Las Vegas was once the home for live poker. There were about 58 poker rooms at the peak of the boom in the late 2000s. There are only 19 Las Vegas poker rooms today.
I have tracked Las Vegas poker room closures since 2012. A total of 39 rooms disappeared since then. This article goes over each of those rooms.
Flamingo was the last Las Vegas poker room closure
The 11-table Flamingo poker room closed in September 2021. Caesars Entertainment said at the time that the move was temporary to help it staff the delayed World Series of Poker. However, in November 2021, the company announced that Flamingo’s poker room would remain closed permanently. The area is now occupied by video poker machines.
Silver Sevens
Silver Sevens is just east of the Las Vegas Strip at Flamingo and Paradise. It had one or two poker tables for years before the pandemic. It brought one table back when table games reopened after the pandemic closure. The table lasted less than a year. In August 2021, Silver Sevens stopped dealing poker. Live table games like blackjack, roulette, and craps are still available.
Planet Hollywood
Like Flamingo and Silver Sevens, Planet Hollywood reopened its 10-table poker room after the pandemic, only to close it later. It was one of the biggest surprises for a poker room closure in memory. The Planet Hollywood poker room hosted lively games and the Phamous Poker Series on its mezzanine level. The Planet Hollywood poker room closed in July 2021.
These Las Vegas poker rooms closed in March 2020
There were 31 poker rooms open before the pandemic. These 10 closed in March 2020 and never returned.
Binion’s
Binion’s is perhaps the saddest of all Las Vegas poker room closures. Poker’s best days were well in the past at Binion’s when the pandemic closure occurred. The poker room was moved near the sportsbook a few years prior. The summer tournament series no longer ran. Many longtime employees left. The Binion’s poker room struggled to get a single game off the ground. This closure left Golden Nugget as the only downtown Las Vegas poker room.
Cannery
Cannery in North Las Vegas had a small poker area before the pandemic closure. It had three tables. The main game was 2-6 spread limit. It did not deal tournaments. This left one poker room in North Las Vegas. That is at Poker Palace. It is only open on Friday and Saturday nights.
Club Fortune
Poker was on its way out at Club Fortune in Henderson before the pandemic closure. That gave the casino a great excuse to close the room. For years, Club Fortune’s poker room was enclosed and separate from the casino. The last $0.50/$1 no limit hold’em game in Las Vegas was dealt there. It also dealt tournaments.
That space was closed and repurposed. A couple of poker tables were moved to the pit. It all went downhill from there. When Club Fortune brought table games back, poker did not return. Last year, Club Fortune removed its entire pit.
The only poker room left in the area is at Skyline. It deals 2/4 limit hold’em on weekends.
Excalibur
Excalibur’s poker room always seemed to struggle. At one point about 15 years ago, it experimented with electronic poker tables. That failed and Excalibur went back to live cards and dealers. The poker room fell victim to the cost-cutting related to the slow period after casinos reopened in 2020. The space is used for table games today.
Green Valley Ranch
Green Valley Ranch had a loyal following of local poker players. It became the only major poker room in the area when the Sunset Station poker room closed years before. It was well-managed. However, Station dropped poker from two of its casino during the reopening process. Green Valley Ranch was one. The space is used for sports viewing and promotions at the last check.
Harrah’s
Caesars Entertainment closed all but two of its poker rooms in Las Vegas. Harrah’s was one. At first, the area was repurposed as nonsmoking slots. It now hosts electronic table games.
Mirage
Mirage had a classic 12-table poker room with decades of history. Unfortunately, its business slowed down in the 2010s. The Mirage poker room did not reopen after it closed in March 2020. The space was first used for nonsmoking slots. It has table games in it now.
Palace Station
Palace Station had a six-table poker room next to its sportsbook. It dealt limit and no limit hold’em cash games. There were no tournaments. When Palace Station reopened, the entrance of the room was obstructed by a temperature check and screening area. After Station stopped its health checks, a wall was put up.
The space is not used for any casino purpose these days. It appears to be an employee breakroom entrance.
Rio
Rio’s poker room had 14 tables. It had little action outside the World Series of Poker time. Caesars Entertainment closed the room permanently and will eventually not manage the casino. For three years, the space was not used for anything, though it sometimes had sportsbook seating in it with some Nevada online poker advertisements. Today, the former Rio poker room space hosts slot machines.
