At ProfessionalRakeback.com, we're committed to bringing you the latest news and reviews of online Poker sites. However, we also like to dabble in live poker from time to time. Fortune saw us headed to Harrah's in Laughlin, Nevada recently, and we elected to take this opportunity to compose a detailed Harrah's Laughlin live poker review.

Read on to learn about the games spread, the promotions available, the level of traffic at this room, tournaments hosted, and other information to help you decide whether or not to play here. We also include a brief overview of the Harrah's Laughlin Casino property as a whole, including dining and drinking venues, so that you can form a complete picture of what to expect.

Harrah's Laughlin Location

Laughlin is a small resort town of around 8,000 people at the southern tip of Nevada. Near the spot where California, Nevada, and Arizona meet, Lauglin does a fair bit of gambling business from visitors residing in nearby states especially from Bullhead City, which is just across the Colorado River in Arizona and has about five times the population of Laughlin.

The major attractions of Laughlin are water-based recreation along with, of course, gambling. Though the community has experienced a decades-long period of slow stagnation and decline, it yet hosts eight casinos, including Harrah's. However, many of the poker rooms that used to dot the Laughlin landscape have closed for good, leaving Harrah's as one of only two that remain.

Harrah's is the southernmost Laughlin Casino, and it is unfortunately not part of the scenic Laughlin Riverwalk. Therefore, walking to and from Harrah's can be quite a trek especially because it's situated on the top of a hill. However, there's a water taxi that offers cheap passage between Harrah's and the other riverfront casinos as well as a Caesars Rewards shuttle that provides free transportation between Harrah's and the more centrally located Tropicana.

Harrah's Laughlin has three hotel towers, numerous shops, a few restaurants, an arcade, and, of course, several areas devoted to slots and table games. Nevertheless, the property layout is pretty clear and easy to understand. To get to the poker room from the main entrance or valet entrance, walk east toward the beach side of the property, then turn right. The poker room is in between the high-limit slots parlor and the sports lounge.

Harrah's Laughlin Poker Games

As is typical with live poker cardrooms, Harrah's Laughlin divides its offerings into two categories: cash games and tournaments. Whereas tournaments are scheduled in advance for set times, cash games start up whenever there are enough people who want to play.

Cash Games

The standard game at Harrah's Laughlin is $2/$5 NLHE with a $1,000 max buyin. Rather than declaring $1/$2 or $1/$3 as the point of entry for low rollers, this establishment eschews these lower stakes altogether. The other main game is $3/$6 Limit Hold'em.

This room's avoidance of lower-stakes games might make more sense if there were enough traffic to keep several tables of $2/$5 populated during all hours of operation. However, even within the restricted timeframe of 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. five days a week that this venue is open, there are seldom more than two games going.

Indeed, there's often only a single $2/$5 NL Hold'em table running, and if that table breaks after midnight, staff open opts to just call it a day and close up shop notwithstanding the stated 4 a.m. closing time.

The $3/$6 limit game also sees limited participation. It sometimes doesn't get off the ground, and when it does, there are typically a couple of seats open at any given time.

Players here are generally competent, but you'll see a fish or two at your table most of the time. The game tends to be moderately loose but not really passive as preflop raises are common. Overall, we would say the field is perhaps a bit tougher than your average $2/$5 game in Vegas but still beatable by a solid player.

The room levies a rake of 10% up to $5 with a $2 promotional drop ($1 taken when the pot reaches $10 and the other dollar when it hits $20). This is par for the course when compared to other cardrooms across the country. Limit players do get a small break here as the rake cap in these games is $4 rather than $5.

One quirk of Harrah's Laughlin is that in big-bet games, all bets and raises (apart from all-ins) must be in increments of the big blind. For example, in the $2/$5 NL Hold'em game, if the pot is $18 and you wish to make a 2/3-pot bet of $12, you cannot. You'll have to round up or down to $10 or $15.

Tournaments

Each day of the week that the poker room is open (Thursday through Monday) has its own tournament at 6 p.m. with a buyin between $60 and $95. The starting stack for all these MTTs is 5,000, but if you pay an extra $5, then this is doubled to 10,000.

Harrah's doesn't really have a history of special tournament series or hosting large poker events apart from the occasional promotional special. Despite a large WSOP logo being visible in the poker room, Harrah's Laughlin has never hosted a WSOP Circuit event. If you're looking for anything other than the regular weekly tournaments, then you're bound to be disappointed.

Poker Promotions

If there's any area in which the Harrah's Laughlin cardroom excels, it's in the number and variety of promos offered. These tend to be small bits of value regularly injected into players' bankrolls rather than huge payoffs with astronomical odds of ever hitting.

Aces Cracked

If your pocket aces get cracked in any game with at least four participants and a pot of $20 or more (before rake is taken out), then you'll receive a consolation prize. If your aces are different colors, then you'll get $25, but if they're both either black or red, then this payout is doubled to $50. The Aces Cracked promotion is active all the time.

