I can't find any info other than the schedule, but has anyone heard where the tournaments will be held? Last year on the casino floor was misery. Surely for 500 & 1K buy-ins, they will have a more suitable place to play, but was looking for confirmation before I schedule anything there

Could you elaborate as to why it was misery? I spoke to the tournament guy a few weeks ago and he said it will still be held in the casino and hopefully next year they will have a better place to hold it fwiw. Tried to pull up the structure but it didn't work. Looks like you get 60000 in chips and hour levels and had a friend that played it and told me it was a fabulous structure.

Structure, dealers, tourneys, everything was pretty good... But having the tables in the corner of the casino, and beside the bar and bathrooms was quite frankly, bush league. It was hard to hear, and the distractions of casino guests was too much. I'm ok with that at the PHO daily, but NOT a $300+ buy in tourney.

I played in several of the Binion's events last year. Mainly the stud-type events. The biggest drawback I saw was that the management limited them to having only 10 tournament tables.

It looks like the buy-ins for the "smaller" events is around 33% higher than last year ($550 vs $365). I suspect they are trying to increase the prize pool while still being limited to the same number of tables as last year, but I don't know for sure if that is the situation.

Does anyone know for sure how many tables they will be allowed this year?

It seems like they only have a license for 10 tables, and afaik that hasn't changed, since they didn't list gtds for their summer series.

When did it change they only had 10 tables? Granted I haven’t been since 2016 but then they filled up the whole room behind the sportsbook and had probably 25-30 tables. Where are they playing now and why the decrease?

Last year they were limited to 10 tables. When I got back home I sent an email to Binion's asking about it. Here is my email and their reply.

For the past three years I have played poker tournaments at Binion's during the WSOP. I have always enjoyed the tournaments offered at Binion's, like the 2-7 single-draw no limit event I played this year (among others). I was disappointed this year to find that management only allowed the poker room a total of ten tables to run their tournaments. I have seen the available space for tournaments at Binion's steadily decline over the past several years, and I hope the management re-considers this negative trend.

Bruce


Hello Bruce,

Thank you for your interest in Binions Poker and your feedback.

Unfortunately, over the last several years, participation in Poker has been dwindling, as you may be aware.
We are doing what we need to do to try and at least make Poker profitable. We haven’t been able to sustain large numbers of tables, and we had to make adjustments. That is one of the reasons we instituted the early sign ups. So folks would get a chance to sign up early and play.
For us to have large numbers of Poker tables, staff them, and then not fill them, is an enormous strain on our Poker Room.
So we needed to cut back where we could, and offer the games and tables that gave us the best chance at a little profitability.

I would hope that more players, such as yourself, would come out and support Binions Poker, not only during the WSOP times, but the rest of the year as well.
If that would happen, nothing would please me more then to have to add additional tables. Our decisions are always dictated by the amount of folks that want to come out and play.
Poker will never close here at Binions, however, adjustments need to be made for us to at least attempt to show a profit.

Best Regards,

R. Glenn Casale
Director of Casino Operations
TLC Casinos
Four Queens & Binions
gcasale@tlccasinos.com
702-385-4011 ext. 8308

I understand their position, but they should also understand that they are not even the big dog downtown and that by offering no gtds and only preparing for 10 tables, they are generally not going to get huge turnouts, so it essentially becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I like their strategy of bigger BIs and focusing on the more popular non-NLH games, but they can't expect that most people are going to sign up early. I expect to play at least a couple of events at Binion's, but depending on multiple factors, that number could be zero or as many as 6. Since most/all of those factors I can't accurately forecast, there's no sense in me signing up early.

I think they shot themselves in the foot when they backed out of their guarantees a few years ago, if thats what actually happened.

Yeah, I'm not going to sign up early. If they want a better turnout they should do a better job of promoting their tournaments. Here it is the end of April, and their schedule has been released, but still there is nothing on Binion's webpage about it, and only a slight mention on their facebook page.

Its always a sure sign that a poker room is about to die when they move the poker room out onto the casino floor. It's been sad watching that room die off the past few years. Bad decision after bad decision after bad decision. Moving the room out onto the casino floor. Getting rid of their tournament area by the old lobby, their main tournament on Saturday which could get near 200 people 2-3 years ago is pretty much gone now. It's been a mismanaged casino for sometime. Which is sad because it was a fun place to play and The Nugget over the past couple years has been thriving.

Should be the first year since 2003 that I haven't played something at Binions. I doubt they get more then 4-5 tables for their events. This should be their last summer.

+1
It looks like the Orleans is poised to pick up their left over business.

I love Binions and have always played any non limit tournaments they have had. I go for 2 weeks every year and wait for their schedule to come out to plan the most tournaments I can get in my time there. I must admit I didn't like playing in the back corner last year.
It was absolutely freezing for one thing, but mostly it was cramped. I would hate to see Binions Poker die out. I always go there first looking for a game, but mostly there is none.
I believe it was doomed when they stopped the tournaments in the back and then stopped the designated room . I hate what they have done to the poker there. I am probably going to play the first tournament there, but if it's still freezing and small turnout, I will probably not play anymore there at $550. I don't understand why they raise the buy in without more space to play. It seems they are trying to create a larger pool, but without more players there will be a very small number of payouts. I don't want to pay that much money to play and only have them pay 4 or 5 places. I hope they succeed, but for the large buy in , I can only afford to give them one chance. Here's hoping the best. I love Binions!

I have also gone out for the last 4 years for two weeks, and always waited to get the Binion's schedule before I made any hotel reservations, or purchased airline tickets to make sure I could maximize the number of events I could play at Binion's. I love the stud type events, and other events you don't see elsewhere like Razz and 2-7 Single draw no limit.

I hate to see it end, but that seems to be where they are headed.

I also love the razz, stud and Omaha hi- lo events. So boring the places like the Wynn. They use to have an Omaha Hi-lo event , but now have only Hold'Em. I hope Binions can hang on.

I think they would get 7-10 tables (perhaps more if they actually had the tables available) if they just provided a decent area to play. Why they can't/won't do that is a mystery, since the casino isn't jam packed and in the past they had multiple areas acceptable for poker (historic area in back, separate room at top of escalator, poker room). Apparently they just dgaf about poker any more. Definitely mismanaged, as you said.

It's sad that the former home of WSOP no longer gaf about poker. I plan to check out the environs and turnout for the $550 FLO8 on June 5th. If either is unacceptable, it's easy enough to walk over to GN and enter $250 FLO8.

The latest note I found on Binion's Facebook page is that there will be 14 tables for the summer poker series. Up 4 tables from last year, for what it's worth.

Thanks, that is good news!

Definitely! I'm going to play the Stud 8 event on the 12th, so looking forward to that!

I think they did that because they’re running some charity tournament. I visited Vegas last weekend and didn’t see more then two tables for their daily and no cash. I hope they can fill at least 4 tables, would give me some hope.

We'll find out in about a month. Hope for the best!

I am playing Omaha 8 on the 5th.

At this point, I don't think anyone expects Binion's to be relevant outside of their summer series.

I won't get into town until the 10th. If you are around on the 12th, I'll be the old guy wearing the black 2003 WSOP jacket. Say hello if you're around.

Will do