Share 
It’s time to shuffle up and deal again in Schenectady.
Rivers Casino and Resort announced that it will reopen its poker room starting Wednesday, Sept. 1.
The poker room had been closed since March 2020 because of the pandemic. Its hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Tioga Downs Casino Resort also announced via its website that its poker room will be reopening on Wednesday. “Stay tuned,” the announcement says.
Rivers Casino is open, but poker room the final piece
Rivers Casino and Resort reopened slots, table games, and its sportsbook in September 2020.
Now, poker is back as well.
“One of the questions we’ve been asked the most is when will our poker room will be reopened, and we’re thrilled to announce today that it is finally coming back,” Rivers Casino and Resort GM Rick Richards said in the news release. “The poker room is extremely popular and a big part of what makes for a fun and exciting gaming experience at the casino, and we couldn’t be happier to reopen it for our guests.”
Elliott Schecter, who has spent nearly three decades working in poker in a variety of capacities, will serve as poker room manager. The poker room has 16 tables and a variety of games.
The casino itself is open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, with downtime being used for deep cleaning. Masks are optional for fully vaccinated guests and mandatory for unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated guests.
NY commercial casinos seeing poker revenue uptick
Other commercial casino poker rooms in New York have already reopened.
Resorts World Catskills reopened its poker room in May, pulling in a GGR of $97,247. That number rose to $330,036 in June and then $452,027 in July.
Del Lago Resort and Casino reopened its poker room in July, pulling in a GGR of $184,946.
All four of New York’s commercial casinos recorded 2021 monthly revenue highs in July, with three of them setting records.
