Laughlin help please

Gonna try Laughlin this Fall for the first time. Booked room at Harrah's. I would love to know all the goods and bads of the casinos there from you experts.

For example, I like the old western type stuff, so I am excited to hang at the Pioneer. The saloon there looks like a place I could settle into all day for VP and sports. Online reviews are mixed however. Any thoughts?

How about must do's and dont's? What other casinos need to be played in? The only thing I have planned is to take the water taxi around the 'strip'.

Appreciate any and all info.

 

I go to Laughlin quite a bit, although I rarely enter the Pioneer or Harrah's. Harrah's has a decent casino but minimums tend to be higher there on table games and I don't think they have good video poker.

The pioneer definitely feels like an old west saloon. Last time I was in there they still had a lot of coin droppers. They also have a good single deck BJ game and the last full-pay pair plus bet in Nevada on their 3-card poker tables.

If you are into poker, the Colorado Belle has the best poker room IMO. The Belle also has a good brewery restaurant. Try their pizza.

The Aquarius still has a bank of 100% payback VP plus a few other good machines scattered around. Out of all the casinos there, Aquarius feels the most like a Vegas strip casino. They also have nice rooms with great views.

The Riverside is a very old-school place and has a great vintage vibe to it. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you are running around on the river boats.

Overall be prepared for a much slower-paced experience than Vegas. People are more laid back and unpretentious. Table minimums are usually much lower than in Vegas. Watch out for 6-5 BJ though. A couple of years ago it completely disappeared from the town but it is starting to creep back in (Aquarius and Tropicana as far as I know).

As far as food, the Golden Nugget and Tropicana have good steak restaurants at reasonable prices. Harrah's has the best buffet.

There isn't a whole lot to do in the town besides gambling and walking around on the river walk. Riverside has a bowling alley and a movie theater. There is an outlet mall there too, but about 60% of the stores are closed and it it kind of depressing in there.

Don't make the mistake of trying to walk from Harrah's to the other hotels. You'll know why when you get there (assuming you arrive during the day).

 

Good choice staying at Harrah's.
The drink service is awesome. They use iPads to place your order and someone else delivers it almost immediately. The glasses are much bigger so you get hammered faster.
At Harrah's, go to the Beach Cafe and have their chicken fried steak for any meal of the day. It is so delicious and you can cut it with a spoon!

The Pioneer is your spot for old Western stuff fer sure. Second would be the crowd down at the Riverside.

You can walk to the other casino's, but you may NOT make it back. Harrah's is at the top of the hill in Laughlin, so walking back half-buzzed is sure to kill you this time of year. I did it once, but that was like in March or so, and I was much younger then!

Don't forget Tropicana Express across the street. I win about half the time I go there, and they have an In-N-Out in their parking lot!

Things NOT to do: Don't take the river walk between Aquarius and the Riverside after midnight, half buzzed, by yourself. Had a run-in with some gang members there about 2 years ago, and I'm fifty frickin years old!

Security between the casino's exists as a guy on a mountain bike doing his rounds. Laughlin is still pretty safe.

If you go by the Regency after sundown and hang out on the riverwalk there, you might get to see the skunks that come up to feed every evening. Early in the morning, at about sunrise, you can watch the raccoon's combing the shoreline for scraps and dead fish all along the rivers edge.

Take the river walk from the River Palms down to the Golden Nugget. As you leave the River Palms and trek downhill, you will see the lit up torch holding green gargoyle's that were supposed to be some Wizard Of Oz type casino that never came to be. Go in the Golden Nugget and try some VP there. They have a ton of machines.

Aquarius as mentioned has that closer to Vegas feel and I enjoy gambling there as well.

The Riverside has an antique car display upstairs. Go see it, it's free and a great way to kill a couple of hours. They also have a movie theater that I frequent as well when I'm on a losing streak. You can also buy beer to take in the theater with you. Just don't buy too many, for you'll have to get up and go pee right in the middle of the best part of your movie! It happens every time.

That's all I can think of right now, been going to Laughlin for 25+ years and it is still fun, but I enjoy Vegas much more!

 

Make a visit to the Watch Man in the Riverside. They have over 20,000 watches and none are over $20. It's really a neat place.

http://www.thewatchman.com/

 

IF you have time,go to Lake Havasu

You can drive there or take a high speed boat ride down the Colorado,to me it was worth it just to see London Bridge.

 

My tips

Been there many times. Much slower pace but nice change. Riverwalk sidewalks are safe and so is walking along the street. Best VP is the bowling ally bar upstairs at Riverside, next best is edgewater back bar. Best meaning better pay back. VP at pioneer was old machines that pay coins back. Unfortunate did not have to worry about cashing out- too tight and thebar stays a little warm. Best party bar is the Tarzan at golden nuggets. Gets hopping late. There is 2 bars at Tropicana - one has live band and it's not badfor VP andthe other bar has a 1.00 VP that pays progressive for each line. Kind of cool. Best comps from trop, Aquarius and pioneer .

Riverside has themed events at their bars check their website for the schedule and they have some pretty good concerts at a cheap price.
Aquarius has best buffet.

 

Great stuff everyone. Thanks again! From food suggestions to skunks and raccoons to the best VP bars I am bound to stay busy down there. Really what has driven me to try Laughlin is the reports I hear of its laid back style and friendliness. So often in Vegas I feel that my hotel or its employees couldn't give less of a crap about my business, and since I lose my bankroll 95% of the time, I want to be treated well and lubed with booze. I will be sure to post a trip report, in the meantime keep the suggestions coming.

 

Headed to Laughlin this coming Wednesday, we go once every six months. We stay at the Edgewater because of comped rooms. Of the nine casinos, Harrahs and Aquarius are the nicest. Harrahs is away from the other eight casinos, it might be a long walk but it would be like a three minute drive to the other casinos. Once you park you can walk the river walk to the all the other casinos. Don't forget Tropicana Express across the street. If you like laid back, you are gonna love Laughlin, especially the Pioneer, it's the smallest casino there, not counting the Regency which only has slots. The Regency has a pretty good resturant with all you can eat fish and chips Friday nights. If you like a good pastrami, hit up the snack bar at the Riverside. If you really like the old west head out to Oatman for a few hours, they have a shoot out show in the streets and wild mules everywhere roaming the streets.

 

Been to Laughlin a few times, most recently for one night in May. Stayed at Golden Nugget and have no complaints. It's a nice place with great rates.
Seemed a lot quieter around the hotels than our last visit. My wife, who used to like the outlet mall was disappointed with prices there this trip.
Played a lot of VP in many hotels and did reasonably well. Thought the Pioneer was a bit of a dive on previous trips so didn't set foot in it. Colorado Belle is an interesting place although there seemed to be a lot of renovations there at the time. Lot of closed shops, restaurants etc. As others said the Aquarius is probably the one place to remind you of an average Vegas casino.Big and a lot of machines on the floor. We stayed there a few years ago when it used to be the Flamingo. Rooms were fine and I assume have been renoed since.
Don't try to walk to Harrahs like we did our first trip! Take the water taxi.
I think the bad economy has affected Laughlin quite a bit and it shows. Having said that you could still have a pretty good time for a day or two.

 

Laughlin is very laid back. As mentioned Harrahs is away from the others. A good side trip is Oatman Az. To see the wild burros that come down from the mountains to town everyday.

 

Once you take the water taxi to Harrahs...how do you get up to the casino? Is there an elavator?

 

I seem to remember walking up some stairs. Not sure if there was an elevator. We've usually just driven there in recent visits.