Plaza Hotel or Golden Gate

I had mentioned previously that i will be coming to Las Vegas from February 15 to February 19, 2013 with my club volleyball team. (Super excited, by the way). The situation is that I will now be paying for my own room, which is not a big deal for me. My two hotel choices are The Plaza or Golden Gate Casino in downtown Las Vegas and I need help deciding which one to stay at. I have not been downtown in 10 years or so.

1. I will be playing some table games and should give either casino a minimum of 4 hours per day, $25 per hand, action. Per the hosts I have spoken to at both locations, this should qualify me for a free regular room. At the very least, I should get a casino rate.

2. My team will be staying at the Plaza, which is the main plus for my staying there. However, I have heard mixed reviews about the table games at the Plaza. In general, I have heard that the tables are dead most of the time and many of the dealers are surly or depressed. Does not sound as fun. Oh, for this team I am an assistant coach and therefore not responsible for the girls. I will be around the Plaza a lot though, which is a consideration.

3. I have heard great things about the Golden Gate Casino female entertainers. It sounds like a more fun place to gamble in the evenings. Tables are busier, which is good for me in terms of ratings, as I won't play quite as fast. 10X Odds in craps is also appealing. Downside for Golden Gate is that I have heard the rooms are very loud before 1:00 am due to Fremont Street.

Any suggestions would be welcome. If anyone has a host at Golden Gate, I would appreciate a referral.

I vote Plaza. You can also play at LVC to earn comps at Plaza. They take good care of their players and if you want 10x craps you can play at LVC on 10x and it will count at Plaza which is only 3/4/5. Golden Gate's party pit offers decent games, probably about the same as Plaza or LVC blackjack rules. The Fremont Street noise would be a concern at Golden Gate. LVC has quite a few full pay video poker machines too if that is something you want which help break a tie.

I stayed at Plaza for their soft launch. I got invited to do a review. It was a great room, especially for the price.

Quote: Juyemura

3. I have heard great things about the Golden Gate Casino female entertainers. It sounds like a more fun place to gamble in the evenings. Tables are busier, which is good for me in terms of ratings, as I won't play quite as fast. 10X Odds in craps is also appealing. Downside for Golden Gate is that I have heard the rooms are very loud before 1:00 am due to Fremont Street.

Any suggestions would be welcome. If anyone has a host at Golden Gate, I would appreciate a referral.

I don't "get it." Are you here to make money, or have fun, getting wasted? The Golden Gate is exclusively CSM, and I believe 6:5. That should be a no brainer.

Quote: GH

I don't "get it." Are you here to make money, or have fun, getting wasted? The Golden Gate is exclusively CSM, and I believe 6:5. That should be a no brainer.

This is not correct. There are no 6-5 games at Golden Gate. I have done four table game surveys there over the past 18 months +/- and they have never had a 6-5 game and they also do not exclusively use CSM. The $5 game is CSM but the $10 game does not use them. Sometimes it is $10 CSM/$15 non CSM. My last survey was on 12/26/12.

They have the same daytime BJ rules in their night games when it becomes a party pit. The D (old Fitz owned by same group) does the same thing.

To answer GH, I am going to Vegas primarily to coach volleyball. However, since I am just going as an assistant coach this trip and since we have tons of parent chaperones coming along, I will be able to sneak out to get a little bit of action at the tables.

I am looking for a mixture of a fun time at the tables, a nice environment, and the whole package including rooms. I am too responsible to get wasted and drunk in downtown. Making money is not a factor, but making good bets is. I should provide enough action to get free or discounted rooms in Downtown Las Vegas at either property.

Thanks Pokeraddict for your thoughts. As I understand it, Golden Gate has good rules for their table games too. I have heard that the Plaza is mostly dead at their tables, and that is a big strike against them if true. While I don't need to be in a drunken frat house style casino, playing craps by yourself for hours is not fun. For me anyway.

If it were me I would play the 10x craps at LVC for comps at Plaza. Yes, the table games are generally dead at Plaza. A typical night at Plaza during the week will have one roulette, one craps and maybe four BJ games going. Dealers often are idle. They will be better at LVC but that place can be smok so there is a trade off. Golden Gate has low ceilings so it can get smoky too but it will be the busiest pit of the three by far. All of their table games are party pit after 6pm but the rules do not change. I don't recall the craps odds at Golden Gate. I have never played there nor scouted them.

