Station Casinos to Reopen Green Valley Ranch Poker Room

Station Casinos announced on Monday that live poker will be returning to Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, just 15 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. It will soon become the first Las Vegas poker room closed during the pandemic to reopen since 2021.

Stations Casinos Bring Back Poker to Green Valley Ranch

Like other Station Casinos, the interior features a retro design that evokes the nostalgia of poker’s earlier days. At Green Valley Ranch, rich red tones dominate the poker room, highlighted by a burgundy floral carpet that immediately catches the eye. Interestingly, however, the casino, which will reopen in December, will do so with 16 tables, instead of the previous 22.

Open 24/7, the room will offer cash games and tournaments in fixed-limit hold ’em, no-limit hold ’em, pot-limit Omaha, and Omaha hi/lo. Green Valley Ranch’s poker room will be just the 19th remaining in a city that boasted over 60 in the early 2000s. It would have been the 20th, but Poker Palace Casino is set to close on October 1 with its new owner, Truckee Gaming LLC, planning to reopen the venue without poker.

However, back to Station Casinos, the reopening of the Green Valley Ranch property could be seen as part of the company’s broader expansion in 2025. Early this year, Station Casinos also started construction on a Durango expansion, which will see the venue receive over 25,000 square feet of new casino space when it opens in 2026.

How Has the Poker Scene in Las Vegas Changed Over the Years?

Since the decline of the poker boom around 2012, roughly 40 poker rooms in Las Vegas have shut down. After the pandemic, the Green Valley Ranch poker room, located just steps from the sportsbook, was converted into a smoke-free slot area.

Poker rooms rarely return once they’ve been converted into slot machine areas. This is largely because slot machines generate significantly more revenue per square foot for casinos. Unlike slots, poker doesn’t give the house an inherent edge; casinos earn their share through rake (a small percentage taken from each pot in cash games) or through tournament entry fees, rather than profiting directly from player losses.

However, according to a press release from Station Casinos, strong customer demand was the primary driving force behind the decision to reintroduce poker. Ken Janssen, vice president and general manager of Green Valley Ranch, said the decision to bring back poker was a direct response to guest feedback. He noted that the return of poker is part of a broader series of exciting upgrades at the property, which is currently undergoing a $200 million renovation.