The Truth About Bellagio Poker Room

I’m never going to lie to you. I have realized that the best way to maintain relationships is through honesty. And throwing in a lie once in a while. Sounds a bit like poker, doesn’t it? Yup! Poker resembles life.

The difference between real life relationships and a writer/reader relationships is that a writer must remain honest in order to maintain his/her readership. If the writer gets caught in a lie, game over. All integrity is lost. This is assuming it’s non-fiction (that means it’s all true).

You probably think I’m about to tell you that the Bellagio Poker Room is a joke. That isn’t the case at all. Many people see it as the best poker room in Las Vegas. I just wanted to set the stage for the two-word phrase that pops into my mind every time I think about the Bellagio Poker Room, which is: Old Money.

Bellagio Poker Room Atmosphere

I ain’t cuckoo. Maybe a little. But I ain’t cuckoo in regards to how I feel about the Bellagio Poker Room. I know this because I talk to other poker players. Any semi-professional poker player or professional poker player worth their salt has played at the Bellagio Poker Room. It’s a prerequisite.

Before I continue describing the Bellagio Poker Room, we must veer off course for a second due to a teachable moment. I don’t know why ‘worth their salt’ popped into my head because I’m not a big fan of clichés, but I also have to go with what pops into my head naturally for the reader to connect.

Since I used the phrase, I felt obligated to look up what the heck it means. And this could very well apply to you playing in the Bellagio Poker Room one day. It’s a longshot, but we can’t rule it out. You could be playing in a cash game, call a draw, get there, and the losing player could tell you that you’re not worth your salt as a poker player. This is when you would shoot back, “Do you even know what that means?”

Got em’!

You would then tell him, “That phrase comes from ancient Rome, where soldiers were sometimes paid in salt or given allowance to purchase it.”

Even if you don’t learn anything about the Bellagio Poker Room or poker strategy in this article (you will), you at least learned what the heck ‘worth their salt’ means. And if you ever find a way to apply it in a poker game to get someone on tilt, you’re going to seem like the smartest poker player west of the Mississippi.

Now that we have that covered, let’s get to old money. When I say/write old money, I don’t mean that the poker players at the Bellagio Poker Room are old money type folks. You might find that as well, but what I mean is that the design of the room makes me (and others) think of old money. You will find a lot of leather, wood, chandeliers, and wall art.

If there was a Rich Grandpa’s Poker Room in Las Vegas, it would be the Bellagio Poker Room. However, I don’t mean that in a bad way. This is a cool grandpa. This is the Grandpa that wears a smoking jacket, drives a Ferrari, and hosts poker games.

What’s very ironic about the Bellagio Poker Room is that it opened in 1998. It has a vibe like it has been around forever, all the way back the 70s, when Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss were running the show.

Before moving on to what kind of cash games and poker tournaments you will find at the Bellagio Poker Room, I must not forget to mention swivel chairs. Not only does the Bellagio Poker Room have swivel chairs, these swivel chairs have wheels! These can be fun.

Some of you might also like to know that the Bellagio Poker Room is adjacent to the sportsbook. I kind of didn’t want to mention that because betting on sports is your enemy. If you want to follow the poker rules for winning, then you cannot bet on sports. Let me guess? You’re an exception to the rule. Or, you have a system. Or, maybe you only pick the best game per week.

If you do this for fun, great. But it’s much more likely that you do it an attempt to make money. Since I consider you a friend (even though I don’t know you), I’ll be blunt: You can’t make money betting on sports unless you are an analytical genius. If you want to truly follow the poker rules for winning, then you need to make poker your sole focus on the gambling front. Otherwise, you’re doomed.

Bellagio Poker Room Cash Games

This is going to be quite a list. I’m trying to mentally prepare myself to write it. Before I write the list of cash games spread at the Bellagio Poker Room, I will simply state the following fact: You will find more types of poker games here than anywhere else in Las Vegas. I’d say you would find more types of poker games here than anywhere else in the world, but I can’t give you 100% confirmation on that. See … I ain’t gonna lie to ya.

Do you know how you rub your hands prior to attempting a difficult physical feat? If you don’t, do you know how other people rub their hands prior to attempting a difficult physical feat? Well … my brain is doing that right now. Yes, I’m literally imagining two tiny hands rubbing together in my brain to prepare for this list. You will see what I mean very shortly.

