On Monday, March 18, we covered six casinos just west of the Las Vegas Strip. The properties we visited were Palace Station, Rio, Gold Coast, Palms, Orleans, and Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. We surveyed them in that order. It was a great day for exercise, so we parked at Palace Station and walked it all. It was about 13 miles.
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Palace Station
Our first stop was Palace Station. It now has a $5 Roll to Win Craps machine. It has 10 times odds, which is the same as the live game that was $10. The 6/5 blackjack games, Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and double zero roulette were also $10. The 3/2 blackjack tables start at $15. There is now no-commission baccarat for $15. The traditional game starts at $25, which was also the minimum bet for pai gow poker. Pai gow tiles was $50. The two high-limit blackjack games were $100.
Electronic table games include baccarat, craps, and 00 roulette. Heads-up baccarat has a $1 minimum while the live dealer stadium games are $5. Multiplayer 00 roulette has a $0.50 minimum and a Touchdown Roulette side bet. Heads-up craps has a $1 minimum. It no longer offers the Lucky Shooter side bet.
Rio
We walked three miles to Rio next. There is construction for a new restaurant where the baccarat and pai gow tables once were. A few tables of each game moved to the pit.
There were no $5 games at Rio. This is the first time outside of World Series of Poker time that we did not see a table below $10. All the typical poker titles, craps, and double and triple zero roulette are available for $10. Pai gow poker was $25. Baccarat and 3/2 blackjack were $50.
Only three electronic table game machines remain. Big Wheel has a $2 minimum. Dual Wheel and Ministar 00 roulette each have a $3 minimum.
All single line video poker returns at least 98%. The best game at the quarter, half-dollar, and dollar denominations is 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker. At $2, $5, $10, and $25 denominations, it is 8/5 Bonus Poker.
Gold Coast
Leaving Rio through the sportsbook entrance, we followed the pedestrian walkway to Gold Coast. The pathway takes you across Valley View at a crosswalk light. It then continues through the first level of Gold Coast’s parking garage.
There were a few changes at Gold Coast. Face up is now the only version of pai gow poker dealt. Asia Poker returned. It replaced the last Fortune Pai Gow Poker table. Both were $15. Asia Poker is like pai gow poker. There are three hands to set instead of two. The player must beat the banker on at least two hands to win the bet. The house edge for Asia Poker is about triple that of Face Up Pai Gow Poker.
The six-deck blackjack game was removed. All blackjack is double-deck, which pays 3/2 and starts at $15. Double zero roulette is still $3. Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em are $5. Craps was $10. Baccarat was $25.
Gold Coast also has live dealer stadium baccarat for a $5 minimum. Heads-up options include baccarat and craps. Craps no longer has the Lucky Shooter side bet. Both games have a $1 minimum bet. Multiplayer Ministar 00 roulette has a $3 bet requirement.
Palms
Palms raised the limits on some of its games. The lowest minimum bet is now $15. This includes all 3/2 blackjack, craps, double zero roulette, pai gow poker, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. EZ Baccarat is $25. The traditional game is $50. High limit blackjack, including double-deck and six-deck that stands on soft 17, starts at $100.
Heads-up 6:5 blackjack and craps are available for a $1 minimum bet. Craps no longer offers the Lucky Shooter side bet. New since our last visit, heads-up crapless craps has a $3 minimum and a Lucky Roller side bet.
Multiplayer Golden Ball 00 roulette also has a $3 minimum. For a $5 minimum, the multi-game video machine offers baccarat, blackjack, and 00 roulette.
Orleans
The Orleans had one change. Pai gow poker is now face up and increased to $25. The $5 games are double zero roulette, High Card Flush, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Single deck 6/5 blackjack is $10. The $15 games are 3/2 double-deck blackjack and craps. Baccarat is $25.
Orleans still has a large variety of electronic table games. Heads-up options include $1 craps, 0 roulette, 00 roulette, and a Casino Wizard machine. Blackjack on the Casino Wizard machine pays 3:2, stands on a soft 17, and has a $3 minimum. Other games are $1. The single-zero roulette machine only pays 33:1 for a straight bet and 16:1 for a split bet. Increments are $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1.
Multiplayer options include $1 Shoot to Win craps and $3 Golden Ball 00 roulette. There is also an Interblock stadium. It offers baccarat, big six, blackjack, craps, and 00 roulette. Baccarat is $3, 00 roulette is $0.50, and the other games are $1.
The best video poker games are on the “Up to 99.8%” machines. Full-pay Jacks or Better is available at the bars at $1 and higher denominations.
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
Next, we walked about four miles to Arizona Charlie’s Decatur. The 99.9% video poker games are still near the north entrance. These include games like 10/6 Double Double Bonus Poker with a straight flush short-pay and 15/11 Deuces Wild.
The table game selection at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur is small. The $5 games are double zero roulette and Heads Up Hold’em. For $10, 5x craps, Emperors Challenge Pai Gow Poker, 3/2 double-deck blackjack, and six-deck 3/2 blackjack are available.
