At last count there were 16 poker rooms on the Las Vegas Strip, with Caesars about to make it 17 and 21 poker rooms elsewhere in Las Vegas:

Las Vegas Strip:
Aladdin, Bally's, Bellagio, Circus Circus, Excalibur, Flamingo, Harrah's, Imperial Palace, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage, Monte Carlo, Sahara, Stardust and Tropicana. Caesars Palace - coming soon.

Downtown:
Binion's Horseshoe, El Cortez, Golden Nugget and Plaza.

Off Strip:
Arizona Charlie's, Boulder Station, Cannery, Club Fortune, Gold Coast, Joker's Wild, Nevada Palace, New Town Tavern, Orleans, Palace Station, Palms, Poker Palace, Rio, Sam's Town, Speedway, Sunset Station and Texas Station.

Many people think that Las Vegas Poker is for high rollers and professionals only, nothing could be further from the truth. With many low stakes games available, Las Vegas is the ideal place to learn hoe to play Poker. Many Casinos offer free Poker Lessons, and the dealers are always on hand to offer advice.

Most Casinos offer Texas Hold ‘Em as the major game, with a huge array of different Table stakes.

The basic breakdown of where you can find what is as follows:

$2 / $4 Limit Hold ‘Em:
Aladdin, Bally's, Cannery, Excalibur, Flamingo, Gold Coast, Golden Nugget, Harrah's, Imperial Palace, Joker's Wild, Luxor, MGM Grand, Monte Carlo, Orleans, Palace Station, Palms, Plaza, Sahara, Sam's Town, Speedway and Tropicana.

$10/$20+ Limit Hold ‘Em:
Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mirage and Orleans

No Limit Hold ‘Em:
Aladdin, Bally's, Bellagio, Binion's Horseshoe, Cannery, Excalibur, Flamingo, Gold Coast, Golden Nugget, Harrah's, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage, Monte Carlo, New Town Tavern, Orleans, Palms, Rio, Sahara and Tropicana.

Weekly Tournaments:
Aladdin (Mon-Fri), Bellagio (Weds & Fri only), Binion's (every day), Cannery (every day), Circus Circus (Mon-Fri), Club Fortune (every day), Flamingo (Mon-Fri), Golden Nugget (every day), Harrah's (every day), Imperial Palace (Sun-Thurs), Joker's Wild (every day), Luxor (every day), Mandalay Bay (Mon-Fri), Mirage (Sun-Thurs), Nevada Palace (every day), Orleans (every day), Plaza (every day), Poker Palace (Sat), Rio (every day), Sahara (every day), Sam's Town (Fri-Sun), Stardust (Mon-Weds), Sunset Station (every day) and Texas Station (Tues).

A large poker room which opened in October 2004.
Hold'em: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8 and upwards
Omaha Hi/Lo: 2/4
Seven-Card Stud: 2-5

There is also $1/$2 no-limit hold'em with a $40 Min/$100 Max Buy In, and $2/$5 no-limit hold'em with a $100 Min/$300 Max Buy In. The Aladdin also has daily no-limit Tournaments (Mon-Fri only). On Mon-Fri these start at 10.00am and 1.00 pm, and on Fri there is only one tournament, which begins at noon. The morning events have a $40 Buy In and the afternoon events a $60 Buy In (one $40 re-buy). The Fri noon event is a freezeout with a $110 Buy In. There is a high hand jackpot, and a complimentary breakfast is available.

NOTE: The Aladdin poker room is no smoking.

Arizona Charlie's (Off-Strip, 2 poker tables)
740 South Decatur Boulevard
Tel: (702) 258-5200 or (800) 342-2695
e-mail: Jimmy.Johnson@azcharlies.com

A very small off-strip poker room, which opens at 10am.

Hold'em: 1-4-8-8 (mostly), 4-8-8

There is also a no-limit game. Comps and a reduced poker room rate are available, along with a high hand bonus.

A new cardroom which opened at the start of August 2004.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

There is also a $1/$2 blinds no-limit game with a $100 Min/$200 Max Buy In.

NOTE: The Bally's poker room is no smoking.

The modern capital of Las Vegas poker and home to the World Poker Tour Championship every April. The Bellagio poker room is booming and can get fairly crowded, so you may have to endure a bit of a wait for a game at peak times. In fact, there is some talk that an additional 10 tables are being added at the moment.

