Poker history abounds at "The Biggest Little City in the World." From being the birthplace of gaming giant Harrah's Entertainment to serving as the site of northern Nevada's richest poker tournament (the
World Poker Tour's World Poker Challenge), Reno belongs in that rare category of destinations that possess relevance in both poker's present and past.
The one-time gaming capital of the world, Reno today stands as the proud predecessor of Las Vegas. Along with an impressive pedigree that spans more than 70 years, Reno remains a top destination for poker players. More than 15 cardrooms lie in or around Nevada's third-largest city, and just 40 miles southwest lies Lake Tahoe. There, some of the most majestic beauty that nature has to offer and world-class skiing and snowboarding sit side by side a number of places to play some poker.
Here is a look at some of the region's hot spots.
Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa
The smoke-free poker room will be celebrating its eighth anniversary in July, and caters primarily to to the low-limit recreational player. The poker room features automated shuffling machines and plasma-screen TVs. Both limit and no-limit hold'em tournaments are offered. The environment is comfortable, and the staff friendly and professional.
The
Pigskin Poker Monday Night Football promotion, with prizes throughout each game, is a staple of the football season. Several freeroll tournaments are offered annually, along with a variety of special events that feature cash and prize giveaways. In 2008, the poker room will be expanded. For poker room information, call the poker room at (775) 954-4142. For room reservations, book online for the best rates at www.atlantiscasino.com, or call (800) 723-6500. Information is also available by calling (775) 825-4700.
Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa is located at the corner of South Virginia and Peckham Lane, in the heart of Reno's new shopping and dining district.
Eldorado Poker Room
Located in downtown Reno, the Eldorado poker room is one of the busiest for live action in the Reno/Sparks area, according to Margie Heintz, poker room manager.
The room has two no-limit hold'em tournaments a week, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. the buy-in is $20 (plus $5 entry fee), with one rebuy of $20 and one add-on of $20.
Live action goes around-the-clock, featuring $1-$5 seven-card stud, $3-$6 hold'em (full kill), $4-$8 hold'em (full kill), and higher-limit games during special events and holidays. No-limit hold'em is spread daily, and the poker room features three different no-limit hold'em games. Two of them are larger, with no maximum buy-in. The room also features $4-$8 Omaha eight-or-better (half-kill).
For more information on Eldorado, visit www.eldoradoreno.com or call (775) 786-5700.
Grand Sierra Casino Resort
Home of the
World Poker Challenge, a
World Poker Tour stop, the Grand Sierra's poker room, on any given day, boasts an average of seven tables in action and two daily tournaments - $25 buy-in no-limit hold'em at 9 a.m. and $50 buy-in no-limit hold'em at 6:30 p.m. Four of its largest tournaments of the year are the Pot of Gold (May, September, and December) and the
World Poker Tour stop in March.
Charles Williams, manager of poker and keno, prides himself on the poker room's relaxing atmosphere, nonsmoking environment, and friendly and knowledgeable staff. His team knows how to put on a tournament. Signature aspects of the poker room revolve around its limits of $2-$4 all the way up to $25-$50 no-limit hold'em games during tournaments. The Grand Sierra's tournaments draw large fields, generating large prize pools. The 2007
World Poker Challenge, for example, attracted nearly 500 players and generated a prize pool of $2.3 million.
The hours of poker room operation are 9 a.m. until the last game ends. The average number of tournament entrants ranges from 20 in early-morning tournaments to 450 in main events.
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino is part of a 145-acre master redevelopment plan that will showcase the nation's largest indoor water park, signature restaurants, nightclubs, and lounges, an 80,000-square-foot spa, and world-class shopping. Beginning in May, the poker room will be undergoing a significant renovation, which will conclude this summer.
For more information on Grand Sierra, visit www.grandsierraresort.com or call the poker room at (775) 789-2313.
Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe
The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe poker room offers four tables and two games, Texas hold'em and crazy pineapple.
Open at 7 p.m., the poker room also features weekly limit and no-limit hold'em tournaments, and a friendly staff.
The property's recent renovation has transformed the Hyatt Regency into Tahoe's "New Grand Lodge," offering sweeping lake and mountain views. In addition to its 19,000-square-foot casino, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe offers lakeside dining in the Lone Eagle Grille, and much more. Situated on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa, and Casino is located on Country Club Drive at Lakeshore in Incline Village, Nevada.
For more information on Hyatt Regency, visit www. hyattcasinolaketahoe.com or call (800) 327-3910.
Peppermill Reno
Mike Gainey is back as the manager of the Peppermill Hotel Casino's newly renovated and expanded poker room. The affable poker veteran is well-known for his friendliness, and for the innovations he has introduced to the game.
Gainey has added a summer poker tournament, June 8-17. Normally, the poker room has only two tournaments, in the spring and the fall. Next year, he says that he will hold four key tournaments, with one being the Peppermill's first major tournament that will be televised.
Gainey is also introducing the first-annual
Veterans Poker Tournament this year, Nov. 5-9, and all of the charity money raised will go to veterans.
The smoke-free poker room offers a popular lineup of weekly tournaments. The tournaments include no-limit hold'em on Monday, $20 buy-in; Wednesday, $30 buy-in; and Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, $100 buy-in each day. There is also a ladies-only no-limit hold'em tournament on Mondays with a $30 buy-in.
The state-of-the-art poker room, with 16 tables, features some special amenities, including an electronic live-action waiting list, electronic tournament seating, electronic tournament time clock, and 18 plasma-screen TVs. Also, players can eat while they play, with tableside food service available from a special dining menu. Players can also earn liberal comps for playing in live-action games. The poker room also offers a bad-beat jackpot, which awarded more than $600,000 in 2006. Those playing $2-$4 or $4-$8 limit live-action hold'em qualify for a shot at this jackpot.
The hold'em games played at the Peppermill include $2-$4, $4-$8, $10-$20, and no-limit.
For more information, visit www.peppermillreno.com or call (775) 826-2121.
Sands Regency
Located in the Terrible Herbst's newly acquired Sands Regency Casino and Hotel in downtown Reno is Mom's Poker Room, one of the area's friendliest cardrooms. It's home-game appeal in a professional cardroom environment features an easygoing staff led by Poker Room Manager Greg Richards. Its laid-back atmosphere makes Mom's an excellent choice for beginners who are playing in a brick-and-mortar cardroom for the first time, as the dealers are more than happy to assist with the nuances of live cash-game play.
Mom's offers a
Bonus Poker Hand Progressive, as well as a weekly
High Hand of the Hour promotion.
In addition, daily no-limit hold'em shootout tournaments and a Wednesday evening tournament have become very popular.
For more information on Sands Regency, visit www.sandsregency.com or call (775) 348-2200.
