2026 Non-WSOP Tournaments
This thread is for all Summer 2026 non-WSOP tournaments. Now that the WSOP schedule is out, the countdown for others is on!
Always curious to see what the other venues come up with. I put in some hours at RW, Orleans, and Venetian last summer. Didn't make it over to Aria, MGM, Nugget, or Wynn. Wynn is probably my favorite venue in town, so I'd love to play there at some point this summer, but their price points skew very premium during these months.
6/14-6/22 is my likely summer window this year. Tentatively hoping to engage with WSOP from 6/18-6/22, meaning I'm especially invested in seeing what else is out there on 6/14-6/17. The waiting game begins...
I played MGM and Nugget last year. MGM’s poker “room” drives me nuts. Too loud with it being next to the slots with all the music playing. I much prefer the venue at Nugget but the dealers are sometimes worse than WSOP dealers, and that’s saying something.
In the last two years I've played at Wynn, Venetian, Aria, RW, Orleans, and MGM. Here's how I'd rank them:
1. Wynn
Pros: Good dealers, comfortable tournament area, good structures
Cons: Far from HS/Paris, lack of fast/cheap food options, higher buy-ins
2. Venetian
Pros: Good dealers, very comfortable seats, good structures, buy-ins generally a bit less than Wynn, walkable from HS/Paris without being outside in the heat too long
Cons: Lack of fast/cheap food options
3. Aria
Pros: Decent dealers, good structures, buy-ins a bit less still (though they've climbed quite a bit the last two years), tables and chairs in the poker room itself are nice, walkable from HS/Paris without being outside in the heat too long
Cons: tournament tables and chairs in the expansion area are crappy and it's pretty noisy out there
4. Orleans
Pros: Attractive buy-ins with softer fields, generally comfortable and not too noisy, fast/cheap food is right there
Cons: Uber or taxi required
5. Resorts World
Pros: Good dealers, super comfortable chairs, softer fields, accessible fast/cheap food options
Cons: Far from HS/Paris, smaller fields, low buy-ins, those stupid oversized 5k chips
6. MGM
Pros: Attractive buy-ins
Cons: Where do I start? I'm with Dr. Meh, I don't like this place. Mediocre dealers, curmudgeonly TDs, freezing cold, noisy
I haven't played at the Nugget, so I can't speak to the room, but the structures for the tournaments I was considering there last year just looked pretty bad. Combined with their changing guarantees and reports of bad dealers, I opted for a WSOP Daily Deepstack that day instead. And that's saying something, because I really don't like those.
Unfortunately the buy-ins for 1-day and 2-day NLH tournaments at the Wynn, Venetian, and Aria have all increased pretty significantly over the last couple years. I'd really prefer $400-800 for filling in days around the big WSOP event or two I go down for, and Aria and Venetian used to have options in that range. Now it seems they're almost all $1, 100+.
Good breakdown of the rooms!
I forgot Nugget had issues with the guarantees last year. I will say that if you go, be aware that the tournaments are in The Grand Ballroom (hence the name of the series) and NOT in the poker room. They keep cash games running there, but tournament play in the ballroom.
Good summary of a lot of considerations!
Just a few issues I had with it:
Wynn structures are generally not good. They're more like turbo tournaments for their price points. It's still the nicest place to play in Vegas.
Venetian has a new food court near the poker room, so the quick and reasonable food options have improved immensely! I forget the name of the chicken place in the food court, but the buffalo chicken sandwich with Mac and cheese on top is amazing! Pure genius!
MGM is not THAT bad as you guys are saying. The problem is it's kind of out of the way if you're coming from the Horseshoe, and they don't have any unique differentiators to attract the crowds. Venetian and Wynn cater to the high-end crowd. Resorts World even, has appeal for business people with all their conventions. MGM is just... MGM.