Monster Hand Payouts

Make a big hand any day at any time and get a bonus payment for it. Royal Flushes are worth $400 while Straight Flushes will net you $75, and quads are worth $50. In order to qualify, you must use both hole cards to form your final hand. In addition, the pot must be $20 (before rake is dropped), and there must have been four or more players dealt into the hand.

Thursday, Sunday, Monday $50 Game Starter Splash Pot

As an incentive to stir up more action on Thursdays, Sundays, and Mondays, Harrah's will add $50 to the pot once the table reaches six players or more. Everyone who has played at least one hand prior to the splash pot will be eligible.

There's a limit of three splash pots per day. Furthermore, the same physical poker table is restricted to a single Game Starter Splash Pot per day.

Sunday $200 High Hands

Every Sunday starting at 3 p.m., the highest hand of every two-hour period takes a prize of $200. The final 120-minute interval ends at 1 a.m. A hand must be a full house or better to qualify, and both hole cards must be used. A minimum of four players must have been dealt into the hand for it to count, and the pot must reach $20.

If there's no valid high hand during any two-hour window, the prize money is not carried over to the next high hand payout. If two players achieve the same high hand during the same two-hour period, the prize is split between them.

Thursday, Friday Flush Cards

On Thursdays and Fridays, players can attempt to collect flushes in different suits to receive up to $175. The first two flushes in different suits are worth $25. Then the third suit collected on the same day entitles an individual to a further $50 cash. Completing the collection of all four suits in a single day grants another $100 for a total of $175.

For the purposes of this promo, each day ends at 11:59 p.m. Each flush must be composed of both of the player's hole cards. It's not necessary for the flush hand to go to showdown; however, the player must win the hand with it. There has to be at least $20 in the pot and four players who received cards in the hand.

Monday Mega Black Aces Cracked

The first instance of black pocket aces that's cracked every Sunday between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. will entitle the holder to a prize of $500. Then again between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m., another individual can pick up a payout of $500 for losing with black aces. At least four players must have been dealt into the hand, and the pocket aces must go to showdown and lose.

While the Mega Aces cracked promotion is active, no other payment for black aces that lose at showdown will be made. However, other aces hands still qualify for the normal Aces Cracked promo.

$3,000 Monthly Cash Added Tournament

On the final Sunday of every month, there's a $3,000-added tournament at 6 p.m. There are two ways of gaining entry into this tourney: playing 32 cash game hours during the month or paying $200.

Irrespective of the method of entry, everyone will receive 10,000 chips. However, paying a $10 add on will allow an entrant to increase his starting stack by 5,000 chips. You can also build a bigger starting stack by playing cash games prior to the tournament. Each hour of cash game play the day of the tournament before it starts is worth another 1,000 in chips.

Caesars Rewards

In order to benefit from any of the promotions described above, you need to have a Caesars Rewards account in good standing and must be checked into the poker room. Caesars is the corporate owner of the Harrah's brand, including Harrah's Laughlin, and Caesars Rewards is its customer loyalty program.

Fortunately, joining Caesars Rewards is easy and cost-free. Simply present your ID at the Caesars Rewards desk, and staff will print up a card for you.

The rate of comp earning in poker is about $1/hr in Reward Credits. These Reward Credits can be used to pay for dining, hotel stays, spa treatments, store purchases, and more.

Your play will also be tracked by the Caesars marketing department, and you may receive valuable offers based upon your play. These can include free rooms, food and beverage credits, invitations to exclusive events, and slot freeplay not just at Harrah's Laughlin but at dozens of Caesars properties throughout the country. It's true that the company reserves its most lucrative offers for slot addicts and pit game degenerates, but as a poker player, you'll probably still get a few of them too.

Harrah's Laughlin Poker Room Atmosphere

The Harrah's Laughlin poker room is a rectangular space enclosed by three walls with the fourth side open to the rest of the casino. The acoustics of the space are such that ambient noises seep in from the surrounding parts of the property, so it's not uncommon to hear people exclaiming over their slot jackpot or winning craps roll.

The cardroom is a non-smoking area, but a quick walk to the adjoining section of the casino lets smokers get their fix and then quickly return to the tables. Unfortunately, the restrooms are a bit further away.

The size of the cardroom is modest as befits a venue that has only eight tables. The tables themselves are nothing special with the usual green felt and beige railings that are standard. One nice touch is the inclusion of USB charging ports next to each seat. There are no fixed cupholders built into the tables, but movable ones are provided by the house for the convenience of patrons.

As far as the actual physical layout of the area, there isn't much to write home about. White walls, carpeted floors, and about a half dozen wall-mounted televisions round out the picture. There are no outstanding architectural or decorative features present. This isn't an opulent poker palace but rather a humble, workaday cardroom.

