Las Vegas Embraces Poker Again
Anyone who still needs proof about the continued boom of the poker
industry need look no further than the gambling capital of the world.
This spring will se the opening of poker rooms in two of Las Vegas’
strip mega-resorts, and will further mark a huge year of unprecedented
growth in the poker scene in Sin City.
One of Las Vegas’ largest poker rooms is scheduled to open in the spring
at the Venetian. The poker room is said to have a floor space of over
10,000 square feet, and walls decorated with 21 large screen plasma
televisions. Limit games will be as low as $4/$8, and like the poker
room at the Bellagio, the Venetian will have a high stakes area that
will offer butler service and gourmet dining.
On the other side of the strip, Treasure Island is expected to open its
new poker room in early April, and is currently advertising for good
poker dealers on its website. Although it is opening a new room,
Treasure Island is not a stranger to the game of poker. The former
president of the resort, John Strzemp, finished second in the 1997 World
Series of Poker when Stu Unger made a straight on the river. Treasure
Island has also had a poker room in the past, but shut it down during
the poker bust of the late 1990s.
The first major announcement as far as poker popularity being reflected
in Las Vegas came at the end of March, 2005, when the MGM Grand
introduced its spacious poker pavilion. The Wynn’s beautiful poker room
opened a month later, and since that time several resorts have either
opened or reintroduced poker rooms in their casinos. Some of these
resorts included Caesar’s Palace, the Las Vegas Hilton, and the
Stratosphere.
The poker boom is still going strong, and there are many more casinos
waiting to jump back in the action. The Luxor is said to be beginning a
major remodeling this June which will include the relocation of its
sports book and poker room. The Tropicana Hotel/Casino is also in for
some changes. The resort has stopped taking reservations after April
14th, and although no official announcement has been forthcoming, there
is speculation that the resort, which is one of the most valuable pieces
of Vegas property, is also planning a major poker makeover.
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