Hold'em: 4/8, 8/16, 15/30, 30/60, 60/120, 75/150 and up
Omaha Hi/Lo (all with a kill): 6/12, 15/30, 20/40, 30/60, 50/100 and up
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5, 15/30, 20/40, 30/60, 75/150 and up
Mixed Games: 200/400 and up

A $200 Buy In no-limit Hold'em game, with blinds of $2/$4, was recently introduced, which has proved extremely popular. You must Buy In for $200, no more, no less. The Bellagio also spreads a $600 Min Buy In no-limit game with $10/$20 blinds.

The Bellagio holds a $500+$40 Buy In tournament every Weds at 1PM, and a $1000+$60 Buy In tournament every Fri at 5PM. Satellites for the Weds tournament are held both during the day on Tuess and on Wedss from 8AM and cost $130, with the top two players receiving a seat plus $30 cash. Satellites for the Fri tournament begin in the morning and cost $240. These Tournaments almost always sell out, so you are advised to enter early to avoid disappointment.

A poker room rate is available.

NOTE: The Bellagio poker room is no smoking.

The granddaddy of all poker rooms. Traditional home to the World Series of Poker , but will only be used for the climax of the main event in 2005. Re-opened under new management on 1 April 2004 after a short absence.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8, 10/20
Omaha Hi/Lo: 4/8 (with a half-kill)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

A $100 Min Buy In (no Max) no-limit game with $1/$2 blinds also runs regularly. There are also daily no-limit Tournaments at 2AM and 2PM with a $60 Buy In (one $10 bonus Buy In and one $40 re-buy). There is also a $125 tournament on Fri, Sat and Sun evenings at 8PM (one $25 bonus Buy In and one $50 re-buy).

Food comps are available after a couple of hour's play and there is also a poker room rate.

NOTE: The Horseshoe poker room is now no smoking.

One of four Station casinos that spread poker (the others are the Palace, Sunset and Texas).

Hold'em: 4-8-8 (with a half-kill)
Omaha Hi: 4-8-8 (with a half-kill)

The Boulder Station has a bad beat jackpot and comps policy, for which you need to collect a card the first time you play.

The $105m Cannery Hotel & Casino opened in January 2003, and has a 1940s industrial theme.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8, 5/10 (at weekends)

There is also a $2/$5 blinds no-limit game. The Cannery runs a daily $25 no-limit Hold'em tournament at 10AM.

A family-oriented casino with a fairly popular low-limit poker room.

Hold'em: 3/6 (one $3 blind), 4/8
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

There are $40 limit/no-limit hold'em Tournaments every day, Mon through Fri. Circus Circus offers bad beat and daily high hand jackpots. Food comps and a poker room rate are also available for four hour's play a day. There is also a free mini-buffet for poker players every night.

Very small old-fashioned downtown cardroom. The poker is located in the pit so it can get rather smoky and noisy!

Hold'em: 1-3 (with 6 on the river)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-3

The rake at El Cortez is one of the lowest in Nevada: 10% up to $2.50 max for Hold'em and $3.00 max for Stud. Poker players receive a complimentary breakfast, and coffee shop comp tickets are available once you've been playing for a few hours.

A popular Strip cardroom with a friendly atmosphere. Daily poker lessons make this an ideal first stop for complete beginners.

Hold'em: 1-3 spread limit, 2-6 spread limit, 2-10 spread limit (occasionally), 4-8 (1/2 blinds, with a kill), 6/12
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

The Excalibur also now spreads a $1/$2 blinds no-limit game ($100 Min/Max buyin). Food comps and a poker room rate are available for 4-5 hours play per day. There is a free poker player's buffet every night except Sat. The Excalibur has a daily bad beat jackpot and a unique 'consolation wheel' for getting pocket Aces cracked in Hold'em or losing with a full house in Stud. You can also spin the wheel if you get four of a kind or better in Hold'em (except 1-3) or Stud. No jackpot drops or wheel spins are made for the 1-3 Hold'em game.

NOTE: The Excalibur poker room is no smoking.

Built by Bugsy Siegel in 1946, the Flamingo is generally regarded as the birthplace of Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world.

Hold'em: 2/4, 1-4-8-8
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

The Flamingo recently added a $100 Min/$300 Max Buy In no-limit game with $2/$5 blinds. There are also daily 30-player $55 no-limit freezeout Tournaments at 10AM (Mon-Fri only). No food comps available, although there is a poker room rate. There is also a daily high hand jackpot.

NOTE: The Flamingo poker room is no smoking, although you can smoke nearby.

