Poker is America s favorite card game. It s been a mainstay in Las Vegas – 24/7 – since before anyone can remember.
But as Covid-19 concerns grew more serious, professional poker players realized that the unthinkable was happening: the casinos were shutting their doors for the first time in history! Construction crews sealed the entrances, many having never been locked before. Instantly, a way of life was shattered.
In Las Vegas, thousands of poker grinders eke out a living hustling tourists in poker s global capital. The grinders, looking to make weekly free-rolls on the Strip, were seriously out of luck.
WSOP moves to WSOP.COM
The first sign of relief for poker has been wsop.com. As the only online poker in Nevada, wsop.com website saw a gigantic increase in action the second the casinos shut down. Just like the rest of society, poker moved online- big time. A massive influx of money hit the online tables.
The WSOP has moved online this year. So far, there have only been a few players from outside of the United States. You have to physically be in Nevada or New Jersey to participate. At least one player won a bracelet sitting in his car in a parking lot in New Jersey. It s been a weird year!
South Point and the Nugget Take the Lead
The title for Greatest Poker Rooms in Las Vegas goes to . and South Point [and the Golden Nugget]. Out of all the poker rooms in Las Vegas, only these two rooms immediately opened at the maximum capacity allowed. Several other rooms, like the Orleans and the Venetian, opened at limited capacity.
Sahara Opens New Room
The Sahara casino has opened a new poker room. The corner of Sahara and Las Vegas BLVD has been a historically tough spot to run a game. After a couple of weird tries, we re glad to see the old name back on the marque. It was a bold move to open this room at the height of the pandemic. Time will tell how this re-do does. We ll be checking it out soon!
