The Riviera Poker Room Las Vegas has been popular for decades, and even though some of the newer casinos and resorts are flashier, fancier, and maybe a bit more family-oriented than others, a few of them still hold onto their classic decorum from the city’s 1950’s heyday. The Riviera is one of them, joining the Tropicana and the Sahara in being built in the 1950’s and renovated over the last fifty some off years.

Located right on the casino floor next to the Splash Theater, the seven table ‘poker room’ at the Riviera has less of a noise problem that some of its competitors. One of the advantages of being one of the older casinos on the strip, the casino floor is big and roomy. Even the slots are close to the roped off poker room, they are not distracting and conversation in a civil volume of voice is easily understood. The dealers are some of the best in town and they will give you lessons for free at 10am daily.

Riviera Poker Games and Limits

Texas Hold’Em is the game of choice at the Riviera, but they will spread others if there is an interest. Limit games go $2/$4, $3/$6, $4/$8 and the blinds on the no limit go $1/$2 with a $40/$200 buy-in. The games tend to be a bit soft and the skill levels of the players vary in a nice, even way. There is a high-hand jackpot paid for four of a kind's and all straight flushes awarding $500 in cash.

The Riviera has a pretty straight forward tournament schedule. There is a daily 10am no limit Texas Hold’Em tournament. Buy-in's are $44 plus $3 add on and they are all limited to fifty players. Sunday through Friday there is a 1pm and 8pm no limit Texas Hold’Em tournament with a $55 buy in. Registration begins an hour before the first card is dealt and is limited to the first 50 players. The buy-ins get the players $1,500 in chips, the rounds are fifteen minutes long, and the percentage that goes into the pot is 85.1% of the buy-in fee. That is more than most of the other casinos on the strip offer their players. The top three split the pot at 50%, 30% and 20%.

Comp at the Riviera is a $3.00 food coupon for three to four hours worth of play good at any of the establishment’s snack bars. They are currently trying to finalize an hourly comp scheme for their players and it will use the Riviera’s player card to keep track of the credits. Poker room accommodation discounts are also available, but you will need to talk to the casino staff to get the final figure.

The Riviera may be located on the northern end of the strip where a good deal of development is happening but their casino floor and poker room is always moving at a steady pace.