Golden Gate, Plaza and LVC all have 6 deck DAS H17 $5 min BJ. You will also find SF21 at Plaza and Golden Gate and Most Liberal 21 at Plaza/LVC. Many of the BJ games at Plaza/LVC use CSMs and about half of the ones at Golden Gate do too. You cannot surrender or RSA at either. The Golden Gate party pit dealers are hotter IMO if that matters to you. Golden Gate also has UTH open most of the time where Plaza has the table but I have never seen it open.

Thanks Pokeraddict. What this is boiling down to is room quality vs gambling experience. It sounds like the rooms at the Plaza will be bigger, more recently renovated and quieter then the Golden Gate. But the Golden Gate will have a more fun vibe in terms of their casino and dealers. Golden Gate, like LVC has 10X odds for craps.

One suggestion a friend made was to stay at the Plaza and just gamble at Golden Gate. However, since my normal action should qualify me for free rooms and probably some food comps, I tend to like to gamble where I stay. Thus the dilemma. If I stay at the Plaza, they will get my action and vice versa with Golden Gate. I like the idea of playing at LVC and just transferring my action over to the Plaza.

One more question, I am guessing that downtown the minimums would be $5 to $10, maybe $15 on weekends?

I voted for the Golden Gate. I've reviewed both places, and had a pretty bad experience at the Plaza. However, that was before their big renovation, which I admit looks well done from the casino. While the rooms are tiny at the GG, there is a certain small-business vibe I just like about the place. I can also vouch that they are very generous with mailers. Plus, they get a lot of points for having 3-2 blackjack in a Party Pit, and the dealers rate second highest in attractiveness downtown (Golden Nugget is first).

Quote: Pokeraddict

This is not correct. There are no 6-5 games at Golden Gate. I have done four table game surveys there over the past 18 months +/- and they have never had a 6-5 game and they also do not exclusively use CSM. The $5 game is CSM but the $10 game does not use them. Sometimes it is $10 CSM/$15 non CSM. My last survey was on 12/26/12.

They have the same daytime BJ rules in their night games when it becomes a party pit. The D (old Fitz owned by same group) does the same thing.

I admit that the last time I was there was so I could use the place as a shortcut from Main St. to Fremont. I'll have a look at your updated survey.

Quote: Juyemura

Making money is not a factor, but making good bets is. I should provide enough action to get free or discounted rooms in Downtown Las Vegas at either property.

Okay, I only recently retired, and still think of gaming as "work." It's just that GG isn't my cup of tea, because it comes the closest to reminding me of that "Play BJ to Get Laid" video that was once posted someplace on this forum...

I've played at both, but am staying at the GG for the first time next week. I chose there because I'm a history guy, and love the idea of staying in Vegas's first casino. Not to mention I got an offer for free weeknights.

I've played at the Plaza, and I agree with what you heard about being dead, especially in the middle of the week. I actually like the Plaza casino after the renovation; a bit more relaxed, cleaner, not as cramped, quieter. I've been hit and miss on dealers there, just like you find at most places. Some are great, some a bit surly. Of course the dealers are much friendlier/prettier at the GG, but it's louder, more cramped, etc.

I will say your thought of playing slower at the GG because of more people could be a bit flawed. If there's one thing I've noticed, it's they deal damn fast. They can go through a full table faster than a dealer at the Plaza on a table with 2 people. At least that's what it seems like to me. Maybe a bit exaggerated, but it is a noticeable difference.

I know, not much advice; just trying to put in my couple of observations. I would be good with either; I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever one you choose. If that's the hardest decision you have to make for this visit, you've got it made.

I voted for the Golden Gate also.

The one thing that no has mentioned yet is the wonderful Du-Par's Restaurant!!!

They have the BEST Pancakes i've ever eaten.

If you're playing at that level, I'd be looking for a room AND some food comps for Du-Par's.

Did I mention the Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice.......

Hmm. I was at Du-Par's a few months ago and ended up with a decidedly mediocre meal and the worst godawful service I ever had. I suspect the only reason why the food arrived at all was because half the party bumped into the manager on the way out, out after an hour and a half without drinks showing up.

The pancakes, however, I've seen mentioned in national publications.

I have stayed comp at both places. You must stay at the GG. The games are essetially the same, if anything a small edge to the GG, who has hot dealers and, I believe, advertises the fact that all their dice games are 10x and their BJ is 3:2. The rooms are a bit smaller but the plaza is no Ritz Carlton either and the rooms are a wash. The fact that you will be (presumably) drinking and gambling means that you cannot play where the girls are staying. Have a great breakfast at the Hash House A Go Go (seriously its awesome. And if you like dark beer get an Arrogant Bastard there) with the girls, and have DuPars great pancakes when you are up five hundy at midnight at the GG.