Planet Hollywood Poker Room Closed: Goliath Series & 2026 Alternatives

Last Updated on August 10, 2026 by Bala Kumar

If you searched for planet hollywood vegas poker tournaments expecting to find today’s schedule, here’s the honest, up-to-date answer: as of January 31, 2026, the Planet Hollywood poker room on the Las Vegas Strip is closed. This guide breaks down exactly what happened, what it means for the Goliath series, and, most importantly, where you should actually be playing in Vegas right now if Planet Hollywood was on your list.

We update this page as new information comes in, because “current schedule” pages that quietly go stale are one of the most frustrating things about planning a poker trip. So let’s get into what’s real, right now, in 2026.

What Actually Happened to the Planet Hollywood Poker Room

The Planet Hollywood poker room had a short second life. It reopened on May 9, 2025, in the former London Club space on the mezzanine level, bringing back a 23-table room with separate cash game and tournament areas after nearly four years without live poker on the property. For a few months, it looked like Planet Hollywood was back for good, running four daily no-limit tournaments (10am, 2pm, 6pm, and 10pm, each at a $100 buy-in), a 24-hour $100 high-hand promotion, and standard 1/2 and 2/3 no-limit cash games.

Then, in January 2026, Planet Hollywood hosted its first WSOP Circuit series in six years, 18 ring events running January 1 through 12, headlined by a $1,700 buy-in Main Event with a guarantee in the $500,000–$750,000 range. According to industry coverage of the series, it performed well by most measures, with nearly every event reportedly hitting its guarantee.

Less than three weeks later, Caesars Entertainment announced the room would close entirely, with the final tournament, a modest $75 no-limit event, running at 10pm on January 31, 2026. Caesars framed the move as a “consolidation,” shifting poker operations and staff into two of its other Strip properties: Caesars Palace and Horseshoe Las Vegas. Per reporting at the time, Caesars cited reduced tourist volume compared to pre-pandemic years as the reasoning, noting that running three separate Caesars-owned poker rooms within a few blocks of each other on the Strip no longer matched current demand. Industry reports from early 2026 put the number of active Las Vegas casino poker rooms at 18, down from more than 30 before the pandemic , with Planet Hollywood’s closure cited as part of that broader consolidation trend playing out across the Strip this year.

So What Happens to the Goliath Series?

This is probably why a lot of readers landed here. The PHamous Poker Series, home to the annual Goliath tournament, was one of the more beloved mid-size summer series in Las Vegas poker history. It ran at Planet Hollywood almost every summer for close to a decade, typically from late May through mid-July, timed to overlap with the WSOP so traveling players had somewhere fun and affordable to play in between bracelet events.

At its peak, Goliath was genuinely massive for a room its size. The 2017 edition alone distributed more than $7.5 million in prize money, and Main Event guarantees climbed from $1 million in 2015 to $2 million by 2016 and 2017. It built a reputation as a looser, more casual alternative to the grind of the WSOP proper, cheaper buy-ins, a party atmosphere, and a room that leaned into being fun rather than serious.

With the poker room now closed, there is no active 2026 Goliath series at Planet Hollywood. As of this update, Caesars has not announced a 2026 Goliath or PHamous Poker Series at another property. If that changes, we’ll update this page,  but as things stand today, this specific series doesn’t have a confirmed home.

Where Planet Hollywood Regulars Are Playing Now

If Planet Hollywood was your regular stop, here’s where the action has actually moved, based on both Caesars’ stated consolidation plan and general Strip poker traffic in 2026:

Caesars Palace: The most direct landing spot for displaced Planet Hollywood staff and players. Caesars Palace’s own poker room went through its own relocation drama in 2025 (it briefly moved to a shopping-area space before returning to its original spot next to the sportsbook, which noticeably improved foot traffic). It’s the most likely home for any future Caesars-branded tournament series.

Horseshoe Las Vegas: The other named consolidation destination. Horseshoe is also a WSOP host property, which makes it a logical location for overflow tournament traffic during the summer series season.

Aria, Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn, MGM, and Resorts World: These remain the strongest standalone poker rooms on the Strip in 2026, largely untouched by the consolidation trend affecting Caesars properties specifically.

Off-Strip value rooms: South Point, Orleans, and select Station Casinos properties (including Green Valley Ranch, which reopened its poker room recently) continue to serve grinders and locals looking for lower rake and steadier games without Strip pricing.

Planet Hollywood vs Other Strip Rooms: A Quick Comparison

Since Planet Hollywood is no longer an option, here’s how the realistic alternatives actually compare for someone who liked what Planet Hollywood offered, a casual atmosphere, accessible buy-ins, and a central Strip location.

Buy-ins, guarantees, and schedules at all of these rooms shift frequently — especially during the 2026 WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, scheduled for May 26 through July 15 with 100 bracelet events. Always confirm the current lobby or call ahead before making a trip specifically around a listed schedule.

Practical Advice If You Were Planning Around Planet Hollywood

If you had a Vegas trip planned specifically for the Planet Hollywood room, don’t panic — just redirect. A few practical notes for anyone planning a Vegas poker trip:

Don’t assume any “daily schedule” you find online for Planet Hollywood is current. Multiple sites still show the old four-tournament daily schedule; that information is no longer accurate. Always verify directly with the venue or a live tournament tracker before you show up.

If you were chasing the Goliath series specifically for its casual, beginner-friendly reputation, look at Horseshoe or Caesars Palace once the summer series calendar for 2026 is finalized — Caesars has strong incentive to relaunch a similarly branded series at one of its remaining properties, given how well the brand performed historically.

If your priority was location on the Strip rather than the room itself, Caesars Palace and Bellagio sit close enough to fill that gap without much of a detour.

FAQs

Bala Kumar

Founder of PokerClubGames.com and a Poker Researcher with 10+ years of experience in SEO, WordPress development, and gaming content strategy. Specializes in researching online poker sites, poker apps, tournaments, bonuses, and poker strategies. Experienced in poker platform reviews, affiliate marketing, and creating SEO-focused poker content for global audiences.

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