Poker in Las Vegas

Playing poker in Las Vegas is the best poker experience anyone could ever have. There are poker rooms all around the world but when you sit down in Las Vegas you are sitting among the best of the best. Not only are you going to be playing against very good competition but you also have the entire strip and downtown to enjoy when you are not at the tables. Great weather and a whole lot of opportunities for entertainment, eating, drinking, sky diving and just about anything else you can come up with.

Casinos

As much as I would love to run down every poker playing casino in Las Vegas I think I will keep it to just a couple of the rooms I enjoy the most. The first thing I would recommend for anyone playing poker in Las Vegas is to go to the Players Club in that particular casino and pick up a Players Card. In most instances you will need a players card to participate in any of the tournaments held in that casino. So if you want to speed up your registration this is the best way to go. Registration does not take long and it costs you absolutely nothing. Once you have your card you are ready to rock and roll.

In my opinion where you play depends on a number of factors. I know poker players that love to play Texas Holdem poker tournaments and rarely play cash games if at all. For those that have a taste for poker tournament play I highly recommend playing at the Venetian poker room. This poker room is still relatively new and the service to the “regular” guy is second to none. They have tournaments with reasonable buy-ins and the competition is always stiff. Also, the Venetian has a Deep Stacks Extravaganza each quarter that attracts both professional and amateur poker players alike. There is no place on the strip that treats poker players better than at the Venetian.

The Venetian also has some fantastic cash games spread for those poker players that enjoy non-stop action day and night. Again, you can find some of the pros sitting in on these cash games at any time day or night if your lucky.

If the Venetian is not your thing then you can always visit Caesars Palace to play. Caesars has basically the same kind of spread as most of the larger poker rooms on the strip and they do host a large professional poker tournament every year as well. The room is also new and holds great daily and weekly poker tournaments as well as cash games. The room is not as convenient as the Venetians and you may have to ask for directions but once you enter you will be pleased. Everything is still sparkling as this room is also relatively new as well. The service is good and the poker tournaments are tough. The buy-in can range in price up to $200 for the larger weekend poker tournaments. 
 

Tournaments

Tournament poker is fairly broad in Las Vegas and you can find poker tournaments for every bankroll imaginable with very little effort. If you prefer to play the really small $30 buy-in type tournament you can do so. If you prefer to play a $1000 buy-in tournament you can do that as well. The best run tournaments are held at the Bellagio, Venetian, Caesars Palace and Orleans. I have played in all three places and I had a great time in each. However, I must remind you that the Bellagio tends to cater to the high roller types and may not always be the friendliest place to pay the game.

Ultimately, it is all up to you as to what game and where you enjoy playing poker. Obviously, table selection and knowing the players helps if you happen to get out to Las Vegas often. But no matter how you mix it you will have a great time playing poker in the desert. You can take that to the bank!

Curtis Mayfield III