On Friday, October 18, The Strat, previously known as the Stratosphere, made an announcement regarding the closure of its poker room. Having been situated near the tower escalators for over ten years, the four-table poker room recently underwent a change in scenery. It found its new home on the second level, positioned conveniently at the top of the escalator close to the bustling table games pit.
In 2018, The Strat made changes to its poker room by reducing the number of tables from twelve to four as part of the property's renovation.
Rob Solomon was the initial source of the report.
I haven't come across any reports of this, but The Strat recently shut down its poker room just a couple of days back.
— Robvegaspoker (@Robvegaspoker) October 20, 2019
The poker room at The Strat is no more, as indicated by a note placed on the podium. The once buzzing phone number assigned to the poker room now goes unanswered. Furthermore, The Strat wasted no time in removing any trace of the poker room from their website.
Golden Entertainment to eliminate tables at its Las Vegas casinos.
After acquiring American Casino and Entertainment Properties (ACEP), Golden Entertainment decided to shut down yet another poker room in Las Vegas. This closure marks the second time they have taken such action, with the first being Arizona Charlie's Decatur poker room in August 2018. This move highlights Golden Entertainment's strategic decisions in reshaping their portfolio and focusing on other aspects of their business. The closure of these poker rooms demonstrates the company's commitment to adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the Las Vegas gaming industry.
In the past year, the ACEP transaction involved the Stratosphere and two Arizona Charlie's casinos. Furthermore, as part of this transaction, the company made a decision to remove table games from the Arizona Charlie's on Boulder Highway.
The Strat's poker room faced challenges.
In recent years, The Strat's poker room has faced significant challenges. Typically, the only game available was Texas Hold'em, with a limit of 1/2 and no restrictions. However, it frequently experienced a shortage of players, and there were even instances when the game didn't run at all. The lack of consistent action had a noticeable impact on the overall success of the poker room.
Back in the day, the Stratosphere used to host a trio of daily poker tournaments. They were scheduled for 11am, 7pm, and 11pm, respectively. The 7pm tournament, in particular, attracted a decent crowd, with 60 to 80 players showing up on certain nights during the two years following the closure of the Sahara. Not only did the tournament find a new home at the Stratosphere, but many of its regular players and dealers also made the switch.
Most nights, the 7pm tournament only managed to attract a table or two. Towards the end, the 11am tournament was taken off the schedule altogether. The 11pm tournament, on the other hand, was eliminated entirely, except for weekends, and even then, it struggled to gain any traction.
The tournament at 7pm showcased complimentary pizza for players during the initial intermission. All the tournaments provided an excellent format with a fair fee and the option to add $20.
Sahara, formerly known as SLS Las Vegas, is undergoing a rebranding. Excitingly, there are plans to introduce a poker room within the coming year.
Las Vegas poker rooms have been shut down since the year 2012.
The closure of The Strat's poker room in Las Vegas adds to the growing list of 26 other poker rooms that have shut down since 2012. Here are the rest of the establishments that have closed their doors:
- Arizona Charlie’s Decatur: August of the year 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: Reopened in August 2017 after being closed since June 2015.
- 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 - An Overview of the Prominent Casino and Resort
- Jokers Wild: October 2012
- Ellis Island: September 2012
- Tropicana: September 2012
- O’Sheas: April 2012
- Fitzgeralds: January 2012
- Silverton: January 2012
