On February 12, 2024, we surveyed Boulder Station and Sam’s Town. We did it the hard way, walking from Plaza down Fremont Street and Boulder Highway.
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Boulder Station
The first stop was Boulder Station. The table game situation was the same as before. However, pai gow poker went up to $25 because the jackpot progressed to $553,000. Boulder Station has a $5 Roll to Win Craps table with 10 times max odds. The live game is $10. All blackjack, baccarat, and poker pit games were $10.
All the video poker matched our previous reporting. Stadium gaming did not work out at most Station Casinos properties. Boulder Station pulled theirs since our last visit. This included its 3/2 video blackjack, a game that has become difficult to find in Las Vegas.
There is now a heads-up craps machine. However, unlike the previous stadium installation, it only pays double on a field 12. It offers a Lucky Roller side bet. The Ministar 00 roulette machine still has a $0.25 minimum. Also, it still has the Touchdown side bet.
Arizona Charlie’s
We skipped Arizona Charlie’s because it does not have any table games or electronic table games. Those disappeared in 2019. Its best video is now in the 99% range. The 100% machines are all gone.
Sam’s Town
Sam’s Town had all the usual video poker games available. The best one is 9/7 Double Bonus with a $1500 reset on the progressive meter. It is in the back of the casino. It also has the 100% Triple Deuces Wild game and banks of “Up to 99.8%” machines.
The table game pit offers $10 3/2 blackjack, 20x craps, double zero roulette, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Face Up Pai Gow Poker had a $15 minimum bet.
There is still Shoot to Win craps for $1 and the Ministar 00 roulette has a $3 minimum. The multiplayer blackjack machine was gone. However, heads-up craps is now offered for $3. It pays double on a field 12 and has the Lucky Shooter side bet.
There is still a wall on the north side of the property that blocks part of the casino floor. The area where the keno lounge and poker room were is still closed. It’s about 15% of the casino floor. It is part of the reason why Eastside Cannery, which is next door, will likely never reopen.
The rest of the walk
We walked with a friend from Plaza, through Fremont Street Experience and Fremont East, past where it turns into Boulder Highway at Sahara, until Eastside Cannery. It was a great day for an urban hike. As crazy as the walk sounds, it did not feel dangerous.
There were a couple of interesting parts. At the Lowe’s at Fremont near Charleston, there was a prostitution bust as we walked south. That created some drama. As we walked back from Arizona Charlie’s, an angry person yelling at themselves was ahead of us. They left the sidewalk, only to end up behind us later. This was the most unnerving part of the walk.
There were dozens of people walking as normal. We passed a few homeless encampments on sidewalks in front of the many vacant lots between Charleston and US 95. Otherwise, it was like any other city walk.
Last Updated on March 21, 2024 by John Mehaffey
