Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale has just raised the stakes in the Valley's gaming scene, debuting what's now the largest poker room around - reportedly even outclassing those in Vegas in size. The new Arena Poker Room boasts an expansive setup with 68 tables, outshining its predecessors in more ways than one. The space is fashioned to be not only a haven for daily tournaments but also the permanent home of the Arizona State Poker Championship, according to ABC15.

Ramon Martinez, the director of public relations at Talking Stick Resort, conveyed pride in the recent expansion. "We are the largest poker room in Arizona. ... We'll have tournaments every day. We'll continue to have the Arizona State poker championship here," he said, as per Phoenix Business Journal.

Since its temporary stint in a 16,000-square-foot tent which according, to Martinez was a crowd-pleaser in its own right, the resort has long been teasing this upgrade. "When we first opened at Casino Arizona in 1998, we opened as a poker room, just a poker room," Martinez reminisced in his statement to Phoenix Business Journal.