Image courtesy of Jason Sanborn (X)
When you walk into the South Point, it feels like a warm hug. It also feels like a portal back in time, where Las Vegas feels welcoming, inclusive, and your next new friend might sit right next to you at the sportsbook.
At said sportsbook, you could eat your South Point hot dog and some of the best cocktail coffee in my unbiased extremely biased opinion.
From free parking in valet, yes free, actually free, non-validated free valet, to walking to registration where I’ve seen coupon books of yore still being handed out, to shows that cater to a specific niche that bring out the same locals every week to the visitors that feel comfortable going back in time to when everything felt simpler and Vegas was the nexus of what seemed to be an affordable good time.
Walking back to the South Point poker room, that same welcoming feeling persists, and the Poker Room Manager, Jason Sanborn, feels like your neighbor who makes a killer BBQ chicken for the block party that just happens to fuel a successful poker room just outside of the Vegas Strip.
Jason started his current position about 9 years ago, but has been in the gaming industry for over 30 years. He grew up in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and his first job in gaming was as a blackjack dealer.
His brother “took me out to the local casino and I watched the blackjack games, and I was fascinated that they would pay someone to play a game.” He added that “I knew the dealer had no ‘stake’ in the game, but the fact that they could ‘play’ with no risk hooked me right away.”
Jason transitioned into dealing poker about a year into dealing blackjack.
The managers put a sign up in the break room asking if anyone wanted to learn how to deal poker. I had never played before, but was eager to learn. I thought sitting while dealing would have to be much better than standing while dealing.
This pragmatism gave way to a leap of faith when a good friend of his had come out to Vegas on vacation and auditioned to deal poker right before the Bellagio was opening up.
His friend did well and “they told him that if he had any friends that were looking to deal poker to bring them out with him when he came back to town. So four of us piled up in the car and moved to Vegas.”
A lot has changed from that momentous decision. At the time, he was “23 and single. Now I am 50 with a wife, two kids, and a grandkid on the way.”
He’s lucky as well that his brother and his family and his parents also moved to Vegas in the meantime, his parents when his father retired.
He brings that feeling of family into the poker room.
We have a strong local following that lends itself to the feeling of playing with friends because many of our players are friends even outside of the room. Our staff is actively engaged in getting to know our players and show an interest in sharing common interests outside of poker.
They currently have 30 tables in the main poker room.
During special events and our summer series, we are able to add 16 tables in the Grandview lounge, which is adjacent to the poker room, bringing our total to 46.
Jason reflected that “building a successful poker room always starts with the basics. Clean room, quick service from the cocktail waitresses, and most importantly, friendly staff that buys into the vision.”
People want to be seen wherever they are. When you know their name and are able to greet them accordingly, they are much more willing to come back the next day…
When asked what his goals for the poker room are and how he has succeeded to the point where he is at, he answers that:
We are always looking to grow the room and spread more tables and games of every variety. The hope is to become so busy that we make every other room in Las Vegas grow because we don’t have room for everyone.
When he came into poker, “I had zero experience in poker when I started my gaming career. Everything I learned was on the job.”
Even now, he’s constantly learning and expanding his knowledge about poker.
I monitor our social media on a nearly daily basis and also keep an eye on Bravo and Poker Atlas.
He also gives time to learn from the players themselves on a more immediate front.
I try to make it a point to spend time in the room every day at an empty table to give players a chance to come talk to me.
Even though I may be in the office, not everyone feels comfortable coming back to an office to discuss their thoughts. Some often equate it to going to the principal’s office, and nobody wants to do that, lol.
Having one owner of the Casino, Michael Gaughan, who had previously sold the hotel to Boyd Gaming in 2004 but quickly took back ownership in 2006, seems to make trying different ideas readily accessible.
We have thrown a lot of promotions up for the players over the years, and some we have built on and have lasted for years. Others we have discarded within two weeks of trying because it cost too much or players just were not interested.
Jason adds that “having an owner that is involved and available as much as Mr. Gaughan has allowed me to be flexible when trying new things.”
Jason’s also a big supporter of work/life balance in an industry that doesn’t organically seem to lend itself to that balance.
Life happens. With 170+ employees just in the poker room, someone always has something personal going on, and that is ok.
If you are going to demand that people be available every day of the year, you are going to lose a lot of really good people, and the output of those people will suffer. Dealing poker can be very mentally challenging with the vast number of different people that play.
Jason understands that:
If you are worried about things in your personal life, then you will not be able to perform at the level we expect from our employees.
If you want dedicated people, you have to understand that they will be just as dedicated to the people in their personal life, and sometimes that means they just need a little extra time to handle those things too.
Jason has hobbies outside of work that help with his balance, and they include playing golf and bowling.
I was always exposed to many different activities by my parents and allowed to find the things that I loved the most. Bowling and golf are both ‘lifetime’ sports, and I look forward to doing both for the rest of my life.
Family also helps his balance. He met and proposed to his wife Amy in the poker room at the Bellagio, and “has to be hands down the best moment for me in poker.”
They’ve been married for 27 years this July, and “both of our kids have moved out into the world and are making their own way and their own lives and their mother, and I could not be prouder of them.”
And when it comes to his first grandchild, “we are definitely excited about the new addition to the family at the end of June and all the new adventures that will bring.”
Jason is also passionate about supporting women in poker. He’s run the Ladies International Poker Series Spring Tournament for years now in conjunction with Lupe Soto, LIPS Founder, and hosts Linda Johnson, WSOP Bracelet Winner, and Jan Fisher, all Women in Poker Hall of Famers.
This year’s Spring Tournament is happening right now (running April 20 – 26), and it brings fan favorites such as the TeamPoker® Championship, where costumes are encouraged and enjoyed. One of the teams in the past was named the South Point Hot Dogs.
Women in poker have always been the ‘untapped market’. There has always been a lot of testosterone in any given poker room. I think that two of the things that have helped the most are seeing more women moving up to leadership positions on the floor and as room managers, as well as the success of female players like Kristen Foxen, Ruth Hall, Linda Johnson, and Jan Fisher.
The way Lupe has been able to coordinate with properties around the world to focus on women’s tournaments and educational forums has been one of the biggest factors in growing that side of the business. We are happy to just be a small part of the amazing things these ladies are doing.
Looking forward to the rest of the 2026 poker year, at this moment, he’s very excited about the summer schedule. “We stay loyal to our guests that join us around the year and keep our buy-ins the same on most of our events on the weekends.”
After moving from the immediate to reminiscing about his career in poker, he adds that:
The business has given me a full life and provided me a way to make sure my family was always provided for. Starting out, I couldn’t have imagined how full my life would be. Thankfully, I think I still have more room to grow and contribute to the business that has given me so much.
