ES
Personally I love the layout, sandwiched between the sportsbook and Centrifuge bar and open to the casino floor. Everything (felt, chairs, carpet) seemed to be newer and well kept. Adequate space at the table to stretch out. I'm pretty sensitive to smoke and dust and didn't have any problems. Noise? Really? Perhaps in the past, but I never found the music/dancing from Centrifuge too loud at all. If you are at the tables closest to the rail you might find the traffic and casino noise a bit loud during peak periods but that is it. It won't be as quiet as a dedicated poker room that is tucked away(like at Caesar's or the Monte Carlo) but I would have to say to much has been made of the room being too noisey. I kept on being drawn back to this room by the friendliness of everyone there and the speed within which I could get into a GOOD game or move between tables. My only complaint is nitpicky -- a lot of the $5 chips were filthy, the worst I saw in Vegas during my stay.
I played two sessions of 2/4 Limit and four sessions of 1/2 No Limit at the MGM during my visit. The limit games were classic "no foldem holdem". Most of the limit players are there looking to drink or kill time as much as they're there to play poker. Plenty of absolute rookies. The "sharks" are all playing 3/6, of which there was usually one table running all day. If you can handle players consistently jamming the flop with weak hands and newbies delivering bad beats because they are always lost in a hand then this game may be for you. I drifted between several different rooms during my 5 day stay and thought the MGM probably had the best action at 1/2 NLHE. The locals and more serious players seem to dominate the four or five tables up and running until 2 or 3 in the afternoon or so. After that I figure they were opening one additional table an hour. I played until 1am most nights and there had to be at least 15 tables of 1/2 No Limit running when I quit. Plenty of tourists, shortstack artists and pure gamblers from the casino floor. Later in the evening you can count on a few weaker or overly loose aggressive players at any table, especially after everyone has been drinking for awhile. Lots of action. One game next to my table earlier in the afternoon on my last day featured a Russian dude that lost at least $800 within two hours by trying to run over the same players! That said, there were alot of tight aggressive players among the tourists and on the whole the play at my tables was always pretty solid. Not a cakewalk, hence the rating.
Friendly. Professional. Efficient. A few were a real hoot and kept us entertained. Everyone was tipping them well and in my opinion they deserved it. In my six sessions I saw only one misdeal and one pot shoved in the wrong direction. In the latter event the room manager came over but the dealer had a such a good recall of the action that the matter was settled quickly without anyone getting upset.
GREAT service at the table. I don't drink when I play but I really appreciate when those who do can get drinks efficiently ;)
The room seemed to be very well managed. The lists were constantly updated on the Flat Panel screens and the staff were looking to get you into a game or open up a table as quickly as possible. On two occasions I wanted a table change and both times this was accomodated inside 10-15 minutes. One of evening shift managers would get on the mike and try to sell the 2/4 Limit game to the casino traffic by hyping it up -- hysterical.
Really didn't take advantage of this at all so can't speak about it. Too lazy to get the players card.
