The Las Vegas poker scene continues to grow and rebuild during the global health pandemic. Two more card rooms are about to return to action, both on the Strip at Bally’s and Wynn.
When COVID-19 hit the US earlier this year, most casinos were forced to close, some for more than three months. In Las Vegas, every casino shut down on March 17, and none were permitted to reopen until June 4. That put the entire live poker scene to sleep, but it’s now starting to regroup.
Four Las Vegas poker rooms out of 31 reopened the first weekend in June. That number has grown significantly since, and the city is now up to 16. Later this month, you can add two more poker rooms to that list.
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Bally’s Casino is one of 2 casinos that offer Texas Holdem poker. The poker room is on the ground floor of the casino, between the slot machines and baccarat tables. 3 tables are fully dedicated to poker. No Limit Hold’Em games are the only games on offer. Casino is open 24/7. I booked 3 nights at great rate as a rewards member. I booked Bally's as the rooms sizes are larger than most at 450 sq ft. Rooms were clean and recently renovated. I communicated with the concierge via text and got great service. Requested daily housekeeping as I was there with a toddler, so the room needed some refreshing and daily linens. Bally’s Las Vegas is ideal for those who appreciate classic hotels in Las Vegas, right in the center of the Strip. While it captures the feel of Old Vegas, these rooms have upgraded room amenities like flat-screen TVs, docking stations and pillow-top beds. Stay in the stylish Jubilee rooms featuring red patterned accent walls and rich woods. Bally's Atlantic City; Number of Rooms: 1214: Number of Suites: 24: Price Range ($) 56-319: Exclusive Deals: Wine Down Package, Turn Up The Romance Package, Pop, Fizz, Clink Package: Amenities: Buck Wild Arcade, WSOP Poker Room, Party Pit.
Bally’s, a Caesars Entertainment property on the central part of the Strip, is set to reopen its 14-table poker room September 25. Most who play at Bally’s are low stakes grinders and recreational players. The games spread are typically $1/$3 no-limit Texas hold’em and low stakes limit games. Bally’s also spreads some cheap buy-in daily tournaments, although the card room hasn’t yet announced when they’ll bring back tournaments.
Wynn is a completely different animal. Many of the top players in town play at Wynn (technically Encore) for a few reasons. The poker room is quite luxurious and modern, whereas Bally’s is the opposite. Top players also enjoy the juicy higher stakes games offered at Wynn, but the casino also has plenty of lower stakes games available 24/7.
Wynn gets back in action soon
Wynn’s poker room is set to reopen September 30. Games will be limited to eight players per table, maximum, the most allowed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Health safety precautions will be in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Safety dividers at each seat will separate players, and face masks are required while playing unless you’re taking a drink. Immediately after taking a sip, you’re required to then put your face mask back on.
After Wynn and Bally’s bring back poker later this month, Las Vegas will be up to 18 poker rooms. Although 13 still remain closed, Vegas will still have more open poker rooms than any other city in the country even has, closed or open.
Current open poker rooms on the Strip (excluding Bally’s and Wynn) include Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, MGM Grand, Sahara, and Venetian. Currently closed poker rooms with no reopen date yet include Excalibur, Harrah’s, Mirage, and Planet Hollywood.
Don’t expect Harrah’s or Mirage, at the very least, to bring back poker any time soon. Both casinos have replaced the poker rooms with a smoke-free slot machine area.
Wynn is the final “major” poker room in Las Vegas to reopen since COVID-19. Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and Venetian, considered by most among the top card rooms in town, along with Wynn, have been open for quite some time.
Despite getting ready to reopen its poker room, Wynn’s casino has gone through some difficult times lately. The Las Vegas Review-Journal recently reported that 500 Wynn employees have tested positive for the coronavirus since reopening.
Featured image source: Twitter
The Bally’s Casino floor is very easy to navigate. I’m not saying it’s small, but it would be very hard to get lost here – even after 8+ cocktails. To get to the Ballys sportsbook is a little tough as it is located downstairs by the food court. You have to go down the escalators in the back of the casino (on the way to the pool & monorail) and walk through the mall.
On the first level, are the main casino, several bars, Jubilee Theatre and the walkway to the Paris Hotel. The casino feature 67,000 square feet of gaming floor space with the usual slot machines and tables.
Here is the latest updated Bally’s property map.
Ballys Las Vegas Casino/Hotel Map JPG image. Click to enlarge. Here is the PDF version.
Please note that the lower level (called Ballys Avenue Shops on the map) has updated their food court area in 2013 and is not on this map from 2012. Everything else on the map is pretty accurate.
Current dining option at the Ballys food court:
- Johnny Rockets
- Nathan’s Famous
- Pan Asian Express
- Sbarro
- Subway
Bally's Ac Poker Room Phone Number
History of Ballys
Bally's Poker Room Phone Number Lookup
Once known as the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino until it was renamed Bally’s in 1985 after being sold to the Bally’s Entertainment Group, this hotel was regarded as the first real “mega” hotel on the strip when it opened in 1973. At the time of its opening, it was considered the largest hotel in the world with 2,084 rooms, and set a new tone of luxury in Las Vegas that would not be surpassed until The Mirage was built many years later. Designed by Martin Stern, Jr. it cost a then staggering $106 million dollars.
Bally’s set the tone for a new era in Las Vegas history in the 1970’s. While The Strip was populated with smaller, less modern hotels, Bally’s featured many amenities, including a wide selection of shows, shopping, and upscale restaurants. It contained two theatres, The Celebrity Room, where The Carpenters and Barry Manilow often performed, and The Ziegfeld Stage.
Seven years after opening, the hotel suffered a devastating fire that started in one of the casino’s kitchens, which quickly spread, killing 85 guests and employees. This was one of the worst high-rise fires in history. As a result of this tragedy, improvements in hotel safety were executed throughout the world.
In less than a year, Bally’s was rebuilt and an additional tower opened in 1981. The hotel has since been sold and resold, and today its current owner is Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The casino has been remodeled and the hotel currently features 2814 guest rooms in the North and Jubilee (formerly known as South) Towers.
Bally's Atlantic City Poker Room Phone Number
Jubilee (North) Tower
The Jubilee (North) Tower elevators are located directly in front of hotel security in the far northeast portion of the casino. The majority of the rooms are located here and were last renovated in 200. At this location, you have quicker access to the pools and the Monorail station. The Jubilee Tower rooms are accessible from the southwest corner of the casino. The rooms were renovated in September 2013, and many guests report that the views are better in this tower.
Bally's Poker Room Phone Number New York
The pool can be accessed from the underground mall, which has a variety of restaurants, video arcade, several stores and kiosks. This is also the way to monorail station that is located behind Ballys. Bally’s has two pools, one very large central pool in the middle, and the second, smaller pool that is geared more toward children. There is a pool café as well as bar and plenty of lounge chairs for guests.
Bally's Poker Room Phone Number Customer Service
While at one time this was the best hotel in Las Vegas, today, it is showing its age, however for many guests, the prices of rooms and fantastic location are a reason to stay.