The Poker Room

Sadly the Poker Room at The Sahara is closed now that the casino has shut down! :(

Lately, I’ved added a new roommate to my house. He won a poker tournament last year taking in $ 10,000 in winnings. Now, living here in Vegas, he has been hitting the local poker tournies at casinos on and off the strip. As my other roommate and I had some extra cash on hand, we joined him for a run at the 11am tournament at the Sahara Casino’s poker room.
In relation to most, the poker room is big and comfortable, but not attractive and inviting (such as Hard Rock or Wynn poker rooms. It is near the Nascar Café section of the casino as you head to the buffet.
The tables are plain but very well kept and the seats are not to hard or soft to be a bother… I never noticed or felt like I was sitting there for as long as I was. The play at the tables is a large mix of local and tourist, leaning more on the local. You can easily tell quite quickly who is local or not (either through chattiness or through their play).
For an 11am tournament, there were 5 tables with 1^st place getting $ 970. I think I took 23^rd out of 50, the poker winning roommate took 30^th; the other roommate who had scrounged enough money to get out today ended up winning $ 80 taking 7^th. As there is a rebuy, this tournament cost me $ 45 + $ 20 for an Add-​on. My roommate didn’t take an add-​on, so with a $ 45 investment, he at least doubled his money.
I’m not sure if I’ll hit the tables again anytime soon, but if I do, I like Sahara’s cost and comfort. That is can draw around 50 people on a Sunday in the morning is an added bonus. There are other decent games around town, but if you’re near the Sahara, go here before trying anywhere else.