Caesars Entertainment dropped both of its multi-property promotions to start 2014. The Mega Beat Progressive Bad Beat Jackpot ran through most of 2013 and hit several times, with the biggest payout in June ($904K). The gaming giant also discontinued its “20 for 20” freeroll, a biweekly event for players who had played 20 hours in any Caesars Entertainment Vegas property during the period.
Caesars Palace’s promotions include high-hand bonuses of between $100 and $500 for quads, straight flushes and royal flushes. Limit games also will offer aces and kings cracked ($100) and queens and jacks cracked ($50).
Monday through Friday, its noon $110 buy-in tournament will have a $2K guarantee. This tournament offers a 10K starting stack and has 20-minute levels. On Saturdays and Sundays, the $235 2 p.m. tournament will have a $5K guarantee, and has a 15K starting stack with 30-minute levels.
Bally’s also will offer high-hand bonuses of up to $1K for royals. The diamond royal will be progressive, starting at $1K and will include a share for every player in the room.
Bally’s is also offering a $1K prize pool guarantee on all tournaments, including a new event at 9 a.m., plus all five dailies also have a $600 guarantee for first place.
Harrah’s is adding a $5K weekly freeroll, with 10 hours of live play to qualify, in addition to high-hand bonuses for straight flushes and royals.
Planet Hollywood offers high-hand bonuses for quads or better, with $1K for royals. A share will be given to all players at that table. The heart royal is progressive and will offer a share to everyone playing in the room when it hits.
All of Planet Hollywood’s $75 tournaments, held four times a day, have three guarantees. The guarantee prize pool is $1,500 while first and second place are guaranteed at $1K and $500, respectively.
VENETIAN: The Venetian offers three tournaments a week with $10K guarantees. All are $200 bounty tournaments (12K starting stack, 30-minute levels, $50 bounties) and run Tuesdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. and Fridays at noon.
Saturday’s noon tournament remains a $300 bounty event, with $100 bounties, a 12K starting stack and 30-minute levels. The popular Friday night $200 Survivor tournament has eliminated the three 20-minute levels that began the tournament. All levels are now 30 minutes. The top 10 percent of the field each wins an equal share of the prize pool ($1,600).
TREASURE ISLAND: The Strip room offers its version of Survivor tournaments twice a week, Sundays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 7 p.m. These are $70 tournaments with 20-minute levels and 7K chips. The top 20 percent wins an equal share of the pool. Fridays at 7 the tournament is called “Double or Nothing.” It’s a version of the survivor idea, but in this case, half of the field will split the prize pool evenly, while the other half goes home empty-handed.
The room’s popular 10 p.m., $55 tournament, with a $1K guarantee, remains unchanged, featuring 5,500 in chips and 20-minute levels.
BELLAGIO: The WPT Five Diamond Classic went to Dan Smith of Las Vegas on Dec. 11. Smith outlasted a field of nearly 450 entrants for the top prize of $1.1 million.
PALMS: The second annual Jewish Poker Championships on Dec. 24 attracted 15 players, including pros Dan Fleshyman, James Bord, Eli Elezra and Darren Rabinowitz. Bad weather on the East Coast prevented a few committed players from attending. The buy-in was $550 and when it was down to three players, they decided to chop the prize pool. Martin Friedman and Willie Mercer, both of Los Angeles, and Michael Terhaar of Phoenix each took home $2,500. Friedman was the chipleader and declared the winner, and took home the trophy. The event will be held again next year and is open to all players.
TEXAS STATION: Forrest Caldwell has been named poker manager. He comes over from sister property Boulder Station, where he worked as a shift supervisor for six years. The eight-table poker room discontinued its Wednesday and Friday night tournaments. It offers $1-2 no-limit hold’em and $2-$6 spread-limit games, and progressive high-hand bonuses for quads.
MGM GRAND: The Strip room continues its cash giveaway drawings. Between $100 and $3K is given away every four hours. The prize for the high hand of the hour in its limit game has been reduced to $50, and the Progressive Power Hour Promotion, a progressive jackpot for hitting a certain hand at a certain hour, has been discontinued.
As noted last issue, the MGM will be giving away Ante Up Poker Cruise packages this month. Details on how they will be awarded can be found here.
CLOSING: The El Cortez Hotel, downtown, closed its poker room at the end of 2013.
— Email Rob Solomon at rob@allvegaspoker.com. Follow him on Twitter @Robvegaspoker and read his blog at robvegaspoker.blogspot.com.
