Venetian poker room going to 8-handed tables

The Venetian poker room is installing plexiglass dividers to allow eight-handed games.

Ten tables already have dividers, and all 32 tables in the room will be fitted with them in the next two weeks. The poker room’s Twitter account provided the information, and a casino spokeswoman confirmed it was accurate.

Traditional poker tournaments will resume at The Venetian on July 24. The room has been hosting shootout-style tournaments over the past few weeks that require players to defeat their entire table before moving on to the next table. In traditional tournaments, tables are balanced throughout as players are eliminated.

The Venetian’s tables that don’t have plexiglass yet will continue to host five-handed games, per guidelines from the state Gaming Control Board.

Sahara Las Vegas is now hosting seven-handed games after installing plexiglass, poker operations manager Steven Pique said on Twitter. The room will also start hosting shootout-style tournaments July 25.

The Aria, the Bellagio, MGM Grand and The Orleans are hosting six-handed games with plexiglass. Caesars Palace, the Flamingo, the Golden Nugget and the South Point are hosting five-handed games without plexiglass.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.