The hottest poker action this summer will be at the Rio during the World Series of Poker, but these games are hardly the only action around town. Even though the best (and worst) players tend to move around, over the years I’ve found a handful of rooms that always deliver.
Below is my list of essential Las Vegas poker rooms (in alphabetical order).
Almost all of them have their own special tournament series during the summer, as well as other games that make these stops special.
1. Aria = Awesome
The newest kid on this block (which just means it’s not more than a decade old), the Aria poker room offers an opulent and comfortable space, although the wait lists can be even more interminable here during the WSOP than they are elsewhere on the Strip (and those waits are pretty bad everywhere in June and July).
Even without Phil Ivey’s name attached to the high-stakes room, this is definitely the place you want to haunt if you like Pot-Limit Omaha as Aria has the most action in that game other than the WSOP.
2. Go Big at Bellagio
It’s hard to believe that Bellagio has now been around for more than 20 years, but yes, it’s true. It became the place to play after it opened – stealing the Mirage’s thunder – and remains to this day among the top options in Vegas. Famed for the high roller Bobby’s Room, Bellagio still caters to recreational players with plenty of low blinds No-Limit Hold’em.
My big complaint about this room is the number of tables squeezed into the space, ensuring you’ll be bumping into people trying to maneuver through the room. But when the game is good — and often it is here — that’s just the price of admission.
3. Golden Nugget for Downtown Kicks
The best-kept secret in Vegas, thanks to its remote Fremont Street location, the Nugget offers an uncapped $1-$2 NLHE game that sometimes gets pretty rocking.
The physical space is a little squeezed like Bellagio, but that pain may be worth it when a loose player rebuys for four figures.
4. The Orleans an Omaha Hi-Lo Hotspot
The location about a mile off the Strip is a drawback, but if you like Omaha Hi-Lo, this is the place to be … especially since disgruntled players moved their action here from the Venetian. This place is also a favorite with the locals, as $4-$8 and $8-$16 O8 action runs here constantly, and the casino features one of the lowest rakes in Vegas.
5. Planet Hollywood aka Party Poker
Not the best place if you like it quiet, the room spills out onto the casino floor. That can be a plus, however, as the party atmosphere can contribute to looser games. The $1-$2 NLHE games here can be among the best in Vegas, with $2-$5 NLHE games sometimes running too, especially during the WSOP.
6. Venetian $1/$3 NL Opulence
Although it’s been downsized and management got rid of the self-serve coffee pots, the Venetian poker room is still one of the most comfortable places to play in Vegas, inside one of the city’s most opulent casinos. The Sheldon Adelson association is not a plus for fans of online poker – or liberty, in general – but the room remains one of the most popular in town, with the most $1-$3 NLHE games much of the time.
7. Wynn/Encore
A clean, comfortable space, the room has moved a few years ago from the Wynn to its sister tower at the Encore. But it’s still close to the parking deck, and still one of the more reliable rooms in town.
With tournaments and cash games attracting a higher dollar recreational player, the Wynn/Encore poker room is one of the busiest on the Strip, with no shortage of $1-$3 and $2-$5 NLHE, with some $5-$10 and the occasional $10-$20 game.
Johnny Kampis is an Alabama-based journalist and longtime Vegas visitor. He is the author of Essential Guide to Vegas during the World Series of Poker and Vegas or Bust: A Family Man Takes on the Poker Pros. Follow him on Twitter @TuscaloosaJohn.
