@JessWelman has more info over at PokerNewsDaily about the new Aria poker room … and specifically some details about their highest-stakes salon/fishbowl:
Fans of Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio will be happy to hear there is an equivalent in the Aria poker room and it has already been put to use. Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, David Benyamine, Tom “durrrr†Dwan, and Patrik Antonius were all spotted playing in the secluded VIP lounge on Thursday evening, the day after the casino opened. While the room is semi-private, ogling railbirds can get a peek at their favorite high-stakes players through the glass front door. According to one of the employees at Aria, Phil Ivey is currently in talks to loan his name to the room in the same fashion that Bobby Baldwin did at the Bellagio, so news of big games being played in “Phil’s Room†could be on the horizon.
Two questions come to mind:
1. Is there enough room for two \”Big Games\” in this town?
2. Big-name players supporting poker rooms or poker rooms supporting big-name players?
3. What\’s MGM/Mirage\’s vision for poker across its competing properties?
4. When are they gonna put this highest-stakes shit on 24-hour webcam?
OK, that\’s four. But hey, CityCenter is big … and so far, just a few days old, it raises more questions about Las Vegas\’ future than it answers.