Highly accurate recaps- couple additional comments Orleans - If inside the poker room chairs are good, outside so so. Biggest negative is the buy in time is limited to only 1 or 2 hours before the first event starts Decent dealers. Golden Nugget was burdened with poor structures last year - hopefully they improve significantly - positive is the director was very active on th
That drives me crazy that Orleans doesn'topen registration until an hour before tournament start. I complained about it to a TD and he just shrugged and said "we always did it that way". It's stupid. Maybe if more of you complained about it they would actually think about why they can't open registration first thing in the morning for all the day's tournaments.
I go at WSOP time for the mixed game tourneys and the Nugget and Orleans have plenty of them at mid range prices. I played in 3 at the Nugget last year and had no problems with dealers or staff. It was a cluster with the guarantees but that was mostly the big NLHE events - though they did downsize some of the mixed games guarantees. IMO there was a lot of confusion due to changeover of tourney directors but hopefully they have learned their lesson(s). Played in 2 mixed at the Orleans plus 1 NLHE and all 3 were great. It is a well run room and they know how to do tournaments. Only downside is they have limited space and often do sell out - so get there a half hour before start and sign up. In 2024 I played in 2 at MGM and wouldn't go back - as noted above "room" is in the middle of the gaming floor. Same with Aria where I also played one in 2024 - it was better than MGM and I did have a good experience there. Also enjoyed playing at South Point though I think they just run their regular tourney schedule.
In the last two years I've played at Wynn, Venetian, Aria, RW, Orleans, and MGM. Here's how I'd rank them:1. WynnPros: Good dealers, comfortable tournament area, good structuresCons: Far from HS/Paris, lack of fast/cheap food options, higher buy-ins2. VenetianPros: Good dealers, very comfortable seats, good structures, buy-ins generally a bit less than Wynn, walkable from HS/Pa
Aria was one of the first rooms I frequented in LV, so it's been sad for me to have been effectively priced out of their summer series. Their standard events were $400 just a few years ago, and as you said are now up around $800-1100. I can spend that on a tournament here and there, but it has to be something out of the ordinary. A typical one-day Aria event doesn't move the needle, so I've not played anything there since 2023. Certainly enjoy the room though.
I'm going to push back slightly on the idea that Venetian doesn't have cheap food options. There's a food court tucked away on the second level with a Chipotle, Johnny Rockets, a pizza spot, and some other cheap-ish fare. Nothing mind-blowing, but the Chipotle is a frequent stop for me on LV trips. It's a short walk from the canals if you know where you're going. The location is somewhat hard to find until you know it's there.
Likewise, while you are correct about Wynn, it's possible to cross over to RW and eat there on breaks if you have a one hour break to work with. My recollection is that Wynn has begun to axe breaks from its MTTs, though I can't really speak to that with any confidence. In general I'd agree that Wynn is a rough place for a quick, cheap bite though.
If I had a big budget, I'd play at Venetian and Wynn often in summer. Working with modest means, Resorts World is my go-to. Orleans and Nugget are tricky if you don't have a car. Apparently Orleans offers shuttle service back to the strip, which is relevant for a cheapskate like myself.
Same experience here with Aria. Short version: WSOP expanded into the sub‑$1K space, and Aria/Venetian/Wynn shifted upward because the market they used to serve basically disappeared.
I’ve been going to WSOP for ~20 years. Back then, my friend and I would spend 10 days in Vegas grinding sub‑$600 events - Phamous at Planet Hollywood, Venetian, Aria, etc. - and then take one shot at a WSOP event, since $1, 500 was basically the lowest buy‑in aside from a couple $1Ks. We’d usually fire the Milly Maker or Monster Stack.
Up through around 2015–2017, that was the landscape: WSOP ran mostly $1K+ events, and the other casinos owned the sub‑$1K market. Venetian would occasionally drop a $1K or $1, 500, but the lanes were clear.
Then WSOP changed .
2015: Colossus.
2016: Colossus and $565 PLO.
After seeing the demand, they kept pushing down - $500s, $600s, $777s, $800s, and eventually $300s. Now there’s basically always at least one multi‑day sub‑$1K WSOP event running every week.
