We hardly knew ye
Less than a year after reopening, the Planet Hollywood poker room in Las Vegas is closing once again. Over the weekend, YouTuber, poker player, and Planet Hollywood poker dealer “Vegas Poker Nomad,” also known as “El Diesel,” posted a video to break the news that the poker room’s last day will be January 31, 2026.
El Diesel implied that staff knew this was coming, but he said they thought the poker room would survive through the 2026 World Series of Poker, scheduled for May 26 through July 15 at Harrah’s Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas. Caesars Entertainment owns all three properties.
Planet Hollywood opened its new poker room in May of last year, just ahead of the 2025 WSOP. Its previous poker room closed in July 2021.
“Featuring 23 tables and perched on the mezzanine with breathtaking views of the casino floor, it’s the perfect setting where the ultimate drama unfolds one hand at a time,” said Ken Ostempowski, Senior Vice President and General Manager, at the time.
The previous poker room was next to the Pleasure Pit table game, which featured go-go dancers and lingerie-clad dealers. While this was likely enjoyed by many, other did not particularly love the distraction. As such, the current poker room’s location on the quieter second floor of the casino was much appreciated.
It’s quiet…too quiet
The second floor might have been too quiet, though. While Planet Hollywood’s poker room was very well-regarded, many believe its location may have also been its undoing, as people complained it was difficult to find. It was not in a spot where casual players visiting the casino floor for other games would have been able to just stumble upon it and decide to play.
In his video, El Diablo said that he absolutely adored the Planet Hollywood poker room and loved going to work every day. He said that he often preferred being at work than at home and that 80 percent of his break time was spent in the poker room’s break room, rather than away from the casino.
He said that he is scheduled to start his final shift at 10:00pm on January 31, so if the closure happens at midnight, it will be a short work day. He added that regardless of the exact closing time, he intends to work. He was there when the poker room opened, he will be there when it shuts down.
Planet Hollywood’s poker room just hosted a successful WSOP Circuit stop earlier this month, with 616 entries paying up for the Main Event. According to reports, poker room employees will be transferred to other Caesars properties in Las Vegas.
The post Planet Hollywood’s Las Vegas Poker Room to Close January 31 After Less Than a Year appeared first on Poker News Daily.
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