One of the biggest and most popular poker rooms in Las Vegas is expanding, and that’s good news for cash and tournament players alike. Today, Venetian Las Vegas announced that it plans to unveil a brand-new poker room this summer.
The new poker room, which will be located on Level 2 of the luxury Las Vegas resort, will feature 50 tables across 14,000 square feet, making it the largest poker room in Las Vegas.
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In addition to moving to the second floor, a “strategic move” that puts the poker room closer to the popular Grand Canal Shoppes and The Palazzo self-parking garage, the new poker room will feature a self-serve soda fountain and coffee machine, dedicated restrooms, TVs throughout the room and USB and USB-C charging ports at every seat.
Perhaps most interestingly, the new Venetian poker room will include a dedicated streaming room “allowing players to coordinate a vlogging session and provid(ing) the ability to stream tournament final tables and cash games.”
“The expansion of the poker room is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts of reimagining the gaming experience at The Venetian Resort,” Danny Ruiz, Venetian’s chief gaming officer, said in a press release. “The room was designed to provide an elevated playing experience and everything from design details to enhancements were made with the players in mind.”
Since it opened in 2006, the Venetian Poker Room has been one of the most popular cash game and tournament venues in Las Vegas. It is home to the popular Venetian DeepStack series and regularly hosts World Poker Tour (WPT) and Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) events.
“We’re making an investment in our players and curating the amenities based on their feedback,” Tommy LaRosa, director of poker operations at Venetian, said in the press release. “We can’t wait to unveil the new room this summer and show why the Venetian Poker Room is and continues to provide an unparalleled poker experience.”
PokerNews caught up with LaRosa to learn more about the upgraded poker room that should open just in time for the summer’s poker festivities.
Q&A With Venetian Poker Director Tommy LaRosa
PokerNews: How long have these plans been in the works?
Larosa: We announced more than $1 billion in reinvestment in the resort in 2022. This expansion of the poker room is part of that reinvestment. But it really is the culmination of years of listening to our players. Taking into account what they want in a room to make them feel comfortable and really putting that into action in a larger room with a beautiful, modern aesthetic.
Is there an opening date in mind (obviously know this could change)? Are you hoping to have it before June?
We don’t have a date we can share yet, sometime this summer.
The streaming room is very exciting. What inspired Venetian to do this?
I don’t know that any one thing inspired this, but being able to provide vloggers with a place to film games is something we’re excited about. And we’re working on being able to stream cash games and final tables of our DeepStack events, which will give friends and family who aren’t here the opportunity to watch the action.
Any idea what will become of the old space?
We’re making ongoing upgrades to the casino floor including the addition of a desk for our new loyalty program, Venetian Rewards, and additional slots in the area through the reconfiguration of the floor.
Are there any plans for new tables & chairs, or will they remain the same?
We’ll have new chairs and refreshed tables. Overall, the room will have a modern, clean aesthetic. Each seat will have USB and USB-C charging ports. Additional amenities for the room include online ordering and delivery from Grand Lux, the self-serve Coca-Cola soda fountain, TVs throughout, and dedicated restrooms. On top of that, the prime location of the room to the parking garage makes arriving and departing hassle-free.
You’ve been with Venetian Poker for a while now. What does it mean to you on a personal level to have this new room and all the opportunities it’ll afford?
I’ve been in this role for 12 years, with the poker room since 2006, and total, at the resort for 25 years. For me, it’s the reinvestment in our team and the players. You don’t get to do this more than once in a career, maybe never, so being able to bring a brand new poker room that incorporates so much player feedback is really something I’m proud of and our team is proud of as well.
*Photos courtesy Venetian Las Vegas.
