The poker scene in Reno has evolved over time, nevertheless, you it's always an change as rooms go in and out. Forty years ago there were ten places you might play, but the rooms had just a few tables. Thirty years ago half the casinos in town thought they'd to possess poker, so even tiny clubs such as the Onslow and Silver Spur had a game or two.
Reno poker hit its high point in the late 1980's when WSOP bracelet winners like Hans 'Tuna' Lund, Freddie Deeb, Russ Hamilton, and Ray Zee played in the top rooms in town (Harrah's, Flamingo Hilton, Reno Hilton). The games were great throughout town, with busy rooms at Circus Circus, Peppermill, Harold's Club, Cal-Neva and Eldorado.
Today, because the pendulum swings back the opposite way, you'll find just six poker rooms throughout the downtown area, seven once you count the Grand Sierra across highway 395. The Silver legacy offers Reno's only all-automated poker tables. Located on the North side with the casino floor, the poker site has PokerPro machines as opposed to live dealers. Games start at 6pm.
The Sands Regency includes a small, three-table room that caters to hotel guests. The room opens at 10am, but games don't always get cranked-up right away. Comps are offered for hours played. The five remaining live poker rooms in Reno compete for hotel guests and local players and have a a minimum of six tables.
Number Five ' Club Cal-Neva
The Club-Cal-Neva survived for many years inside the downtown area with no hotel. Now the club includes a nice hotel attached, but the room, clientele, and ambiance have changed little. The room has six tables and will be offering bad-beat jackpots, four-of-a-kind and bonuses, and bonus tournament chips for every hour of live cash play.
The comp rate is $1 by the hour of live cash play and might supply for property amenities in addition to $10 tournament buy-ins. Room opens at 10am.
Number Four ' Eldorado
The Eldorado website casino is sandwiched between the Silver Legacy and Circus Circus and contains an 11-table poker network. The room is well laid-out with lots of room between the tables. Bonuses for four-of-a-kind far better hands are paid daily and all games please take a bad-beat jackpot drop. The room opens at 10am, but stays open before the games go down.
$30 tournament players be given a $10 bonus when they play in live games after the tournament. In addition, complimentary admission to a $2,000 added last-Friday of the month tournament can be found for 25-hours of play. The hourly comp rate for live play is $1.
Number Three ' Peppermill
The Peppermill may be the nicest poker network in Northern Nevada, with 25 TV's and 19 tables. A complimentary, self-service beverage, soup, and sandwich station keeps players inside the room as does table-side dining. The hourly comp rates are $1.
Number Two ' Grand Sierra
The Grand Sierra poker room opens at 9:30am and possesses 7 tables available. Seated players have a chance to win $50 for aces cracked, Sunday through Thursday. There are a number of nice complimentary bonuses including a player's buffet offered daily for live game players.
A limit game starter special for that first players in a very $3-6 limit Hold'em game at 2pm is $20 in chips after a couple of hours of live play. The hourly rate is $2.
Number One - Atlantis
The Atlantis features a very nice poker site with plush chairs and plenty of TV's. The nine-table room opens at 9am and will be offering a free-spin bonus wheel for lucky seated players, high-hand payoffs, as well as an aces-cracked bonus. In addition, a self-service soup and beverage bar is accessible.
The comp rate in the Atlantis runs $1 by the hour for 10-twenty four hours in a very week of play and $2 each hour for upwards of 24 hours of play, plus $1 money back per hour. You can also turn in the tournament receipt for any play in Reno/Sparks and obtain a $10 bonus with one-hour of play.