Video Poker Las Vegas Strip
Three Las Vegas Strip casinos will resume 24/7 hotel operations as MGM Resorts announced that Mandalay Bay, Park MGM and The Mirage will revert back to their old hours on March 3.
Station Casinos is home to most of the 100 percent or more video poker games in Las Vegas. These are advertised as Optimum Play machines. These can be found at Red Rock Resort, Green Valley Ranch, Palace Station, Santa Fe Station, Boulder Station, as well as other properties under the Station Casinos umbrella. Many are found just inside entrances. The Stratosphere also offers some of the better video poker paybacks on Las Vegas Boulevard. You’ll find a better assortment of games here than just about anywhere else on ‘ The Strip ‘. If you can’t venture out to a ‘ locals casino ‘ the long trek to The Stratosphere is worth the effort.
The move comes shortly after Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said that he would be easing casino capacity restrictions in the coming weeks and months. At the start of the week, he allowed casinos to jump from operating at 25 percent to 35 percent capacity. That will rise to 50 percent on March 15.
MGM opted to halt midweek operations for the hotel towers of those three properties last November as tourism slumped in the wake of the pandemic.
The governor also announced that at the start of May, casinos will be allowed to operate at full capacity, which will coincide with the reopening of nightclubs and day clubs. Safety measures such as mandatory face coverings and social distancing measures will stay in place for an unannounced period of time.
The continued distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine and some temporary immunity from the large percentage of people who already contracted the virus last fall has helped lead to a new relative low in the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases in Nevada, according to a report from Fox News.
The declining case count has MGMCEO Bill Hornbuckle bullish on the outlook of Las Vegas as travel and tourism are likely to increase in the coming months.
“We remain optimistic about Las Vegas’ recovery and our ability to bring employees back to work as business volumes allow us to do so,” said Hornbuckle in a statement.
Caesars-owned Planet Hollywood will revert to 24/7 hours as well starting on February 25, according to the casino’s website. It was one of the first properties to shift to a weekend-only style hotel operation.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. shut down nearly the entire hotel operations of its Palazzo resort last December. It still has not changed its policy and will only take reservations for the high-end suites in the building.
Wynn Resorts has not announced when it will change operating hours for the entire Encore property, which closes both the casino and hotel operations during the week, opening at 2 p.m. every Thursday and closing at noon the following Monday.
Video poker is perhaps my favorite casino gamble of all time – full pay Deuces Wild if you want the particulars – but the game’s popularity with recreational players always leaves me a bit queasy.
On the one hand, most of the more well-known versions of video poker – your Jacks or Better, Double Double Bonus, Joker Poker, and Deuces Wild among others – rank right up there with the best bets on any casino floor. I’m talking juicy payback rates like 99.54 percent on 9/6 full pay Jacks or Better, and even the fabled player edge produced on full pay versions of Deuces Wild and Double Bonus Poker.
The increasingly prevalent online video poker platforms found on the internet also make sure to offer players a fair shake via payback rates that seldom dip below 99 percent.
Throw in the ever-present elements of skill and strategy, and all things considered, gamblers could do a lot worse than video poker.
But on the other hand, you’ll notice I used the phrase “full pay” a few times in that positive preamble – and for good reason.
