Guide to Las Vegas 2024 Summer Poker Tournament Series

 

Las Vegas is a poker player’s paradise each summer. Along with the plentiful World Series of Poker tournament action at the Horseshoe and Paris, numerous casinos get in on the tournament action with poker rooms across the city with something for every interest and bankroll.

Summer Poker Events in Las Vegas

With so many players in town, there is a real buzz and a wide variety of formats and events. For tournament players, this can be a great time to play tournament after tournament. Numerous satellites, including at the WSOP, are also available to grab some bigger tournament entries at a bargain buy-in. Here’s a look at some of the events planned for Sin City this summer.

Aria Poker Classic

The Poker Classic returns to the Aria from May 29 – July 13 with 45 events with guaranteed prize pools totaling more than $12 million. The Aria is home to a vibrant poker scene (see more on that below) and this summer promises plenty of action for players. The series features buy-in ranging from $600 to $3,500 with several poker variants and mystery bounty tournaments with guarantees up to $500,000.

Once again this summer’s festivities are highlighted by the $3,500 BetMGM Championship  which features a $3 million guarantee and kicks off on June 7. The annual event allows players to qualify online in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, as well as in the Canadian province of Ontario. The final table will be streamed live on PokerGO. Here’s a look at a few other highlights.

• $1,100 BetMGM NLHE Mystery Bounty (June 6) – $500,000 guaranteed 
• $1,600 NLHE Mystery Bounty (June 21) – $500,000 guaranteed
• $500 Ladies NLHE (June 27) – $75,000 guaranteed
• $1,600 PLO Championship (July 3) – $500,000 guaranteed

For more information and a complete schedule, click here.

Aria – PokerGO Tour High Roller Series

As the home to the PokerGO Studio, the Aria will be the place to be for bigger buy-in events this summer. In partnership with the network, the Aria High Rollers run June 19 – July 8 and feature a 14-event schedule.

All tournaments are single-day events and are played out in the studio. Players will find nine Pot Limit Omaha tournaments before switching to five consecutive NLHE tournaments. The series kicks off with two $5,000 PLO tournaments on June 19-20 then seven more PLO events priced from $5,000 to $15,000.

Five consecutive $10,000 NLHE events then begin on July 4, overlapping Day 1B, 1C, 1D, 2ABC, and 2D of the WSOP Main Event. In 2023, the final stretch of these events averaged 80 entries each, with the finale bringing in 130 entries. Each Aria high roller begins at 2 pm (PT) with registration ending at 6:30 pm (PT). Players in the registration line by 2 pm qualify for a discounted fee on their first entry.

Events are part of the 2024 PokerGO Tour (PGT) season with players earning tour points based on the amount they cash for. The top 40 players on the PGT leaderboard at the end of the season qualify for the season-ending PGT Championship $1 million freeroll.

The High Roller Series uses the PGT shot clock, which is 20 seconds preflop and 30 seconds postflop. Time extensions will be distributed according to a player’s entry point in the tournament. Players entering before the first break earn eight time extensions while those entering afterward get six. Additional time extensions will be distributed to players in the money if the field exceeds 71 entries. For a complete look at the tournament schedule, click here.

Bellagio – Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Games Festival

Fans of mixed cash games are in luck at the Bellagio this year. Cardplayer Lifestyle will be hosting its eighth Mixed Game Festival at the property with five Moneymaker Tour seats up for grabs as grand prizes.

The festival runs June 16-20 with action getting underway at noon each day and limits as low as $4/8 and $8/16. There will be a pizza party to kick off the first day of action and other prizes will also be available. For more information on the event, click here.

Caesars Palace – Mixed Game Poker Series

This property allows every player to feel like a caesar and has players hitting the tables even before the action gets going at the WSOP with a nice tournament series on tap. Fans of other poker formats beyond NLHE are in luck with this series running May 13-21. Look for formats like Omaha, HORSE, Big O, 2-7 Triple Draw, and more.

Most buy-ins are set at $600 with the $1,100 HORSE Championship highlighting the series and running from May 20-21. A $600 Omaha Hi/Lo event kicks off the series on May 13 and a $600 Deuce to Seven Triple Draw closes out the series on May 21. For a complete schedule, click here.