And if you’re a sub‑$1K player, you’re choosing a WSOP $500 over a random casino’s $500 every time - bigger prize pool, bracelet prestige, better structure. During something like Colossus week, you’re firing flights until you bag; only then do you look elsewhere.
WSOP effectively absorbed the entire sub‑$1K ecosystem.
That left Aria/Venetian/Wynn fighting over a much smaller pool, so Aria pivoted to the $800–$1, 100 1-2 day market where there’s less competition and better economics. Same rake percentage but bigger buy in = same rake dollars with half the field size, fewer dealers — it makes sense.
These days I mostly play $500–$1, 500, and WSOP almost always has something in that range. The only time I look elsewhere is on days like 6/9 this year, when the WSOP options are a $1, 500 turbo bounty (not my thing), a $3K NL, and a $10K PLO8.
Venetian also has a new selection in the main floor food court with some very solid options, sandwich and hot chicken places both v good.
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I go at WSOP time for the mixed game tourneys and the Nugget and Orleans have plenty of them at mid range prices. I played in 3 at the Nugget last year and had no problems with dealers or staff.
Also enjoyed playing at South Point though I think they just run their regular tourney schedule.
Agree with this. I played 2 tourneys at Golden Nugget last summer and found both the dealers and the staff to be very solid and professional. They obviously had some issues and controversy last summer, but if they are still running a series this summer I will for sure play there again.
Regarding South Point, they did have some slightly bigger tourneys last summer from what I saw, at least a multi-day event or two in the $3-$400 range.
Last year Southpoint had 3 bigger tournaments in the summer that were $300 300k GTD w/ 6 starting flights. They ran one early June, mid June, and like the 2nd week of July. They were Mon-Weds day 1s with day 2 on Thursday, IIRC. They were very well run, a little faster structure than similar buyins, and the Southpoint regs are a lot of fun.
I should have been more specific about the food concern with the Venetian. Yes, there are both old school (Chipotle, Subway, etc.) and fancy new food courts in the property. Unfortunately they're both still a bit of a walk from the poker room, but the big issue is that Venetian doesn't include a dinner break for their tournaments. Even if I skip the restroom, is 15 minutes enough time to navigate the crowds, get food, and get back to my seat before play resumes? When I played the Poker Atlas Championship in December, I didn't chance it, I just made do with trail mix and beef jerky and then housed a chicken sandwich at 12:30. They do provide an order-at-the-table option, but they were so short-staffed and backed up that we never had a server come to our table to take orders despite repeated requests. It would be so much better if they just had a 30-45 minute dinner break.
If the Wynn has also eliminated the dinner break as well, that's awful. With the high buy-ins these properties have, this just comes across as nickel-and-diming us. They're saving 15-45 minutes of dealer pay. Boo.
Working with modest means, Resorts World is my go-to. Orleans and Nugget are tricky if you don't have a car. Apparently Orleans offers shuttle service back to the strip, which is relevant for a cheapskate like myself.
Orleans used to have a shuttle to The Strip (stopping near Fashion Show Mall) back in the day, but this one was eventually discontinued (maybe another victim of Pandemic restrictions?) and is not running anymore. At least according to my memory + what I can find online.
I am very pessimistic about whether a series will be held at the Golden Nugget following last year's failure of that series. Does anyone have any information about this?
I don't know, but yeah it was a disaster at the Golden Nugget last year. First they cancelled their advertised guarantees, which I wasn't loving... Still I was willing to play there even with no guarantees.
So one day I take an Uber from the strip to play their tournament, and they had cancelled the whole thing without even posting the cancellation online.
Fool me once...
I had checked their website and confirmed there was a tournament scheduled right before I caught the Uber. How hard would it have been to post the cancellation on their website? I suspect not informing anyone was intentional on their part, and they were counting on people to show up and hit the slots or pits when they found out that the tournament was cancelled. That's pure disrespect for the players.
I am very pessimistic about whether a series will be held at the Golden Nugget following last year's failure of that series. Does anyone have any information about this?