Below is the list of poker cash games spread at the Bellagio Poker Room…

1/3 NL
Buy-in: $100-$300
Runs: Always

2/5 NL
Buy-in: $200-$500
Runs: Always

5/10 NL
Buy-in: $400-$1,500
Runs: Always

10/20 NL
Buy-in: $800-No Max
Runs: Always

10/20/40 NL
Buy-in: $1,500-No Max
Runs: Evenings & Weekends

50/100
Buy-in: $5,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

2/5 PLO Hi
Buy-in: $200-$1,000
Runs: Rarely

4/8 FL
Buy-in: $40-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

9/18 FL
Buy-in: $100-No Max
Runs: 1-2 tables

50/100 Stud
Buy-in: $500-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

20/40 FL
Buy-in: $200-No Max
Runs: Always

20/40 Limit Omaha 8/b
Buy-in: $200-No Max
Runs: 1-2 tables

40/80 FL
Buy-in: $600-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

40/80 Mixed
Buy-in: $600-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

40/80 Limit Omaha 8/b
Buy-in: $800-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

50/100 Mixed
Buy-in: $1,000-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

60/120
Buy-in: $1,000-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

30/60 Stud 8/b
Buy-in: $500-No Max
Runs: Friday and Saturday

80/160 FL
Buy-in: $1,500-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

80/160 Mixed
Buy-in: $1,500-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

100/200 FL
Buy-in: $2,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

100/200 Mixed
Buy-in: $2,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

150/300 Mixed
Buy-in: $3,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

200/400 FL
Buy-in: $4,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

300/600 Mixed
Buy-in: $6,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

400/800 Mixed
Buy-in: $8,000-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

600/1200 Mixed
Buy-in: $10,000-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

25/50 Mixed
Buy-in: $5,000-No Max
Runs: Occasionally

20/40 Stud
Buy-in: $200-No Max
Runs: 1 Table

30/60 Limit Omaha 8/b
Buy-in: $500-No Max
Runs: During Busy Hours

See what I mean? That’s one serious list. If you can find a cash game spread like that anywhere else on the planet, please let me know. If you choose to play at the Bellagio Poker Room, then you will have absolutely no problem finding a game. You will be able to pick and choose.

As far as poker strategy goes, it depends what game you’re playing in. If you’re playing small stakes, then you’re either going to find people who want the experience of playing at the Bellagio Poker Room or small-stakes grinders. You’re going to run into a lot more of the former because local grinders move around from room to room a lot, and there aren’t as many of them as you think.

That being the case, the people who play at the Bellagio Poker Room for the experience are either going to be people with money who play a lot of poker hands or people without money who play very few poker hands. It will be your job to pick out who is who.

You can figure this out the instant you take your seat. All you have to do is look at their attire and how they keep themselves. You can also pick up an aura for each person if you truly listen to your gut. If this doesn’t work for you, just watch them play. You will know within 30 minutes.

Once you figure out who is who, you have more power. Information is power in poker. This doesn’t mean you need to appear powerful. You only want to appear powerful when you’re at a passive table that you can steamroll. As mentioned above, a small-stakes cash game at the Bellagio Poker Room is likely to be mixed. Therefore, you want to have stealth power. In other words, make yourself appear as one of the weaker players at the table. You’re reeling them in, but slowly.

You want to attack the passive players when you’re out of position. I know that sounds crazy, but they will assume you’re very strong in these situations. At the same time, you want to play smart and be in a good poker position against the more aggressive players with money. If you have any showdowns, make sure they are premium hands. You’re setting the table here.

Later in the session, if you have a hand like 87-off in position versus one of these wealthy and aggressive players, call pre-flop. You’re usually going to miss, but it’s worth the risk because when you do hit, that opponent is never going to put you on that hand, and I can almost guarantee that you will stack him. At that point, he will go on tilt and rebuy due to Ego. Now you’re going to start printing money.

If we go all the way to the other end of the spectrum for cash games at the Bellagio Poker Room we have Bobby’s Room. This is a $20,000 minimum buy-in game. I would not advise entering this room. The only way you should enter Bobby’s Room is if you’re a billionaire that owns an airline or basketball team.

Otherwise, stay away. These people play at another level. They are the elite of Las Vegas professional poker players. When someone comes in with a lot of money to play against these pros, they usually leave feeling very depressed. We never want to feel very depressed.

If you want to play high stakes, there are plenty of options at the Bellagio Poker Room. Even those games are tough. The higher you go, the tougher they’re going to be.

Bellagio Poker Room Tournament

This is simple as pie. The Bellagio Poker Room runs the same tournament every day. It’s a 2 p.m. Daily with a $130 buy-in. That buy-in has a $100 Entry Fee and $30 in Deductions. Not great in regards to rake, but not a disaster compared to some other Vegas poker rooms.

Registration for this tournament begins at 1 p.m. and closes at 3:45 p.m. This means you can buy-in during the first three levels. You start with 15k in chips, which is good for a Daily. The blinds start at 100/100 and are 30 minutes. Some people will look at the starting blinds, think it’s a turbo, and play fast. They are not realizing that the 30-minute blind levels makes it play more like a deepstack. You’re approach should be to let them play it like a turbo while you remain very patient. In these kinds of poker tournaments, the most patient poker player often wins.

Final Thoughts

The Bellagio Poker Room is seen by some as the best poker room in Las Vegas. How you view this poker room will depend a lot on your personality and style. Then again, if you’re simply looking for a place that offers all kinds of poker games, head straight to the Bellagio. And if you want the experience of playing here for a small price, you can play in their Daily tournament for $130. Whether the Bellagio Poker Room is for you or not, it’s an experience every poker player must have.

♠ pokerjournal.org

Bellagio Poker Room – FAQ