Gritty Western Casino Survives in 'Underbelly' of Las Vegas
January 14th, 2010 at 1:34:39 PM
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``On a stretch of despair that tourists in Las Vegas seldom see, the Western Hotel-Casino stands out as a beacon for the broke and nearly broken.
"With their crumpled dollars and gloomy gait, they stumble in off Fremont Street through the wide, doorless entrance, beckoned by the sounds of penny slot machines and cheap table games.
"The Western is a poor man's dream, a downtown casino where sad Las Vegas cliches collide.
"There is no uniformed valet parking Porsches here. Instead they come on foot, in beat-up cars and wobbly bicycles. For many, it's been a short journey to the Western.
"The boxy structure is planted among a slew of low-income houses and budget motels. The Western feeds from one of the city's bleakest ZIP codes, stained by high poverty and unemployment rates.
"Inside they gamble, pouring nickels and quarters down the throats of always hungry machines.
It will appeal to the Hemmingway in you.
"With their crumpled dollars and gloomy gait, they stumble in off Fremont Street through the wide, doorless entrance, beckoned by the sounds of penny slot machines and cheap table games.
"The Western is a poor man's dream, a downtown casino where sad Las Vegas cliches collide.
"There is no uniformed valet parking Porsches here. Instead they come on foot, in beat-up cars and wobbly bicycles. For many, it's been a short journey to the Western.
"The boxy structure is planted among a slew of low-income houses and budget motels. The Western feeds from one of the city's bleakest ZIP codes, stained by high poverty and unemployment rates.
"Inside they gamble, pouring nickels and quarters down the throats of always hungry machines.
It will appeal to the Hemmingway in you.
January 14th, 2010 at 6:42:56 PM
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Someone said to me at a bar last time I was in Vegas in 2007 - "If you want to see real Vegas, head to the Western. But keep your Wallet hidden"
I was too scared to go.
I was too scared to go.
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January 14th, 2010 at 8:06:31 PM
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The Silver Saddle Saloon down the street from the Western is even rougher.
Last edited by: pacomartin on Jan 16, 2010
January 16th, 2010 at 9:55:21 AM
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Now Im faced with a difficult choice.
Will my sense of self preservation win out over morbid curiosity? I do want to go but I fear for my life.
Will my sense of self preservation win out over morbid curiosity? I do want to go but I fear for my life.
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January 16th, 2010 at 12:02:07 PM
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I have talked with a few people who have discussed purchasing and renovating this casino. However, I think it will hurt downtown because these people need a place to go. The smoke hits you like a baseball bat when you open the door. Morbid curiosity or not, I can't bring myself to walk in and try and breathe inside. The wizard needs to go in and do an air quality sample.
January 16th, 2010 at 1:13:16 PM
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I go to the Western every trip I make to LV. It's fun, it's different, and it's not as dangerous as people think. (Being a casino, they have security right by the front door, and more besides. You'd probably be much worse off going to the bar mentioned above.)
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
January 24th, 2010 at 6:18:24 PM
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I have been to the Western once. It was a life experience. I don't know if I'll ever go again.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:20:19 PM
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When I was taking pictures with Lisa, who appears in the reviews of every downtown casino, I didn't dare take her there, especially considering how she was dressed. However, one of these days I'll get some photos there. Maybe I'll give the modeling opportunity to the next female panhandler I come across downtown, assuming I have a camera with me. I was called for jury duty on Tuesday, so that may happen soon.
However, in all honesty, once you're inside it isn't THAT bad. A friend of mine used to love that place, despite having plenty of money. His last trip he lamented, "Man, that place is going uphill."
One I was card counting the single-deck 3-2 game there for about an hour. I thought nobody had a clue. Then a guy in a suit with a Las Vegas Club name tag walks in. He was very polite and respectful in the "back off," for which I give them credit.
One of the funniest things I have ever seen is the Cheapo Vegas picture and caption for the Western.
However, in all honesty, once you're inside it isn't THAT bad. A friend of mine used to love that place, despite having plenty of money. His last trip he lamented, "Man, that place is going uphill."
