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The Venetian poker room on the Las Vegas Strip will reopen on June 5, despite the new four-handed restrictions. While many other card rooms won’t reopen right away, Sheldon Adelson’s property will give it the old college try.
The Venetian poker room will be one of the few card rooms in Las Vegas to reopen next month. (Image: venetianpokerroom.com)
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) recently released guidelines poker rooms must adhere to upon reopening. Among the COVID-19 safety restrictions, casinos must limit poker to four-handed games. That, of course, puts the card rooms in a bit of a predicament, given there’s only a small market for four-handed poker. Most cash game players prefer a full table of 6-9 players.
The Wynn, Venetian’s neighboring casino, has already announced its poker room won’t reopen with the casino. Station Casinos, which owns five card rooms in Las Vegas, also won’t be bringing back poker right away. But the Venetian poker room, one of the most popular places to play in Sin City, is going to try out four-handed poker.
Venetian Poker Room Tries Something New
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak set June 4 as a tentative date for Silver State casinos to reopen. That could all change, he said, if the state’s coronavirus cases spike between now and then. But assuming all goes well, live poker could conceivably return to Las Vegas in less than two weeks for the first time since mid-March.
The Venetian poker room will be one of the few places to play cards right off the bat. On June 5, the luxurious Vegas Strip casino will open its card room and give poker players a look at four-handed poker.
There won’t be an plexiglass dividers separating players from each other, and players won’t be required to wear a face mask, although masks will be provided if requested. But staff will take extra precautions, such as regularly sanitizing tables and chairs to help in the fight against COVID-19.
The games inside the Venetian poker room will be a bit different for a while. Four-handed cash games might take some getting used to for most players, but there will be a reduced rake. For tournament players, Venetian plans to spread $100 winner-take-all sit n go style games. As soon as four players are seated, the game will start.
Live poker in Las Vegas, and all across the country, isn’t going to return to its pre-coronavirus condition any time soon. But for those who are itching to get back to the felt, you’ll have at least one option available to you soon.
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Nikko Lilomaiava wrote...
The Venetian poker dealers appear to be Carolyn Goodman experiment.
The dealers are required to wear a mask. The players are not required.
Mayor Goodman gets her way at the expense of the Venetian poker dealers. Poker players are not six feet away from the dealers. It’s clear to me profits and human experiment comes before employee safety. I’m very grateful that my significant other no longer works at a danger zone such as this. If anyone else is thinking of working for these people please be advised that mayor Goodman does not have any interest in your safety or well being. Corporate greed and material gains have become so desperate and prevalent among our culture that people in places of power and wealth are willing to sacrifice safety for profit. Please do not work here, do not play here, do not support mayor Goodman’s experiment
Jack wrote...
Lol. Mayor Goodman has no jurisdiction over the Venetian. The Venetian is on the strip…which is run by the Clark County Commission and IS NOT in Las Vegas. It’s like blaming the governor of New York for something that happens in New Jersey.
Old Las Vegas is Mayor Goodman’s jurisdiction. But, again, she’s not deciding anything. The governor has made all the decisions.
Kenna James wrote...
I disagree Nikko. Your statements assume people (like dealers, casino owners, casino patrons, etc.) don’t have a choice in the matter. That they have to go to work, and that the mayor is forcing them all to go! Last I checked she doesn’t own the casino, the dealers, or the patrons.
Imagine a city, state, or country allowing their people access to personal choice and responsibility….How about we pretend that we’re all adults, use common sense, and just like in the game of poker, make a +e.v. decision.