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The only constant is change when it comes to playing poker in Las Vegas, with more and more room openings as the years go by, and the “old” classics receiving a face lift to try to compete. If you are staying in a casino-hotel, chances are your casino has a poker room. If you just want to play, that might be your best choice. It does not matter where you play, just enjoy and max out the experience. Here are some options:

The Bellagio Poker Room
Bellagio is one of the dominant destination here, poker-wise. At least four major poker events are held here each year. You will find skill levels that vary extensively at the lower levels, with the top levels about as hard as any of the poker rooms out here. Bring your best game if you are coming to the Bellagio to play.

Binion’s Poker Room
Most of the great moments in tournament poker history have occurred within these walls, as Binion’s was the host casino of the World Series of Poker for the first 34 years of the event.
You can see the pictures of all the world champions who played and dominated here. If these walls could talk, poker fans would never stop listening. A lot of tournaments are hosted daily, and always has no limit games in play. Come and play here, just for the bragging rights.

Caesars Palace Poker Room
One of the biggest rooms in town, the Caesars Palace poker room could host 1,000 players if it needed to. Ok, the atmosphere may not be as great as the Bellagio, but that’s because this used to be a convention room that was later converted into a poker room. The location is away from the casino floor, which is an advantage since you have minimal distractions. For followers of low-limit buy-in tournaments, Caesars has some of the finest blind structures of any casino in town. Be prepared to play in 8 hour marathons, which works for the good players since it gives them more time to trash their opponents.

Venetian Poker Room
One of the newer kids in town is the poker room at the Venetian. The room offers a special parking area for players, and has an aggressive comp program. It also has hosted the legendary ‘Big Game’ in the past. This is the biggest poker event out there, where the best of the best battle each other for hundreds of thousands each night. The room has an experienced poker staff. The Venetian provides tableside food service, which is becoming more and more rare at the top rooms. This room is also noted for the Deep Stack Series that is held several times a year.

MGM Grand Poker Room
This room, while relatively classier than most, is host to daily poker sessions where you can find players that are weaker than average. Many tourists and recreational players play here, and the vibe is relaxed and friendly.

The Mirage Poker Room
This used to be rated as the top joint to play, and although the Bellagio and the Venetian has surpassed it, it’s still pretty decent room to play poker. Recent additions and upgrades to the surrounding casino, like the Beatles Cirque Du Soleil show, make the Mirage feel a lot “nicer” than it had in recent years. Big action can be had here, and the daily tournaments are still somewhat of a draw.

Wynn Las Vegas Poker Room
Opened to much fanfare, the Wynn room is very upscale, and a nice place to play. Most of the action seems to be at the lower levels, but you will occasionally find some of the bigger players in town plying their craft here. If you are booked here, you can always put yourself on the waiting list while you leisurely monitor everything from your room instead of waiting for a spot in the poker room. The room hosts tournaments most days at noon, and the prize pools can get pretty good at times, ranging from $300 to $500 buy in.

Red Rock Poker Room
The Red Rock poker room has become very popular with locals. One of the more high tech rooms in town, the dealers have a screen that shows the names of everyone who is playing at the table. You might as well be in a Cheers bar where everyone knows your name. In addition, the room has automated tracking technology, which makes sure that an unfilled seat does not remain that way for long. You also get food service at the table, which is a nice touch .

The Rio
The Rio is notable in that it hosts poker’s finest in the World Series of Poker each year. The Poker room has gotten a recent face lift and hosts daily tournaments that are quite popular. Check the schedule, this is the place you want to go to if you want to play against the best.

Please note that you can always find an active low-limit hold ’em at any of these rooms. However, if you want to play Stud or any other game, it is recommended that you call ahead and see if your game of choice is being offered. The same applies if you and your friends just want to play draw just like at home. All you have to do is ask, you might be able to get it, with the room providing you a dealer. Just pay the time charge.