On Monday, June 26, we visited five locals casinos south and southeast of the Las Vegas Strip. The properties we covered are Green Valley Ranch, M Resort, South Point, Silverton, and Alamo.
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.
Green Valley Ranch
The limits were a bit lower than past visits to the Green Valley Ranch table game pit. In our past few visits, we found mostly $15 games. This time, most were $10. This included 10x craps, 6/5 blackjack, double zero roulette, Crazy 4 Poker, I Luv Suits, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and Face Up Pai Gow Poker. The 3/2 double-deck blackjack was $15. Baccarat was $25.
High-limit blackjack players have two options. There is a double-deck game with re-split aces and a six-deck with re-split aces and surrender. The double-deck game hits soft 17. The six-deck one stands on soft 17. The minimum bet is $100.
The video poker at Green Valley Ranch is still great. There are two banks of 100% machines, over 20 “Up to 99.8%” machines, and some 99% games at the bars.
Those hoping that the poker room returns one day will not like this news. The old poker room is now a high-limit slot room. It was previously used as a sports viewing area and promotions pickup space.
M Resort
M Resort was slow. The Roll to Win craps table was replaced by a live game that appeared to be missing a felt. The poker pit games like Heads Up Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and High Card Flush were $5. Craps and double zero roulette were $10. Free Bet Blackjack, six-deck blackjack with a 3/2 payout, and Emporers Challenge Pai Gow Poker started at $15. The pai gow game is available in both face-up and face-down. Double-deck blackjack with a 3/2 payout started at $25.
M Resort high-limit table games still have a $50 minimum bet. The options are baccarat, double-deck blackjack with re-split aces, and six-deck blackjack with surrender and re-split aces. The double-deck game hits soft 17. The six-deck one stands on it. Baccarat is also back in the old high-limit room next to the cage.
I could not find the “Up to 99.8%” video poker machines at M Resort. If these are gone, the best video poker becomes $1 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%).
South Point
South Point does almost everything right. Its players club awards slot points faster than nearly any other Las Vegas casino. Most video poker returns at least 99%, including many variants. The best game is 16/10 Deuces Wild (99.73%). It is available from $0.25 up to $2, including on many bar tops.
You can play $5 3/2 blackjack with six decks at South Point. At $10, you can find double-deck 3/2 blackjack. Baccarat, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, roulette, and craps are also $10. Craps is only double odds, one of the few negatives at South Point. Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em are $5.
Silverton
Silverton’s main competitor seems to be South Point. In many ways, the two casinos couldn’t be more different.
The best video poker at Silverton is 12/8 Loose Deuces (99.20%). The other 99% of games, like 8/5 Bonus Poker require playing the $1 denomination. That is below average for a Las Vegas locals casino.
The pit starts at $5. The options at that bet are 6/5 blackjack and Three Card Poker. At $10, players will find 3/2 six-deck blackjack, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, double zero roulette, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The 3/2 double-deck and Free Bet Blackjack games start at $15.
Alamo
Alamo is a truck stop with a casino across from Silverton on Blue Diamond Road. It has about 50 slots, a William Hill sportsbook counter, and two blackjack tables. The blackjack rules are some of the worst in the locals market. The game uses four decks, pays 6/5, and only allows double down on 10 and 11, but not after splitting. The minimum bet was $20 during our visit.
The video poker resembles what you will find in other gas stations. Games around 97% like 8/5 Jacks or Better and 6/5 Bonus Poker are common. You are better off playing nearly any other game across the street at Silverton.
