Downtown Las Vegas Poker Rooms

There are dozens of poker rooms located throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Many are familiar with the big rooms on the Las Vegas Strip. There are many smaller rooms located away from the Strip that are popular among locals and tourists in the know. There are also two rooms downtown on Fremont Street. The #1 Best Value of 19 places to stay in Downtown Las Vegas. Four Queens Hotel and Casino. #2 Best Value of 19 places to stay in Downtown Las Vegas. The D Casino Hotel Las Vegas. #3 Best Value of 19 places to stay in Downtown Las Vegas.

No Limit Hold’em has taken over the Las Vegas Strip. Every poker room spreads it as the main game. There are still a few poker rooms in Las Vegas that offer fixed limit games. This may be Texas Hold’em, Omaha High/Low, Seven Card Stud or mixed games.

Fixed limit games are more prevalent in the locals casino market although there are some on the Strip. This is a list of poker rooms where one will find fixed limit games on a regular basis.

Las Vegas Strip Fixed Limit Poker Games

Bellagio is the largest poker room in Las Vegas based on cash game tables at any given time. Players will find regular 4/8, 10/20, 20/40 and 40/80 Fixed Limit Hold’em. A 20/40 Seven Card Stud game is spread several days a week. The same can be said for 30/60 Omaha Hi/Low. Bellagio is the best place in Las Vegas to find high stakes mixed games that are usually spread in the fixed limit format.

Bobby’s Room is home to high limit games in Las Vegas. It is an enclosed glass area towards the rear of the poker room. Fixed limit mixed and Texas Hold’em games are available there on a regular basis. The lowest limit is often 100/200.

Flamingo is the only place on the Las Vegas Strip where 2/4 Fixed Limit Hold’em is spread. The game is available daily. It sometimes runs 24 hours a day. An occasional 3/6 and 4/8 fixed limit game is also found here.

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Mirage is home to a regular 3/6 Fixed Limit Hold’em game. It runs most hours of the day.

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Treasure Island is currently spreading 3/6 Fixed Limit Hold’em. The game has a $3 max rake. One benefit of playing at Treasure Island is that the parking is free.

Downtown Las Vegas Fixed Limit Games

Most of the fixed limit action in downtown Las Vegas moved to Golden Nugget. Players will find 2/4 regularly there. There is also an occasional 3/6 Texas Hold’em fixed limit game at Golden Nugget.

Fixed Limit Games in Locals Casinos

The Orleans is a top three poker room in Las Vegas. It is home to Omaha Hi/Low. This is spread in 4/8 and 8/16 limits. There is also an occasional 15/30 Omaha Hi/Low game. The Orleans is also home to a regular 4/8 Omaha Hi game.

Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em is also spread daily at The Orleans. It is found in 2/4 and 4/8 limits.

Red Rock is another locals casino that spreads fixed limit games. Players will find 2/4 and 4/8 Fixed Limit Texas Hold’em daily. A 4/8 Omaha High/Low game runs on a regular basis.

Boulder Station is home to Fixed Limit Omaha Hi. This is available in the 4/8 limit nearly 24 hours a day. A 2/4 Fixed Limit Hold’em game is common. Hold’em may be found occasionally in the 4/8 limit.

Green Valley Ranch spreads a regular 2/4 Fixed Limit Hold’em game. There is a 3/6 game during peak hours.

Palace Station is home to a regular 2/4 Fixed Limit Hold’em game. This is played with a kill.

Sam’s Town runs a 3/6 Omaha Hi/Low about four days a week. There is also a limit stud game that runs on Saturday mornings.

Santa Fe Station

Santa Fe Station offers fixed limit Texas Hold’em and Omaha High/Low. These are spread regularly in the 2/4 and 3/6 limits.

South Point spreads a regular 2/4 Fixed Limit Hold’em game. There are usually as many limit games and no limit ones at South Point.

