Caesars Palace Poker Room Review

The Caesars Palace poker room is relatively small compared to the massive edifice that surrounds it. However, it’s very conveniently located mid-Strip and offers at least 4 tournaments every day. On our Vegas trip last fall, we decided to drop by between events at the Rio and our new favorite Resorts World Las Vegas.

Setting and Non-Poker Amenities

For those who have not been to Las Vegas, Caesars Palace occupies a substantial stretch of the west side of the Strip. Half a century after its founding, it’s just as majestic and dominant a landmark on the Vegas scene as ever. No matter how many times we have walked the Strip, when passing Caesars we regularly comment on the combined length, depth, and height of the complex.

It goes without saying that Caesars is a full-service casino containing everything you might possibly need. The casino has all the slots and tables games you would ever want to play, and a huge sportsbook as well. The hotel has over 3,500 rooms, and the Forum Shops form a good-size mall unto themselves. There are 20+ dining options, from very upscale to casual. There are always multiple shows to choose from, including the popular stage show Absinthe which continues its long run at Caesars. As of this writing, Caesars’ musical residencies include the superstar superegos of Rod Stewart, Sting, and Adele. Caesar’s ownership seems to get whatever they want and therefore offers its customers an impressive product.

Caesars Palace Poker Room Comfort

Caesars Palace poker room is centrally located near the upscale Amalfi restaurant. It offers 16 poker tables (with 14 regular and 2 high roller tables). Open to the gaming floor on one side and the gigantic Sportsbook on another, it’s very loud and smoky.  When we visited, the noise made it challenging to hear the dealer.

The tables are decently spaced, the room is well-lit, and the ceilings are high. In general, the room feels a bit dated and run down. Although the room is clean enough, the chips are old and faded, as is the felt on the tables. The tables have auto-shufflers, padded rails, and drink cups, but no USB ports. The chairs are padded, have wheels, and are adjustable, but nonetheless not terribly comfortable. The cards are small, thin, and unbranded.

Poker Room Staff

The Caesars Palace poker room staff was solid overall. Dealers were fast, rarely made mistakes, and several were very appropriately social. The floor generally kept the fast-paced tournament going; however, they were stretched a bit thin attending to the cash games as well, so there was some lag balancing tables at times. The waitstaff was moving fast and frequently came around asking for orders.

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Players at Caesars Palace Poker Room

The crowd at the Caesars Palace poker room consisted of a mix of tourists and Las Vegas regulars. Tournament players were younger than at some other Vegas rooms, and there were a lot of women playing. The tables contained a fairly typical mix of aggressive and passive players, and play was standard for these types. Players tended to be quiet but friendly, although the nearby cash tables were much more animated.

Cash Play Activity

Despite being a Tuesday afternoon, packed $1/$3 cash tables abounded, and there were 1 or 2 $2/$5 tables going as well. Caesars restricted the tournament to 4-5 tables max as to not take away too many tables from cash play.

Tournament Structures

The Caesars Palace poker room runs at least 4 unlimited re-entry tournaments (through level 6) per day at 10am ($100), 2pm ($150), 6pm ($100), and 9pm ($150). The rake is 25% for the $100 tournaments and 23% for the $150. Every tournament has 20-minute blind levels and starts with 15K in chips. There is an optional buy-in at the first break of $50 for another 10K in chips. The big blind ante kicks in at level 7, after the first break.

Stack depths are fairly shallow, meaning that it can be easy before the break to get into a shove or fold mode. After the break, while chip stacks increase, the level jumps get aggressive, going from 500/1,000 to 1,000/2,000 to 2,000/4,000 etc.  By your third hour of play, the pre-flop shoving is constant.

Due to limits placed on the number of starting tournament tables, the alternate list became quite long the day we were there. Seating alternates ran fairly deep into the tournament.

Overall Assessment of Caesars Palace Poker Room

The Caesars Palace poker room is in serious need of an upgrade. From its broad exposure to the gaming floor to its worn and dated tables, cards, and décor, Caesars offers one of the least pleasant poker environments n Las Vegas. However, solid dealers and great waitstaff improve the experience. While tournaments are frequent, these are “get-em in, get-em out” affairs with short stack depths and aggressive structures. In short, several venues in Vegas, including The Orleans, Resorts World, and the Aria – offer superior poker experiences.