Sands Casino Bethlehem Pa Poker Room
When Pennsylvania first legalized table games and live poker in early-2010, few imagined that within three years the Keystone State would usurp New Jersey as the nation’s second most profitable gaming market.
Contents
- 1 Pennsylvania’s best live poker rooms
- 2 Other live poker rooms at PA casinos
But it did.
Unbeknownst to most, Pennsylvania played host to a thriving bar and social poker scene long before the first card was dealt at a state-regulated casino. But for locals looking for something more, namely in the way of high stakes cash and tournament action, there were only two options: play online or make the arduous trek to Atlantic City.
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With the advent of live poker in PA, not only did it become more convenient for the state’s poker community to find a game, it provided those situated in New York City and northern New Jersey with better alternatives — alternatives they would soon take advantage of.
And thus began a major shakeup in the East Coast’s gambling scene.
Today, Pennsylvania plays host to a burgeoning poker scene. But given the wide disparity in size and offerings among its rooms, finding the right one at a PA casino can be a bit of a crapshoot.
To simplify matters, here’s a quick look at some of the best live poker PA has to offer.
Pennsylvania’s best live poker rooms
Parx Casino
Judging by pure size, Parx Casinoand its 80-table poker room is undoubtedly PA’s crown jewel. In fact, as the gross revenue leader among PA poker rooms, it’s also far and away the most profitable.
Parx hosts a bevy of daily poker tournaments, an illustrious higher buy-in tournament series (Big Stax), and the most varied selection of cash game offerings in PA. Its high stakes area is teeming with life, with games ranging from 10-10 NLHE all the way up to 150-300 mixed games.
Casuals and players with lesser monetary ambitions can try their luck at one of a myriad of lower stakes No Limit, PLO and O8 games.
Plus, things are about to get even better for players at Parx.
The Parx Poker Room is planning to move to a new location inside the main building as part of the casino’s upcoming expansion.
The new room will host 48 tables and boats some high-end finishes. This includes 22 high definition TVs and an exclusive 3-table VIP high-limit poker enclave.
Sands Bethlehem
Sands Bethlehem’s poker room also makes the grade.
At 30 tables, Sands’ dedicated poker area is notably smaller than Parx’s, and its location smack dab in the middle of the casino floor may prove oft-putting to those who prefer quieter settings.
But make no mistake, Sands attracts a wealth of players from PA, northern New Jersey, and New York City.
Given its smaller size and exceedingly high popularity, players will often find themselves regulated to the wait list, especially during peak hours. However, management does everything within its power to accommodate player needs.
Like Parx, Sands holds a semi-regular deep stack series (DeepStack Extravaganza) and daily tournaments. Overall, Sands’ tournament schedule proves to be a bit more varied than the one found at Parx.
Now, if only Sands weren’t owned by casino mogul and staunch internet gambling opponent Sheldon Adelson.
Harrah’s Philadelphia
Nipping at Sands’ heels is Harrah’s Philadelphia. The 28-table poker room’s claim to fame is it’s affiliation with the WSOP, of which the most notable benefit is its permission to host WSOP Main Event satellites.
Branding aside, Harrah’s poker room in many ways resembles the Sands, albeit smaller and slightly less profitable.
Harrah’s poker foray holds a slight edge over PA’s top poker rooms in the areas of game selection, room management, and most notably, promotions. A Bad Beat Jackpot and high hand rewards are just a few of the delectable promos to be had at Harrah’s.
It’s also the only PA casino that accepts the vaulted Total Rewards card.
SugarHouse Casino
The Poker Night in America Poker Room at SugarHouse Casino calls itself Philadelphia’s first poker room.
The room hosts 28 tables and runs tournaments six days a week and twice on Saturdays and Sundays — not to mention the huge slate of cash games.
There are 24/7 food options, in-seat text-to-order food service, and complimentary alcoholic beverages. Promotions include an instant high-hand progressive jackpot.
The poker room’s affiliation with the “Poker Night in America” TV show also sees it host televised events.
Other live poker rooms at PA casinos
Rivers Casino
Rivers has the advantage of boasting the only large poker room in western PA. And while the 30-table room has yet to fully realize its potential, the inclusion of the Pittsburgh Poker Open should solidify its place among Pennsylvania’s poker heavyweights.
For now, Rivers is the best of the rest.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National
For a 16-table poker room, an annual non-banking gross revenue margin of more than $4 million is very impressive.
Hollywood serves up a variety of cash games and plays host to a multitude of qualifiers into bigger events. But it’s hard to imagine such a tiny room ever hosting an attractive tournament series of its own.
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Another highly profitable, yet smallish, poker room, Mohegan Sun’s live poker room features 18 tables and spreads a variety of the most popular poker games with a range of limits.
Mohegan Sun Pocono runs daily tournaments with Texas Hold’em and bounty structures. Promotions include a Bad Beat Jackpot for both cash games and tournaments.
Plus, there is a progressive Royal Flush Jackpot promotion, adding $25 to the pot for each of the four suits daily.
Give Mohegan credit for its Bad Beat Jackpot and relaxed atmosphere; just don’t expect to find big action.
Meadows Casino
At Pittsburgh’s other poker room at the Meadows Casino, players are treated to a full menu service and an awe-inspiring view of live horse races.
