After a nine-year absence, there is once again a live poker room at Sahara Las Vegas. It opened today, February 14, at 10am.
The poker room was announced last year as part of a $150 million renovation of the property that was briefly known as SLS Las Vegas before returning to its classic Sahara branding that dates to 1952.
The poker room manager is Steven Pique. He was previously a floor supervisor at the Aria poker room.
Today marks the room’s soft launch. The official grand opening is February 21.
Sahara poker cash games
The Sahara poker room hosts seven tables. Cash games include Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud and mixed games. Availability depends on demand.
Cash game rake is 10% up to $4. This is a discount compared to the typical $5 max rake found in Las Vegas these days. There is a $1 jackpot drop when the pot reaches $10. It funds promotions like progressive jackpots and Flush Frenzy, according to the Sahara poker room’s website.
Sahara poker tournaments
There are four daily no limit Texas Hold’em tournaments, according to PokerAtlas. The 10:30am tournament has a $50 buy-in with the staff bonus. Players start with 10,000 chips. The first level is 100/100. Blinds go up every 15 minutes.
There is a $60 tournament, including the staff bonus, at 2pm, 5pm and 9pm. The structure is the same as the morning tournament.
Sahara live game listings found on TableCaptain
The poker room at Sahara will use the TableCaptain poker room management software. The platform is powered by PokerAtlas, a live poker information and data site. Westgate is the only other poker room in Las Vegas that uses this app. Westgate was also the last poker room to open in Las Vegas.
First new Las Vegas Strip poker room since 2015
The Sahara poker room is the first new poker room on the Strip since Linq launched its room in August 2015. It later folded into the existing Harrah’s poker room next door.
Sahara’s new poker room brings the total in Las Vegas to 31. A total of 27 poker rooms have closed in Las Vegas since 2011. Sahara’s neighbor, The Strat, was the last Las Vegas poker room to fold. That occurred in October 2019.
Old Sahara poker room closed in 2011 just before property shuttered
The original Sahara poker room closed in April 2011. It was home to a regular 2/4 fixed limit Texas Hold’em game and daily tournaments with favorable structures. The poker room closed a month before the entire property shuttered to make way for the SLS Las Vegas renovation. Many of the poker room staff and players moved the action over to Stratosphere.
