Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood to launch new poker room in May

Planet Hollywood is bringing poker back to the Strip casino with a brand-new poker room set to open in early May, nearly four years after its original room closed.

The new venue, located on the second floor of the casino, will feature 23 tables — 12 for cash games — and a gothic-style design with 21 TVs and a balcony overlooking Planet Hollywood's Pleasure Pit, according to a report by Poker News. A full-service bar and private bathroom are also part of the layout.

The revamped poker room is led by operators Anthony Mink, Andy Rich, and Anthony Moody, who has been appointed as the poker room manager. 

A unique feature of the room will be a private backroom, designed to evoke the ambiance of early High Stakes Poker episodes. Lined with photos from iconic Las Vegas films such as The Hangover and Ocean's Eleven, this space is expected to host private games and possibly even live-streamed events.

One standout feature is the balcony overlooking the casino’s gaming floor, giving players a unique view of the action below. "I don’t think there’s a poker room on an elevated level like this that gives such a great overview of the action," Mink said.

The opening of the new poker room comes at a time when many Vegas poker rooms are still recovering from the pandemic. Moody, who also works with the Horseshoe Poker Room and the World Series of Poker (WSOP), believes the new room will help revitalize the Strip's poker scene.

Unlike the larger, high-stakes rooms at venues like Wynn, ARIA, and Bellagio, the Planet Hollywood poker room will focus on providing a more laid-back and funatmosphere. "We're not trying to go toe-to-toe with them," Moody explained. "We're going to create a new lane or bring back the old lane of just action, fun, nobody's too serious."

To attract WSOP traffic, the room will offer four $100 buy-in daily tournaments and host two WSOP Circuit stops. 

Just weeks after its grand opening, the new poker room will host the third annual Chainsaw Mixed Series of Poker (CMSOP), organized by poker player Allen Kessler.
Set to run from May 12-20, the series will feature a variety of poker variants, including Omaha 8, Stud 8, H.O.R.S.E., Big O, and 2-7 Triple Draw, with a $1,100 buy-in T.O.R.S.E. Championship. The tournament will also make its WSOP debut this summer.