I have lived in Las Vegas since 2010. My favorite game is video poker. I usually only take a shot at a slot machine or table game after a big win.
Since I prefer video poker, the best paytables are important. However, there is more to it than just that. The casino must be inviting and friendly to keep me around. Each of the following casinos has both good video poker and great employees that help create a great experience.
Plaza
I have played more at Plaza in downtown Las Vegas over the last 10 years than all other casinos combined. There are several reasons for this.
I became a regular at Las Vegas Club about 20 years ago. It was owned by the same company as Plaza. Las Vegas Club closed in 2015. Circa was built on the property.
The physical condition of the Las Vegas Club was poor. The friendly staff and quality games more than made up for that. Many of those people and games moved to Plaza when Las Vegas Club closed, including the full-pay Joker Poker coin game the casino later gave me in 2019.
There are many reasons to play at Plaza today. It offers full-pay Joker Poker, which has the highest return of any Las Vegas video poker game. It also has five other video poker titles that return over 99%. Some are at bars at denominations of $0.50 and higher.
Plaza has an old-school mentality when it comes to comps. Its CEO, Jonathan Jossel, is open to feedback and often makes changes based on player suggestions.
Another perk is the four nonsmoking slot areas. These are the BCSlots room, Sand Dollar Lounge, Carousel Bar, and the area outside the bingo room.
Rampart
I played very little at Rampart during my first 10 years living in Las Vegas. That changed in 2020. Rampart had 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe at the bars back then. While that game is gone, it was replaced by 8/5 Bonus Poker and 9/7 Double Bonus with a royal flush progressive.
The progressive has two meters. Two-thirds of the progressive goes into the active one. One-third of it goes into a backup. For example, if the main quarter progressive is $1300 and it hits, the meter resets to $1150, not the usual $1000. This is common in live poker rooms. Rampart is the only example of this at video poker that I have found.
Rampart awards slot points and food comps. Food comps may be claimed at the rewards center.
The D
Another downtown favorite of mine is The D. Its energy can only be matched by Circa and Golden Gate. Derek Stevens owns all three casinos.
I always play at Vue Bar. It is upstairs in the retro casino that hosted dozens of coin games until Stevens acquired Riviera’s slots when it closed in 2015. Sigma Derby, a classic horse racing game, is the only remaining coin-operated game.
Vue Bar offers 8/5 Bonus Poker. At the quarter denomination, progressives are offered for quads, straight flushes, and royal flushes. The service is always exceptional, and the comps are above average.
Emerald Island and Rainbow Club
Emerald Island and Rainbow Club are neighboring casinos in downtown Henderson with the same owner. Some of the best video poker in the market is found here. This is especially true for multi-hand games and variants.
The best video poker game is 10/6 Double Double Bonus with a short straight flush pay, making the payback 99.96%. It is available in $0.01, $0.02, and $0.05. Up to 30 coins per line may be bet, but only five are needed for the full-pay royal flush. This is available in triple, five, and ten-play versions. Not-So-Ugly-Deuces (99.73%) and other games with a 99.5% or better payback are offered. Quality paytables are also available in variants like Ultimate X, Ultimate X Bonus Streak, Split Card, Spin Poker, and Super Times Pay. The denominations are $0.01, $0.02, and $0.05.
Loyal players never pay for food. High players club tiers receive daily free meals. Points are easy to earn.
There are a few drawbacks. Slot points may not be converted to cash. Free play mailers don’t exist. Emerald Island and Rainbow Club do not deal table games.
Skyline
Skyline is a small locals casino on Boulder Highway near Henderson. It is like a time capsule. It plays 70s satellite music. About one-third of its video poker machines are coin droppers. Many return 99%, including unusual titles like full-pay Double Deuces Wild, Sevens Wild, and White Hot Aces. I play 18/7/5 Joker Poker there, which returns 99.29%.
I Don’t Play on the Strip Often
The reason why no Las Vegas Strip casino made my list is because, like most locals, I don’t play there much. Most of my visits there are related to gathering information for the website I own with my wife, Vegas Advantage.
When we do play, it is at Treasure Island. The live dealer stadium has $3 Ultimate Texas Hold’em. Blackjack players will like the $3 3/2 game on the same stadium. Live 3/2 blackjack starts at $3 there.
If we don’t play, we often stop at Casino Royale. The bar there offers $3 bottled beers and $5 drafts and call drinks.