The room features 14 tables with an open view of the live racing action on the track. Texas Hold’em and Omaha are both spread 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The room runs a regular tournament schedule, hosting tournaments twice a day, six days a week, and one on Sundays.
The venue also hosts special events throughout the year, now including a stop on the televised Heartland Poker Tour.
Promotions include a High Hand Jackpot Progressive paying out when a Royal Flush is hit and a set Bad Beat Promotion paying off when Four-of-a-Kind is beaten.
Mount Airy Casino
A once thriving poker room, Mount Airy has lost the majority of its poker faithful to the nearby Sands.
The new upstairs location was a welcome change, but the lack of business has caused the casino to cut back its amount of poker tables significantly, all the way down to nine.
The Poker Parlor at the Mount Airy Casino Resort is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The room spreads Texas Hold’em, Stud, and Omaha, no-limit and limit. Promotions include random seat and high hand promotions.
Presque Isle Downs & Casino
A beautifully positioned, reasonably well-managed poker room located on the coast of magnificent Lake Erie, Presque Isle’s offering is quaint yet hardly a poker player’s paradise.
Unfortunately, lately the room’s popularity has waned, with revenue margins among the lowest in PA.
The room now runs with just seven tables. Games spread include Texas Hold’em and Omaha. The room opens at noon on weekdays and 10 a.m. local time on weekends, staying open as long as there is action.
There are regular multi-table and single-table tournaments. The Presque Isle Downs & Casino poker room also offers full-service dining.
In addition to regular comps, poker players can earn a $10 dinner voucher after only three hours of play.
Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem halted its $93 million expansion this week, which including a new poker room, casino floor space, and restaurants. The Las Vegas Sands Corp, current owners of the Pennsylvania casino, are in the midst of selling the property for $1.3 billion to MGM Resorts International.
Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez said he is disappointed to hear that the casino expansion and renovation would not continue. The project would have meant 250 more permanent jobs in the casino, along with hundreds of temporary construction jobs. The area’s poker players are disappointed, because they have been calling for LVS to add a dedicated poker room for the better part of a decade.
Robert Donchez Unsurprised
The story did not surprise locals, according to Mayor Donchez. He said it made little sense for Las Vegas Sands to bankroll a $90 million project when it will no longer own the casino in a few months. Donchez said he only hopes that the new owners of the casino go ahead with the expansion, or a similar project.
Donchez told McCall, “We understand. It’s business. But I certainly hope that whether it’s Sands or MGM, the owner goes forward with the expansion when the sale talks are over. It’s a significant project.”
MGM Resorts Gave No Comment
When asked about the current plans for the casino, neither MGM Resorts spokeswoman Mary Hynes nor Las Vegas Sands Corp spokesman Ron Reese gave a comment. One can expect MGM Resorts International to put their mark on their latest East Coast property, but that does not mean a poker room is in the works. In many parts of the United States, live poker rooms are on the decline.
Sands Casino Bethlehem Pa Poker Room
Sands Bethlehem — soon to be renamed MGM Casino Resort Bethlehem — might be an exception. When Sheldon Adelson’s gaming company built the casino in Bethlehem in 2007, the $800 million spent on the development was the most ever for a Pennsylvania casino. The casino generates about $500 million a year in revenue, easily making it the most lucrative gaming venue in the state. In close proximity to Philadelphia and New York City, the casino is a virtual gold mine.
Sands Bethlehem Jobs Creation
Sands Casino Bethlehem Pa Poker Room
The Sands Bethlehem at the moment has 2500 employees and attracts around 9,000,000 visitors every year. It is a massive complex and big casinos tend to have dedicated poker rooms. At the moment, the development has a 300-room hotel, a concert hall, convention space, and an outlet mall on the complex. With the requisite restaurant space, Sands Bethlehem is a poor man’s integrated resort.
Sands Casino Bethlehem Pa Poker Rooms
The estimated $93 million expansion is a large expenditure, though. Sands Bethlehem CEO Mark Juliano announced the project in December 2016, just two months before LVS announced it would sell the property to MGM Resorts. It is still unknown why Sheldon Adelson would sell a property that has been so lucrative for him, but he appeared to be unhappy with the way Pennsylvania’s state and local governments assessed taxes.
MGM Resorts International’s Vision
It is obvious why MGM Resorts International wanted to add the property to its East Coast holdings. MGM Resorts CEO Jim Murren has overseen the collection of a network of prestigious casinos in the past couple of years.
First, Jim Murren bought out Boyd Gaming’s 50% stake in Borgata, the highest revenue casino in Atlantic City. At one time, Borgata generated about 40% of the gaming revenues in Atlantic City, so it is far ahead of the competition. Then Jim Murren won a casino license to build a venue in Western Massachusetts — the MGM Springfield Casino.
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Last December, MGM Resorts opened the MGM National Harbor, an integrated Maryland casino located just outside Washington D.C. Buying the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem is thus a chance to add a fourth lucrative casino on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Such casinos allow synergy in cross-promotion, as they various properties share their player databases. An integrated player comps program should allow MGM Resorts to market to all the major US metropolitan populations in the northeast, while offering repeat customers a variety of different gaming experiences.
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MGM Resorts International is one of the four giants of the Las Vegas Strip. Perhaps the card players get their wish and the MGM Casino Resort in Bethlehem will build their long-awaited poker room.