With 22 poker rooms and over 300 poker tables located within a few blocks of each other, the Las Vegas Strip is the home for poker in the U.S. if not the world. Some of the world’s best and indeed classiest poker rooms can be found here including Venetian, Bellagio, Aria, and Wynn. The low rake compared to other countries makes poker in Las Vegas ideal for players at all limits.
The most popular poker game in Las Vegas is 1/2 No Limit Texas Hold’em. Other popular games include 1/3 and 2/5 No Limit Texas Hold’em, as well as fixed limit Texas Hold’em games. Mixed games are also growing in interest. These mixed games can include games like Omaha, Stud, and Draw games, as well as other more unusual variants such as Badugi and Lowball, all of which are now regularly spread throughout Vegas’s numerous poker rooms. Follow this link for details on non holdem games spread in Vegas.
The Strip is not the only place to play poker in Las Vegas. Downtown Las Vegas offers a unique playing environment in the historic part of the city. Most of the games downtown are 1/2 No Limit Texas Hold’em games. Downtown no limit games have no cap on the buy in. Players can buy into the games for any amount that they wish as long as they meet the table minimum.
Some players enjoy the poker rooms that are aimed at locals. These poker rooms tend to be more laid back and friendly. The game quality can be just as good, if not better in those rooms. Local’s poker rooms also tend to offer some unique games and limits, and often lower rake.
Poker players looking for hotel rates can often find a poker room discount if playing 4-6 hours a day. The poker rate tends to be 20-25% of the published room rate. While Caesars Entertainment, Station Casinos and Boyd Gaming casinos do not offer this type of hotel discount, MGM Resorts, Venetian and Wynn do. If you plan on taking advantage of the poker room rate for the hotel, make sure to book your room directly through the poker room. Booking the room online can result in locking in a rate that cannot be changed.
We have broken up our Las Vegas Poker Guide into five sections. We have broken down the Las Vegas Strip into three sections, the North Strip, Central Strip, and South Strip. We have also included a Downtown Las Vegas Poker Guide, and a Las Vegas Local’s Poker Guide. This will help players decide on what part of Las Vegas to play, or give a player poker room details on the rooms closest to their hotel.
South Las Vegas Strip Poker
The South Las Vegas Strip offers one major poker room. That poker room is the MGM Grand. In addition to No Limit Texas Hold’em, MGM Grand offers HORSE, Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em, and special tournaments which go above and beyond the other South Strip properties. Tropicana offers two unique games; a Monday night mixed game, and a Wednesday night 2/5 No Limit Texas Hold’em game with a mandatory button straddle. All other South Strip poker rooms specialize in just one game, 1/2 No Limit Texas Hold’em.
Get more info about poker rooms on the South Vegas strip.
Center Las Vegas Strip Poker
The Center Las Vegas Strip poker rooms offer some more variations than other sections of Las Vegas. That is because it includes Aria and Bellagio, two major players in the Las Vegas poker market. In addition to the standard No Limit Hold’em, Aria offers mixed games of many different limits, Pot Limit Omaha, and Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em. Bellagio offers Omaha High/Low, Seven Card Stud, and Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em. Bobby’s Room will also offer some unique games for those looking for some of the highest poker limits in Las Vegas.
While there are a few fixed limit games spread among some Center Strip poker rooms, the most unique game outside of Aria and Bellagio is at Bill’s Gambling Hall. The poker room at Bill’s offers just one game, and it is the smallest game in town. That game is $.50/$1 No Limit Texas Hold’em where players can buy in for just $20.
Follow this link for reviews of all the poker rooms on the central Vegas strip
The iconic image of Las Vegas at night
North Las Vegas Strip Poker
The North Las Vegas Strip is anchored by The Venetian. The Venetian offers the largest variety of games in Las Vegas. Venetian offers three regular No Limit Texas Hold’em games. The limits are 1/2, 2/5, and 5/10. Higher limits are spread upon request. The Venetian also has three regular Omaha High/Low games at 4/8, 8/16, and 15/30. The Venetian also spread Pot Limit Omaha, Big O, and mixed games like HORSE. The Wynn also offers Pot Limit Omaha, as well as some higher no limit games. All other North Strip poker rooms specialize in low buyin no limit games, except for Circus Circus that spreads a 3/6 fixed limit game as their main game.
Read more about poker rooms on the North end of the Vegas strip.
Downtown Las Vegas Poker
Downtown Las Vegas poker has been dying out over the years, but it is not dead. There are only three active poker rooms in Downtown Las Vegas. Those poker rooms are Golden Nugget, Binion’s, and El Cortez. Plaza and Fitzgerald’s have both closed their poker rooms. The main game downtown is 1/2 No Limit Texas Hold’em with a minimum $100 buyin and no maximum buyin. The only other games offered downtown are 2/4 Fixed Limit at Binion’s, and 1-6 spread limit at El Cortez.
Click on through for detailed reviews of downtown Las Vegas poker rooms.
Las Vegas Local’s Poker
We covered seven local’s poker rooms in Las Vegas for our Las Vegas Poker Guide. Each poker room was the best in their part of the Las Vegas Valley, and some offer some unique games. For example, The Orleans Poker Room is known as being Omaha Central. They always have a 4/8 Omaha High/Low game running, and sometimes have an 8/16 game. Boulder Station is known for their wild 4/8 Omaha Hi game. Suncoast is known for their Seven Card Stud High/Low. Red Rock offers Omaha High/Low, 2/4 and 4/8 Fixed Limit and 1/2 and 2/5 No Limit Texas Hold’em. Rio is home to the World Series of Poker, although outside of that event, there is little action at their poker room.
Continue reading for Las Vegas Locals poker room reviews
Non Vegas Poker Room Reviews
As not everyone enjoys Las Vegas we will look at some non-Vegas real world poker rooms. Similar to the Vegas reviews we will analyse each poker room under a number of critical factors which help us distinguish between a poor poker room and a great poker room. We will look at facilities, atmosphere, complements, games offered, tournaments, waiting lists and rake structures which will help you understand the room you are visiting.
