Where To Play Poker In Las Vegas

Playing poker in a Las Vegas casino isn’t as easy as it used to be. Not every casino has a poker room nowadays.

As the World Series of Poker (WSOP) approaches, it’s a good time to look at which casinos still have a poker room for players.

The summer poker season in Las Vegas goes far beyond WSOP events. Numerous Las Vegas poker rooms have tournaments for players looking to play in a different environment.

The Las Vegas poker boom was just about 20 years ago. The rapid expansion of poker rooms in Las Vegas came shortly after Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP Main Event.

The poker room boom lasted a few years before some casinos started repurposing the space for higher revenue generators. Live poker doesn’t generate nearly as much revenue as some other casino games.

Depending on the casino, non-gaming amenities might generate greater revenue than a poker room. Changing customer preferences may have been the cause of some Las Vegas poker rooms closing.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic pushed some casino operators to permanently close their poker rooms. Much like many Las Vegas buffets, several poker rooms never reopened after the peak of the pandemic.

Today there are only 18 poker rooms open in Las Vegas.

The majority o
f Las Vegas poker rooms are:

• On the Vegas Strip
• There’s only one poker room in downtown Las Vegas
• The rest of the poker rooms are located inside casinos throughout the Las Vegas Valley

Las Vegas Strip poker rooms

Many of the most well-known poker rooms in Las Vegas are located inside casinos on the Vegas Strip. While the location is key to the popularity, many of these rooms offer the kind of games tourists, pros and locals enjoy playing.

Some of the Vegas Strip poker rooms are offering summer tournaments in addition to the regular event menu and cash games.

WSOP moved to the Vegas Strip last year. While the tournament takes place between two different Caesars Las Vegas casinos, only one is home to a permanent poker room.

Paris Las Vegas does not have a dedicated poker room. WSOP uses the conference room facilities inside the casino connected to Horseshoe.

Las Vegas Strip casinos

Aria – The award-winning 24-table poker room hosts daily cash games. It’s also home to the Aria Poker Classic from May 31 through July 15. This includes the BetMGM Poker Championship where players can qualify for the event in Las Vegas by playing online in states with a BetMGM poker room.

Bellagio – This is possibly the most popular poker room in Las Vegas. The 7,000-square-foot poker room is open 24 hours and has 40 tables. There are nearly 20 TVs for those who want to keep tabs on any games they bet on.

Caesars Palace – The 4,500 square foot poker room has 16 tables and is next to Caesars Palace sportsbook. Like others on the Vegas Strip, there are daily tournaments and cash games. This poker room doesn’t close.

Horseshoe (formerly Bally’s) – The recently refurbished Hall of Fame Poker Room has 18 tables. There are cash games and daily tournaments. The Saturday event has a guaranteed $5,000 prize pool. Connections with the WSOP should make this one of the most popular poker rooms in the area.

Mandalay Bay – The small 10-table poker room is next to the BetMGM sportsbook inside Mandalay Bay. It’s only open five days a week at noon and is closed on Tues. and Wed.

MGM Grand – The 17-table poker room is open 24 hours. This poker room has multiple daily tournaments with guaranteed prize pools of up to $5,000. The MGM Grand Summer Poker Series has a guaranteed prize pool of at least $9 million.

Resorts World – The large 30-table poker room is off the main casino floor so it might not be too easy to find. The room has daily tournaments and cash games. It occasionally has special events as well.

Sahara – This small seven-table poker room has become a popular off-the-radar destination for locals and tourists. Free parking plays a role in its popularity with Las Vegas residents. In addition to the regular tournaments, this room will help large groups create their own.

Wynn (the room is technically in the Encore Tower) – The 18-table poker room has USB chargers at the table and doesn’t close. In addition to daily tournaments, the casino is home to the Wynn Summer Classic from May 24 through July 19. This event has a guaranteed $28 million prize pool.

The Venetian – This poker room is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. There are regular promotions and it’s home to the Deepstack series throughout the year.

Off-Strip Las Vegas poker rooms

Many of the Vegas Strip poker rooms cater to tourists, very casual players, high rollers, and professionals.

The experience changes depending often depending on the casino and events taking place in Las Vegas. The games tend to be different when leaving the most touristy part of Las Vegas.

There’s only one downtown Las Vegas poker room. The rest are located inside off-strip casinos in the surrounding areas.

These poker rooms are a haven for Las Vegas locals looking for a game close to home. Experienced poker players from around the world head to these poker rooms for a game with fewer tourists.

Much like the games on the main casino floors, the local casinos frequently have special poker room promotions. Simply hosting a game isn’t always enough to draw a big crowd in the off-strip Las Vegas poker rooms.

Off-Strip casinos

Boulder Station – This 13-table poker room is one of three operated by Station Casinos. Each of these properties has a Jumbo Hold’em Poker Progressive that increases daily. This room has cash games and rewards Boarding Pass rewards members with $1 in comps per hour played.

Golden Nugget – The smoke-free poker room is the only place to play in downtown Las Vegas. The 13-table room is almost always packed. This summer the Golden Nugget is hosting the Grand Poker Series from May 30 through July 3.

Orleans – The Orleans is located just west of the Vegas Strip on Flamingo Ave. If the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas, this will be the closest poker room to the stadium. This poker room never closes and features daily tournaments, cash games, and promotions.

Santa Fe Station – This Station Casinos property has a 14-table poker room that is open 24 hours. This is a good room for new poker players looking for low-limit games.

Skyline Casino – This small two-table poker area in Henderson is only open Fri.-Sun. from 6 pm until close. Only cash games are available.

South Point – One of the most popular Las Vegas casinos for locals is home to one of the busiest poker rooms in town. This 30-table room has daily tournaments, cash games, and numerous promotions. Plan ahead because the room is often full.

Red Rock – This casino is in Summerlin, about 20 minutes away from the Vegas Strip. The 20-table room is full of local grinders along with the occasional retired athlete or celebrity. This Station Casinos property has all the amenities of a Vegas Strip property without the tourists.

Westgate – This small six-table space is one of the few poker rooms with a view of the casino sportsbook. Games start at noon on weekdays and at 10 am on weekends. There are daily cash games and tournaments. The Westgate will set up a private tournament for those who ask.

Las Vegas online poker

There’s only one option for online poker players in Nevada at this time. The only game in town is WSOP.com.

Nevada is a relatively small state. The amount of money in online poker available from players within state lines isn’t large on its own.

The Silver State is part of a Multi-State gaming agreement with Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware. Together the poker pools with money from all states offer a compelling option for online poker players.

Once again there will be numerous WSOP Online Bracelet events in Nevada this summer.