On Thursday, the Venetian proudly unveiled its brand-new poker room in Las Vegas, now the largest of its kind in the city. Initially announced in February, this impressive space spans 14,000 square feet and features 49 poker tables. The facility boasts dedicated bathrooms, USB charging ports at every seat, a streaming room, and self-serve Coke and coffee stations, marking a new era of luxury and convenience for poker enthusiasts.
Guests flocked to the grand opening, which drew favorable reviews from notable poker pros like Scott Blumstein, Matt Berkey, and Maria Konnikova. “The room is absolutely beautiful,” Konnikova shared with Poker News, adding with a smile, “My first impression was the bathroom. I think I was the first poker player to use it, and it was pretty awesome, if I may say so.”
Despite the high praise for its amenities, the room’s location has sparked considerable debate on social media. Previously located across from the Venetian’s sportsbook and close to the Strip’s exit door, the poker room has been moved near the Palazzo parking elevators on the second floor of the Grand Canal Shoppes—an area criticized for its lack of foot traffic.
“This is such a terrible, terrible, terrible area for poker,” remarked Forest Kull on his YouTube channel, Vegas Poker Nomad. “Up here in the shops, there is a fine watch store, a steakhouse, a rare book store. People walking through these shops don’t have gaming on their mind.”
The move has raised concerns among poker players and experts alike. Mason Malmuth, a prominent poker author, commented on X/Twitter, “The room, being out of the way and not visible from the main casino floor, will probably get fewer drop-ins, meaning that on average the games will be tougher.” John Mehaffey, editor of Vegas Advantage, added, “Moving a poker room to an isolated area almost always has a bad ending.”
However, as Vital Vegas pointed out, the relocation was driven by the need to optimize valuable casino floor space. The Venetian’s former poker room area can now accommodate games that generate higher revenues for the casino. This trend has contributed to the closure of numerous poker rooms in Las Vegas since 2011.
In poker, unlike table games such as blackjack and roulette, the house does not compete against players. It earns revenue solely through the rake—a percentage of each pot, typically between 3-5%, taken before the winner is awarded their prize.
Las Vegas has long been a premier destination for tournament poker in the U.S. During the mid-2000s poker boom, live poker rooms were ubiquitous in Sin City. However, the landscape has dramatically changed, with only 19 out of nearly 60 poker rooms still in operation today.
Among the venues that have permanently folded are:
- The Flamingo, Planet Hollywood, and Silver Sevens in 2021
- The Mirage, Rio, Harrah’s, Excalibur, Palace Station, Sam’s Town, Binion’s downtown, Cannery in North Las Vegas, Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, and Club Fortune in Henderson, all in 2020
- The Strat in 2019
- Treasure Island, Suncoast, and Arizona Charlie’s Decatur in 2018
- The Luxor, Monte Carlo/Park MGM, and Hard Rock/Virgin Hotels in 2017
- The LINQ, Eastside Cannery, the Plaza downtown, and Aliante in North Las Vegas in 2016
- Hooters/Oyo in 2015
- Palms, Texas Station, and Sunset Station in 2014
- Circus Circus, Riviera, Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall/Cromwell, M Resort in Henderson, and El Cortez downtown in 2013
- Tropicana, O’Sheas, Jokers Wild, Ellis Island, Fitzgeralds downtown, and Silverton in 2012
- Gold Coast and Tuscany in 2011
The closure list paints a stark picture of the challenges poker rooms face in a city that must constantly adapt to the evolving landscape of gambling. Whether the Venetian’s new poker room will beat the odds and flourish in its current location remains to be seen.
