In the late afternoon and early evening hours of Saturday, October 22, I completed my twelfth survey of the poker rooms on the Las Vegas Strip.
Unfortunately, my previous helper, any2cards, was unable to survey off-Strip rooms. Though, I hope he is able to return for the winter survey.
Here’s the new data for poker rooms on the Strip.
Bellagio
The Bellagio has reestablished total dominance in medium stakes fixed limit hold ‘em games.
Two years ago, the Bellagio’s status was threatened by the Venetian’s successful launch of 8-16 games and sporadic 15-30 games. By mid-2010, the Bellagio was overtaken in the total number of limit hold ‘em games. Though, they maintained control of the bigger games (then 15-30 and 30-60).
The Bellagio’s proactive move to start spreading 10-20, 20-40, and 40-80 hold ‘em in January of this year has nearly doubled their hold ‘em games compared to mid-2010. Combined with questionable decisions by the Venetian (see below), there’s only one option in Las Vegas for medium stakes limit hold ‘em.
In high stakes no-limit hold ‘em, the 10-20 game has made a strong return recently. In addition, the new 25-50 game seems to have replaced the 10-20-40 game which ran early this year.
I’m not sure why, but a 50-100 stud and a 75-150 stud 8 or better game were running at the time of this survey. Neither is a game which runs regularly.
On the down side, the Bellagio has lost its 30-60 Omaha 8 or better game. Starting in the spring, the player base started splitting between the O/8 game and a 40-80 mixed game. During the WSOP, this was sustainable. But, since late July, both games have been dead. In addition, some of the 30-60 O/8 regulars have moved to a 15-30 game at the Venetian.
Overall, the Bellagio is in the strongest position it’s held in two years.
Venetian
Although, the Venetian is still a strong second in total # of games, it’s been absorbing losses to several other rooms. At its peak in the first half of 2010, the Venetian was totaling 30+ games. But, now it’s hit a survey low-point. Here are its total games in the past ten surveys:
2009
Summer: 27
Autumn: 23
2010
Winter: 31
Spring: 33
Summer: 34
Autumn: 23
2011
Winter: 25
Spring: 29
Summer: 24
Autumn: 23
As mentioned above, and in the July survey article, the Venetian has inflicted a lot of damage on its own limit hold ‘em games.
During the Venetian’s peak in 2010, they were regularly running two or three 8-16 hold ‘em games and occasionally got a 15-30 going. However, when faced with the Bellagio’s new 10-20, 20-40, and 40-80 games in January, the Venetian made several changes to their games which have resulted in no games above 4-8 running in this survey.
- In January, the Venetian started more actively promoting a 15-30 hold ‘em game hoping to draw players away from the Bellagio. They offered a $3 max rake and good comps as an incentive to get players to play at the Venetian. This, of course, seemed to be a reasonable promotion.
- By February, the 15-30 game had no success, so the Venetian experimented with an idea proposed by some of their regular players. They reduced the blinds to just $5 and $10 (still $15 to limp in). The idea was to encourage more action, but theoretically there should have been less action with less dead money in the pot. Regardless, the practical effect was that many 8-16 players played in the mini-blind 15-30 game. Combined with some players moving to the Bellagio’s 10-20 game, the 8-16 suffered a sudden death.
- By June, the Venetian dropped both the 8-16 and 15-30 game (which died as well within a couple months) and starting spreading 10-20 with limited success.
- By the fall, the 10-20 game was no longer spread and the Venetian went back to offering 8-16 (but with a $4 max rake). I’ve seen the game occasionally run but I’ve seen it break up quickly several times when it did go. Usually, there is an interest list of several players, but 8-16 hold ‘em games are uncommon now.
Incredibly, the Venetian is risking making the exact same mistake with their Omaha 8 or better games.
In early 2010, the Venetian started successfully running 8-16 O/8 backed up by a promotion of a $2 max rake (eventually bumped up to $3) and good comps. Through 2010 and the first half of 2011, it was typical to find two 8-16 O/8 games running any day of the week and occasionally a third would go.