Sam’s Town
The 10-table poker room at Sam’s Town saw little action. In its last years, there were a few tournaments and low limit hold’em games. It was once home to a small seven card stud game and the stud hi/lo game referred to as Hoggie before it moved to Suncoast.
Boulder Station has the only major poker room in the Boulder Highway area. Skyline deals a small limit hold’em game on weekends.
The Strat – October 2019
Golden Entertainment invested hundreds of millions in The Strat in recent years. This displaced the poker room, which was historically near the tower box office. It was moved upstairs near the McDonald’s where it saw little foot traffic. The Strat’s poker room already struggled before the move, and this finished it off. The space has been used for a temporary sportsbook and front desk since, but at last check, it is vacant.
The Strat’s poker room benefitted when Sahara closed in 2011. Many Sahara employees moved over there, as did regular games and tournaments. It seems some of that moved back to the new Sahara poker room.
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur – August 2018
There were three poker tables near the food court at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. While smoking was no longer allowed by the end, this was the last Las Vegas poker room that allowed it. There were no poker tournaments at Arizona Charlie’s. It dealt 2/4 fixed limit hold’em and 1/2 no limit hold’em. The space was repurposed for other casino games in August 2018.
Treasure Island – August 2018
There were eight tables at the Treasure Island poker room. Its last location was near where the CVS is today. Previously, it was near the escalators that lead to the Mirage tram and parking deck.
Treasure Island struggled to get a game many days. It dealt some mixed games and had a small, loyal following. That was not enough to keep it open. TI shuttered it in August 2018. It is used as a restaurant and storage space at the last check.
Suncoast – April 2018
I played poker at Suncoast a lot. The Hoggie seven card stud hi/lo game moved there from Sam’s Town around 2012 or 2013. It was dealt a few days a week by the end. Unfortunately, there were not many other games there. The 10-table poker room closed in April 2018. It was the first article at Vegas Advantage. The space is used for Boyd Rewards promotions today.
Luxor – June 2017
The nine-table Luxor poker room closed in June 2017. Its action dwindled in the years leading up to it. Moving it near the sportsbook did not help.
The Luxor poker room dealt no limit hold’em cash games and tournaments. It became expendable with poker rooms at Mandalay Bay and Excalibur. It is now used as sportsbook and casino space.
Monte Carlo – April 2017
The eight-table Monte Carlo poker room closed in April 2017. This was done during the casino’s transition into Park MGM. The Monte Carlo poker room dealt spread and no limit hold’em. The Aria poker room is nearby.
Hard Rock – March 2017
There were three poker tables in the middle of the casino floor at Hard Rock, known today as Virgin and Mohegan Sun. It dealt no limit hold’em cash games and the occasional tournament series. It struggled to get games off the ground and closed. The space is used for slots today.
Linq – August 2016
The six-table Linq poker room moved several times in its era. The casino was previously known as Imperial Palace, and briefly, the Quad. The poker room was once just inside the front entrance when it was Imperial Palace. During the remodel to Quad, it moved upstairs into the old sportsbook. It opened and closed a couple of times. Its final location was in the area where the O’Sheas poker room once was, just inside the south entrance from the Strip.
Imperial Palace dealt no limit hold’em cash games and tournaments. It had fixed limit hold’em from time to time. On Sunday nights, it dealt a low limit mixed game that moved to Treasure Island before going extinct.
Eastside Cannery – April 2016
There were four poker tables at the end of the Eastside Cannery pit. Spread limit hold’em was the main game. There were no poker tournaments. When Boyd Gaming announced its plans to acquire Eastside Cannery, the poker room closed. It was replaced with electronic table games.
Eastside Cannery closed under the pandemic order in March 2020. The property never reopened.
Plaza – March 2016
Plaza had an active downtown Las Vegas poker room in the 2000s and earlier. When the property was renovated in 2009, the poker room was removed. It returned briefly but never caught back on.
Plaza tried electronic poker tables, which seemed like a hit. The company that owned the machines sold to one that did not want to get a Nevada gaming license. The machines were removed. The keno lounge is in that area today.
Aliante – March 2016
Aliante also had Pokertek machines for its poker room. It was forced to close poker when Jackpot Digital acquired Pokertek. The craps tables are where these machines were.
Hooters – March 2015
There were two poker tables at Hooters, now known as Oyo. It dealt no limit hold’em cash games. There was little action there. It was closed and become a players club promotions area. It is now part of a sports bar.
