And searched. And searched. Finally, after trekking around what I felt like was the entire casino, I found my friendly neighborhood security guy and asked for directions. He pointed me all the way across the casino, past the gift shop, and down a narrow hallway to the most well-hidden poker room I've ever encountered. I saw not a single sign for the poker room from the parking garage until I got there, and about halfway down the winding hallway leading to the poker room I thought the security had been joking, and there really wasn't a poker room after all.
But there was a poker room. In fact, there was sorta two poker rooms, as there's a walkway running right through the middle of the room, splitting the room into a very odd layout and making it feel even more like an afterthought. But the lists were short and seats were available, so I sat down for a while.
Harrah's felt very much like a local's joint, with more than one guy at my table being very familiar with several of the dealers and floor staff. That's not usually an issue, and wasn't a problem here, either, but it does change the dynamic of the play somewhat when you're playing with locals rather than tourists. On the whole, I'd rather play no limit with tourists, who are typically looser and more into gambling, and limit with locals, where I can exploit their excessive tightness with aggressive action.
The dealers were very friendly and professional, with no attitude, even when an amazingly drunk newbie came to the table with no idea of even the simplest game mechanics. They patiently talked him through every hand, and were rewarded with very nice tips from our new friend Clint. No one else at the table lost patience with Clint, either, seeing him for the gold mine he was. This was another testament to the general solid play around the table; they were interested in taking his money rather than "tapping on the glass."
Harrah's spreads Hold Em and Stud primarily, but I doubt they'd balk at an Omaha game if you could fill the table. There were several Stud games going when I was there, and several Hold Em games at various levels. They offer daily tournaments with low buy-ins, and sit n gos from 11 AM whenever they fill up. For more information on their tournament schedule check out the poker room website. Table-side dining is available, and the cocktail waitresses were prompt and polite.
Aside from the fact that I had a terrible losing session, the odd layout of the room and the terrible location (although there is a bathroom very nearby) made it an unpleasant place for me to play. With as many locals as I saw spread across the relatively small (24) number of tables, there are certainly easier picking to be had elsewhere as well. I'll probably pick another spot to play on my next trip rather than meander through the entire casino trying to find the poker room again.