First, let me explain the title of this blog post. I am not referring to the WSOP (World Series of Poker) although in about a month that will be starting here in Las Vegas and going on until the end of July. Also, I am not really talking about the summer proper since that does not begin until the third week in June although temperatures here in the valley have been consistently in the 90s all this week in April.
What I do mean by the Wonderful Summer of Poker (W.S.O.P.) is what takes place around town in other poker venues while the WSOP is going on at the Rio.
For most of us local poker players who grind away at local small stakes poker tournaments, the WSOP is a high-priced opportunity to get it on with the guys and gals who play poker for a living. Playing in most WSOP events is like your local softball team taking on the Yankees in Yankee Stadium or on an individual basis like you taking your 19 handicap to Augusta and teeing off with Phil, Tiger, and Sergio. Aside from the “I’m sitting at a table with the great one” celebrity vibe, there really isn’t any good reason to invest a lot of money, play through three or four grueling days of poker, and bust out 200 spots from the money!
But the W.S.O.P. is another story entirely.
A few of the other casinos in town where poker is still an option offer extended opportunities to make a few bucks and feel like you are participating. The buy-ins are mostly reasonable and if you hit a final table and get lucky you just might make enough to enter a $1000 buy-in main event. Otherwise you’ve invested $250 – $500 which isn’t the end of the world or the end of your bankroll.
The big players in this secondary market are Planet Hollywood, the Venetian, the Golden Nugget, the Orleans, Binion’s and Wynn. The Venetian and Wynn have pricier tournaments than the others but the daily events are affordable and you are not likely to encounter the opposing skill levels that you would in the WSOP.
The Venetian’s schedule starts as early as May 14 and runs all the way to July 29, the longest schedule of them all. Planet Hollywood has good choices starting on May 24 and going to July 15. The others are all within that timeframe and the details are available online or on the casino’s websites.
The buy-ins at the Venetian go all the way up to $3500 but there are plenty of $200 and $300 tournaments available. Wynn tops out at $1500 and goes as low as $360 (not including fees). Planet Hollywood has $100 entries all the way up to $2200. The Golden Nugget, Binion’s and the Orleans are bargain basements of low cost tournaments that average about $200.
The Orleans has the most eclectic tournament choices including H.O.R.S.E., Stud, 8 Game Mix, Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better, and Triple Stud Mix for those who enjoy a mixture of games. All these venues host No Limit Hold ‘em games with a smattering of Omaha games. Most have Senior events (usually limited to 50+ years of age) and some have Ladies events as well.
Expect big fields at the Golden Nugget, the Venetian, and Planet Hollywood and smaller fields at the other venues. I played two senior tournaments at the Golden Nugget last year (buy-ins of $260 each) and one of them had about 800 players!
Recently parking has become an issue on the Strip. Following the lead of MGM and Caesar’s many hotels/casinos now charge patrons for parking. You will be happy to know that the Venetian, the Orleans, Wynn, Planet Hollywood, and the Golden Nugget do NOT. You may have to have a parking stub stamped in the poker room but no fees are assessed for parking. Binion’s, a downtown venue, does charge since parking is at a premium in that area of town.
I am planning on investing (notice I said INVESTING) less than $2500 to play in 8 tournaments from mid-May until the end of July. Included in the mix is one monthly $200 tournament at one of our local casinos, Santa Fe, which usually gets about 60 or 70 players. If I score a substantial win in any of these I will definitely consider entering a higher buy-in event.
If you are in town consider a few of these alternatives to the WSOP. If you are a local, I am sure you are already planning to do so. Good Luck!
Cards, Dice and Wheels of Fortune 