The Venetian's New Poker Room Opens Its Doors

By Justin West

On April 2, 2006, The Venetian casino on the Las Vegas strip opened one of the most luxurious and attractive poker rooms to date. At almost 11,000 sq. feet The Venetian's new poker room is a sight to behold, presenting the patron with breathtaking detail from floor to ceiling. With an astounding construction cost in excess of $2 million, no expense was spared in creating this elegant and incredibly welcoming venue.

Gone are the days of having to hike the entire length of the casino floor, dodging waitresses and avoiding the auditory-assault of thousands of slot machines to find your seat. Unlike most casinos, The Venetian hasn't tucked its poker room in the back corner of the casino. After you take advantage of the complimentary valet service you'll find the poker room beckoning you from just inside the main entrance.

You'll also find ample room for movement between the 39 tables, all featuring rich leather, cup holders at every seat, and auto-shufflers aside each professional dealer. 21 42-inch plasma television screens dot the room showing sporting events of every ilk and making full use of the computerized list management system.

And what of the action? The Venetian has taken every effort to make their new poker room a place of comfort for both the newcomer and the seasoned veteran. Hold'em, Omaha, and Stud are spread at limits as low as 4-8, and as high as 80-160 and beyond. For those that want the biggest bang for their buck, a separate high-stakes area offers seven unique tables, two lounges, butler service and exquisite gourmet dining.

Also worth mentioning is the Venetian's player card which, when used while playing poker, can allow the player to earn cash back for their time spent at the table.

And no, you can't smoke.

Former supervisor of the world-famous Foxwoods poker room in Connecticut, Kathy Raymond, was brought on board as Director of Poker Operations for The Venetian. I had the pleasure of speaking with her about her experiences and what's looking to be the place to be in Las Vegas poker.

Justin West: So you came from Foxwoods, correct? How did you get your start in Casino operations?

Kathy Raymond: Well, actually I got into the business as a dealer. I was a CPA prior to coming into the industry and I was just kinda burned out and wanted to have some fun. I found out there was the this hole in the ground deep in the woods that they were going to make into a casino and I thought I'd go over and take a shot. In 1992 I went in and became a poker dealer, had a ball for about six to eight weeks, and then jumped right into management.

Justin West: So it only took six to eight weeks before you were a manager?

Kathy Raymond: At that point it was really being in the right place at the right time. And with my background in business it was a perfect fit.

Justin West: Did you ever have an interest in playing poker at all?

Kathy Raymond: Oh, I've been playing poker since I was eight years old! I used to play with my parents on vacation and I just loved the game and it's stayed with me ever since. I find it a challenge. In recent years I've really started to get into it, accelerating my education. The last four or five years I've really determined that this is quite a sport. It's not a game.

Justin West: How would you define your play? Are you pretty aggressive?

Kathy Raymond: I think I am pretty aggressive. I try and create an image at the table as quickly as possible, follow through with that and be able to play off of it. I am fairly new, within the last couple of years, to the no-limit arena. I was a limit player for years and it was very difficult to make the transition. I can't say that I've gotten there 100% of the way by any means, but I'm continuing to try and make that a little more my style. Coming from limit it's just such a whole different mindset. But I intend to get there.

Justin West: Is there anything different about running a room in Vegas on the strip as opposed to Connecticut?

Kathy Raymond: Oh, absolutely! It's different in a number of respects. On the east coast we're rather limited as far as the venues that offer poker. Foxwoods was very unique in that it was the only one in Connecticut and, really, within hundreds of miles. So we were fairly lucky to be able to just open the gates and in people flowed. Here, it's a little different. Obviously, you're vying on a competitive stance with some major properties in the area and taking that customer service and the needs of the player up about three notches will typically do it as far as trying to be able to claim your part of the market.

Justin West: So what sets the Venetian's new room apart from the other rooms in the area?

Kathy Raymond: It's extremely elegant. It's been set apart as the top of the rung as far as elegance goes. Comfort, the chairs, the lighting, we really give our guest the ultimate experience. From a logistical standpoint, the room really has the largest square footage of any poker room in Las Vegas. It has 39 tables very comfortably spread out so you can actually walk in between them without bumping into things. We have a very, very comfortable environment, with lounge seating for both our high-stakes and low-limit players. So if a player wants to come in and play 4-8 or 2-5 no-limit there's lounge seating there available for him to relax and enjoy while he's waiting for his seat.

As for customer service, it's the personal attention that we are paying the players, attention we will continue to pay. We want our player to come into the room, having not seen him for a few weeks, and be able to remember who he is and what he played, actually make him feel at home and comfortable. That is something I feel is lacking in a number of rooms, something I've picked up on in my numerous trips to Vegas.

Poker is poker. The stakes may change, the type of games and limits may be different, but the game is the same. What sets it apart is the player experience, and how they feel as they are leaving the room, win or lose. We are trying to provide the same atmosphere, the same type of amenities for the beginning players, the novice players, for the tourists, that we provide for our 80-160 players. This type of thing is pretty unique, in Vegas. The attention has always been towards the high-end player and we feel that we should level that out somewhat.

Justin West: 39 tables... have those been full?

Kathy Raymond: They were definitely full for the grand opening, and since then we've been running at about 50-75% capacity, which I think is very good considering that the word is just starting to get out. I believe that the tournaments will really take off. We're actually offering 13 of them a week, anywhere from the $60 to $80 level up to the $500 tournaments. So we're trying to provide the tournaments for the novice players as well as the experienced professionals.

Justin West: Did you have any big name players show up for the grand opening?

Kathy Raymond: We had many big name players show up. We had Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese, a ton of the high-profile players. There were almost 300 in our freeroll tournament for which we gave away a Lotus for first place, and the car was actually won by a limit hold'em player by the name of Beatrice. She went heads up against Carlos Mortenson, and I believe actually that was the first time he'd ever lost heads up. They really had a good time. It was a very good start and I think the best is yet to come.

Justin West: Well what plans do you have for the room now that you're open and getting settled in a little bit?

Kathy Raymond; Well, actually, it's only been four days now so 'settled' isn't really the word. But we will be planning some events in the next couple of months. We've got a couple opportunities out there, and I'm sure we'll be making some announcements in the future that will get players excited.

Justin West: Anything else?

Kathy Raymond: If you haven't seen the room, come on down and see it. You'll be absolutely amazed. It will blow you away.

More Interviews

Justin West played poker since the age of 17, he spent more than a year earning a living on the green felt; a modest living, to be sure, but a living nonetheless. His aim was at one point to win the WSOP main event, thus causing Hell to freeze over. However, given his penchant for sin and his extreme dislike of cold weather, Justin has put that dream to rest.