What took so long?

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, which has not had a poker room since it opened in 1995, has one now.

The rock ‘n roll-themed hotel/casino complex announced this week that it had opened its first-ever poker room, but with a twist.

A twist of lemon?

Perhaps that too.

According to media reports about the new poker room, the facility–called the Hard Rock Poker Lounge–is a combination poker room and night club.

And, oh yes, there’s also a bar.

And piped-in rock music, 24/7.

Pokerwise, there are 18 dealer-manned tables for high- and low-limit Texas hold ‘em, Omaha and other poker disciplines.

There are also some automatic–read that dealerless–poker tables.

The Hard Rock’s decision to finally open a poker room–some five years after the current poker boom ignited in 2003 with Chris Moneymaker’s win at the World Series of Poker–is a bit curious.

Although still mightily popular, poker’s popularity has started to wane a little, as television ratings for poker shows have slipped and several casinos in Vegas and elsewhere have closed down their poker rooms.

The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino considers itself on the cutting edge of Vegas chic–a trendsetter like no other.

And it took until 2008 to discover poker?

Oh well, better late than never.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)