I just called their poker room and asked if they’re planning on having The Grand series again this year and they said “yes we are.”
I’m guessing they won’t be advertising guarantees this year, though.
On the cancelled tourney at the Nugget last year - there is a detailed explanation by their rep in last year's string and it was also written up in Poker News - at first incorrectly and then corrected the next day.
The short story is that they started with only 1 or 2 tables and a player who had lost most of his stack quickly then started complaining that no one had told him about the cancelled guarantee, He launched a campaign to get his buy in back and the day floor/manager finally capitulated and the end result was they cancelled the whole thing and gave everyone their money back.
So there really wasn't a way to notify you. I was staying at the Nugget at that time and confirmed that the next day with the guy who was doing the on line posting for them. FWIW he wasn't the TD but the night shift manager - big guy with a beard. IMO dumb call by the day guy.
I showed up for the second day 1. The poor girl who was tasked with informing everyone the tournament was cancelled said they didn't get enough players the previous day. She didn't explain the circumstances you just explained.
Still, they had already cancelled the prior day so it should have been posted on their website that subsequent day 1s were also cancelled.
Actually it's possible we're talking about different tournaments. I thought I heard multiple tournaments were cancelled due to lack of turnout after they cancelled the guarantees.
I showed up for the second day 1. The poor girl who was tasked with informing everyone the tournament was cancelled said they didn't get enough players the previous day. She didn't explain the circumstances you just explained.Still, they had already cancelled the prior day so it should have been posted on their website that subsequent day 1s were also cancelled. Actually it's p
Additional Day 1's were never "cancelled". Unfortunately after the first one, and the publicity from that....the damage was done and nobody showed for the remaining Day 1 flights. We were staffed and ready to go to run them, they were never cancelled.
There's SOOOO much I want to say......
[QUOTE=GreatWhiteFish;100001096]
Additional Day 1's were never "cancelled". Unfortunately after the first one, and the publicity from that....the damage was done and nobody showed for the remaining Day 1 flights. We were staffed and ready to go to run them, they were never cancelled.
I showed up in person for the 2nd flight of the $1200 Goldenaire Mystery Bounty at 11:15am and was told it was cancelled. The ballroom was empty other than staff members. You're saying additional day 1s were not cancelled but at least 2 of us just in this thread are telling you what we were told (and observed as the tournament clock wasn't running for it and there was nobody there).
Working with modest means, Resorts World is my go-to. Orleans and Nugget are tricky if you don't have a car. Apparently Orleans offers shuttle service back to the strip, which is relevant for a cheapskate like myself.
Orleans used to have a shuttle to The Strip (stopping near Fashion Show Mall) back in the day, but this one was eventually discontinued (maybe another victim of P
As it turns out, I'll be there in about a week, so I'll try to find out for sure.
Does anyone have the dates on when the Aria, Venetian and Wynn released their schedules after the WSOP schedule was released last year? Just wondering if it is another couple weeks, month or when.
You could probably find last year's thread and hunt through it. I remember it took a while though, so I'm guessing it'll be at least another month or so before they start trickling in.
You could probably find last year's thread and hunt through it. I remember it took a while though, so I'm guessing it'll be at least another month or so before they start trickling in.
Yeah it seems like they all try to wait each other out. It makes sense. You don't want your venue's big guarantees to conflict with the big players' major events.
Does anyone have the dates on when the Aria, Venetian and Wynn released their schedules after the WSOP schedule was released last year? Just wondering if it is another couple weeks, month or when.
Last year :
Wynn Mar 29th
Venetian Apr 10th
Aria Apr 17th
Orleans Apr 18th
MGM Apr 21st
Nugget Apr 22nd
The Golden Nugget should have a tournament series so long as they are home to the Bar Poker Open.
The Golden Nugget should have a tournament series so long as they are home to the Bar Poker Open.
The Golden Nugget should have a tournament series so long as they are home to the Bar Poker Open.
The Golden Nugget should have a tournament series so long as they are home to the Bar Poker Open.
