The Las Vegas Strip and the areas east of it are the biggest mess I have ever seen. Most roads have major lane closures. None of the signals work properly. Traffic is gridlocked. Finding rideshare and taxi drivers who want to deal with it is difficult. The Formula 1 prep makes most of the Las Vegas Strip an undesirable place to stay right now.
Another Las Vegas writer suggests completely staying away from Las Vegas. There are some good points in it. However, if gambling is your main reason for coming to Las Vegas, there are still options.
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Visit downtown Las Vegas
Downtown Las Vegas is completely unaffected by the F1 disaster. While it is a longer ride from the airport and for visitors driving in from Southern California, it’s still faster to get there than most parts of the Las Vegas Strip during the construction nightmare.
Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget offers the closest to a Las Vegas Strip experience downtown. It has a resort pool and a wide variety of restaurants from fast food to a high-end steakhouse.
The video poker at Golden Nugget is comparable to the Strip. The low-limit blackjack is worse. However, 3/2 blackjack starts at $25 or $50, depending on the time of day. Golden Nugget has a large poker pit game selection. The minimum bet is usually $5 at those tables. If you play live Texas hold’em, Golden Nugget has the only downtown Las Vegas poker room.
Circa
Circa is the newest downtown Las Vegas casino. Its theme is sports. Circa has the world’s largest sportsbook. Its pool is another sports experience. There are a few 99% video poker machines, including ones with 8/5 Bonus Poker overlooking the sportsbook.
Pit games usually have a $15 minimum bet. Circa’s high limit salon deals the only downtown Las Vegas blackjack game that stands on soft 17. It has a $100 minimum bet. Circa’s parent company also owns Golden Gate and The D.
Plaza
Plaza has over 100 rooms that were remodeled in 2019. These are called Luxe rooms and suites. Plaza offers the best video poker in downtown Las Vegas. This includes 99% and better games at two bars. One is Sand Dollar, which is nonsmoking. There is also a nonsmoking slots room themed after BC Slots.
Table Game minimums tend to be $10. You may find 3/2 blackjack for $5 during slow times. Plaza has the only single zero roulette wheel in downtown Las Vegas. It usually has a $15 minimum bet. This game is usually at least $100 on the Strip. Plaza’s fine dining is Oscar’s, named after the former mayor.
Downtown Grand
Downtown Grand also has rooms that are new for the market. It also has some of the best values in all of Las Vegas. There is $1 blackjack that pays even money. At $5, there is 3/2 blackjack, craps with 10 times odds, roulette, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Most video poker machines offer 99% games, including at the Furnace Bar.
Fremont
Fremont is a Boyd Gaming property. It is under a massive renovation. This includes all hotel rooms, the casino floor, a new food court, and a FanDuel Sportsbook. The casino offers $10 and $15 table games. This includes 3/2 double-deck blackjack.
Other downtown Las Vegas casinos
There are seven other downtown casinos. Here are some quality features of each:
- Binion’s: Deals Double Up Blackjack, which is the best blackjack variant in Las Vegas.
- California: Deals 3/2 double-deck blackjack.
- El Cortez: Has the last 3/2 single deck blackjack game in Las Vegas.
- Four Queens: Like Binion’s, Four Queens also has Double Up Blackjack, as well as 10/7 Double Bonus video poker. Hugo’s Cellar is an old-school steakhouse with some of the best service in Las Vegas.
- Golden Gate: Deals 3/2 blackjack and craps starting at $10.
- Main Street Station: While its pit is only open on weekends, craps has 20 times max odds, the highest in Las Vegas.
Reserve a room in downtown Las Vegas
Or stay at a locals casino instead
There are several locals casinos that resemble Las Vegas Strip ones. These casinos offer better video poker and lower table game limits. Most blackjack tables pay 3/2 in the locals market.
Station Casinos
Red Rock Resort and Green Valley Ranch are the gems of Station Casinos. Both are far away from the Strip construction nightmare. Each has 100% video poker machines. You can play 8/5 Bonus Poker at the bar. Blackjack pays 3/2 at most tables. Both have a wide selection of restaurants from food courts to upscale.
South Point
Drivers arriving from Southern California go past South Point on the way to the Strip. There is a large variety of dining options. The casino offers the largest number of 99% video poker games in Las Vegas. This includes 16/10 Deuces Wild, 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe, and 9/6 Jacks or Better. These are available on the casino floor and the bars.
The pit has $5 3/2 blackjack. Other games usually have a $10 minimum bet.
Rampart
Rampart became one of my favorite locals casinos in recent years. It has $10 3/2 double-deck blackjack and 10 times craps. It also has a large menu of 99% video poker games, including on Ten Play and at the bar. There is a royal flush progressive on many bar games.
Rampart is a resort first and a casino second. This includes nearby golf courses and several upscale dining options.
