With live poker reopening, one of MGM’s major poker properties is taking a lead in the efforts for the game’s return. The Bellagio became the second Las Vegas Strip property to reopen its poker room last week.

Bellagio Poker Room Reopen
Bellagio Poker Room Phone Number
Bellagio Poker Room Twitter

The casino joins the Venetian and Caesars Palace, which opened the same day as Bellagio on June 18. Players will find six-handed poker with plexiglass partitions between players in a more spacious table and room environment.

Located near the sports book, the Bellagio poker room is one of the most renowned poker venues in the world. Home to the World Poker Tour (WPT), the Bellagio also features Bobby’s Room, named for 1978 WSOP champion and CityCenter’s President and CEO Bobby Baldwin. Bellagio poker room las vegas. bellagio poker room las vegas photos. bellagio poker room las vegas location. bellagio poker room las vegas address.

On June 20, USPoker spoke with Bellagio director of poker room operations Mike Williams on site. The property is making an effort to return to normal as much as possible.

Live poker post-pandemic

After months of casino closings, poker room managers are moving to get players back to the tables. State guidelines call for five-handed play at poker rooms without dividers or plexiglass partitions.

However, the Nevada Gaming Control Board approved Bellagio’s request for six-handed poker games with partitions.

Upon entering the poker room, guests are greeted by service staff at an open and spacious entryway. Players are seated by staff when a table has an opening, often with no wait depending on game and time.

There is a waiting list screen mounted to the wooden wall structure outside the poker room entryway. Players can also get poker room and game updates on the Bravo Pokerapp.

The poker room now has 23 poker tables, down from 37, and is open for play 24 hours a day. On Saturday, the spacious room had 16 tables running with more than half spreading $1-3 and $2-5 No-Limit Hold’em.

The Bellagio is one of the few Vegas rooms regularly offering more high-limit games. There were also $5-10, $10-20, and $20-40 No Limit Hold’em games and a $1-2 Pot Limit Omaha (PLO). Staff also offered a waiting list for high-limit mixed games.

Players returning to a safe environment

Williams noted a number of regular players have returned. The property has numerous cleanliness protocols in place. Dealers are wearing masks and sanitizing the playing area and seats for new players.

“The feedback has been very positive from the players and guests,” Williams said. “The poker room is swapping playing cards every four hours. The cards and poker chips are disinfected by the property on schedule.”

The plexiglass partitions provide better health and safety measures while meeting social and physical distancing guidelines.

One Bellagio guest said the clear dividers are “less intrusive and preferred” over no partition.

On June 24, the state added a mandate for players to wear masks. The previous rule called for masks if there are no plexiglass partitions. Nearly half the players at Bellagio wore masks on Saturday before the new rule.

New perks welcome Bellagio players

Expensive parking fees have long been a complaint of casino players. Williams noted guests will now find free self parking and free cocktail service. However, no food or non-playing poker guests are allowed in the poker room per safety guidelines.

Williams previously worked as poker room manager at Aria, another MGM property on the Las Vegas Strip. Aria hasn’t announced a reopening date yet.

While at Aria, Williams noted the growing interest in PLO and plans to offer more games at Bellagio.

“It’s better when a poker room can expand and have more games,” he said. “We want to grow the $1-2 PLO game at Bellagio.”

TV screens remain mounted throughout the Bellagio poker room. Sports bettors are in luck with one of Las Vegas premier sportsbooks adjacent to the facility.

Checking out the day’s sports action, horse racing, and odds screens is simple. Wagering windows are available and bettors can also use the BetMGM app while playing poker.

The sports bar lounge is right outside the poker room and was also active on Belmont Stakes day, but with fewer masks noted. Guests enjoyed cocktails and some spacious interaction.

Live poker’s return comes after major online growth

While online poker has seen substantial growth during the COVID-19 crisis, it’s encouraging to see live poker return. Poker is the ultimate social game, and while tournaments are not yet in play at Bellagio, patience is the protocol just as it is when playing poker.

The same goes for those hoping for the return of a live World Series of Poker at the Rio. That property is currently closed and the live WSOP is delayed until fall.

However, players in Nevada and New Jersey can play for bracelets beginning July 1 at WSOP.com. The WSOP Online tournaments feature one bracelet event daily.

Buy-ins range from $400 to $3,200 and players can qualify for events in multiple daily online satellites. On July 19, the series expands for international players on GGPoker.

Live poker may not have returned completely, but the WSOP Online adds even more buzz to the industry as a whole.

The Bellagio and Caesars Palace, which were the first of MGM Resorts and Caesars International properties to reopen on June 4, reopened their poker rooms two weeks later on Thursday, June 18 at 10 a.m.

They’re not the first casinos to reopen their poker rooms, however, trailing behind The Golden Nugget, The Orleans, The Venetian, the South Point, and Sahara Las Vegas, who reopened its poker room on the same day.

Per guidelines provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, poker games are limited to five players per table. Bellagio received approval for six-handed tables. Plexiglass dividers will be placed in between players in compliance with the CDC’s social distancing guidelines. While masks on players are not required, at least not yet, they are being strongly encouraged. Masks on dealers and other Bellagio casino personnel are mandatory.

According to the official press release, The Bellagio poker room will be open daily, 24 hours a day, all throughout the week. The poker room will host cash games only initially, with no tournaments allowed at the current time. Players will not be allowed to eat in the room, and no guests or spectators will be allowed in.

According to a Caesars spokesperson, the Caesars Palace poker room will use five-handed tables, and all players will be required to wear masks. The hours of operations are from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday through Sunday.

Bellagio’s poker room is one of the premier poker rooms in all of Vegas. Its high-stakes room is known as “Bobby’s Room,” named after former MGM Resorts International executive Bobby Baldwin, who was the 1978 World Series of Poker champ. Baldwin also regularly hosts big poker tournaments throughout the world.

The largest poker room in the world also reopens today at 6 p.m. It’s located inside of the Commerce Casino, which is located just outside of Los Angeles. Games here will be played eight-handed, and players are required to wear masks with plexiglass barriers to divide players safely.

World Series of Poker Online Starts in July

In-person poker is coming back slowly but surely in the gambling mecca of the world, but another major poker event is getting the green light to start in July; that’s the World Series of Poker.

While it won’t be an in-person event this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, it will be a major online event

Bellagio Poker Room