On Thursday, March 30th, at 10 a.m., the Venetian Poker Room in Las Vegas gave the press a sneak peak of the most spacious and luxurious poker room on the strip.
Public Relations Executive, Dawn Britt made photographers and news crews feel welcome with coffee, tea and breakfast sweets.
With 39 tables, two high limit areas, several waiting nooks and an exclusive lounge, the "new face of poker" room reaches to meet its high expectations. The announcement and completion of the new room has created quite a buzz in the poker community.
"This is an exciting time for the gaming division at The Venetian as we have built an incredible poker room," stated Kenneth Davenport, vice president of gaming. "The technology is top-of-the-line, the décor and amenities are unmatched and the table games will cater to all. And, we are thrilled with the finished product, offering both the recreational player and the seasoned veteran an elegant, yet comfortable environment where they will want to play."
The newly appointed poker room director, Kathy Raymond, got a call from Venetian executive management less than a month ago, but she had made prior commitments to Foxwoods and couldn't walk away. Last week she completed the organizational requirements for opening the new poker room in Connecticut. On Saturday evening, Foxwoods had it's own poker room grand opening. On Sunday, Raymond packed her bags, and on Monday she landed in Las Vegas to do it all over again for the Venetian.
"I've been introduced to an amazing staff, here at the Venetian." Raymond explains, "Everything was already in place when I arrived and our crew is organized and ready to go. I'm excited for everyone." Raymond also brought Foxwoods staff along to help her manage the new room. "We have personnel from Florida, Mississippi, Connecticut and Las Vegas. It's a diverse and knowledgeable group."
On Sunday, April 2nd, at 9 p.m. the Venetian will unveil their new room to the public, with Robin Leach (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous) hosting the event. The presentation will be followed by an invitation only tournament at 9 p.m.
The Venetian Poker Grand Opening Face-Off is the kick-off poker tournament that will have professional poker players and celebrities competing against each other for the Lotus sports car grand prize. Live play starts at 9 PM.
Invited participants include Doyle Brunson, Annie Duke, Johnny Chan, Shannon Elizabeth, Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Oliver Hudson, Howard Lederer, Liz Lieu, Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, Jeremy Piven, Chip Reese, Joe Reitman, Jennifer Tilly, Tournament Director for the WSOP - Robert Daily, and over 100 other special guests and VIPs.
