SRPMIC Community Member Preview February 7 For Ages 21 and Above

Talking Stick Resort, an enterprise of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, is celebrating an exciting milestone with the opening of its new Arena Poker Room.

There will be an exclusive pre-opening preview event for the Arena Poker Room on February 7 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for all members of the SRPMIC and Talking Stick Resort staff. The room opens to the public on February 8.

“The new Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort is going to be the biggest and best in the Valley. We are referring to the new ‘King of Poker,’” said Ramon Martinez, director of public relations at Casino Arizona/Talking Stick Resort. “It is truly a beautiful, state-of-the-art space that we know our loyal poker players are going to love. In fact, it is so beautiful that it may even inspire some new people to take up the game!”

The Arena Poker Room continues to be the largest poker room in Arizona, expanding even more from 59 tables to 69 total, and includes 130 individual LED screens covering the walls and pillars of the room that show up to 30 different sporting events at once, as well as promotional poker information.

“Like our previous room, the new Arena Poker room has a scoreboard befitting the name ‘Arena,’ only this one is bigger and better,” said Martinez. “Further, there is a full bar, restaurant and seating area. And when our players need a break, there is a large balcony for fresh air. I can’t think of any other poker room with its own balcony!”

The Arena Poker Room will continue to host the Arizona State Poker Tournament and offer a full schedule with daily tournaments and hands of Texas Hold ’em, Omaha and 7-Card Stud.

Martinez said that plans for the new Arena Poker Room have been underway for several years, with Talking Stick Resort working very closely with an architectural firm to plan the new spaces. The resort also planned a temporary space where guests could continue to play without disruption while the new room was being prepared.

“The result was a beautiful, 15,938-square-foot, freestanding temporary Sprung structure which we opened in 2022. At the same time, construction was underway on our new, even larger Arena Poker Room,” said Martinez.

“Now, as we open the new space, we have the same considerations in mind. Our goal is to move everything from the temporary structure quickly and efficiently, without any disruption to our players.”

Martinez said that Talking Stick Resort anticipates it will take several days to complete the move, with their food and beverage team furiously planning and ordering for the full bar and restaurant inside the new room.

“We cannot wait for everyone to see this space, and we hope that the Community is as proud of it as we are,” said Martinez.