If you ask any poker pro to name their top three poker rooms in Las Vegas, they’re very likely to mention Aria Poker Room. Some of them might even put the Aria Poker Room in their top three poker rooms in the United States. And if they’re an international player, top three for the world.
The Aria Poker Room isn’t my personal favorite, but that’s subjective. It’s also based on my first session at the Aria Poker Room being a disaster, which related to me having played 36 hours of poker around Las Vegas without any sleep. This related to a book I was writing and having to get the job done. I would never condone playing poker for 36 straight hours without any sleep. Whether its cash games or Texas Hold’em poker tournaments, that’s definitely –EV.
Before we get to details about the Aria Poker Room, this is a good opportunity for me to share something I posted on my Facebook friends page. It’s a one-word description for all the poker rooms I have played at in Las Vegas. Since most people are opinionated, I expected some backlash, but I was wrong.
Most people agreed with this list. Therefore, if you’re a poker player but you haven’t played in Las Vegas yet, this list will offer value. You will know what to expect at each location. If you don’t see a Las Vegas poker room on this list, it’s because I haven’t played there yet.
Aria: Fancy
Bally’s: Fun
Bellagio: Opulent
Binion’s: Old
Caesars Palace: Nice
Excalibur: Small
Flamingo: Soft
Golden Nugget: Fun
Harrah’s: Soft
Mandalay Bay: Comfortable
MGM: Casino
Mirage: Boring
Planet Hollywood (PH): Energy
Rio: Locals
The Orleans: Busy
Wynn: Perfect
Venetian: Big
As you can see, the Aria Poker Room is fancy. Sometimes ‘fancy’ can be viewed as a negative because it can relate to pretentiousness. That might be the case for some of the poker players here, but it’s not the case for the Aria Poker Room staff. They are friendly and down to earth. The word fancy relates to the atmosphere. The décor is top of the line and everything is spotless. The décor might be important to some people, but if you like to play poker games, then you’re more interested in the action. We’ll get to that, but first let’s take a look at the setup at the Aria Poker Room.
Aria Poker Room Setup
The Aria Poker Room has 24 tables, but only 18 of those tables are in the main area. I don’t mean to say “only” as if it’s a bad thing. That’s plenty of room. Remember, Aria is in the CityCenter. This area is more focused on quality than quantity.
Unlike most poker rooms throughout the world, the Aria Poker Room has a second floor, which is where you will find higher levels of play, such as 5/10 NL and 12/24 ML (Mixed Limit). Then there’s Ivey’s Room, which is on the main floor but its own separate room. This is where you will find some of the highest stakes cash games in Las Vegas, as well as across the entire country. The most common stakes played at Ivey’s Room are 300/600 ML. You can play in this room if you have the money. It’s not against the poker rules, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Cash Games at Aria Poker Room
Let’s bring it down a notch for normal people seeking regular poker games. This will allow you to play more poker hands. Generally speaking, the softer the field, the more poker hands you can play. Below is a list of what you will usually find spread at the Aria Poker Room.
1/3 NL
Buy-in Range: $100-$300
Runs: Always
2/5 NL
Buy-in Range: $200-$1,000
Runs: Always
5/10 NL
Buy-in Range: $400-$3,000
Runs: 1-2 tables
1/2 PLO
Buy-in Range: $200-$500
Runs: 1 table
2/5 PLO
Buy-in Range: $400-$1,500
Runs: Occasionally
9/18 Mixed
Buy-in Range: $90-No Max
Runs: Occasionally
10/20 NL
Buy-in Range: $800-No Max
Runs: During busy hours
Aria Poker Room Amenities
Regardless of what cash game you play at the Aria Poker Room, you will earn $2/hour in comps. These comps expire after one year, but that shouldn’t be a factor in your decision. The $2/hour comps is very generous compared to other poker rooms in Las Vegas, or anywhere else for that matter. You can use these comps for tableside food service.
This is another comfort because you usually have to pay cash or with chips for food at most poker rooms. On top of that, tableside food service is available 24 hours per day. And your drinks will be comped: alcohol, energy drinks, and water. All poker tables at the Aria Poker Room have auto shufflers.
Not everything is paradise at the Aria Poker Room. The soft music in the background is pleasant, but not everyone wants pleasant. Some people prefer more energy. If you’re seeking high-energy music while playing poker, go to Planet Hollywood, not Aria. Another potential negative is that parking costs $18, which is outrageous. Obviously, the solution is not to park here. Walk or Uber. The Las Vegas strip is very walk-able, and there are Uber and Lyft cars everywhere.
If you want to stay at Aria, it’s a beautiful property. You can get a poker rate, but the poker rate changes on the weekend. Either way, you will be paying high prices for Las Vegas, but these are still good prices for a high-end property…
Sunday-Thursday: $159 + $45 resort fee
Friday-Saturday: $199 + $45 resort fee
One more note on the cash games at the Aria Poker Room. If you’re playing anything higher than 1/3 NL, you’re going to find some tough competition. There is a correlation between the aura and reputation of a poker room and the quality of competition you will find there. The players at the bigger poker games will be implementing a poker strategy. We don’t know what that strategy will be—it depends on the player—but they aren’t playing random poker.
