The Truth About the Mirage Poker Room

Do you remember the days when the Mirage Poker Room was the epicenter of the Vegas poker scene? If you’re new to poker, then the answer might be no, but it could still be a yes if you have seen Rounders. If you haven’t seen Rounders, watch it immediately after reading this article.

It has some cheesiness in a poker sense because poker players are so much more advanced now, but as a movie, it’s fantastic. I’m spending time on this because no poker player should be allowed to play poker unless they have seen Rounders. On the other hand…

Things sure have changed since that movie. The Mirage Poker Room is no longer the place to be for poker players. In fact, it’s somewhat irrelevant. I remember playing a cash game there during the summer last year and going to the Rio the next day. When I was playing in a tournament, another player asked if I played the previous night. I said, “Yeah, I played a cash game at the Mirage Poker Room.” He said, “Why?”

That pretty much tells you all you need to know, doesn’t it? Maybe, but maybe not. Just like most poker situations, it depends. What I’m trying to say is that there are good points to The Mirage Poker Room, but you will almost never see traveling pros playing poker games there. With so many better options, The Mirage Poker Room has become something that just exists. You will find some local pros, but local pros are grinders, and grinders means boring poker. This is not where you’re going to make a lot of money.

The key to The Mirage Poker Room is to know everything about the comps and promos. That’s where you get the advantages. There are also some Texas Hold’em poker tournaments, which will be covered below. As far as cash games go, the stakes are low, but if you’re looking to pick up a few hundred, this is actually one of the best options in town on a Friday or Saturday night.

Mirage Poker Room Comps & Promotions

The first thing every poker player wants to know is the comps. The comps at The Mirage Poker Room are generous at $2 per hour. You’re not going to find anything higher than that in Las Vegas. This is a big plus. Also keep in mind that you’re not forced to play more poker hands to earn those comps.

The promotions are also good. Beginning at 8 a.m., there is an Aces Cracked promotion. The first six players to have their aces cracked will win $100. There is a High Hand promotion, which is $500 for a Royal Flush, $200 for a Straight-Flush, and $100 for Quads. Additionally, there is a Rolling High Hand from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m. It pays $100 and rolls over to the next hour if not paid. And, finally, Progressive Quads begins with AA for $100. Some people will play more poker hands to increase their chances at winning a promotion. Keep this in mind.

Ambiance In The Mirage Poker Room

I don’t use the word “ambiance” often. It sounds too fancy and reminds me of Beyoncé. I’m sure she’s a good person and all, but I’m not a Beyoncé fan on the music side. I know it’s not normal to write about Beyoncé on a review for The Mirage Poker Room, but if you never know what’s coming, it will keep you reading. I don’t like boring in any aspect of life. That’s why it was very difficult for me to write the paragraph about promotions.

In regards to ambiance (not Beyoncé), The Mirage Poker Room used to be the joint. It had 19 tables and an open-air feel. Then they reduced the size of the poker room by cutting it down to 12 tables and added walls. They did this because they wanted to add a bar: Rhumbar.

This was good for revenue for the casino, but it wasn’t good for poker players—unless it’s a Friday or Saturday night because Rhumbar patrons will often venture to The Mirage Poker Room. To be blunt, they play like idiots. Here’s one of the simplest poker tips to remember for cash games: go where the drunks are playing.

The following doesn’t directly relate to ambiance, but The Mirage Poker Room is known for having a few dealers that don’t pay as much attention to the game as they should. This leads to dealer errors and player frustration. These situations aren’t common, but they should really never happen. Dealers are a big part of all poker games, and when they’re paying attention and focused, it helps the game.

Everyone is human and makes mistakes, but you will never see as many mistakes on the WSOP Circuit, where the dealers are exceptionally trained. You wouldn’t even see as many mistakes at the Harrah’s Cherokee Poker Room, where they also take their dealer training seriously. I could go on and on in regards to comparisons, but I think you get the point.

To end on a bright note for Ambiance, there are swivel chairs!

Let’s see what the cash games are like at The Mirage Poker Room.

Cash Games At The Mirage Poker Room

First and foremost, if it’s not a Friday or Saturday night, you’re going to find a lot of regulars. These regulars don’t get involved in many pots, which makes it difficult to extract chips from them. If you’re a cash game player, then the obvious choice is to play in The Mirage Poker Room on Friday and Saturday night but not at other times.

That’s unless you want to play for promotions. But when you play for promotions, it’s a lot of sitting around and it changes the dynamic of the game. It becomes more like Bingo than poker. Not my thing, but it could be your thing. Everyone is different. The key is to make sure you enjoy the game, which will keep you playing longer.

Below is list of cash games spread at The Mirage Poker Room

1/2 NL
Buy-in: $100-$300
Runs: Always

1/3 NL
Buy-in: $100-$300
Runs: Occasionally

2/5 NL
Buy-in: $200-$1,000
Runs: Weekends & Evenings

3/6 FL
Buy-in: $30-No Max
Runs: Always

3/6 FL Dealer’s Choice Mix
Buy-in: $30-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

If you like to play 3/6 Fixed Limit, then there is no discussion here whatsoever. You head straight to The Mirage Poker Room. It’s a different type of poker strategy, though, and it’s also a lot of fun because you’re going to be more active. If you choose to play 3/6 Fixed Limit, play the game straight up but with a twist. Play drawing hands aggressively opposed to made hands aggressively like you would in No Limit.

If you want me to keep it as basic as possible, your poker strategy in Fixed Limit should be to play the draws to the river. I prefer to fire out when drawing to the nuts, but that’s up to you. It’s not against the poker rules to check-call in Fixed Limit when drawing to the nuts.

