On Sunday, April 2, 2006, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino unveiled its spacious and luxurious poker room with elegance at its core. If the goal was to introduce players and fans to "the new face of poker," The Venetian succeeded on every level. At nearly 11,000 square feet, this luxurious poker room is the largest on the Strip and exquisitely decorated with rich leathers, cherrywood, and custom cabinetry. It offers dozens of plasma monitors with state-of-the-art technology in a smoke-free environment.
Public Relations representative Dawn Britt, and poker room day shift supervisor Gregg Grivas compiled a list of 120 guests with an initial budget of $250,000. By opening day, the guest list had swelled to nearly 300 and entertainment expenses topped $400,000. The Venetian spared no expense in hosting the swankiest of Las Vegas grand openings to ensure its poker room was the place to be and be seen.
VIPs ranged from hotel executives David Patent (Vice President of Harrah's) and Robert Daily (World Series of Poker tournament director) to Hollywood actors Shannon Elizabeth and Joe Reitman. More than 100 local and celebrity poker professionals were also members of the elite roster, including Johnny Chan, Annie Duke, and Doyle Brunson, but word quickly spread and unexpected notables arrived without notice.
The night would include a 7:30 p.m. welcoming reception at TAO nightclub, followed at 9 p.m. by The Venetian Poker Grand Opening Face-Off, a kickoff poker tournament, directed by Tim Mix. Professional poker players, celebrities, and VIPs would compete for a Lotus sports car grand prize.
The welcoming reception at TAO nightclub included tournament registration, a welcoming committee, and gift bags containing several trinkets, including a full liter of BORU Vodka, Zino Platinum Grand Master cigars, Venetian brand playing cards, tickets for two for the Blue Man Group, hats, lavender salts, cream from L'Occitane, and a gift certificate for dinner at Valentino, the resort's Italian restaurant.
Eighty VIPs were also treated to formal digs in the new Venezia Tower. The 12-story addition includes 1,013 suites and is Las Vegas's only concierge-level "hotel within the hotel," boasting a new sense of refinement adjacent to world-class gaming and entertainment. "The rooms are so pimped out," said Phil Laak, "and I have a piano in my room that plays all by itself."
Players and VIPs danced, sipped cocktails, and rubbed elbows upstairs at TAO while waiting for the highly anticipated poker room unveiling. Layne Flack arrived, feigning exhaustion. "I walked here," said Flack. "Why?" Martin de Knijff asked curiously, and Flack responded, "Because you can't drive two cars home."
Guests were ushered from the nightclub downstairs to the rear exit of the poker room where they were instructed to take their seats. The staff was suddenly slammed with famous guests who also wished to participate in the poker tournament. The initial roster soon swelled to nearly 300 people, but the accommodating Venetian poker room personnel were determined to ensure an inclusive event and rushed to assign additional tournament seating. Slammed with hundreds of inquiries, the staff made up in service what they lacked in experience. All at once, they were saddled with a 30-table tournament and hundreds of eager guests.
At 9 p.m. Robin Leach hosted the unveiling while cocktail waitresses distributed flutes of champagne to all among the crowd gathering outside the rails. "Raise your glasses and cheer the new Venetian poker room," toasted Leach. "You've got to love the way they do grand openings in this town." Several hundred spectators lifted their glasses to share in the celebration. The curtains parted and the crowd applauded as the poker room with several hundred seated tournament participants was revealed. Poker room director Kathy Raymond welcomed everyone then turned the room over to her competent staff, which immediately kicked off the event. By 9:15, the cards were in the air.
Notable players included Jennifer Tilly, Suzie Lederer (wife of "The Professor"), Mike Boston, Warren Karp, Barry Shulman, Jack McClelland, Carlos Mortensen, Todd and Angela Brunson, Patrik Antonius, Liz Liu, Chip Reese, Chip and Karina Jett, Jennifer Harman and Marco Traniello, Mr. and Mrs. Eli Elezra, Sam Farha, Gavin Smith, and Thomas Keller. The room encompassed a Who's Who of famous and local poker players, Hollywood celebrities, and casino executives.
As the tournament tables broke, live games were opened and it seemed no one wanted to go home. At 2 a.m., the room was still packed with live games introducing the first of Texas hold'em, Omaha, and stud tables at lower, mid, and even high limits.
By 4 a.m., the tournament was down to the final table and Beatrice Stranzinger soon found herself down to her last four chips. Strazinger is a local high-limit hold'em professional who usually plays the $80-$160 limits. "I've had my eye on her lately," said tournament director Tim Mix, "and she's been cleaning up around town." Stranzinger used her four chips to come back and eventually eliminate two players in a single hand. In the end, she went heads-up against Carlos Mortensen who had a 2-to-1 chip lead.
Soon after 5 a.m., the young blonde Stranzinger succeeded in taking down the World Series of Poker champion and posed for cameras holding the winning hand of J-6 suited. She was awarded the key to a 2006 mustard-colored Lotus and retired to her complimentary suite for a much-needed rest.
The following morning, the room was alive with seven limit and no-limit tables and the first official daily tournament, with more than 30 partipants.
The Venetian poker room houses 39 tables and features a wide array of games, including hold'em (both limit and no-limit), stud, and Omaha. The game limits range from $4-$8 to $4,000-$8,000. There is a high-limit area with seven tables and a VIP lounge located inside the sportsbook. Additionally, two relaxation sections are accessible to players, equipped with butler service and food service, catering to the players' needs.
