#THE PLAYERS CLUB LAS VEGAS SERIES#

The Bellagio has anywhere from 35-40 tables, yet caters more to middle-stakes players like their uber-popular $10/$20 NL game and a rare $20/$40 Stud game. These days, Bellagio has a $10/$20 LHE or $20/$40 LHE game, but those are difficult to crack. The Bellagio used to spread a juicy $15/$30 LHE game, but those middle-stakes limit games are tough to find.

These days, the Big Game doesn't run as frequently as the high-stakes cash games moved down the street to the Aria. One of the coolest things about playing at the Bellagio was that even if you were playing low-stakes, you could still peek into the room and watch the biggest names in poker battle it out. Regulars at Bobby's Room included Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Jen Harman, Johnny Chan, Sammy Farha, Gus Hansen, and Lyle Berman. Bobby and his friends engaged in some of the biggest nosebleed games in the world. When the poker room was remodeled in 2005, the new design featured Bobby's Room, a private room encased in glass where Bobby Baldwin hosted the Big Game. The Bellagio used to be the epicenter of poker during the height of the boom almost a decade ago. The only downside is the fact that the room is somewhat small with only 24 tables, which means you'll have to wait a while during peak hours to get a seat. Out of all the poker rooms on the Strip, the Aria is probably the best run. The Aria is still relatively new which means the staff is extra nice. Locals prefer the Aria because of its hourly rate comps, while tourists like it because they can play a friendly game while catching a glimpse of one of those вЂњpros you might see on TV.вЂќ In addition, the Aria has plenty of daily tournaments with deep stacks and long structures that make even the biggest nits content.

If you're an action junkie, then Aria is the place to be because they also offer up PLO. If you're a low-roller, not to fear because the Aria spreads multiple $1/$3 NL and $2/$5 NL tables. Although Ivey rarely plays in Vegas these days, there's almost always a $300/$600 mixed game going on. The Aria created a special private room specifically for Phil Ivey. It almost looks too fancy for my tastes, but the poker room is the current locale for the biggest action in the Western Hemisphere. The Aria is part of the City Center monstrosity. If you've never been to Vegas, you have to take at least one trip downtown to see where it all began. If you go to Vegas a lot but only hang out on the Strip, then you should pay your respects to Binion's and play in their Midnight tournament, which attracts some of the most flavorful characters you'll ever come face-to-face with. There are only ten tables and they spread low-limit hold'em and low-stakes NL. The good news is that Binion's remodeled their poker room with comfortable seating and the walls are adorned with photographs celebrating the history of poker. The bad news is that downtown still smells like a wet dog that rolled around in a puddle of urine. However, you still get a mix of elderly locals that smell like Ben Gay, drunken tourists in Hawaiian shirts, and hardcore poker geeks paying homage to one of the most renowned card rooms in the history of poker. Because of its location in the heart of dingy downtown Las Vegas, Binion's doesn't attract as many casual players as it could if it were situated on the Strip. For several decades, Binion's hosted the biggest cash games in the world.

#THE PLAYERS CLUB LAS VEGAS SERIES#

Binion's is where the World Series of Poker began it's where Johnny Moss and Nick the Greek played their legendary heads-up match. Going downtown to Binion's is like visiting Mecca for poker players.

The players club las vegas