In the late afternoon and early evening hours of Saturday, January 21, I completed my thirteenth survey of the poker rooms on the Las Vegas Strip.
It’s noteworthy that the 172 total games surveyed are the most I’ve ever counted on the Strip.
Here’s the data for poker rooms on the Strip.
Bellagio
The Bellagio posted its best survey numbers since I started doing them in 2008. Their 33 total games have only been matched by the Venetian at its height in mid-2010.
The Bellagio is at least solidifying, and possibly growing, its medium stakes fixed limit hold ‘em games. The eight games in the 10-20 to 40-80 range is the highest count since the Bellagio started spreading those games. The total counts for games in this range during the previous four surveys in 2011 were seven (10/22), seven (7/23), six (4/23), and five (1/22).
As a reminder, in the latter half of 2010, the Bellagio would typically have only four or five medium stakes games at 15-30 and 30-60.
The no-limit hold ‘em game selection at the Bellagio was very strong. They had either the most or second-most games at all stakes. This demonstrates possible improvement at 1-2 where the Bellagio has lagged behind since they first started offering the game in mid-2009. Previously, 2-5 was the smallest no-limit hold ‘em game spread there.
The 20-40 stud game was running. This game has become much less reliable, even on weekends, in the past year.
The 40-80 mixed game has made a comeback recently and was running full during this survey. They had trouble running this game in the late summer and early autumn of last year.
Two big games were running, a 25-50 pot-limit Omaha and a 500-1,000 mixed spread in Bobby’s Room.
Venetian
A strong second place finish for the Venetian comes with both good and bad news.
The good news is robust Omaha 8 or better results which have rebounded from weak showings recently. With two 4-8, two 8-16, and one 15-30 O/8 games, the Venetian is looking more like the center of Vegas O/8 action again. These results aren’t an anomaly. I’ve observed the Venetian’s O/8 games reestablishing itself over the last few months.
Combined with a 1-2 PLO game and a Chinese poker game ($10/point), the Venetian had a survey record seven non-hold ‘em games.
The bad news is an apparent continued degradation of their bigger no-limit hold ‘em games. The Venetian had just one 5-10 game and its six 2-5 games don’t stand out as a Vegas leader on such a busy weekend.
I think the Venetian is still losing no-limit hold ‘em business to our survey’s #3 finisher.
Aria
Aria’s 19 games are a room record. They’ve been steadily growing their games in the past two years.
1/23/10: 16 games; 3rd place (including an unusual four 4-8 HORSE games)
4/24/10: 11 games; 4th place
7/24/10: 9 games; 5th place
10/23/10: 13 games; tied-3rd place
1/22/11: 14 games; 3rd place
4/23/11: 18 games; 3rd place
7/23/11: 16 games; 3rd place
10/22/11: 15 games; 3rd place
Aria remains almost an exclusive no-limit hold ‘em room with 17 of their 19 games being 1-2, 2-5, and 5-10 games. The growth of the room has been because they keep increasing the number of games spread at each stake.
A 10-20 no-limit hold ‘em game was called while I was in the room but didn’t get going before I left. But, I can foresee Aria building a 10-20 game and taking some business away from the Bellagio.
A couple 1-3 pot-limit Omaha games were also running. 1-3 PLO has become a reliable game at Aria.
Other Big Rooms
The one room I can most accurately predict the results for is the MGM Grand. Like this month, they’ll reliably be at or near the top in 1-2 no-limit hold ‘em games, have a couple 2-5 games, and a couple small stakes fixed limit hold ‘em games. It’s been that way for a few years.
Wynn got a 5-10 no-limit hold ‘em game back after not getting one counted in the last survey. However, it’s been a year since they’ve had more than one no-limit hold ‘em game at 5-10 and bigger. This is a room being beaten down by Aria.
Caesars Palace always posts its best numbers in the Winter survey due to a WSOP Circuit event running there. Its 11 games in this survey are the best numbers it’s posted in more than three years. But, I don’t expect them to hold onto the business after the tournament is over.
The Mirage remains stagnant while spreading only 3-6 fixed limit hold ‘em and 1-2 no-limit hold ‘em.
Tropicana
The Tropicana offered me the biggest surprise of the survey. Their recent decision to hire 2006 World Series of Poker champion, Jamie Gold, as their Poker Spokesperson and Ambassador while renaming their room “The Jamie Gold Poker Room” has drawn action which the room would otherwise have no realistic chance at.
In this survey, two 2-5 no-limit hold ‘em games were running at the Tropicana. While that only brought the room’s total up to four games, it’s seems to me a clear sign Gold is bringing in players to a small room that didn’t exist a year ago.
While the 2+2 posters in the thread linked above offered reasonable questions on why Gold was the Tropicana’s choice of Ambassador, it does seem the idea of a regular celebrity player being in the room and actually playing small or medium stakes games can draw people in.
Other Small Rooms
Planet Hollywood was strong again with eight 1-2 no-limit hold ‘em games. They’re probably the most reliable small room for offering a large game selection at 1-2.
Nothing else really stood out among the small rooms.
Off-Strip Rooms
Unfortunately, I’m going to need to find new partners to bring back our off-Strip surveying.
I think the six surveys one from 4/24/10 to 7/23/11 gave a good feel for the differences between Strip and off-Strip action. So, unless something changes, I don’t think we’re missing much without new off-Strip data.
The Non Hold ‘em Games
Venetian: two 4/8 Omaha 8 or better, two 8-16 O/8, one 15-30 O/8, one 1-2 pot-limit Omaha, one 10/point Chinese poker
Bellagio: one 20-40 stud, one 40-80 mixed, one 25-50 PLO, one 500-1000 mixed
Aria: two 1-3 PLO
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, 07/23/11, and 10/22/11.
