Let the games begin

THE ADVICE

A simple rule of thumb: If you’re not a highly skilled player, stay away from the top-end casinos that brim with pros and sharks. Likewise, avoid the standard “locals” casinos, which attract a legion of seasoned amateurs who play every day. Best bets are middle- to low-end casinos without a cool image.

Basic tips for unskilled no-limit players: Play cash games instead of tournaments. Make minimum instead of maximum buy-ins; you can always re-buy. Be patient and wait for premium hands. Don’t get cute with marginal hands that you don’t know how to play. Against more skilled opponents, try to go all-in with monster hands. Lose the cap and shades.

THE PLACES

Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; (702) 693-7111, www.bellagio.com. The gleaming crown jewel of Vegas poker rooms. If the guy sitting across from you looks like Doyle Brunson, it probably is Doyle Brunson. Don’t try to play a 10-2 here unless you are Doyle Brunson.

The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; (702) 791-7111, www.mirage.com. Classy and cool. A sometimes playable room for amateurs. If you’re lucky, you’ll make big bucks off an inexperienced big spender. If you’re unlucky, the Vegas plasma banks are open 24 hours.

The Wynn, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. S.; (702) 770-7000, www.wynnlasvegas.com. Beautiful, like the hotel around it. Take a nice look and then keep on walking, unless you’re a direct relative of Steve Wynn.

The Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road; (866) 942-7777, www.palms.com. Ultra-hip and just as dangerous. Its weekday $2 to $5 game is the toughest in town. More local pros congregate here than anywhere else waiting to fleece the nonstop flow of inexperienced big spenders. You’ve been warned.

Red Rock, 1101 W. Charleston Blvd.; (702) 797-7777, www.redrocklasvegas.com. Even hipper than the Palms. Bring your shades, lots of cash and don’t cop to being over 25. This is the place for aggressive Internet-trained players. Playable, but definitely not for the fainthearted.

The Golden Nugget, 129 E. Fremont St.; (702) 385-7111, www.goldennugget.com. A hangout for crews of older sharpies and regulars. Don’t let the table chatter about AARP fool you. On a weekend night, even the $1 to $2 table can have thousands of chips on it — none of them will end up yours.

Hooters Casino Hotel, 115 E. Tropicana Ave.; (866) 584-6687, www.hchvegas.com. Poker paradise. No class, no comfort, no pretense, but lots of players eager to give you money. And one more thing: Don’t ever admit to actually playing here.

Binion’s, 128 E. Fremont St., (800) 937-6537, www.binions.com. This is bare-bones poker fundamentalism, like playing in a friend’s garage. A shifting mix of tourists and pros makes the room playable — with caution. Try out the nightly 2 a.m. tournament to feel like a regular at the Star Wars Bar.