The poker room at The Strat, formerly known as the Stratosphere, closed Friday, October 18. The four-table poker room recently moved from its downstairs location near the tower escalators where it had been for more than a decade. Its new location was on the second level at the top of the escalator near the table games pit.
The Strat downsized the poker room in 2018. It went from twelve tables to four during the property’s renovation.
The news was first reported by Rob Solomon:
Haven't seen anyone report this. The Strat closed its poker room a few days ago.
— Robvegaspoker (@Robvegaspoker) October 20, 2019
A note on the poker room podium at The Strat tells players that the casino is no longer offering poker. The phone number to the poker room no longer rings. The poker room was quickly scrubbed from The Strat’s website.
Golden Entertainment removing tables from its Las Vegas casinos
This is the second Las Vegas poker room Golden Entertainment closed after its acquisition of American Casino and Entertainment Properties (ACEP). The other was Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. The poker room there closed in August 2018.
The company also removed table games from the Arizona Charlie’s on Boulder Highway in the past year. Stratosphere and two Arizona Charlie’s casinos were a part of the ACEP transaction.
Strat poker room struggled
The poker room at The Strat struggled in recent years. The only game it typically offered was 1/2 no limit Texas Hold’em. The game was often shorthanded, if it ran at all.
Stratosphere once spread three daily tournaments with times of 11am, 7pm and 11pm. These tournaments, particularly the 7pm one, would draw 60 to 80 players some nights in the year or two after Sahara closed. The tournament and its structure moved from Sahara, as well as many of its players and dealers.
Towards the end, the 11am tournament was removed from the schedule. The 11pm one was dropped, except on weekends, if it managed to get off the ground. The 7pm tournament only drew a table or two most nights.
The 7pm tournament featured free pizza during the first break. All tournaments offered a good structure with a reasonable rake and a $20 add-on.
SLS Las Vegas recently rebranded back to Sahara. The property is expected to open a poker room in the next year.
Las Vegas poker rooms closed since 2012
The Strat’s poker room became the 27th to close in Las Vegas since 2012. The others are listed below:
- Arizona Charlie’s Decatur: August 2018
- Treasure Island: August 2018
- Suncoast: April 2018
- Luxor: June 2017
- Monte Carlo: April 2017
- Hard Rock: March 2017
- The Linq: August 2016
- Eastside Cannery: April 2016
- Plaza: March 2016
- Aliante Casino: March 2016
- Westgate: June 2015 (Reopened August 2017)
- Hooters: March 2015
- Texas Station: August 2014
- Palms: June 2014
- Sunset Station: May 2014
- El Cortez: December 2013
- Circus Circus: September 2013
- M Resort: August 2013
- Riviera: June 2013
- Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall: February 2013
- Jokers Wild: October 2012
- Ellis Island: September 2012
- Tropicana: September 2012
- O’Sheas: April 2012
- Fitzgeralds: January 2012
- Silverton: January 2012