The Gold Coast opened its poker room in December 2004.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8, 6/12, 10/20 (all with a half-kill)
Omaha Hi/Lo: 4/8 (with a half-kill)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

There is also a $1/$2 blinds no-limit game with $100 Max/Min Buy In. Every morning at 10AM there is a $20 tournament, which is limit for the first hour, and no-limit thereafter.

The Gold Coast operates a comps policy. New players need to collect a card from the poker room, after which they receive $1.25 per hour for the first four hours plus $1.00 per hour subsequently (Max $9.00 per day).

NOTE: The Gold Coast poker room is no smoking, although you can smoke nearby.

After a 16-year absence the Golden Nugget opened a new poker room near the pool in April 2004. In September it was moved to a new, more central area, which is apparently very noisy.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8, 10/20

A $2/$5 ($200 Min Buy In) no-limit hold'em game is also spread.

The Golden Nugget runs a $60 limit (for the first hour)/no-limit (afterwards) tournament with one $40 re-buy/add-on every day at 11AM. There are also Tournaments (with various Buy Ins) every evening at 7.00PM, all of which are no-limit. There are satellites for the bigger Buy In events on Fri and Sat. In addition, there are $125 one-table Tournaments ('satellites') every day from 10AM. Food comps and a poker room rate are available.

NOTE: The Golden Nugget poker room is no smoking.

A new cardroom from the company which now owns the World Series of Poker. It opened in July 2004.

Hold'em: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8

There is a $60 Min/$120 Max no-l;imit game with $1/$2 blinds, and a $150 Min/$300 Max no-limit game with $2/$3 blinds. There are also $40 (one re-buy) no-limit Tournaments every day at 11AM (registration opens at 9AM, when there are also beginners' poker lessons). On Weds and Thurs at 7PM there are one-table 'sit and gos' with $40 and $60 Buy Ins.

NOTE: The Harrah's poker room is no smoking.

The Imperial Palace opened its poker room at the end of the 2004 WSOP. It is located on the third floor of the casino.

Hold'em: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8

There are no-limit Tournaments at 1PM on Sun ($50 Buy In) and Mon ($40 Buy In), and at 7PM on Tues through Thurs ($50 Buy In). In addition, there is a $40 event at midnight on Wedss. High hand bonuses are offered, and free sandwiches, coffee, water, and cookies are laid out in the poker room. There is also a very generous $3 per hour comp policy. Beginners' lesson are offered every day at 11AM.

NOTE: The Imperial Palace poker room is no smoking.

Part of the Boyd Gaming Corporation, who also own Sam's Town and the Stardust.

Hold'em: 2/4, 5/10 (occasionally)

There are daily $25 no-limit Tournaments at 11AM and 2PM, and $50 Tournaments on Mon-Thurs evenings at 7.00PM. Players receive $1 per hour towards comps.

NOTE: The Joker's Wild poker room is no smoking.

The Luxor specialises in low-limit games and rapid-fire low Buy In Tournaments.

Hold'em: 2/4, 1-4-8-8
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

The Luxor also now spreads a $50 Min Buy In no-limit game with $1-$1-$2 blinds.

The Luxor has two freezeout Tournaments a day, one at noon, and the other at 8.30PM Mon-Fri and 10AM at weekends. These tourneys almost always fill up, so it is probably a good idea to sign up when registration opens 1.5-2 hours before the event. Be warned that the blind structure for these events is very quick, so be prepared for something of a crapshoot!

On weekday afternoons at 2PM the Luxor runs lessons for complete beginners followed by a $1/$2 blinds hold'em game. The room also has a bad beat jackpot and high hand bonus. Food comps and a poker room rate are available for 4-5 hour's play.

NOTE: The Luxor poker room is no smoking.

A pleasant modern room, which opened in 1999.

Hold'em: 4/8 (with a half-kill; 1/2 blinds)
Omaha Hi/Lo: 3-6 (occasionally on a Tues, after the Omaha Hi/Lo tourney)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

There is also a $200 Max/Min Buy In no-limit game with $2/$4 blinds. Mandalay Bay offers $30 Buy In limit hold'em freezeout Tournaments at 10AM Mon thru Fri (plus an additional $60 Buy In no-limit event on Mon/Tues/Weds/Thurs at 6PM). These Tournaments are limited to 30 players and almost always sell out, so it is a good idea to get there a couple of hours beforehand (sign-ups begin three hours in advance of each event). The morning events are all limit Hold'em for the first hour, and no-limit thereafter. Food comps are available after 4-5 hours and there is a high hand bonus. You can phone ahead up to one hour beforehand to put your name on the list.

NOTE: The Mandalay Bay poker room is no smoking.