Golden Nugget – Grand Poker Series

The Golden Nugget remains the only poker room in downtown Las Vegas and ramps up the tournament action for players each year. This year’s Grand Poker Series runs from May 28 – July 1 with $3.3 million in total guaranteed prize pools. Plays will find 96 events with buy-in ranging from $130 to $1,200 and a wide range of poker variants including NLHE, Omaha, HORSE, and more. There will also be numerous tournament formats including deepstacks, bounty events, and more.

The action gets underway on March 28 with a $340 Omaha Hi/Lo event with a $15,000 guarantee. The series is highlighted by the $600 NLHE Championship beginning on June 20 with $500,000 guaranteed and three starting flights. Another key highlight is the $1,200 NLHE Mystery Bounty is set for June 23 with $1 million guaranteed. Here are a few other highlights from the series:

• $250 NLHE (May 20) – $250,000 guaranteed 
• $250 NLHE (June 6) – $250,000 guaranteed 
• $350 NLHE Mystery Bounty (June 14) – $300,000 guaranteed
• $250 Ladies NLHE (June 27) – $10,000 guaranteed
• $600 Seniors Championship (June 27) – $50,000 guaranteed

Additionally, the Golden Nugget is hosting the annual Bar Poker Open Championship beginning on June 10. The annual event is the culmination of Bar Poker’s year and brings together players from leagues around the world battling for $1 million in prize pools in the championship, which will be streamed online, and several side events as well.

For a complete look at the Grand Poker Series schedule, click here.

MGM Grand – Sumer Poker Festival & Moneymaker Tour

This property’s Summer Poker Festival returns with a packed schedule running from May 29 – July 8 with almost $3.7 million in guaranteed prize money. Players will find plenty of NLHE with some other poker variants and tournament formats mixed in.

This year, the property is also teaming up with Moneymaker Tour for several events as well, with that selection of events running from June 28 to July 6. The $1,700 Moneymaker Main Event highlights the series with $1 million guaranteed. That tournament kicks off on July 2 and features three starting flights. Another major event is the $500 Mystery Bounty, beginning on July 18 with $250,000 guaranteed. Some other highlights from the series include:

• $500 Super Stack (June 2) – $250,000 guaranteed
• $500 PLO Mystery Bounty (June 8) – $250,000 guaranteed
• $500 NLHE Mystery Bounty (June 18) – $250,000 guaranteed
• $250 Ladies NLHE (June 23) – $20,000 guaranteed
• $400 “Older Than Moneymaker” Seniors event (June 28) – $50,00 guaranteed

For more information and a complete schedule, click here.

Tweet from Chris Moneymaker —-> https://x.com/CMONEYMAKER/status/1783901608402686191

Orleans Poker Open

This popular off-Strip casino offers plenty of lower buy-in events with some nice guarantees each year. This year’s festival runs May 26 – July 14 and offers a wide range of poker variants and tournament types. The Orleans generally features three events daily (11 am, 4 pm, and 6 pm) with buy-ins ranging from $120 and to $600 and overall guaranteed prize pools of $3.5 million.

The $600 Main Event highlights the series and begins on June 26 with multiple starting slights and $500,000 guaranteed. Another key bullet point for the series begins on May 27 with the $600 Omaha Hi/Lo Championship, which comes with a $50,000 guaranteed. The action includes several other championship events and a few other highlights include:

• $600 Deuce to Seven Triple Draw Championship (May 29) – $30,000 guaranteed
• $1,100 HORSE Championship (May 30) – $100,000 guaranteed
• $600 Triple Stud Championship (June 6) – $40,000 guaranteed
• $400 Ladies Championship (June 24) – $40,000 guaranteed

Resorts World Summer Series

This great property has a growing poker room that caters to mixed game players but also features some nice NLHE daily tournaments as well. The property has seen a growing poker environment since the property debuted in 2021.

Over the last year, Resorts World has partnered with PokerStars to revive the North American Poker Tour on site and also hosted one of the first stops on the new PokerAtlas Tour. The poker room has also welcomed in the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Games Festival as well.

