While Rio is the home of the World Series of Poker, the poker room is typically slow most other times of the year. The 10 table Rio Poker Room offers nothing special outside of the summer tournament season.
The main game is a 1/3 No Limit Texas Hold’em with a $100-$300 buyin. A 2/5 game might pop up on weekends. If it does, the buyin range is $200-$1000. During the World Series of Poker, the Rio Poker Room completely closes. Cash games are held in the Amazon Room located in the Rio Convention Center where other World Series of Poker events are held.
During most times of the year, Rio’s poker room offers few amenities. It is your basic poker room with a few perks. All tables have automatic shuffling machines. The tables are comfortable and are in reasonable shape. Players can receive a massage at the table. The sports book is located right next door. The bathrooms are also within a reasonable distance. During the World Series of Poker, a special poker food court is set up within the convention center where the events are held.
Players earn $1 an hour in comps when clocked in at the Rio with their Total Rewards card. Between 3am and noon, players receive $3 an hour. Comps can be used for food or hotel. Rio does not offer poker players a discount on hotel rooms beyond the $1 an hour comp.
Smoke and Noise Level in the Poker Room
The Rio Poker Room is connected to the sports book by one wall, and the casino floor with an open wall. The sports book is especially loud at Rio. The casino can be too with the type of entertainment that often appears. The poker room is reasonably smoke free, especially considering its surroundings.
Non Hold’em Games Offered
The Rio Poker Room is strictly a Texas Hold’em poker room. During the World Series of Poker, any non hold’em game imaginable is spread in mixed games or specific cash games.
Rio Poker Tournaments
The Rio is home to the World Series of Poker, the most prestigious live poker event there is. Buyins for the World Series of Poker range from $1000 up to $1,000,000. Outside of the World Series of Poker tournament season, the tournaments are low buyin, turbo events that are strictly No Limit Texas Hold’em. There are five daily tournaments at Rio. There is a $37+$13 at noon, 3pm and midnight daily. At 6pm daily, there is a $47+$13. At 9pm daily, there is a $62+$13. All tournaments start with 3000 chips. Each tournament also has a $5 bonus buy chip that adds 1000 chips to a player’s stack. While optional, not taking the bonus buy will leave a player short stacked. This essentially adds $5 to each tournament’s juice. This is very uncommon in daily tournaments. There is one tournament table located on the casino floor that may be smoky or loud.
Waitlists
Rio’s poker room uses the Bravo Genesis System. They also share this information with the Bravo Poker app. Players may also call in and get on waitlists.
Rake and Jackpot Drop
Like all Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas, the Rio Poker Room rakes 10% up to $5. There is also a $1 jackpot drop at $10. The jackpot goes towards a bi-weekly $20,000 freeroll when a player plays 25 hours. The top 40 players chop the prize pool, regardless of chip stack. High hand bonuses are also awarded for quads, straight flushes, and royal flushes. Several times a day there is a $100 hot seat drawing.
Location
The Rio Poker Room is located on the north end of the property. Players that park in the parking deck must walk clear across the casino to get to it. I suggest parking in the convention center parking and making the short walk through the corridor to the table games and making a right. The poker room will be to the right of the sports book. There is some parking just outside the poker room facing Valley View Rd. If there is parking available there, the poker room will be on the right just inside the door.
