New poker room opens at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon
As rumors swirl of Las Vegas poker rooms closing (ahem, Paris Las Vegas), a new poker room just opened today at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon (formerly Barbary Coast), which is owned by Harrah's (er, Caesars -- we can never get used to the new and old names).
While not actually a poker room but tables inside the casino (like O'Sheas), Bill's poker room is situated near the entrance where the big eBay slots just launched (yep, eBay slots and they're so bright with the big screens you need sunglasses). Two tables have 2/6 spread limit (a format we haven't seen since Excalibur) and no-limit with a single blind of $1 and buy-in from $20 to $200.
The tables used are the old World Series of Poker tables, complete with the PartyPoker.net ad in the middle facing the dealer and TV cameras if there were any.
Like next-door neighbors Flamingo and Imperial Palace, a jackpot will offer payouts for high hands as well as $100 for Aces cracked and $50 for Kings cracked during certain hours.
Alas, as is becoming more and more the trend, the rake is 10 percent up to $5 plus $1 for the jackpot.