Dwindling Poker Rooms

Well, we are closer to getting online poker, at least in an intrastate fashion, but the number of poker games available in many jurisdictions is still falling. Certainly every new fashion or fad has a peak, and therefore there must always be a decline at some point. There is no doubt the popularity of poker has peaked and is falling, but don't worry, it's not in free-fall.

In Reno, there are only 11 poker rooms. In Lake Tahoe, the dwindling is due to the end of the summer season, but in Las Vegas there has been a reduction in the number of tables I see in action. That goes for large and small properties, as well as those populated by locals. Of course having an unemployment rate in the mid-teens doesn't help much at the local joints. Summer in Laughlin is always spotty for games, but they were slim last month. Will they pick-up on October when it's no longer 110 degrees?

The casinos at Primm, Nevada along highway 15 from Los Angeles and about 45 miles from Vegas seem steady. Perhaps they are actually getting some people in the door that are day-tripping. Unfortunately there are no poker rooms in the three casinos, so that's a bad example.

Looks like I'm gonna need a trip to LA to check out the rooms there real soon. Oh, and one question. Does anybody ever play 7-stud any more?