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Poker: Poker rooms: Excalibur Poker Room Review
Poker Rooms Reviews and information: Excalibur
Excalibur Poker Room Information Tables: 20 Texas Holdem: Yes Tables are normally split pretty evenly between 1-3 and 2-6 games. On weekends a 4/8 holdem game will usually opens up on a few tables also. The rake on all (limit) Texas Holdem games is 10% or $3.00. No-Limit Holdem: Yes The blinds are $1/$2. This no limit Texas Holdem game is usually only played at one table on weekdays, but on weekends I have seen the game expand to two or three tables. The rake on the No Limit Texas Holdem game is 10% or $4.00. Stud: Yes The Excalibur offers 7 card stud on at least one table, and sometimes multiple tables. The only limit I have seen is 1-5. Omaha: No Because the Excalibur poker room is so large, the wait time on weekends is typically pretty short, with normally 5 to 15 names on the list during primetime poker hours. Smoking Allowed: No Review - Excalibur Poker Room Total Rating: 3.95 Room Quality Rating: 4 Around May, 2004 the Excalibur hotel management really got serious about the poker room. The room was moved to a much larger area to accomodate 20 tables. Most of the older poker tables were replaced with brand new poker tables which have nice felt and a comfortable leather rim. The Excalibur poker room built a huge television that's always showing good boxing matches, football games or other sports. What makes the Excalibur poker room so special for beginning poker players is that it offers "kitchen table" poker rules. These include rules such as a maximum of three raises, even heads up (by contrast, when two players are heads-up in most Vegas card rooms, there are unlimited raises). Rules like this protect novice players from losing all their money on one hand when they don't see that flush on the board. The Excalibur poker room also offers the lowest limits you will find on the strip for Texas Holdem : 1-3 spread. This is a cheap way for novice players or players more interested in having a good time (see drinking) to enjoy themselves without losing a ton of cash. Of course, the kitchen-table rules are not good for everyone. More experienced poker players will want to play elsewhere, but for beginners, the Excalibur poker room is perfect. It offers a friendy and easy going atmosphere, but is not in as nice of a facility as the Mirage or Bellagio, which is why it only earns 4/5 stars. Competition Rating: 5 A lot of notice poker players cut their teeth at the Excalibur poker room because of the low limits. However, the players at the Excalibur are SO bad that I have found it's tough for an average-to-good player to really make any money. It is nearly impossible to bluff someone out of a hand, and family pots pre-flop are not unusual because at the 1-3 game nearly everyone will limp in for only $1. However, in general the Excalibur is the place to play for novice players, and even seasoned professional's may find the soft competition to their liking. One word of caution. It seems that recently I am noticing more and more regulars in the games at the Excalibur. This is because the word has gotten out around Vegas that the Excalibur is such a soft game. Because of this, the Excalibur competition seems to be generally tightening up. It's nowhere near as hard as most other rooms, but it is noticeably harder. Dealer Rating: 3 Bubbles: This is a black guy who is one of the smoothest in the card room. He tells funny stories, does poker chip tricks, and has a very good sense of humor. All of the regulars know Bubbles, and he is one of the most respected dealers in the joint. Virginia: She's a sweetheart. An older gray-haired dealer that has a good sense of humor and can carry a nice conversation. One of my favorites. Cocktail Rating: 3 When the poker room was in a much smaller part of the casino, the service was amazingly fast, but now that the room is bigger it's just normal. Usually there are three girls working 20 tables on weekends. The regular poker room cocktail waitresses are also very average looking. Nothing spectacular, but nothing that's going to make you go blind. As you play later into the night, and the players start to thin out, the speed of the cocktail service increases remarkably. Management Rating: 3 The newest room manager, James, usually works on weekend nights. James came over from the Mirage poker room where he was a terrific dealer. James really knows how to run a poker room. He literally rolls up his sleeves and hustles people around the room. He manages the list really well, and he has a great personality. However, most of the other room management is below average, meaning that they don't run a list very effectively and generally are not pleasant people, which lowers my overall rating of the room. If you're playing at the Excalibur when James is working, you will have a good experience with the management. Otherwise, you have been warned. Comps Rating: 4 - Free Buffet for poker players every night except Saturday. The food is brought right into the poker room. It's usually not bad food, and you don't have to walk anywhere (and it's free!) - Jackpot: for 2-6 games and higher there is a progressive bad beat jackpot. - Wheel Spin: The Excalibur has a unique attraction that's like the wheel of fortune. You spin a giant wheel and win cash prizes from $20 to $100. To qualify for a wheel spin you must be player a 2-6 game or higher (1-3 games don't qualify), and get 4 of a kind or better OR get pocket aces cracked. - $4 Food Voucher: For 4 hours of play you can also get a free $4 food voucher good at any restaurant in the Excalibur, except the restaurants in the second floor food court. Unfortunately, the Excalibur does not offer a certain amount per hour of comp credit. *note: $.50 to $1.00 is from all 2-6 games and above is removed from each pot for the bad beat jackpot and the wheel spin. This is in addition to the rake. |
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Phone: (702) 597-7777