Riviera

The Riviera’s poker room ran a small offering of poker until its abrupt closure in June 2013. Found within the Riviera complex on Las Vegas Boulevard, the poker tables could be found on the top floor, not far from the stairs and escalators. The Riviera’s poker area was roped off from the rest of the casino floor and sat in a degree of isolation to prevent an undue level of noise from affecting the play. In spite of strip lighting all around the casino, the dark carpeting and black curtains at the far end of the room contrived to produce a very dark room. The poker tables themselves were well-spaced and surrounded by brown bar chairs.

The main poker fare at The Riviera came from fixed-limit and no-limit hold’em cash games and tournaments. Players earned $1 in comps for every hour spent at the tables and could enjoy a very inexpensive weekday poker rate if choosing to stay in one of The Riviera’s hotel rooms. The big in-game promotions revolved around the aces-cracked wheel, which gave slot machine credits, cash, or Riviera merchandise to everyone who lost with aces. It was possible to reserve seats by telephone to avoid disappointment when looking for a seat.

From the tables, players had the ability to beckon across food and drink service. Here, comps could be exchanged for tableside food delivery, cocktails and the typical array of different options. The poker area was strictly non-smoking, but did allow players to use mobile phones at the tables.