The main thing you need to be aware of is that you’re usually going to get called, which makes it difficult for top pair to hold up a lot of the time. You want to bet those draws because that’s what wins the big pots. And two other poker tips for Fixed Limit prior to moving to poker tournaments at The Mirage Poker Room.

One, AK-suited is going to offer a ton of value. Two, never fold a pocket pair pre-flop. If you hit that set, you’re usually going to get paid. And you’re getting in for a much cheaper price than you would in No-Limit (most of the time).

Now to the Texas Hold’em poker tournaments at The Mirage Poker Room.

Poker Tournaments At The Mirage Poker Room

As is the case with other Daily and Nightly poker tournaments in Las Vegas, you’re going to find some high rakes (deductions/fees). The rake here for poker tournaments isn’t the highest in town, but they’re not bargains, either. It would be nice if there were some kind of poker rules that put caps on rake for Texas Hold’em poker tournaments in Las Vegas, but it’s not likely to happen. The good news is that the lower buy-in tournaments attract a lot of soft players.

I usually list the poker tournaments by day of the week, but this list will be by time. When you see the Buy-in breakdown of (Entry Fee vs. Deductions), the Entry Fee is the amount that goes to the prize pool; the deductions is what goes to the house. GTD = Guaranteed Prize Money.

11 a.m.
Runs: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Buy-in: $65 (Entry Fee $47, Deductions $18)
Registration Opens: 9 a.m.
Registration Closes: 12 p.m. (first three levels)
Starting Chip Stack: 10,000
Starting Blinds: 50/100
Blind Levels: 20 minutes
Antes: N/A
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: N/A
GTD: N/A

11 a.m.
Runs: Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Buy-in: $120 (Entry Fee $92, Deductions $18)
Registration Opens: 9 a.m.
Registration Closes: 12:55 (first four levels)
Starting Chip Stack: 25,000
Starting Blinds: 200/400
Blind Levels: 20 minutes
Antes: BB (Big Blind)
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: 10 minutes every four levels
GTD: N/A

This is the best tournament The Mirage Poker Room offers, but it’s not great. Pay attention to the Starting Blinds. They start at 200/400, which takes away from the value of starting with 25,000 chips. However, it’s a little better if you spend $5 for the extra 5,000 chips. You should always pay the extra $5. The value is enormous. If you ever see someone not paying the extra $5, they have no idea what they’re doing. Peg them as a fish.

2 p.m.
Runs: Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Buy-in: $65 (Entry Fee $47, Deductions $18)
Registration Opens: 12 p.m.
Registration Closes: 3:15 (first four levels)
Starting Chip Stack: 10,000
Starting Blinds: 50/100
Blind Levels: 20 minutes
Antes: None
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: N/A
GTD: N/A

2 p.m.
Runs: Wednesday, Thursday
Buy-in: $100 (Entry Fee $83, Deductions $17)
Registration Opens: 12 p.m.
Registration Closes: 3:15 p.m. (first four levels)
Starting Chip Stack: 15,000
Starting Blinds: 100/200
Blind Levels: 25 minutes
Antes: BB
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: N/A
GTD: N/A

7 p.m.
Runs: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Buy-in: $100 (Entry Fee $80, Deductions $20)
Registration Opens: 5 p.m.
Registration Closes: 8 p.m. (first three levels)
Starting Chip Stack: 10,000
Starting Blinds: 50/100
Blind Levels: 20 minutes
Antes: BB
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: N/A
GTD: N/A

7 p.m.
Runs: Wednesday, Friday
Buy-in: $100 (Entry Fee $80, Deductions $20)
Registration Opens: 5 p.m.
Registration Closes: 8 p.m.
Starting Chip Stack: 15,000
Starting Blinds: 100/200
Blind Levels: 20 minutes
Antes: BB
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: N/A
GTD: N/A

10 p.m.
Runs: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (every day)
Buy-in: $65 (Entry Fee $47, Deductions $18)
Registration Opens: 9 p.m.
Registration Closes: 11 p.m. (first three levels)
Starting Chip Stack: 10,000
Starting Blinds: 50/100
Blind Levels: 20 minutes
Antes: N/A
Staff Bonus: $5
Staff Bonus Chips: 5,000
Break: N/A
GTD: N/A

The same poker rules for winning can be applied here as were applied for the cash games. Despite the best tournament structure being at 11 a.m. on the weekends, your best shot at winning will be on a Friday or Saturday night. You simply won’t find as many intoxicated people in the morning (if any). That said, the 11 a.m. tournament is very likely to have the biggest prize pool. We’re not talking about anything significant here, but 1st place should win a few thousand. That’s not bad for a $120 investment.

As far as the high rakes all over town for poker tournaments, they stink and really should be lowered. The house is being greedy in all of these situations. I try to look at it this way, though. You’re paying more to play against a much softer field, and when you don’t win, at least you’re getting some entertainment at a relatively good price. For example, a dinner out followed by ordering drinks at the bar can easily total more than $120.

Final Thoughts

This is a tricky one. The Mirage Poker Room definitely has its pluses and minuses. Whether you should play here or not depends a lot on when you visit and what you’re seeking. Since it was the place to be for a long time, I would recommend visiting and deciding whether or not you like it for yourself. Every poker player is different. You might end up falling in love with The Mirage Poker Room. Not likely, but possible.

♠ pokerjournal.org

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Mirage Poker Room was permanently closed in 2020.

Mirage Poker Room – FAQ