A great new room which opened in March 2005.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8, 6/12, 10/20, 20/40 and 30/60 and upwards (on demand)
Seven-Card Stud: 2-10

There are also three no-limit cash games. The small game has $1/$2 blinds and a $40 Min/$100 Max Buy In. The medium game has $2/$5 blinds and a $100 Min/$500 Max Buy In. The big game has $5/$10 blinds and a $500 Min Buy In.

Players are comped $1 per hour, up to a Max of $10 per day. You will need to sign up for a comp card to qualify for this, and then ensure that the dealer swipes your card when you take your seat.

NOTE: The MGM Grand poker room is no smoking.

After a recent expansion the Mirage is now one of the two largest poker rooms in Vegas, the other being the Bellagio. Only the Orleans really comes close to these two. The Mirage host the Mirage Poker Showdown (a WPT event) from May 9-26.

Hold'em: 3/6, 6/12, 10/20, 20/40, 40/80
Omaha Hi/Lo: 5/10, 10/20 and up
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5, 5/10, 10/20 and up to 30/60

There is also a $100 Min/$500 Max no-limit cash game with $2/$5 blinds. A $5/$10 no-limit game is also spread sometimes. The Mirage also has nightly hold'em Tournaments on Sun (5PM) and Mon thru Thurs (7PM), with satellites during the day. Sun/Tues/Thurs is no-limit, Mon is limit and Weds is pot-limit. Sign-ups begin 90 minutes beforehand.

Poker room rates (arrange via the poker office, although you need to play a lot of hours to qualify!) and food comps are available.

NOTE: The Mirage poker room is no smoking.

A very attractive modern casino, which opened in 1996.

Hold'em: 2/4 (one $2 blind), 1-4-8-8, 4/8 ($1/$2 blinds), 4/8 (with half-kill)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

The Monte Carlo occasionally has a no-limit game with $2/$5 blinds ($100 Min Buy In), mainly at weekends. There is also a high hand jackpot. Food comps and a poker room rate are available for 4-5 hour's play.

NOTE: The Monte Carlo poker room is no smoking.

Nevada Palace (Off-Strip, 2 poker tables)
5255 Boulder Highway
Tel: (702) 458-8810 ext 7298 or (800) 634-6283

No live cash games, just daily Tournaments. These hold'em events have an $18 Buy In and start at 10AM.

One of the leading poker rooms in Vegas, offering cash games and twice-daily Tournaments. Such is the popularity of its Tournaments, that an additional eight tables are used in a separate room for Tournaments only.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4-8-8 (with half-kill), 6/12 (with half-kill), 10/20 (with half-kill), 15/30
Omaha Hi: 4-8-8 (with half-kill), 6/12 (with half-kill)
Omaha Hi/Lo: 4-8-8 (with half-kill), 6/12 (with half-kill)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

A new no-limit game with $2/$5 blinds (Min $100 Buy In/maximium $500 Buy In) is also being spread at weekends. There are also two Tournaments per day, one at noon and the other at 7PM (these events are extremely popular, so arrive very early to ensure a spot!). The 2005 Orleans Open festival takes place from July 16 to 31 inclusive.

The Orleans operates a comps policy. New players need to collect a card from the poker room, after which they receive $1.25 per hour for the first four hours plus $0.50 per hour subsequently (Max $9.00 per day). A poker room rate is also available for anyone who plays four hours per day.

There is also a bad beat jackpot, for which a rake of $1 is taken ($0.50 at $10 and $0.50 at $20).

NOTE: The Orleans poker room is no smoking except between 3AM and 9AM.

Another of the popular Station poker rooms.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8 (with a half-kill)
Omaha Hi/Lo: 3/6
Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo: 1-3-6 (most weekends)

The Palace has a bad beat jackpot and comps policy, for which you need to collect a card the first time you play. A poker room rate is available for four hour's play.

NOTE: The Palace Station poker room is no smoking.

The previously rather cramped Palms poker room was expanded from seven tables to 10 in March 2004, with four tables in a new 'high-limit' area and six in the old one.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8

A very popular $2/$5 blinds no-limit game ($100 Min/$500 Max Buy In) is also spread, and at weekends at $10/$25 blinds no-limit game is also spread sometimes. The rake is a very competitive $3 Max for all games.

A progressive high hand jackpot is available for four of a kind or better (using both hole cards for flop games) together with a reasonable player comps policy ($1 per hour; Max $7 per day), for which you need to collect a card the first time you play. Poker room rates are available for four hour's play per day.