An Introduction to Video Poker Pay Tables
As you can see below, every video poker variant can be played against a full pay table that creates the highest possible payback percentage, or inferior pay tables that put players in a big hole:
Jacks or Better Pay Table Comparison
| TABLE | PAYBACK |
|---|---|
| 9/6 | 99.54 percent |
| 9/5 | 98.45 percent |
| 8/6 | 98.39 percent |
| 8/5 | 97.30 percent |
| 7/5 | 96.15 percent |
| 6/5 | 95.00 percent |
Deuces Wild Pay Table Comparison
| TABLE | PAYBACK |
|---|---|
| 25/15/9/5/3/2 | 100.76 percent |
| 25/15/11/4/4/3 | 99.96 percent |
| 25/16/10/4/4/3 | 99.73 percent |
| 25/15/9/4/4/3 | 98.91 percent |
| 20/12/10/4/4/3 | 97.58 percent |
| 20/12/9/4/4/3 | 97.06 percent |
| 25/16/13/4/3/2 | 96.77 percent |
| 20/10/8/4/4/3 | 95.96 percent |
| 25/15/10/4/3/2 | 94.82 percent |
Free Video Poker Las Vegas
Double Bonus Poker Pay Table Comparison
| TABLE | PAYBACK |
|---|---|
| 10/7 | 100.17 percent |
| 9/7/5 | 99.11 percent |
| 9/6/5 | 97.81 percent |
| 9/6/4 | 96.38 percent |
| 8/5 | 94.19 percent |
| 7/5 | 93.11 percent |
Double Double Bonus Poker Pay Table Comparison
| TABLE | PAYBACK |
|---|---|
| 10/6 | 100.07 percent |
| 9/6/4 | 98.98 percent |
| 9/5 | 97.87 percent |
| 8/5 | 96.79 percent |
| 7/5 | 95.71 percent |
| 6/5 | 94.66 percent |
You read the numbers right… even a beautiful game like full pay Deuces Wild and its 100.76 percent payback rate can be bastardized by virtue of inferior pay tables.
That’s highway robbery if you ask me, and considering you found your way here, you basically are.
This dichotomy between what video poker should be, and what it can be when merciless corporate casinos start tinkering with pay tables to pad their pocketbooks, is what gives me pause over video poker’s popularity. Casino consolidation on the Las Vegas Strip has led to a decided lack of full pay video poker in the world’s gambling capital. And as a result, millions of unsuspecting visitors to Sin City sit down to play against substandard pay tables each and every year.
But while I personally love staying somewhere Off-Strip – the crowds make me claustrophobic and being overcharged for watered down cocktails isn’t my thing – I realize that many gamblers visiting Las Vegas are visiting specifically to see The Strip for themselves. Neon lights and glittering hotel towers, roller coasters and dueling knights on horseback, magic shows and stripteases on demand – what’s not to love, right?
Well, casinos on The Strip aren’t exactly known for offering topline video poker payouts. To wit, you won’t find a single full pay Deuces Wild machine with that sweet 100.76 percent payback rate anywhere along Las Vegas Boulevard.
Nonetheless, I’ve scoured the most recent Las Vegas video poker surveys to put together a guidebook listing the best places to play on The Strip. The casinos shown below are right in the heart of the action, and if you’re willing to bet a little higher than the Off-Strip venues require, you can score full pay odds that make video poker the thinking player’s game it should be.
1 – Palms Casino Resort
This joint isn’t technically located on Las Vegas Boulevard, but if you head to Caesars Palace or Bellagio and take Flamingo Road westbound, it only takes five minutes to make the one-mile distance to the Palms.
Based on that close proximity, and the rare appearance of full pay Deuces Wild anywhere near The Strip, the Palms makes this page’s cut in my book.
You can see how the Palms’ best video poker offerings stack up in the table below:
Palms’ Best Video Poker Options
| VARIANT | FULL PAYBACK | COIN DENOMINATION(S) |
|---|---|---|
| Full Pay Deuces Wild | 100.76 percent | 25¢ |
| Double Bonus | 100.17 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
| Loose Deuces Wild | 100.15 percent | 25¢ |
| Double Double Bonus | 100.07 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1 |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5 and up |
| Double Bonus Poker | 99.11 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5 and up |
| Double Double Bonus Poker | 98.98 percent | 25¢, 50¢, $1, $2, $5 and up |
Having full pay Deuces Wild onsite is definitely a treat, but you’ve probably noticed by now that Jacks or Better video poker is nowhere to be seen. That’s an odd choice by management to be sure, but if I can sacrifice the 99.54 percent payback rate on Jacks or Better for a foursome of player edge games, that’s a no-brainer.