However, the Venetian again offered a 15-30 game with $5 and $10 mini-blinds only to watch their 8-16 game get cannibalized. The 15-30 O/8 game occasionally ran in the late spring and early summer, but has established weekend regularity since late August. Most of its players are former 8-16 players. Though, some are former Bellagio 30-60 players who left due to that game’s problems.
In addition, the Venetian ended its discounted rake promotion and now rakes the 8-16 O/8 game at a full $4 (while the 15-30 O/8 game has the $3 max rake). This is problematic because the Orleans has a long established 8-16 O/8 game and rake just $3 plus a $1 bad beat jackpot rake. With the Orleans effectively offering a jackpot freeroll, most of the Vegas O/8 regulars have moved to the Orleans.
The end result is that the Venetian’s 8-16 Omaha 8 or better game is no longer reliable even on the weekends. During this survey, there was no game and only a few players on an interest list.
In addition to these self-inflicted wounds, the Venetian has seen some of its other action move away due to stiff competition.
In the summer of 2009, the Venetian managed to start a regular1-2 pot-limit Omaha game with a $5 bring-in. That game and a 2-5 counterpart became the only regular PLO games in Las Vegas. However, since May, they seem to have lost their player base to a 1-3 PLO game at Aria (with a normal $3 limp in). Aria’s 1-3 game plays smaller and thus seems to be more sustainable as an entry level game. During this survey, Aria’s 1-3 game was full with a waiting list whereas the Venetian had no game and only a couple names on an interest list.
There are signs that the Venetian’s 2-5 and 5-10 no-limit games are taking a hit too. For the second consecutive survey, the Venetian was beat by Aria in total 2-5 games. In the previous two years, the Venetian was always #1 in 2-5 games. While the Venetian did have two 5-10 games, one of them was playing three-handed.
I thought it was interesting that the Venetian has recently moved the 5-10 games out of the Salon (the five tables near the cashier) and onto the main floor. Perhaps it’s just a reaction to the very large room looking a little emptier.
Aria
Aria has become a top room for no-limit hold ‘em up to 5-10. For the second survey in a row, Aria was the #1 room in 2-5 games.
However, for the third consecutive survey, Aria hasn’t had even one fixed limit hold ‘em game. Fixed limit games usually run in Vegas based on local players making a particular casino their regular place to play. Considering other rooms such as the Flamingo and Bally’s can spread multiple games consistently, Aria should look to improve in this area.
A 1-3 PLO game has become regular at Aria and was running with a waiting list of many players. Also a 400-800 mixed game was running in Ivey’s Room.
Other Big Rooms
The Wynn didn’t have a single 5-10 no-limit hold ‘em game running. That’s the first time in nearly two years I didn’t survey a no-limit game bigger than 2-5 at Wynn. They still had strong 2-5 action, though.
It was business as usual for the MGM Grand with the most 1-2 no-limit games (nine, tied with Venetian).
The Mirage and Caesars Palace show no signs of growing their player base.
The Small Rooms
Mandalay Bay surveyed well after a bad showing last time. Their six 1-2 no-limit games were tops among the small rooms.
The usually strong Planet Hollywood had a weak showing.
Though, it was shorthanded, the Tropicana had a small stakes mixed game running. According to the forums, it’s been reliable on the weekends for a while.
The Non Hold ‘em Games
Venetian: one 4-8 Omaha 8 or better, one 15-30 O/8, one 4-8 HORSE.
Bellagio: one 50-100 stud, one 75-150 stud 8 or better.
Aria: one 1-3 pot limit Omaha, one 400-800 mixed game.
Tropicana: one 2-8 spread limit mixed game.
Previous Surveys
The eleven previous surveys were done on 6/28/08, 10/25/08, 7/25/09, 10/17/09, 1/23/10, 4/24/10, 7/24/10, 10/23/10, 01/22/11, 04/23/11, and 07/23/11.
