ES
This room is a love or hate it setting, but I happen to love it. There is a lot of noise as the room is open to the casino and there is a nightclub (Centrifuge) next door which gets loud at night. The sports book is also right around the corner. I think the set up brings in a LOT of casual player traffic which is very good for the room. For some players, however, the noise will be a distraction--a table change to the middle of the room should minimize the noise.
Other than the noise, the chairs are comfy enough, but not as nice as the Venetian or Wynn. The tables have a distinctive, but annoying, marble race track on the edges which makes chip stacking rather awkward at times. There is plenty of room between tables. The room itself always has a fun, energetic vibe; closer to a party atmosphere than the stuffier big rooms.
The 1/2 NL games attract a lot of drunks and casual players, so those games tend to play pretty easy. The 2/5 NL game plays somewhat tougher, but also attracts plenty of bad players who just want to put more money in play (the 1/2 game is capped at $200).
Overall, a technically solid, friendly crew that are used to handling the crowd this room attracts.
Service can be hit or miss, but overall is not noticeably good or bad. Drink selection is not as good as Venetian or Wynn, but you can get all the basics. I don't grade on attractiveness, but those who do won't be disappointed (or they can go next door to Centrifuge).
For a big room, the MGM list management is second to none. Table vacancies are tracked electronically, list names are displayed on monitors, and floors walk the room to greet new player, get them to their seats and chips to their table. Rulings seemed handled correctly and politely.
There is a poker room rate/discount. Comp dollars are tracked at the table through the MGM card, but not certain how much is given (I think it is pretty standard $1/hr).
