This Week in Vegas – Victory at The Venetian or Win at the Wynn? 

Image source: Venetian Poker Room

This week in Vegas, The Venetian is the place to be with its DeepStack Showdown bringing players back to the tournament tables. Elsewhere, The Orleans is giving out high hand money every 30 minutes, while the Signature Series takes place at the Wynn Las Vegas, with No Limit Hold’em, Seniors tournaments and mixed games all on the menu. It’s go big or stay home this week in Sin City.

Playing the Board: DeepStack Showdown Delivers at the Venetian

The Venetian returns to major action this week, as the DeepStack Showdown lays on $1.1m in guarantees, including massive tournaments like the $600-entry DeepStack Showdown Event #5. Won by local Vegas player Daniel Sprung after a heads-up chop, the top prize was $28,654, the DeepStack Showdown silver coin and the trophy from the $150,000 guaranteed event, proving that even for a modest entry fee and including a chop in this event’s case, big money is out there long after the WSOP circus packed up its tent. 

There are lots more big guarantees on offer during the schedule and starting on Friday, the $400-entry $100,000 guaranteed event is my tip for a massive top prize.

A five-figure top prize will be a fine reward in a $400-entry tournament, and there’s an even juicier one taking place next week which I’ll tell you about in seven days’ time. 

Check out the full schedule of DeepStack Showdown events right here. 

Let’s look at the other tournaments taking place in Vegas this week and start-times for the action.

Practice Your Signature at the Wynn 

The Wynn Signature Series kicks off on August 17 this week, and it is pretty unmissable stuff. With tournaments costing between $200 and $600 to play, the $400-entry event starting on Monday gives you 40,000 starting chips and plays as a very solid freezeout with a brilliant guarantee of $100,000.

That sounds tough to hit but the Wynn is known for getting a lot of players in its big-ticket events no matter the competition and they won’t be scared off by The Venetian. 

If you flunk the regular event, practically every night during The Wynn Signature Series there’s an NLHE Turbo event costing $200 to play, with a $10,000 guarantee. It could act as a nice saver if you go out early in the main tournament and is a good idea from the venue.

You get a very respectable 25,000 chips in that one, and I’d recommend taking them up on that offer a couple of times during the series, especially after busy Day 1s in the $100,000 guarantee events.

It’s not just no-limit hold’em on offer during the series, with Seniors tournaments and mixed games also on the schedule. Take a look at all the tournaments taking place this week here.

Around the Rooms: Golden Nugget, Orleans and Bellagio

The Golden Nugget have prioritized updating their Bad Beat Jackpot rather than their tournament offerings online since moving to the Rush Tower. There was good news from the floor this week, though, as the WSOP Circuit ring winner Denver ‘Carlton’ Combs scored his second-ever live royal flush in the same cardroom as the first, scooping a nice $1,999 bonus to go with the pot and quickly jumped on socials to tell everyone of his fortune. 

The Orleans usually keep their players happy with promotions, and this week is no different, with their Weekday Hold’Em High Hands promo paying out every 30 minutes or carrying $50 over to the next payout. This certainly rewards those willing to put the time in and keep their VPIP up at ‘Alan Keating’ levels. Also at The Orleans, their Friday MegaStack event in NLHE costs $200 to play and guarantees $15,000, with only $35 taken from the prize pool for registration, less than 20%.

At the Bellagio, there’s the usual mid-high stakes cash games such as $10/$20 No-Limit Hold’em, with buy-ins between $2,000 to $10,000 for those with a starched shirt or money to grind up before the next PokerGO Series.

The nightly PLO Double Bomb Pot events are pretty juicy on weekends, and I’d recommend Saturday as the best pick, but they’re on from 6pm nightly. You can now call ahead to the Bellagio waiting list on 702-693-7291 up to one hour in advance of arrival or two hours during peak times.

One to Swerve: Caesars Palace Dailies

This week’s Caesars Palace tournaments are back, but I’m not sure about one aspect of them. The blind levels last 20 minutes, which is reasonable, but there is only a 10-minute break every six levels. 

Your $100 starting stack is 20,000, but the add-on is $50 for 15,000 chips. While that is better value than the opening fee, the fact that you’ve got to wait until the first break to be able to use the add-on facility, coupled with the six levels of 20 minutes that add up to two consecutive hours at the felt without stopping doesn’t make it as attractive. Maybe stick to bigger events at the Wynn and the Venetian this week. 

Off the Felt: Omega Mart at AREA15

Image source: Meow Wolf Omega Mart by Atlas Media

If you want to swap the grind of high-pressure tournament play for something truly bizarre then the Meow Wolf Omega Mart in Las Vegas will do just that. Located inside the AREA15 complex, the 52,000-square-foot interactive art installation is truly surreal and is aiming its sharp humor at American consumerism through a vast sci-fi adventure you won’t forget. Costing $75 to enter off the street, you’re much better off booking ahead, paying just $45 or $46 for a booked time ticket. 

Slide that buy-in, take on the big tournaments and after you win, drop me in your mentions so I can get jealous of your success.