Fun places to play VP

[Joker Gal]

Which casino(s) do you enjoy playing video poker and why?

[FloridaPhil]

My favorite casinos are clean, well decorated with good ventilation, have good sound systems with good music and have well maintained machines.  The workers are friendly with good manners.   Good VP odds and comp programs matter, but they are down on my list of must haves.  I also don't like crowds, especially kids who drink until they fall over.  Did I mention, NO cigar smokers...To me the perfect casino environment is Black Hawk Colorado.  The odds are pretty good, the scenery is to die for and all casinos in Colorado are non smoking.  I also like the Peppermill in Reno.  The best all around casino I have ever seen is Red Rock in Las Vegas.  This place has it all including the best VP odds on the planet.  If I lived in Vegas, they would have to pry me out of my seat to sweep the place out. 

[DaBurglar]

Which casino(s) do you enjoy playing video poker and why?Anyplace that allows pets....I enjoy seeing people walking through the casinos on their way in or out of their rooms, with their dog(s) happily following on a leash.....it brightens my mood and typically makes me feel better about whatever I am playing and the results I am getting......Dogs will do that in MANY circumstances.WIll this be your first and only post, Jokergal?   Obviously if you respond, that alone will answer this question

[FloridaPhil]

In our travels we have a chance to play VP all over the country.   Vegas has the best quarter VP odds by far.   The worst casinos are small tribal owned casinos.   Their customers are mostly locals who will play anything as long as it has a jackpot.  Many of these have video lottery terminals.   When we spot them, we move on.  Once in a while, we find a tribal casino with real VP and decent odds.  You never know what you are going to find, which is part of the fun in traveling.To us, playing VP is a lot more than odds.  We stick with quarters to keep our cost under control.   Sometimes I get the impression that some forum members will play VP in the "Pit of Misery" if the odds are positive.  We won't.  We want to be treated as valued customers.  We also want the casino to make money.    Casino gambling is a two way street.  If it benefits the casino too much, the players won't return.  If it benefits the players too much, the casino will close.   If you think the casino is taking too much of your money, play quarter VP.  If that's still too much, you should find other entertainment.All in all, I think most well managed casinos are healthy.   MGM stock over the last five years has risen from $12 to nearly $36.  Some areas went overboard and put in too much competition or built too big.   A good example was the Trump Taj Mahal which was recently purchased by the Hard Rock.  The Hard Rock people wouldn't have bought it if they didn't think they could make money.  We'll see.We'll be in Atlantic City for a week in April.  We haven't been there in years and are looking forward to it.

[DAAnMAAn]

For me, good video poker tables and proximity are very close to top importance. I don't like driving too far (if avoidable). But I'm lucky enough in Vegas to be a stones throw away from close casinos and good vp (santa fe station and aliante for example).
With all due respect to FloridaPhil, I enjoy lighting a cigar while playing video poker. However, I usually play at graveyard hours when there are very few people around...and if there are people playing beside me, I do not light up in respect. But if they are also smoking, I will too. If the casino is busy with lot's of people and they are not smoking, I will not either.
Anyway, another importance is safety. If there are alot of "questionable" characters around or I just don't feel safe, I don't go there. Another importance is clean machines that work, good working buttons, screens without glare from the lights, good seats. And hopefully, alot of jackpots.
Cheers

[Voodoo111]

Some of my most important criteria are:

1. good VP pay tables at .25-1.00 level
2. good comp system
3. good music
4. good cocktails
5. comfort, lighting, and lots of slant tops!

A few of our favorite haunts:

1. Palms> in the midst of a major renovation, but good comps, good machines, and free rooms 7 days a week for what I would consider fairly low coin in. Hopefully, the free room ride we've been on doesn't dry up once construction is complete.

2. Main Street Station> Loads of slant tops with good .25 pay tables, fun atmosphere, and scratch cards for 4OAK can provide a nice boost to EV for the lower denomination player. Dated rooms, and definitely an old vegas feel...but we've had some of our best times here in a casino win or lose.

3. Red Rock> Huge place. Loads of VP machines.Loads of variety. Many are 100%+ payback. Slant tops galore with good pay tables.Good Eats! Further off the strip, but well worth the trip. Would honestly be a premier venue if it were located on or near the strip imho.

4. Aliante> Long drive from the strip, but we always try to make it here for a daytrip when we stay for a week. Friendly people, local vibe, great lighting (no glares here!) Solid low-mid level VP, friendly paytables with slant tops.Quiet enough to hear the music. Now a Boyd casino, but the BConnected card hasn't seemed to have kicked in yet.

5. Sam's Town> Further from the strip, solid low level VP. It makes my list purely because of a certain cocktail waitress named Romy. No watered down vodka here! Prepare to UBER back.

6. South Point> loads of good paytables, but many uprights. Good comp system. Good value for the serious player.

7. Hard Rock> I'm getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays for this place, but the music and memorabilia make this a must stop for us. Channeling our inner '80's is still fun! Unfortunately, the VP paytables here leave a LOT to be desired.

My perfect place to play VP in Vegas would consist of free rooms at the Palms, the music at the Hard Rock, scratch cards at Main Street, pure quantity of slant top VP @ Red Rock, atmosphere at Aliante, and a certain Sam's Town waitress bringing me Vodka and Tonic!

Cheers

[billryan]

No idea if it still runs, but there used to be a shuttle between the Strip and Sams Town.

[onemoretry]

Anyplace that allows pets....I enjoy seeing people walking through the casinos on their way in or out of their rooms, with their dog(s)
I'm not so sure I'd want to frequent a casino that had "gone to the dogs".

[case]

No idea if it still runs, but there used to be a shuttle between the Strip and Sams Town.


Yes it still runs. Also runs dowtown.