Suncoast is home to Seven Card Stud Hi/Low in Las Vegas. There is a regular 4/8 and 6/12 game. The eight or better qualifier is used. There is also a 2-10 spread limit version off this game with a pair of jacks or better qualifier for high.

Stud is not the only fixed limit game offered by Suncoast. There is a regular 2/4 Hold’em game. Weekends may see a 4/8 one, too. There is a low limit Omaha Hi/Low game many afternoons.

Spread Limit Games

Spread limit games run similar to fixed limit ones. The blinds are either a single $2 or a $1 small blind and $2 big blind. Sam’s Town, Cannery, Palace Station, Excalibur and Monte Carlo spread a regular 2-6 Texas Hold’em game.

If you're like a lot of poker players who will be at the World Series of Poker this summer, you'll be seeking out the cash games not only at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, but elsewhere in Las Vegas, too.

I thought it would be worthwhile to give players an idea of what to expect with regard to both the rake and comps offered at other Las Vegas cash rooms. I've put all of this information together in one chart below for your easy review when you go to Las Vegas. This way, you'll know the rooms that give you the best value while you play, showing you where you'll pay the least and earn the most.

Most casual players pay little or no attention to the cost of playing poker. But there is a cost, as we serious players know. It's called the 'rake' — the amount that the house takes out of every pot. Sometimes the rake is the difference between a player winning or losing money in a public poker room.

The lowest rake in Las Vegas at this time is $3 maximum per pot, while the highest is $5 maximum.

Not all rooms rake the same amount. The lowest rake in Las Vegas at this time is $3 maximum per pot, while the highest is $5 maximum.

Similarly, many rooms offer players compensation for playing poker in their casino. It's generally not nearly as much as they offer to players who want to play 'house advantage' games like blackjack, slots or craps. But it can add up, with some rooms paying considerably more in 'comps' than others.

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Some poker rooms offer nothing at all to players, while others offer as much as $2 per hour. Most pay around $1 an hour or thereabouts.

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At face value, it might seem like the rake and comps are too insignificant to make much of a difference. But think about this. A room that charges a $5 maximum rake is charging 25 percent more than a room that charges a $4 maximum rake. Similarly, a room that gives players $2 an hour in comps is paying 100 percent more than a room that pays only $1 an hour to its players.

Some practices regarding the rake are fairly standard from room to room. All rooms take out the rake at roughly 10 percent increments. Nearly all follow the rule that there is no rake if the betting ends before the flop (a.k.a., the 'no flop, no drop' rule).

In the chart below, I refer to the maximum or cap on the rake. Meanwhile the comps refer to the amount per hour that a player earns that can usually be used on hotel rooms, beverages and food. Some places also allow comps to be spent on other casino merchandise.

Keep in mind that just as rooms change the games they spread, they also change their rake and comps from time to time. If you want to be certain about the most current information about each room, I suggest you check with them directly beforehand.

One other note about the rake. Most rooms offer bad beat jackpots and/or other promotions. These promotions are nearly always paid for by the players with additional 'jackpot drops.' Though this money is returned to the players, it still comes out of the pot, and it may reasonably be considered additional rake by some.

I am not considering these jackpot drops when listing the maximum rake below, since promotions and drops change too frequently for me to be sure what will be in place when you play. That's something else to keep in mind, though, as you choose where you want to go play when venturing outside the Rio this summer.

*changing systems soon and will go to two tier comps, $1 or $2 depending on rating card.

_{Lead image c/o Kyle Peyton/Flickr, Las Vegas photo copyrights Moyan Brenn}

Ashley Adams has been playing poker for 50 years and writing about it since 2000. He is the author of hundreds of articles and two books, Winning 7-Card Stud (Kensington 2003) and Winning No-Limit Hold'em (Lighthouse 2012). He is also the host of poker radio show House of Cards. See www.houseofcardsradio.com for broadcast times, stations, and podcasts.

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