One I was card counting the single-deck 3-2 game there for about an hour. I thought nobody had a clue. Then a guy in a suit with a Las Vegas Club name tag walks in. He was very polite and respectful in the "back off," for which I give them credit.
One of the funniest things I have ever seen is the Cheapo Vegas picture and caption for the Western.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
January 30th, 2010 at 6:37:15 AM
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yeah, I was in Hysterics for hours the first time I found that site. Im actually planning a similar "Coupon Run" to the one its sister site "vegas on 25c's a day" having purchased a copy of the american casino guide.
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January 24th, 2011 at 5:07:43 PM
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Quote: Croupieryeah, I was in Hysterics for hours the first time I found that site. Im actually planning a similar "Coupon Run" to the one its sister site "vegas on 25c's a day" having purchased a copy of the american casino guide.
Does The Western still have bingo?
January 24th, 2011 at 7:13:28 PM
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Quote: Croupieryeah, I was in Hysterics for hours the first time I found that site. Im actually planning a similar "Coupon Run" to the one its sister site "vegas on 25c's a day" having purchased a copy of the american casino guide.
Check their "Trip Reports" section for an account of their mega-coupon run with their ACGs firmly clasped in hand.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
January 25th, 2011 at 12:22:55 AM
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Quote: mkl654321Check their "Trip Reports" section for an account of their mega-coupon run with their ACGs firmly clasped in hand.
I will be attempting the coupon run with my wife this year, and seeing if we can make the book pay for itself. Due to not hiring a car certain places will be off limits, but we think we will still have fun.
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January 25th, 2011 at 12:45:54 AM
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The Western has gone downhill well I mean uphill I guess. A lot less sketchty. I still say the Spike in it's day was the best. Quart beers for a buck. At about 1am the place would be flooded with guys who were just let out of lock up. Half still had the ID bracelets on. I would go there for the $1 Sam Adams. Felt like a Trump there.
I have a bewitched egg that I use to play VP with and I have net over 900k with it.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:56:14 AM
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Quote: CroupierI will be attempting the coupon run with my wife this year, and seeing if we can make the book pay for itself. Due to not hiring a car certain places will be off limits, but we think we will still have fun.
One should make minimum 5x the price of the book, and I'm being highly conservative.
January 25th, 2011 at 6:33:51 AM
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Quote: JIMMYFOCKEROne should make minimum 5x the price of the book, and I'm being highly conservative.
To be fair, me and the wife are going to Benihana and partaking of the steak and lobster deal(2 steak and lobster dinners for $75) which is a saving of $25, and already pays for the book.
Will be interesting how cose to the value of the matchplays I actually achieve. Hopefully it will make for a good article when I write it up.
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January 25th, 2011 at 8:43:41 AM
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Quote: WizardHowever, in all honesty, once you're inside it isn't THAT bad. A friend of mine used to love that place, despite having plenty of money. His last trip he lamented, "Man, that place is going uphill."
I could never get past the smell of smoke. I tried to go in on three seperate occassions, and I always end up gagging.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:22:13 AM
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LOL! Those are GREAT!Quote: WizardOne of the funniest things I have ever seen is the Cheapo Vegas picture and caption for the Western.
Here's a couple other images, taken off their website.
You can tell a lot about a business from their website.
Their home page features a Black Jack table. Fair enough. Except they're using EURO chips!:
Admin note: removed image www.djteddybear.com/images/western_home_page.JPG
How about those table games that use chips from the Plaza, and the rounded dice...
Admin note: removed image www.djteddybear.com/images/western_table_games.JPG Admin note: removed image www.djteddybear.com/images/western_craps.JPG
I just GOTTA go there next time.
It doesn't look like a long walk from the Freemont Street Experience canopy / pedestrial mall. Is it a safe walk during the day?
I invented a few casino games. Info:
http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ —————————————————————————————————————
Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
January 25th, 2011 at 10:12:46 AM
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Quote: DJTeddyBearIt doesn't look like a long walk from the Freemont Street Experience canopy / pedestrial mall. Is it a safe walk during the day?
