On Monday, August 14, 2023, we visited several casinos in the Boulder Highway and Henderson areas. We stopped at Sam’s Town, Boulder Station, Sunset Station, and downtown Henderson. Earlier that day, we covered several casinos just east of the Las Vegas Strip. It is covered in a different article.
We passed Arizona Charlie’s Boulder because it removed table games in 2019. It also has no electronic table games. The video poker there was seriously downgraded in recent years. We stopped at many other casinos in that area earlier in the summer.
Total Access Club and Vegas Advantage Super Fan members had access to this article before publication. You too can gain early access to Vegas Advantage articles and more through Patreon for as little as $5 per month! Annual subscriptions are now available for a discounted rate.
Vegas Advantage is supported through memberships, sponsors, and advertisements. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Sam’s Town
Sam’s Town had the last Super Fun 21 table in Las Vegas. It is no longer there. Super Fun 21 is extinct in Las Vegas. Sam’s Town was also the last casino with Deuces Wild Hold’em.
All table games were $10 during our visit, except Face Up Pai Gow Poker was $25. The $10 games were double-deck blackjack, six-deck blackjack, craps with 20 times odds, double zero roulette, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
Multiplayer electronic table game options still include video 6:5 blackjack, Shoot to Win craps, and a Ministar 00 roulette. Roulette has a $0.25 minimum and craps is $1. The blackjack minimum and side bets changed since our last visit. There is a larger selection of side bets including KK, QQ, JJ, 7s, A-2, Match, Pair, Poker 3, and 19+. The minimum is now only $0.50.
Most of the good video poker at Sam’s Town is either in the very back or on the second floor. Full pay Deuces Wild and most other 100% games are gone. The best option is quarter 9/7 Double Bonus with a $1500 royal flush progressive. The nickel and quarter Triple Deuces Wild (99.92%) machines are still there. There are a few banks of the Boyd locals “Up to 99.8%” machines. These go up to the $1 denomination.
The bars offer quarter up to $1 99% games like 8/5 Bonus Poker, 9/7 Double Bonus, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus. Some machines do not have these games below $1.
Boulder Station
The biggest change at Boulder Station since our last visit was the addition of Roll to Win Craps. That is an electronic table game with a dealer and real dice. We also found this game newly installed at Palace Station, Red Rock, and Sunset Station. The minimum bet at all is $5. Maximum odds are ten times. Like the live craps tables at Station, the field pays double on 12.
The table game situation was otherwise the same as previous visits to Boulder Station. Face Up Pai Gow Poker was $15. Baccarat, craps, 3/2 double-deck blackjack, double zero roulette, 6/5 Free Bet Blackjack, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em were $10. The single-deck blackjack game appears to be gone from Boulder Station.
There are still stadium table games at Boulder Station. Players looking to bet on video blackjack should select the multi-hand option. It pays 3:2 on blackjack, but only requires one hand to be played. The single-hand version pays 6:5. Both have a $1 minimum. Craps and 00 roulette have a $0.25 minimum. Craps pays triple on a field 12.
The Ministar 00 roulette machine has a Touchdown Roulette side bet. It also has a $0.25 minimum. The side bet triggers a bonus round on a 0 or 00.
The video poker pay tables keep getting worse at Boulder Station. There is only one bank of 100% games left. The 99.8% machines keep dwindling. I could not find 8/5 Bonus Poker on any bar machines. The best was 15/9 Deuces Wild.
Reserve a room at Boulder Station
Sunset Station
Sunset Station is one of the best values under Station Casinos. Most games in its pit are $10. The options are 3/2 double-deck blackjack, 3/2 six-deck blackjack, craps, Crazy 4 Poker, double zero roulette, 6/5 Free Bet Blackjack, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Face Up Pai Gow Poker was $15.
There were several changes to the table games since we last visited. There is now a $5 Roll to Win Craps. It offers up to 10 times odds. Free Bet Blackjack now pays 6/5. It was one of the two Station Casinos that paid 3/2 on the game. At last check, Santa Fe Station still paid 3/2.
Sunset Station removed the blackjack tables from its high-limit room. It is now all slots.
There are still only two electronic table game options. Heads-up craps pays triple on a field twelve and has a $1 minimum. Multiplayer 00 roulette has a $0.50 minimum.
The video poker is a little better at Sunset Station than most other Station Casinos, It has more “Up to 99.8%” and “100% payback” video poker machines than others in the company. The video poker variant selection is a little worse at Sunset Station due to it being a little smaller.
The bars still have quarter and dollar 8/5 Bonus Poker. There are a couple of banks of 9/6 Double Double Bonus that pay $1199 on a royal flush.
Reserve a room at Sunset Station
Downtown Henderson
Our last stop was downtown Henderson. This is a great area for value. Emerald Island has 3/5/10 Play games like 10/6 Double Double Bonus and Not-so-ugly Deuces Wild. The denominations are $0.01, $0.02, and $0.05. Players may bet up to 30 coins per line. Food comps are easy to get. Loyal players never pay for a meal. Rainbow Club is across the street and has the same owner and deals.
Pass Casino is the only downtown Henderson casino with table games. It has $5 double zero roulette and craps with $10 3/2 blackjack. These limits go up on weekends. Pass has terrible video poker compared to the other downtown Henderson casinos.
