Image source: PokerGo
Las Vegas thrives on action, and the gambling capital of the world delivers more than most weeks over the next seven days. Yes, the PokerGO Tour PLO Series is back, and with it come eight events that we’re on top of like aces over kings.
From the hottest PLO action in the PokerGO Studio to smaller rooms offering value at lower limits, plus a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience away from the Strip, this week is going to be a great one in Vegas… whether you prefer four hole cards or two.
Playing the Board: The PGT PLO Series Arrives
The headline attraction this week is unquestionably the PokerGO Tour PLO Series. While many players will automatically play No Limit Hold’em whenever they hit Las Vegas, the coming week could offer a unique opportunity for Pot-Limit Omaha players looking to win big.
The PokerGO Tour PLO Series takes place inside the PokerGO Studio at ARIA from Thursday, 24 September and runs through October 2, with main events starting at 7pm and final tables streamed live on PokerGO.
Featuring eight events with buy-ins ranging from $5,300 up to the $26,000 PLO Championship that closes the series, satellites costing just $560 are also running from the ARIA Poker Room throughout. That is where the value sits for most of us, because the big names tend to buy straight into the events rather than grind a qualifier, which leaves the satellite fields softer than the tournaments they feed.
Even if Omaha isn’t normally your game, major PokerGO festivals tend to ripple through Las Vegas poker, and I’d expect other event series to get a boost over the coming week or so, too.
Traveling pros arrive with friends, mixed game lovers appear from nowhere, and the poker ecosystem shifts slightly in favor of PLO players. If four cards are your jam, then spread yourself across the eight events by targeting satellite qualifiers. Event #6 is a $15,700 Mystery Bounty and could be of particular interest, with this comparatively new variant always a popular one with players.
The atmosphere around ARIA should be electric throughout the week, especially as the festival acts as a lead-in to an enormous stretch of PokerGO Tour action running through October in the city.
Las Vegas Live Poker Tournament Schedule Thursday 24 September – Friday 2 October 2026.
| Start Date | Venue | Tournament | Buy-in | Guarantee | Start Time | |
| Thu 24 Sep – Fri 2 Oct | ARIA | PokerGO PLO Series | $5,300-$26,000 | n/a | 7pm | |
| Thu 24 – Sun 27 Sep | The Venetian | DeepStack Extravaganza | $600 | $150,000 | 11:10am | |
| Mon 28 – Wed 30 Sep | Wynn Las Vegas | Wynn Fall Classic Event #1 | $400 | $100,000 | 11:00am | |
| Fri 25 Sep – Thu 1 Oct | Caesars Palace | Daily NLHE | $100-$160 | $1,000 | 10am-9pm | |
| Fri 25 Sep | The Orleans | NLHE Mega Stack | $200 | $15,000 | 11:05am | |
| Fri 25 Sep – Thu 1 Oct | Bellagio | PLO Double Bomb Pot | $200-$300 | n/a | 6pm | |
| Fri 25 Sep – Thu 1 Oct | South Point | Daily NLHE | $120-$240 | $2k-$10k | Various | |
Around the Rooms: Fall Classic Opens, DeepStack Rolls On
The Wynn Fall Classic starts this week at Wynn Las Vegas, and while you’ll have to wait until Monday to take part, it’s well worth registering for Event #1 on the schedule.
The NLHE event is $400 to play, you start with 40,000 chips, and levels run 40 minutes, with flights on Monday and Tuesday at 11am before Day 2 on Wednesday. Best of all, the event has a $100,000 guarantee, which is big value.
Over at The Venetian, the DeepStack Extravaganza continues, and the $600-entry NLHE event should be your target. Flights run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 11:10am with Day 2 on Sunday, and with a massive $150,000 guarantee, the action could be unmissable. For that reason, if you’re thinking of playing at either The Venetian or the Wynn Las Vegas, choose The Venetian first, since it starts earlier and has a bigger guarantee. Oh, and if you cash in both and are feeling generous, we take tips in the form of NFL picks.
Last week’s first-anniversary Ladies Night celebrations went down well at Bellagio (pictured), and the casino deserves credit for offering a great opportunity for female players to play in a stunning, safe, and friendly environment.
I’d love to see this rolled out around Vegas, and other cardrooms should note that footfall on the night was really strong as a result.
South Point continues to do South Point things, and alongside their traditional busy poker nights, they even awarded over $15,000 to one lucky winner this week. Their patron, Rachelle, took the Straight Flush bonus in Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Hey, I’m just happy to see these promotions actually getting won.
At The Orleans, overlay was perilously or gloriously close again in their $200 buy-in Friday tournament, as the $15,000 guarantee continues to be hard to hit yet stays in place – kudos to the management there.
There’ll be some exciting tournament news in a couple of weeks from The Orleans with their Mix Game Carnival coming up between October 20-30, too.
One to Swerve: Carrying Cash
This week, I really can’t criticize the great range of events, friendly interaction with patrons, and general feel-good factor around the poker in Las Vegas. Every casino either has a series that offers value or already offers poker that rewards loyalty, is inclusive, and puts players first pretty much across the board.
When the good times roll in Las Vegas, it’s worth reminding yourself that one lucky night can also turn into a nightmare. Carrying cash from the casino to your home or hotel is risky, and while many do it, no one should.
If you win big in Las Vegas this week, liaise with the casino to keep the money on account, transfer it wirelessly, or travel in groups to avoid robbers in Sin City. The nickname is there for a reason, and while I’d never put anyone off playing poker in Las Vegas – quite the opposite – you deserve to take home what you win safely and securely. Don’t get caught out.
Off the Felt: The Wizard of Oz at Sphere
Image source: thesphere.com
If you’ve spent days staring at cards, chips, and casino carpets this week, it might be time to embrace something different. Very different.
This week’s off-the-felt recommendation is a 75-minute 4D immersive film that reimagines the classic 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical fantasy for the venue’s massive 160,000-square-foot, 16K-resolution LED screen.
Tickets run from around $121 to $174, and new scent effects will be added on September 25, ready for this weekend.
With AI-enhanced, Pixar-style animation that expands Oz’s visual horizons, alongside a re-recorded musical score delivered through 167,000 programmable speakers, you know the plot; Dorothy doesn’t turn into a semi-pro poker player in this version.
But the intense deployment of built-in multi-sensory effects means high-velocity wind arrays and rumbling infrasound haptic seats during the famous Kansas tornado scene, atmospheric fog and towering fire bursts, plus falling props and flying objects sent out over the arena. It’s a truly unique experience.
If you’re playing PLO this week, then draw yourself to glory. If you’re sticking with the two-card game, run from trouble like the cowardly lion and don’t stop ‘til you get to the Emerald City.
Stay patient, avoid convincing yourself that every four-card hand is aces, and I’ll be back next week with another look around the Las Vegas poker scene.
