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$5 Pai Gow downtown all gone?

Discussion in 'Downtown Hotels' started by djm200, Oct 27, 2014.

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  1. djm200

    djm200 Tourist

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    Apologies if this has been posted before but my wife and I were in Vegas in July and found absolutely no $5 pai gow tables downtown. We live in Pasadena so we drive to LV about 2-3 times a year and almost always stay downtown. Now, I know that $5 has slowly been dwindling. In 2005-06, one could still get $5 pai gow on the strip at the Imperial Palace and Bill's (aka Barbary Coast). Since 2007, we have had to go downtown or off-strip to South Point or Silverton but mainly stayed downtown. Over the course of those 7 years, a few downtown places have fallen off the list (Four Queens and Golden Nugget) but we could still rely on the D (then Fitz), El Cortez, and Binion's for $5 pai gow.

    In July, we were shocked to find that there are no pai gow tables whatsoever at El Cortez. Then, no matter what time of day we went to Binions or the D, they were $10 tables. I wondered if this was an aberration or that $5 is no more downtown as it is no more on strip?

    For now, we still have South Point and Silverton (which I do like) who knows how long those last.
     
  2. pokerbum

    pokerbum Tourist

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    I played at a 5 dollar Pai Gow table at the Downtown Grand a few weeks ago. So they should still have it going on there.....
     
  3. warpdrvr

    warpdrvr Low-Roller

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    I was saddened to learn earlier this year that ElCo had removed their only Pai Gow table. It's where my wife and I learned to play and we enjoyed the people and dealers immensely. Last time we were in town in June, we couldn't find $5 tables downtown, although we didn't hit DTG up. We come from SoCal so always have a car, so it's not a problem for us to travel around. We have always found one in Summerlin at Suncoast, and maybe Gold Coast still has one. I know Orleans is now $10 as well.
     
  4. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    Sams Town had a $5 PaiGow on a Saturday night (just one, out of 3 tables; the others were $10)
     
  5. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    We're headed to the Golden Nugget for four nights tomorrow. I'll check around and post if I find any $5 tables. Last time (last weekend in May) we found it at the D during the day (weekdays) and the Downtown Grand weekdays and nights. The D would raise the limit to $10 every time the table filled, but grandfathered anyone already playing. One time during the day no one was playing and the limit was $10. We said we'd play if they lowered it to $5 and they did.

    El Cortez dropped their table awhile ago (probably about the beginning of the year). It's too bad. There were a few local guys who played almost every night and were fun to talk with. One was an ex dealer himself and would correct the ElCo dealer when he made rookie mistakes (seems their dealers are always new, at least at the low limit tables). I drank a lot of beers there playing for hours some nights. It's not like their casino is typically slammed, so it's hard to figure why they got rid of it.
     
  6. aliasyoshi

    aliasyoshi Low-Roller

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    Randomly during the weekdays (and probably earlier in the day), Binion's was $5 this past July.
     
  7. mdk63

    mdk63 Low-Roller

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    Unless to drink, why would someone play $5 Pai Gow?
     
  8. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    mdk63,

    You've got it. To drink while losing (or occasionally making) money verrrry slowly! It's a good time killer at the tables if you've blown most of your daily bankroll elsewhere.
     
  9. warpdrvr

    warpdrvr Low-Roller

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    Neither of us drink, but we have fun playing it nonetheless. We find it to be a very social game and that attracts us almost as much as playing the actual game. And it's fairly cheap to do so usually, although there are times....
     
  10. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    To get the best bang for the buck??
    Some of us don't take a few grand to Vegas...
     
  11. wanker751

    wanker751 Dutch Rudder Enthusiast

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    Exactly this... $100 goes a long way here. It is a fun game. Often I will up to 10 or 15 or 25, but if things do not go well I can sit back and relax have few drinks.
     
  12. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    We're in Vegas now. I asked at the D and they are now always $10 at least. The Downtown Grand was $5 today and we played there awhile.
     
  13. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    We're in Vegas now. I asked at the D and they are now always $10 at least. The Downtown Grand was $5 today and we played there awhile.
     
  14. mjames1229

    mjames1229 # of visits includes only trips w/ hotel stays

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    Played Pai Gow Poker at the Downtown Grand this evening, and one of the dealers told me that it is almost never $5 there in the evening because they were tired of groups taking over the table playing $5 slowly to maximize "free" drinks.
     
    USBC Nationals are back in Vegas
  15. wpete

    wpete High-Roller

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    For this....I hit a Royal a few months ago. 5 buck side bet paid $750. Walked away with $850.
    20141024_211040.jpg
     
  16. GeorgeJ.

    GeorgeJ. VIP Whale

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    Would this have been a Royal without the Joker?

    I gave up on Downtown for $5 tables quite a few years ago. I play at Aliante and Boulder Station these days where they always have $5 Pai Gow.
     
  17. wpete

    wpete High-Roller

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    With or without. Without pays more, I had the joker in this case. My Royal was hearts. I also had the 8 of hearts and a black 9. If the 9 had been a heart, my winnings would have been a whole lot more for a 7-card royal.

    BTW, PaiGow usually hates me so I don't play that much. This night I pulled up a seat next to my wife since craps and slots were hating me more at the time.
    Also, we were DT in October and Binions had $5 PaiGow. Every time we go there they seem to have a $5 table.

    edit on 12/31....Wife said Binions was $10.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2014
  18. marksind

    marksind VIP Whale

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    Downtown Grand is now $10 minimum. We were there a couple of weeks ago. It's now "no commission," compensated for with a weird twist that if the dealer has a 9-high top (low) hand it beats any top hand you have, so the best you can do with your hand is tie. They make no effort to explain it until it happens, which of course is not very often. It happened once during about an hour or so of play and cost a guy at the table what otherwise would have been a win.
     
  19. pokerbum

    pokerbum Tourist

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    That NO commission version sounds alot easier than having to deal with all those damn quarters! Hope more places to go that....
     
  20. GeorgeJ.

    GeorgeJ. VIP Whale

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    I play $5 Pai Gow all the time. Playing higher limits typically sucks too much out of the bankroll until you hit a good bonus hand. I don't recall getting a ton of winning hands anywhere; if I do start winning a lo of hands I'll up the bet. But I'm really playing for the possibility of hitting a big bonus/progressive hand. And I'm drinking sparkling water..
     
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