Looks like its finally happening after they announced it months ago. End of January.




The comments are funny about the crazy rendering with standing dealers and 6 max tables. lol

But looks like someone confirmed 7 tables and max rake of $4, 9 handed tables.
I would think they could get some 1/2nl going on the weekends or maybe even during the week.

Free Sandwiches?

Ill be there in March and will have to check it out. Thanks for passing the news

the "coming soon poker room" sign has been on the wall by the front pits for about a month now. guessing that's where it will be?

I've always liked sls/and now sahara again as a low-key hang out spot. "hurr durr it's too far from stuff" I could care less about as a local. adding a poker room is a definite +

I was there a few weeks ago and don't remember any pits being near. If you walk in by Valet and down just past the pool to the right, before the cashier cage. But yea there was a sign there, probably what you saw.

At least its near the front and not hid in the back somewhere.

yes that is the sign I saw.

lol maybe my memory is really going fast. there used to be some pit games in that area but maybe they moved them closer to the center of the casino with the recent rebranding back to sahara.

They are spending 150 Million on upgrades. Moving things all over.

Does it still stink? Or did SLS mange to get rid of the awful odor of the place?

I'm curious why this is big news. A 7-table poker room on the strip? I'm not up on history so much. Thanks for the info.

It's simple. It was all about closing pokerrooms. It's definitely nice to see this proporty has the balls to open one.

Highly doubt this room is gonna be a big hit. Poor location and only 7 rooms. #hatorade

Unfortunately, this could be true. Just a few minutes away, there is the Palace Station poker room which can barely have action.

The Sahara would have to cater to locals which the Palace Station is already barely successfully catering to.

In order to succeed, the Sahara would have to offer stuff that would have to be very unique and unavailable elsewhere, maybe, 24/7 SNGs or 1-4-8-8 spread limit or whatever. Maybe, 7 Card Stud. Or they could try to create an atmosphere similar to what O'Shea's did ions ago. A party atmosphere during heavy tourist weekends.

Hard to come up with something that would work. 1-2, 1-3, and 2-5 NLH are already well served everywhere - totally saturated. Orleans has all the limit games.

Sahara itself, as a casino, is nicheless. The poker room would just fall in line with that.

I’m optimistic on this one. Anyone willing to open a new poker room in this market has had to put some thought into their marketing and their game offerings. It’s a gutsy move and I’m betting that they’ve put some plans behind it. I’ll give the room some of my action when they open.

SHORT DECK

Yes.

The old Sahara tournament was my favorite when I first got into poker. Sometimes you win 1K in a shove fest, other times it’s a $60 sandwich

It's pretty nice inside. Not opulent but new and modern. Not just the casino but the convention meeting rooms too.

Seems like more work is going into that side of the strip with Resorts World coming up and Circus Circus renovation which is nice to see.

Resorts World isn't opening until Summer of 2021.

I am aware

That tournament moved to Stratosphere, which closed its poker room late last year. I think the poker room is a big gamble. I hope it works for them. The entire casino needs to market itself as the locals casino on the Strip. It needs to make some changes first to accomplish that.

John, any full pay VP there?

Take 7 of your buddies to any poker room in the city and they'll spread any game you want. Every casino offers every game available. The only reason you don't see it anywhere is that not enough customers who want it are in the same poker room.

How many regs regularly go to their favorite poker room with 7 of their buddies?

If Sahara officially tries to start non regularly spread games they could capture the market for such games. They should do it on day one, during the cutting of the ribbon to officially open the room. Go all in on such games from the get go by spreading only those games.

Invite the vloggers, some poker celebrities (Moneymaker, etc.), well connected players (Linda Johnson, etc.) and let off day employees play as shills of such games.

Short Deck

Spread Limit Holdem

Six Max

or Whatever unique game management can think of that is not to extreme.

With only 7 tables, invited guests and shills would easily make the room look full.

If the action on these fizzle in the weeks that follow then maybe a more traditional plan B can be put in place.

The idea is to make a big hairy audacious statement on week one.

Remember, this is "branding" not "re-branding" because the room is brand new. Differentiate off the bat, and worry about plans B, C, etc. if A fizzles within the first two months.

Use terms like "the Short Deck Capital", and "Home of Six max" in the literature. Take the risk. The marketing expert Perry Marshall, in his book 80/20 Marketing, said that marketing is an act of disqualification. Say no to 1-2, 1-3, and 2-5 NLH during the first month or two.

How about "Only $4 max rake 1/2nl in Las Vegas". Since that is the only game they have a chance to get going, unless they have some kind of special promos which they would have to fund in the beginning since there is no player promo fund built up yet.

Spread limit games were in the late 90's, they are dead now along with stud.

Offer deep $.50/1 NLHE. Against the grain, but an untapped market.