The Plaza poker room recently expanded to 10 tables, taking advantage of the downtown absence caused by Binion's temporarily closing down. It also hosts the World Poker Classic (April 18-May 17)

Hold'em: 2/4, 3/6, 4/8
Omaha Hi/Lo: 2/4, 4/8 (both with a half-kill)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-4

There are daily $50 Buy In (one $10 bonus Buy In and one $50 re-buy) no-limit Tournaments at noon, 4PM, 8PM and midnight. Poker room rates and food comps are available, along with high hand and bad beat jackpots.

NOTE: The Plaza poker room is no smoking.

Hold'em: 1-4-8-8 or 4/8

There are weekly $20 Buy In (and $20 re-buy) no-limit hold'em Tournaments every Sat at 6pm, which are spread over five tables. Food comps are also available.

The Rio opened its cardroom in December 2004. It will host the 2005 World Series of Poker in June/July.

Hold'em: 3/6, 6/12

There is also a $200 Min/$500 Max no-limit game with $2/$5 blinds. The Rio also runs a daily $40 no-limit tournament (one $40 re-buy or add-on) at midday, and a $60 no-limit tournament (one $10 bonus Buy In and one re-buy Mon thru Thurs at 6PM (note that the Buy In and re-buy for Thurs is $100 and the bonus Buy In is $15).

NOTE: The Rio poker room is no smoking.

The Sahara poker room recently expanded to 15 tables.

Hold'em: 2/4 (one $2 blind), 1-4-8-8 (one $2 blind)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

The Sahara also spreads a $1/$2 no-limit Hold'em game with a $100 Min/$500 Max Buy In. There are popular $42 Buy In (one $20 re-buy/add-on) no-limit Tournaments every day at 11AM, 7PM, and 11PM. Food comps and a very good poker room rate are available for three hour's play. There is also a bad beat jackpot.

NOTE: The Sahara poker room is no smoking.

A pleasant off-strip room.

Hold'em: 2/4, 4/8 ($1 & $2 blinds)
Seven-Card Stud: 2/4

Sam's Town also used to spread a $2/$5 blinds ($100 Min Buy In) no-limit Hold'em game in the evening at weekends, but apparently this game is now dormant. It runs a $60 Buy In (one $40 re-buy) no-limit tournament at 7PM every Fri and Sat, and a $40 ($20 multi re-buy) tournament on Sun at 7PM. There is a bad beat jackpot, and food comps and a poker room rate are also available.

The Speedway opened its poker room in June 2004.

Hold'em: 2/4

A freeroll no-limit tournament is held at noon on Mons, Wedss and Fris. After one hour's play the house gives you three $1 chips, once per day.

The Stardust was the largest hotel in the world when it opened in the fifties. The poker room is strictly low-limit only.

Hold'em: 3/6
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5 (occasionally at weekends)

There are $40 Buy In freezeout no-limit Tournaments Mon through Weds at 10AM. Food comps are available after three hour's play and a poker room rate for four hour's play a day. There is also a bad beat jackpot.

NOTE: The Stardust poker room is no smoking.

Another of the popular Station poker rooms.

Hold'em: 3-6-9, 4/8 (with a half-kill), 6/12
Omaha Hi/Lo: 3-6-9
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5

Sunset Station runs a small Buy In competition every morning. These start at 10AM Mon to Thurs and 11AM Fri to Sun (except the second and last Sun of the month, when there is a 3PM ladies-only event instead).

Food comps are available, for which you need to collect a card the first time you play (these comps can actually be used at any of the Station casinos). There is also a bad beat jackpot (linked with all the other Station casinos) and a small high hand bonus. The rake is 5% up to $3 Max, with an additional 5% up to $1 Max for the jackpot.

The fourth Station poker room. Mainly Hold'em and Omaha Hi/Lo.

Hold'em: 4/8 (with a half-kill)
Omaha Hi/Lo: 3/6 (with a half-kill)
Seven-Card Stud: 1-5 (occasionally, at weekends)

There is a $1/$2 blinds no-limit game with a $40 Min/$100 Max Buy In. Hold'em Tournaments are held Mon thru Thurs at 11AM and 7PM. Comps are available, for which you need to collect a card the first time you play. There is also a bad beat jackpot.

NOTE: The Texas Station poker room is no smoking.

The Tropicana poker room opened in April 2005.

Hold'em: 1-3 and 2-6 spread limit

There is a $1/$2 blinds no-limit game with a $40 Min/$100 Max Buy In.

NOTE: The Tropicana poker room is no smoking.