Beverages and Dining

Harrah's Laughlin follows the Nevada custom of providing free drinks to poker players be they alcoholic or non-alcoholic (the beverages, not the players). Just remember to tip the waitress. In our experience, the cocktail waitress came around two or three times an hour to take and deliver drink orders: a pretty reasonable level of service for such a small poker room.

Food, however, is not part of the amenities of the poker room; you'll have to go elsewhere for your meals. None of Harrah's eight restaurants are especially close to the poker room, but this isn't really an issue because the property is reasonably sized, and it only takes a few minutes to get from any one point to another.

The only high-end dining establishment present is The Range Steakhouse. It's open for dinner only. The Range serves up the expertly prepared New York strips, filets mignon, ribeyes, and other choice cuts that you would expect along with lobster tail and a few other dishes to round out the menu, including some chicken and fish selections.

For more moderately priced fare, check out the Beach Café, a diner-like venue, and El Burro Borracho, which is celebrity chef Guy Fieri's take on traditional Mexican cuisine. Quick and inexpensive eats are available from Starbucks, Smashburger, Pin-up Pizza, Cinnabon, and Red Mango.

Miscellaneous Facts

Purchasing and redeeming poker chips is done at the main podium. If you're on a waitlist, it's hard to miss your chance to buy in because the paging system used to alert individuals to an open seat is audible throughout most of the rest of the casino.

You can straddle either on the button or under the gun for 2x the big blind. There's no restraddling, and if both the UTG and button wish to straddle, the button has priority. When the button straddles, the preflop action starts at the small blind and proceeds left from there.

There are about half a dozen televisions placed on the walls inside the cardroom. They tend to focus on showing sports matches.

History of Harrah's Laughlin

Initially opened in 1988 as Harrah's Del Rio, the casino changed its name in 1990 to the current Harrah's Laughlin. In 2005, Harrah's and Caesars merged, and in July 2020, Caesars was acquired by Eldorado. None of these changes in corporate ownership really affected Harrah's Laughlin too much as it continued offering the same gambling experience as it has done for decades.

The Harrah's Laughlin poker room made its debut on Aug. 1, 2003 with five tables, advertising “$3 and $6 limits.” In July 2004, a new poker area opened up, which in mid-2009 expanded from five to the current eight tables.

In March 2020, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak ordered all casinos in the state to close as a COVID-19 measure, and Harrah's Laughlin complied. It reopened on June 4.

In September 2021, the poker room moved to a new location. Whereas the old poker room boasted “amazing views from a prime vantage point overlooking the beautiful Colorado River,” the new location offers no such panoramic vistas. However, the size of the room and games spread didn't change much.

Throughout the entirety of its existence, the Harrah's Laughlin poker room has always remained a small operation in a second-tier gambling town. It has never had a reputation for flashy events or massive prize pools. It has instead steadily stayed the course, regularly offering a table or two of low-stakes poker for locals and tourists to enjoy.

Harrah's Laughlin Final Words and Summary

The Harrah's Laughlin poker room isn't anything special. It's a decent place to while away the hours if you happen to be in Laughlin, Nevada, but it's nothing worth getting excited about.

It's not that there's anything in particular wrong with the cardroom. Rather, the combination of restricted hours of availability and low traffic volume when it is open mean that any serious grinder should find a better destination for live poker.

This room does have a few advantages going for it, like affordable tournaments several times a week and a roster of interesting promotions. However, in our opinion, this isn't enough to overcome its flaws.

Harrah's Laughlin poker room just doesn't make it into the ranks of the top-level live cardrooms. Even within the small Laughlin market, there are those who prefer the cardroom at the competing Riverside Casino. Given that Las Vegas is just an hour and a half away by car, there are plenty of better alternatives not too distant.

Other Opinions of Harrah's Laughlin

Before we finalize any live poker review, we like to look around the internet and see what other players are saying. This allows us to present a more balanced view of things while guarding against missing anything important. Therefore, we have collected below a set of posts about the Harrah's Laughlin poker room from real-life players across the internet:

More Poker Traffic Online

At Harrah's Laughlin, there are only one or two kinds of poker available most nights, but online, you'll encounter NL Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, and depending on the site you choose, such variants as 5 Card PLO and Stud. Furthermore, the volume of players at almost any internet poker destination is orders of magnitude greater than what you would find at Harrah's or indeed all but the largest live poker venues.

Add to this the fact that online poker is open for business anytime, anywhere, on any day of the week, and you'll begin to appreciate how much more convenient it is to play on your computer or phone than in a physical casino.

If you're looking for a great online poker home, than look no further; for we have composed an excellent guide to online poker for Americans. Rest assured that this pastime is completely legal for you to enjoy as you'll learn in this page about poker legality in the United States of America.

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