Las Vegas Video Poker Jackpots
2 – Circus Circus on North End of Strip
The carnival-themed Circus Circus has surely seen better days, but this rundown clown show is the only casino on Las Vegas Boulevard proper where player edge video poker can be found:
Circus Circus’ Best Video Poker Options
| VARIANT | FULL PAYBACK | COIN DENOMINATION(S) |
|---|---|---|
| Aces and Eights | 100.25 percent | 50¢ |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17 percent | 25¢, $1 |
| Double Bonus Poker | 99.11 percent | $1 |
Only having three variants to choose from at Circus Circus may put some players off, but if you enjoy Aces and Eights, it offers a full pay player edge of 0.25 percent – at the relatively low fifty-cent coin denomination to boot.
3 – Westgate Resort & Casino on Paradise Rd.
Another venue that’s just close enough to The Strip to qualify, the Westgate is famous for housing the SuperBook – which holds the honor of world’s largest sportsbook.
To get here, drive north on The Strip until you get to Elvis Presley Boulevard just before Circus Circus. Hook a right and you’ll run right into the Westgate’s immaculately groomed golf course, and its eclectic collection of 99.5+ percent payback low-stakes video poker machines:
Westgates’ Best Video Poker Options
| VARIANT | FULL PAYBACK | COIN DENOMINATION(S) |
|---|---|---|
| Loose Deuces Wild | 100.15 percent | 25¢ |
| 2 Pair Jokers Wild | 99.92 percent | 25¢ |
| Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | 25¢ |
| Bonus Deluxe | 99.64 percent | 25¢ |
| Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | 25¢ |
Best Video Poker In Vegas
4 – The Cromwell Hotel and Casino in the Central Strip
Originally known as the Barbary Coast, and later Bill’s Gambling Hall, the Cromwell was completely renovated in 2014 to create The Strip’s newest luxury resort.
Everything here just feels expensive, and the word “boutique” is thrown around quite a bit, but the video poker selection at the Cromwell does right by sharp players:
The Cromwell’s Best Video Poker Options
| VARIANT | FULL PAYBACK | COIN DENOMINATION(S) |
|---|---|---|
| Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | 25¢ |
| Triple Double Bonus | 99.58 percent | 25¢ |
| Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | 25¢ |
| Bonus Deuces Wild | 99.45 percent | 25¢ |
| One Pair Joker Wild | 99.29 percent | 25¢ |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17 percent | 25¢ |
| Double Bonus Poker | 99.11 percent | 25¢ |
5 – Encore on North End of Strip
A sister casino to Wynn, the aptly named Encore caters to the high-rolling video poker crowd.
That means a minimum coin denomination of $1 for a few games, and $5 for most variants:
Where Is The Best Video Poker In Las Vegas
Encore’s Best Video Poker Options
Vegas Video Poker Free
| VARIANT | FULL PAYBACK | COIN DENOMINATION(S) |
|---|---|---|
| Not So Ugly Ducks (Deuces Wild) | 99.73 percent | $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 |
| Triple Double Bonus | 99.58 percent | $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 |
| Jacks or Better | 99.54 percent | $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 |
| Bonus Poker | 99.17 percent | $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 |
| Double Bonus Poker | 99.11 percent | $1, $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 |
Video Poker In Las Vegas
These stakes can admittedly be rather steep, but if you have the bankroll to spare, Encore’s video poker parlors are among the most beautiful and comfortable on The Strip.
Conclusion
The Strip has earned its reputation as a tourist trap and money pit designed solely to separate suckers from their dough. I hate to say that, but it’s a fact, and it will be until the corporate overlords like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment stop punishing players by pinching pennies. Even so, sharp video poker enthusiasts who know where to look – and that means you if you’ve made it this far – can still enjoy their favorite game in full pay fashion as the gambling gods intended.
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