On May 3, 2023, we covered four casinos just west of the Las Vegas Strip. The properties we visited are Gold Coast, Orleans, Palms, and Rio.
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The Orleans
We started at The Orleans around noon. The casino was busy for this time of day. We found that little changed with video poker or table games from our last visit.
There are still about 30 “Up to 99.8%” machines. These have more unusual games than the ones often found at most Boyd Gaming casinos. The options include Triple Bonus Plus (99.8%), Double Double Bonus Aces and Faces (99.46%), and Ace$ Poker (99.4%). The denominations are $0.25, $0.50, and $1.
The best bar game is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It is offered in $0.25, $0.50, $1, and $2 denominations, including Triple Play and Five Play. There are fewer video poker variants at Orleans than in other off-Strip casinos. The usual selection of Spin Poker, Ultimate X, and multi-hand games are offered. Most offer poor pay tables compared to the single-line games. The denominations are usually $0.05 up to $1.
The main table game at Orleans is double-deck blackjack. The minimum bet is $15. It pays 3/2. Craps was $10. Poker pit games like Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em started at $5. Orleans deals Fortune Pai Gow Poker. It was $20. Baccarat starts at $25. Free Bet Blackjack was missing from the pit at The Orleans. I think it is the first time I have ever found the game pulled from a casino.
There is a large selection of electronic table games including a stadium, multiplayer and heads-up options. 00 roulette can be found as a heads-up game with $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1 denominations. The Casino Wizard machines offer 3/2 blackjack that stands on 17 for a $3 minimum. Big Six and craps have a $1 minimum, while baccarat is available for a $3 minimum.
Palms
After The Orleans, we walked to Palms. It was nowhere near as busy as The Orleans.
We did not find anything new there from our last visit. The best video poker game on the floor is 8/5 Bonus Poker. It has many variants, like Triple Play, Five Play, Ten Play, and Spin Poker. Other 99% games include 9/7 Double Bonus, 9/6 Double Double Bonus, and 15/9 Deuces Wild.
The video poker variant selection at Palms is massive. The denominations are usually $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1. A few 10-play games have $0.01 and $0.02 denominations. The pay tables are mostly in the 97-98% range, with 7/5 Bonus Poker often being the best game available.
Palms video poker variant options include Triple Play, Five Play, Ten Play, 3 Way Action, Hot Roll, Split Card, Super Triple Play, Ultimate X, Ultimate X Bonus Streak, Ultimate X Spin Poker, Ultimate X Gold, Max Action, Dream Card, Multi-Strike, Powerhouse, and Spin Poker.
Most of the tables in the pit were closed. Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em were $10. Craps, Double Zero Roulette, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, 6/5 Free Bet and Free Bonus Poker, 3/2 double-deck blackjack, and 3/2 six-deck blackjack were all $15. Baccarat is $25 at Palms.
High limit blackjack starts at $100. The options are double-deck that hits soft 17 and six-deck that stands on it. The six-deck game allows double down before and after splitting.
Electronic craps has a $1 minimum and 00 roulette can be found for a $3 minimum. Baccarat and 6:5 blackjack have a $5 minimum.
Gold Coast
Gold Coast offers a little better value than The Orleans. There are more full-pay video poker options and lower table game limits. Gold Coast still has live keno.
The video poker at Gold Coast is the best in the area. There are banks of the “Up to 99.8%” machines. Triple Bonus Plus (99.8%) is the top game. Other options include 16/10 Deuces Wild (99.73%), 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%), 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%), and many others between 99% and 99.5%.
Nickel video poker players will find some royal flush progressives. The best game is 7/5 Bonus Poker.
Video poker variants include 3 Way Action, Triple Play, Five Play, Ten Play, Wheel Poker, Wheel Poker Deluxe, Triple Wheel Poker, Powerhouse, Drea Card, Hot Roll, Multi-Strike, Ultimate X, Ultimate X Spin Poker, Super Times Pay, and Spin Poker. The pay tables are usually in the 98% range. Triple Play, Five Play, Ten Play, Spin Poker, and Super Times Pay have 99% games like 8/5 Bonus Poker, 9/7 Double Bonus, 9/6 Double Double Bonus, and 15/9 Deuces Wild. The denominations available are usually $0.05 up to $1.
The main bar has $1, $2, and $5 9/6 Jacks or Better on a few machines. Some have it for $0.50. The quarter games have a suited royal progressive with 98% pay tables. The payout improves at $0.50 with several 99% options.
The table game minimums and selection are the same as our last visit. The only difference in the pit is that pai gow poker moved to the other end of baccarat with those tables placed where pai gow once was.
Double zero roulette still starts at $3. Three Card Poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em had a $5 minimum. Craps was $10. Double-deck blackjack started at $15. Baccarat, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, and Fortune Pai Gow Poker had a $25 minimum bet.
The live dealer stadiums at Gold Coast now offer only baccarat. Interconnected, up to four games are available at a time, each with a $5 minimum. Electronic heads-up baccarat and craps are available for a $1 minimum. Multiplayer 00 roulette has a $3 minimum.
Rio
Rio was the last stop on our journey this day. It was by far the slowest of the four casinos we visited. The video poker is so bad that there is nothing to note outside the high limit games. Dozens of video poker variants were missing due to a new stadium gaming device.
At $5, $10, and $25 denominations, you can play 9/6 Jacks or Better and 8/5 Bonus Poker. A $25, $50, and $100 machine has those games plus 9/7 Triple Double Bonus and 9/6 Double Double Bonus. The Triple Double Bonus game is the best high limit one found in Las Vegas. It ties with Caesars Palace.
The best $0.25, $0.50, and $1 video poker is 7/5 Bonus Poker. There are many banks with this game. Some have a royal flush progressive.
Rio is one of only two off-Strip casinos that does not deal a 3/2 blackjack game. The other is the Alamo Truck Stop. Rio is one of only two off-Strip casinos with triple zero roulette. Westgate is the other.
Craps was $5 at Rio. That was also the minimum for the large selection of poker pit games, like Crazy 4 Poker, High Card Flush, Let it Ride, Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. The 6/5 blackjack games started at $10. Baccarat, Face Up Pai Gow Poker, and Fortune Pai Gow Poker were $25.
A new Interblock stadium is now available at Rio. It offers Big Six for a $1 minimum while 00 roulette, blackjack, and craps have a $3 minimum. Multiplayer Big Wheel, 00 roulette, and craps were also still available. These have $2, $3, and $5 minimums, respectively.
