simply because the attractive waitresses were very friendly, very quick, and drinks were made well, and served in large glassware. Management Rating: 4 The Hard Rock Poker Lounge has deemed their management team as the “Bad Boys of Poker”. The Director of Poker Operations, Houston Waldie, is very open to answering questions and seems to have a very hands on grip to the day to day operations of his poker room. He has a long history in Las Vegas, having worked at Sunset Station, Green Valley Ranch, Golden Nugget, and now the Hard Rock, all within the poker department. Jimmy Miller is the Swing Shift manager, and also has a long history in the poker world, having run the World Series of Poker for two years, and managing the Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles for a few years. Brian Stedeford is a long term Vegas poker manager coming to the Hard Rock from the Sahara Hotel and Casino Poker room. Along with him, he picked out 4 of his best dealers from the Sahara and brought them to the Hard Rock. Blaine was formerly a shift manager at the Venetian, and is now at the Hard Rock. Blain brings with him several years of Vegas poker experience as well. There is no question that the Hard Rock Poker Lounge management team is a quite experienced group. With managers that have worked on the Strip, in locals casinos, and in Los Angeles, all bases are covered as far as experience with dealing with different types of Vegas poker players. The management team worked together to introduce new technology to the room (text messaging system to notify guests of their available seats), getting a sports book writer to be available in the room 24/7, and other minor amenities. Electronic list tracking and chip runners scattered throughout the room, as well as dealers that all seem to be on the ball as far as the policies and procedures of the room itself show that this seems to be a very well managed room. ***UPDATE AS OF 10/17/08*** Houston Waldie has resigned/been let go from the Hard Rock, after only 2 months. Comps Rating: 4 The Hard Rock Poker Lounge offers hourly comps on the Hard Rock RockStar player’s card. The comps start at $1 per hour for the 1/2 NL and the 2/4LHE through 4/8LHE, and go to $1.50 per hour for 2/5NLHE and 5/10LHE. When playing 5/10NL and above, players get $2 per hour. The comps go directly on the RockStar Card and can be used at all outlets in the Hard Rock (including all restaurants, gift shops, toward your hotel room bill, and toward tableside food service). The card can be generated for the players in the Poker Lounge itself, and is swiped and tracked at the table. The Hard Rock Poker Room also offers high hand jackpots. So long as there is $20 in the pot and 4 players are dealt in, the hand qualifies for the high hand jackpots. Quads and all Straight flushes (except the A-5 wheel) all start at $50 and cap at $599. The wheel (A-5) as well as Royal Flushes all start at $500 and are uncapped. Both hole cards must play, and for quads, a pocket pair is required. They do not offer a Bad Beat Jackpot at this time. The fact that the poker comps go directly onto your player’s card and do not require a paper comp to redeem is a nice feature and is quite rare (only seen at Imperial Palace/Bill's and Stations casinos). The jackpots are optional for players playing at the 5/10NL and above level. Hard Rock Poker Room News Hard Rock Poker Room Manager Resigns,Hard Rock resignation,Hard Rock poker lounge,Hard Rock staff change,Hard Rock Poker Room, Date: 10/17/08 Summary:Houston Waldie, Hard Rock Poker Lounge Director of Poker Operations, resigned today, according to the Hard Rock poker room staff. AllVegasPoker quoted in Hard Rock Poker Lounge Ad in CardPlayer Magazine! Date: 10/06/08 Summary:In the most recent issue of Card Player magazine, a widely distributed poker publication, Hard Rock Poker Lounge quotes AllVegasPoker.com prominently in their advertisement! Hard Rock Official Grand Opening Ceremony is this Saturday, 9/13/08! Date: 09/10/08 Summary:The Hard Rock Poker Lounge had its soft opening on 8/21/08. This Saturday evening will be the Official Grand Opening with international press and celebrities attending! Hard Rock Poker Lounge Editor Review is now posted! Date: 08/21/08 Summary:At 9AM this morning, the Hard Rock Poker Lounge opened up to the public, and allvegaspoker.com was there to cover the opening and ask lots of questions. Photos were taken, and the Editor's Review is posted! Hard Rock Poker Lounge Opening Day Coverage, Hard Rock Poker Room, Hard Rock Tournaments, Hard Rock poker games, Hard Rock Date: 08/21/08 Summary:The Hard Rock Poker Lounge soft opening just occurred this morning, Thursday, August 21st, 2008, and AVP was there to cover the opening, with pictures and details! [more Hard Rock poker room News story] |
Hard Rock Poker Room Player Reviews Summary of Player Reviews: Overall: 3.76 Room Quality: 4.38 Competition: 3.13 Dealer Rating: 3.38 Cocktail Rating: 3.50 Management Rating: 3.50 Comps Rating: 3.38 Friday Night at Hard Rock By: LVFrank 10/28/08 DEALERS SUCK By: Watchtower 10/09/08 Nobody is perfect. By: Unlvrobo 09/23/08 Loose, Fun, Great Vibe, all-in-all a top place! By: AlexReardon 09/19/08 Not bad not bad By: TheCaptain 08/29/08 It's OK By: TournyGuy 08/25/08 Unique but not ground-breaking By: zazzow 08/23/08 Nice room, everything else average By: mauihaole 08/22/08 Trip Reports About Hard Rock Poker Room EA12-Trendy Casinos 09/27/08, Player: SouthPointPerry For Rooms: Hard Rock,Palms,Planet Hollywood,Rio, EA13 - an Impromptu trip 10/03/08, Player: SouthPointPerry For Rooms: Boulder Station,Eastside Cannery,Hard Rock,Mandalay Bay, Drunks, lots of tourneys and profitable trip 10/26/08, Player: howardle For Rooms: Caesars Palace,Excalibur (Electronic),Hard Rock,Harrah's,Mirage,Venetian,Wynn, tourneys: 0 fer 2, but I'll be back pt.1 (long) 11/08/08, Player: paulco58 For Rooms: Binion's,Hard Rock,Harrah's,Mirage, Tourneys 0 fer 2: part 2 11/13/08, Player: paulco58 For Rooms: Binion's,Hard Rock,Harrah's,Mirage, |
 View of the room from the inside, looking toward the cashier cage.  View of the front desk where players check in and get on the list.  View from the inside of the room, looking toward one of the private tables.  View of the poker lounge, including the smoking lounge, video poker bar, and waiting area.  View from the outside of the front of the room looking in.  View from inside of the main area of the poker room, looking toward the entrance.  View of the inside of the room, looking toward a private table.  View of the first row of tables from the main entrance looking inward.  View of the cage. To the right of the cage is the poker room restrooms.  Another view of the room from the inside looking toward the entrance.  View of the most seculded table they have, against the back right corner, deep within the room.  Another view from deep inside the room.  A view of one of the private gaming tables in the back of the room.  A view of one of the many seating areas located thoughout the room. This one is located in one of the more private areas. All private areas have side seating and even couches!  A view of the felt.  Some of the action opening night  A view of the hallway that leads to the Poker Lounge (also the parking garage and restuarants).  A view of the Smoking Lounge and video poker bar located at the front left of the Poker Lounge.  A view looking inside the room from the outside hallway.  When the room first opened, this was the working area of the poker staff, sorting out all the gaming plaques. Over 500 plaques were ordered so all possible games are covered, at all limits.  View of the Men's restroom located inside the poker room.  One of the "private" tables  More opening night action  More action  View of the front 3 tables looking out into the casino  The bar next to the poker room |
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