On Monday, June 26, we visited the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. This completed our latest Las Vegas Strip survey. Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, and Tropicana are the Strip properties we covered. We also stopped at Oyo.
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Excalibur
Since our last full survey of the property, Excalibur has had a few new features. Several months ago, Excalibur installed a large stadium gaming area. The blackjack tables that were there moved to the former poker room space.
Excalibur still has just one regular 3/2 blackjack table. The minimum bet was $25 for the first time in our last four visits. It was $50 the other three times. All other table games started at $15, except Face Up Pai Gow Poker, which was $25.
Pai gow poker is new to Excalibur. We have not seen the game there since 2016. It replaced Let It Ride in the pit.
Luxor
The only change at Luxor is that there were a few $10 tables for 6/5 blackjack and 000 roulette. While we’ve seen $10 craps and crapless craps in recent visits, it was $15 this time. The poker pit games were also $15.
There was a $500 3/2 blackjack game in the pit. All other blackjack pays 6/5. I’ve seen this $500 game before, though it’s always been idle. It hits soft 17. You could have played this game for $25 at Excalibur and $50 at Mandalay Bay at the same time.
The high-limit tables were closed at Luxor. These only seem to be open on weekends. The $500 minimum appears to be the new limit there.
Mandalay Bay
Inflation keeps hitting the pits at Mandalay Bay. All the poker pit games like Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em had a $25 minimum bet. Craps and crapless craps were also $25. The tables had no players. Face Up Pai Gow Poker and 3/2 blackjack are now $50.
The 6/5 blackjack games were $15. Double and triple zero roulette were $20.
High-limit blackjack and European Roulette were $100. This includes double-deck and six-deck blackjack that stands on soft 17.
The video poker at Mandalay Bay is still by far the best out of the three MGMs mentioned in this article. You can get 98% games at the $1 denomination and 99% ones at $5 and higher. There is even a 99% 8/5 Bonus Poker bar game at the sportsbook. Excalibur and Luxor offer much worse games at nearly every other denomination. The bar games at both are 96% or worse.
Tropicana
Tropicana was nearly deserted. There were few players anywhere on the casino floor. The few pit tables open were $10 00 roulette, Heads Up Hold’em, and 6/5 blackjack. Craps was $15. There was a $25 3/2 double-deck blackjack table open. Three Card Poker and Fortune Pai Gow Poker were closed.
The high-limit tables were closed. I have not seen this room open since 2019. Additionally, I do not believe you can get the stand on soft 17 $100 game except upon request.
I found the worst high-limit video poker games I’ve ever seen at Tropicana. These are between the pit and the high-limit slot room. The returns are 93 to 95% with games like 7/5 Double Bonus and 6/5 Jacks or Better. The denominations are $5, $10, and $25. Make sure to avoid these games.
The Tropicana bar still has $1 and $5 99% video poker games. This includes 15/9 Deuces Wild and 9/7 Double Bonus. It is only open at night.
Oyo
Oyo was the same as it always was in the pit. Craps and roulette were $5. Blackjack comes in $1 even money, $5 6/5, and $10 3/2 versions.
We found a few 99% video poker games in the $1 denomination at the bar. That is the best place to play video poker at Oyo. There are only four video poker machines on the floor. All had worse pay tables than the bar machines.