Texas Station – August 2014
There were eight tables at the Texas Station poker room. It mostly dealt fixed limit hold’em and Omaha hi/lo with a little no limit hold’em mixed in. The poker room slowly lost patronage. Station Casinos closed it in August 2014, sending those players up Rancho to Santa Fe Station.
Texas Station closed for the pandemic in 2020. It never reopened. The entire property has since been demolished.
Palms – June 2014
The Palms poker room was an unusual situation. It was once in the area where high limit slots are now. It moved to the sportsbook. Cantor Gaming operated it. Even though the Palms poker room was embedded in the sportsbook like no other one in Las Vegas, it failed to attract players. Cantor also found it difficult to manage the poker room. It closed in June 2014. It is sportsbook seating today.
Sunset Station – May 2014
There were eight tables at the Sunset Station poker room. It mostly dealt low limit hold’em games. Players were directed to Green Valley Ranch, another Station Casinos property. That poker room closed in March 2020. The closest poker room to Sunset Station is at Skyline, which is only open a few nights a week. Boulder Station has 24-hour poker action.
El Cortez – December 2013
El Cortez had three poker tables. It was mostly there for Jackie Gaughan to play during the day. When his health deteriorated, El Cortez closed the poker room. The main game was 2-6 spread limit hold’em. There was a 1-5 seven card stud game on Saturdays and no limit hold’em at night.
Circus Circus – September 2013
Circus Circus had five poker tables just inside its front valet door. It dealt cash games and freerolls for loyal players. The main game was fixed limit hold’em. There was also no limit hold’em. The space has slots in it today.
M Resort – August 2013
The M Resort poker room had ten tables that dealt hold’em cash games and tournaments. It slowly lost players to South Point and Green Valley Ranch. M Resort closed its poker room in August 2013. It was behind the sportsbook. At last check, there were high limit slot machines there.
Riviera – June 2013
The Riviera had a handful of poker tables. It had little action most days. Dart tournaments got the room active. Otherwise, it was mostly idle. Riviera closed the poker room and replaced it with slots in June 2013. In May 2015, Riviera closed permanently.
Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall – February 2013
Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall is Cromwell today. It had six poker tables near its sportsbook, which was about where patrons line up to go to Drai’s. Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall was the last Las Vegas Strip poker room to deal $0.50/$1 no limit hold’em. That game does not exist today.
Jokers Wild – October 2012
Jokers Wild had four tables. It is on Boulder Highway. The poker room there dealt $0.50/$1 no limit hold’em. The area was replaced by slot machines. Jokers Wild may not be around much longer. It is slots-only today.
Ellis Island – September 2012
Ellis Island had two poker tables on its casino floor for a few months. These got almost no action. Ellis Island realized it was late to the poker boom and removed the tables after just a few months. Slot machines replaced the tables.
Tropicana – September 2012
Tropicana had the misfortune of opening on the same day as the three largest US poker sites were indicted by the Department of Justice. Jamie Gold was the poker room’s ambassador. The Tropicana poker room dealt mixed games and no limit hold’em. It closed in September 2012. The area is used for slot tournaments today.
O’Sheas – April 2012
The O’Sheas poker room had two sections. The front dealt cash games. It was just inside the front door near where the south Strip entrance to Linq is today. There was a tournament area towards the back of the casino. O’Sheas dealt fixed and no limit hold’em. It closed in April 2012 to make room for the remodeling of the property that is Linq today.
Fitzgeralds – January 2012
Fitzgeralds is called The D today. When the property changed hands, the poker room closed. It failed to get a game off the ground most days. It dealt no limit hold’em when there were enough players.
Silverton – January 2012
There were five tables at the Silverton poker room. It was next to the sportsbook. It closed in January 2012. Cantor Gaming, the sportsbook operator, kept the tables in what is now a high limit slots room for years. The company hoped to reopen it one day. However, it seems that after the Palms experience, they decided to abandon their poker hopes.
Two 2011 poker room closures
During my research, I discovered the poker rooms at Gold Coast and Tuscany closed in 2011. I do not know if those are the only two closures from that year. This makes at least 41 poker rooms that have closed and never reopened since 2011.
Sahara and Westgate closed poker rooms during that time and later reopened. Resorts World opened the only completely new poker room during that time.
Last Updated on June 3, 2023 by John Mehaffey