Fiesta Henderson, Fiesta Rancho and Texas Station closed at midnight on March 17, 2020. That is the day Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak ordered the shuttering of all non-essential businesses in the state. It was the last time these three Station Casinos properties were open.
Today, Station Casinos announced that all three properties will be demolished. The land will be put on the market. The only exception is the ice rink at Fiesta Rancho, which has been open most of this time.
Each property had its place in the Las Vegas locals market
Each of the Station Casinos that will be demolished had its place in the Las Vegas locals market. Here is what these properties offered players that I found unique.
Fiesta Henderson
Fiesta Henderson was probably the nicest of the three properties set for demolition. I imagine its land near the interchange of I 215 and US 95 is the most valuable and best suited for something unrelated to casinos.
All table games at Fiesta Henderson started at $5. This included 6:5 single deck blackjack, 3:2 double and six-deck blackjack, craps with 10 times odds, double zero roulette, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, No Commission Pai Gow Poker, double zero roulette, Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
The video poker selection seemed smaller at Fiesta Henderson than most other Station Casinos. The 100% games included the nickel and dime denominations, and only went up to quarter.
It was one of three Station Casinos with full pay Joker Poker. Texas Station and Santa Fe Station were the others. It is no longer available at Santa Fe Station. A few months before closure, full pay Deuces Wild and Joker Poker disappeared from Fiesta Henderson and all other related properties.
Fiesta Rancho
Fiesta Rancho offered the lowest table game limits in the entire Station Casinos family. It also seemed like the smallest of the full-service properties within the company.
The most notable feature at Fiesta Rancho was its drive thru sportsbook. Here is a picture of it from about five years ago, before cell phones took good nighttime pictures:
Fiesta Rancho was the last Station Casinos property with a $3 blackjack game. It disappeared in 2019, shortly after the one at Fiesta Henderson did.
Fiesta Rancho had $3 double zero roulette and 10 times craps up until it closed. It also had $5 double deck blackjack, six-deck blackjack and Fortune Pai Gow Poker.
Its video poker selection was poor for a Station Casinos property. Its 100% selection only consisted of 10/7 Double Bonus, 15/8 Loose Deuces and 10/6 Double Double Bonus. It had nickel, dime and quarter denominations until the last three months, when it added $0.50 and $1 and removed the lower denomination, according to VPFree2.
I do not recall Fiesta Rancho having many 99% or better games above 8/5 Bonus Poker. Its video poker variant selection was below average for the company’s casinos.
Texas Station
Texas Station was a low limit player’s dream. It was home to nickel full pay video poker. When it closed, it had this game in three 100% versions: 10/7 Double Bonus, 15/8 Loose Deuces and 10/6 Double Double Bonus. A few months before the closure, it removed full pay Deuces Wild and Joker Poker when all Station Casinos dropped those games.
Texas Station also had low limit video poker variants. My favorite was the $0.03 denomination Split Card. It is the only time I ever saw a game in that denomination. Many video poker variants had one and two-cent versions with decent pay tables.
The pit at Texas Station offered $5 double deck blackjack, six-deck blackjack, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and double zero roulette. Craps at Texas Station was $3 up until it closed. It offered 10 times odds. It was the last Station Casinos property to pay triple on a field 12.
I would visit Texas Station occasionally when my kids were at hockey practice across the street at Fiesta Rancho. I would often eat at the oyster bar. It was not at the same level as the one at Palace Station, but had some good specials that moved to the one at Santa Fe Station.
This leaves Eastside Cannery as the last shuttered Las Vegas casino
Eastside Cannery is on Boulder Highway. It is owned by Boyd Gaming. The company appears to be close to closing Jokers Wild, which is a few miles south of Eastside Cannery on Boulder Highway. If that occurs, it seems that it will be replaced by a new locals casino. That may spell doom for Eastside Cannery, which sits next door to Sam’s Town, another Boyd Gaming property.