Aria Poker Room Poker Tournaments
The Texas Hold’em poker tournaments at Aria Poker Room are a little different. You will find some players using poker strategy. Others are just playing poker, which relates to the small buy-ins. These are the types of players who know the poker rules, but that’s about it.
If it’s scared money, they’re not playing many poker hands and you can steamroll them (apply pressure often). If it’s loose money, they’re playing too many poker hands. With these players, sit back and wait for them to mistakes. If you don’t think this is effective, please allow me to point something out.
Floyd Mayweather is arguably the best boxer who ever lived. Do you know his strategy? It’s to wait for others to make mistakes. He has a ton of talent and lightning-quick hands, so you need talent, but if you combine that talent with waiting for others to make mistakes, you’re going to do well, especially in daily Texas Hold’em poker tournaments in Las Vegas.
Below is a one-week sample of Texas Hold’em poker tournaments at the Aria Poker Room…
Monday
11 a.m. $140 NL
7 p.m. $140 NL
Tuesday
11 a.m. $140 NL
7 p.m. $140 NL
Wednesday
11 a.m. $140 NL
7 p.m. $140 NL
Thursday
11 a.m. $140 NL
7 p.m. $140
Friday
11 a.m. $240
7 p.m. $140
Saturday
11 a.m. $240
7 p.m. $140
Sunday
11 a.m. $240
7 p.m. $140
The daily poker tournaments at Aria Poker Room are known as some of the best in Las Vegas. This relates to their structures, fields, dealers, and payouts. The structures are good because it’s not bingo poker. The blind levels are 30 minutes. The fields are very mixed with locals, tourists, and pros. The dealers are strong, and the payouts are high for daily poker tournaments in Las Vegas. Now let’s raise the stakes a little.
Aria Poker Classic
During the summertime, you will find much different types of poker tournaments at the Aria Poker Room. Primarily, you will find higher buy-ins and bigger payouts. Aria has been trying hard to steal players from the WSOP during the summer. It’s going to be difficult for Aria to steal market share from the WSOP, but you need to start somewhere.
Take a look at the tournament schedule for the Aria Poker Classic and decide for yourself if it’s more appealing than the WSOP. A lot of it will be personal preference. Also, the list below is from this summer. There will be slight variations next summer, but it won’t change much. This list is so you have an idea of what to expect for summer tournaments at Aria.
June 2
3 p.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
June 3
11 a.m.
$470 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 4
11 a.m.
$470 HORSE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 5
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 Short Deck
GTD: N/A
June 6
11 a.m.
$470 Limit OE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 7
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 8
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 9
11 a.m.
$470 PLO
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 10
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 11
11 a.m.
$470 PLO
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 12
11 a.m.
$470 Seniors NLHE
GTD: $100k
June 13
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 14
11 a.m.
$470 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 15
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
June 16
1 p.m.
$1,100 HORSE
GTD: $50k
June 17
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 18
11 a.m.
$350 Ladies NLHE
GTD: N/A
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 19
11 a.m.
$470 Seniors NLHE
GTD: $100k
June 20
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 21
3 p.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1A
GTD: N/A
June 22
3 p.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1B
GTD: N/A
June 23
11 a.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1C
GTD: N/A
7 p.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1D Turbo
GTD: N/A
June 24
11 a.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1E
GTD: N/A
7 p.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1F Turbo
GTD: N/A
June 25
11 a.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1G Turbo
GTD: N/A
7 p.m.
$570 WPT500 Day 1H Turbo
GTD: N/A
June 26
1 p.m.
WPT500 Day 2
GTD: N/A
June 27
2 p.m.
WPT500 Final Table
GTD: N/A
June 28
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
June 29
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
June 30
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 1
11 a.m.
$470 PLO Hi-Lo
GTD: $25k
July 2
1 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE
GTD: $100k
July 3
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 Triple Draw Mix
GTD: N/A
July 4
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 5
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 6
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 7
11 a.m.
$400 NLHE
GTD: $40k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 8
11 a.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 9
11 a.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 10
11 a.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 2-7 Single Draw
GTD: N/A
July 11
11 a.m.
$470 PLO
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 12
11 a.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 13
11 a.m.
$470 HORSE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
July 14
11 a.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: $25k
7 p.m.
$240 NLHE
GTD: N/A
Final Thoughts
If you want to play poker at one of the nicest poker rooms in Las Vegas, visit the Aria Poker Room. Many people think Aria has the nicest poker room in town. The biggest competitor is the Wynn Poker Room. I’m going to write about that room shortly. In the meantime, you now know what to expect at the Aria Poker Room. It delivers in almost every category. Just be aware that other than the Dailys, the competition is going to be tougher compared to most poker rooms in Las Vegas.
♠ pokerjournal.org
Aria Poker Room – FAQ
Does Aria in Las Vegas have a poker room?
Yes. Aria has a poker room. It's known as one of the top poker rooms in Las Vegas.
Does the Aria in Vegas have poker tournaments?
Yes. The Aria poker room runs poker tournaments everyday.
What kind of poker games does Aria have?
For cash games, it's mostly 1/3 NL up to 10/20 NL. There is usually one table of 1/2 PLO. For tournaments, they offer Daily and Nightly poker tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $140-$240.
How much money do I need to play at Aria in Las Vegas?
You can buy-in to the 1/3 NL game for $100. You will need at least $140 for a poker tournament at the Aria Poker room.
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