The property has now boosted some of its daily tournaments and made some big additions to create the first Resorts World Summer Series, running June 6 – July 22 with more than $900,000 in total guaranteed prize pools. The festival features all NLHE tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $200 to $400 and is highlighted by two $400 main events that kick off on June 20 and 27. Each two-day event includes a $100,000 guarantee. Some other highlights include:

• $400 NLHE (June 23) – $20,000 guaranteed
• $360 Poker League of Nations Ladies NLHE (June 24) – $40,000 guaranteed
• $400 NLHE (June 30) – $20,000 guaranteed

For a complete look at the Resorts World summer tournaments on tap, click here.

Sahara

This is a smaller poker room at the north end of the Strip with a friendly staff and relaxed atmosphere. The Sahara doesn’t offer a summer tournament series but has a nice daily tournament schedule for low rollers and those should receive a bump throughout the summer with plenty of poker players in town. Here’s a look at what to expect.

• Monday – Thursday – $60 NLHE at noon and 8:30 pm with $500 guaranteed; $60 No Limit Omaha at 4 pm with $500 guaranteed
• Friday  – $60 NLHE at noon with $500 guaranteed; $75 No Limit Omaha at 4 pm with $500 guaranteed; $75 NLHE at 8:30 pm with $500 guaranteed
• Saturday – $75 NLHE at noon with $500 guaranteed; $75 No Limit Omaha at 4 pm with $500 guaranteed; $100 NLHE Bounty ($25 bounties) at 8:30 pm
• Sunday – $75 NLHE Bounty ($25 bounties) at 12:30 pm; $75 No Limit Omaha at 4 pm with $500 guaranteed; $75 NL Crazy Pineapple with $500 guaranteed at 8:30 pm

For more information on the Sahara poker room, click here.

South Point

This property may not offer a major tournament series, but features plenty of regular low-stakes tournaments with buy-ins from $100 to $200 and with guarantees as high as $20,000. These events are popular with locals and the property also features regular quarterly freerolls for players who log hours at the cash game tables. 

The $300,000 Spring Freeroll is set for June 10-13 with a first-place payout of up to $40,000. Players also score $200 just for qualifying and receive bonus money for every hour played over 100 hours. For more information on the South Point tournament schedule, click here.

Wynn Summer Classic

This is one of the nicest properties in Las Vegas and ramps up the action each summer. The Wynn Summer Classic has become a staple on the tournament calendar each year and this summer’s festival  is set to be the largest in the property’s history, offering 98 events and more than $37 million in guaranteed prize pools. 

The series runs May 22 – July 18 and is highlighted by the $10,400 NLHE Summer Championship beginning on June 18, with a $10 million guarantee and three starting flights. The World Poker Tour is also highlighted this summer for high rollers, with the  Alpha 8 Trifecta featuring a trio of $25,000 high roller events. The schedule features eight additional multi-flight events and some other highlights include:

• $2,200 Mystery Bounty (June 17)  – $3 million guaranteed 
• $1,600 Century NLH PKO (June 10) – $2.5 million guaranteed
• $500 Seniors NLHE (May 22) – $500,000 guaranteed
• $600 Ladies NLHE (June 11) – $50,000 guaranteed

The Summer Classic features numerous other events including several mixed game formats. There are also numerous satellite events throughout the series. For a complete schedule, click here.

Venetian DeepStack Championships

The Venetian has been a leader in Las Vegas poker and brings players something special each summer with the Venetian DeepStack Championships. The expansive 79-event series runs May 20 – July 31 with almost $14 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Players can expect buy-ins ranging from $300 to $1,600 with plenty of NLHE events with several other poker variants also mixed in, including PLO, Limit Omaha, Big O, and more. Numerous formats are also in the works including UltimateStack events, bounties, survivors, seniors and super seniors, and more. The series kicks off on May 20 with a $600 NLHE UltimateStack event with $125,000 guaranteed.

The series also hosts two Mid-States Poker Tour events with the $1,100 NLHE beginning on May 25 with $500,000 guaranteed and another $1,600 event beginning on June 3 with $750,000 guaranteed. A $600 LIPS (Ladies in Poker Series) championship is also set for June 25 with $50,000 guaranteed. A pair of Ultimate Stack events also each guarantee $500,000. For a complete look at the schedule, click here.

*Article by Sean Chaffin