Reasonable precautions for walking in a blighted area apply, but it should be no problem even at night. The cops patrol the street regularly, and you will see them picking up people in that block. You are still in the area where your biggest danger is panhandlers. For every block you go beyond The Western the drug, prositution and street business begins to increase exponentially.
The burritos sold out of the truck across the street are very good.
January 25th, 2011 at 4:30:31 PM
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The Western is part of what makes Las Vegas -- and America -- great. This town was built on cheap gambling and cheap food/drink come-ons. I think everybody should be forced to go to the Western after they see the Bellagio fountains.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
January 26th, 2011 at 11:17:42 AM
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Quote: teddysThe Western is part of what makes Las Vegas -- and America -- great. This town was built on cheap gambling and cheap food/drink come-ons. I think everybody should be forced to go to the Western after they see the Bellagio fountains.
That is a bit of a stretch. The El Cortez is a bit of Vegas history, and for the gambler who wants a bargain priced meal is still a great place.
The Western was built in the 1970's specifically aimed at Bingo players and has simply disintegrated over the decades. I don't think anyone has put a dime into the property since 2004 when it was bought by Tamares Group.
January 26th, 2011 at 11:36:12 AM
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Quote: pacomartinThat is a bit of a stretch. The El Cortez is a bit of Vegas history, and for the gambler who wants a bargain priced meal is still a great place.
The Western was built in the 1970's specifically aimed at Bingo players and has simply disintegrated over the decades. I don't think anyone has put a dime into the property since 2004 when it was bought by Tamares Group.
The Western is one casino that is not worth the visit, one of the very few in the entire Vegas metroplex such.
Avoid
January 26th, 2011 at 1:44:39 PM
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I somewhat disagree. The Western strips the veil of pretense that the other casinos put in front of the pursuit of gambling--that it is somehow a legitimate, "glamorous" enterprise. It is a fact a pretty degenerate pursuit -- take a step back and realize that you are putting hard-earned money at risk for the sake of entertainment. If you can go to the Western and still be enthused about gambling, then you have the right to continue to enjoy the rest of Vegas.Quote: pacomartinThat is a bit of a stretch. The El Cortez is a bit of Vegas history, and for the gambler who wants a bargain priced meal is still a great place.
The Western was built in the 1970's specifically aimed at Bingo players and has simply disintegrated over the decades. I don't think anyone has put a dime into the property since 2004 when it was bought by Tamares Group.
The El Cortez would serve a similar, but not exactly enough, purpose.
I am speaking somehwat tongue-in-cheek here, of course.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
March 4th, 2011 at 8:56:36 PM
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Quote: teddysI somewhat disagree. The Western strips the veil of pretense that the other casinos put in front of the pursuit of gambling--that it is somehow a legitimate, "glamorous" enterprise. It is a fact a pretty degenerate pursuit -- take a step back and realize that you are putting hard-earned money at risk for the sake of entertainment. If you can go to the Western and still be enthused about gambling, then you have the right to continue to enjoy the rest of Vegas.
Say it isn't so. The Western Casino now has a website! What's next!
Enjoy playing in a comfortable setting with our friendly dealers. They have friendly dealers now!
March 5th, 2011 at 12:16:08 AM
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I went to the website. There was nothing there about getting anything special for your wristband from the Las Vegas Detention Center.
March 5th, 2011 at 12:23:10 AM
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If they have some political clout to ram through an urban renewal project that moves out these people who need someplace to go it might be a profitable purchase. Buy the casino on the cheap, use tax money to un-blight the neighborhood, then have a "locals casino" for urban center yuppies.Quote: pacomartinI have talked with a few people who have discussed purchasing and renovating this casino.
March 5th, 2011 at 7:29:55 AM
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Quote: pacomartinSay it isn't so. The Western Casino now has a website! What's next!
Having clicked on the link, I suppose next they'll have a good website :P
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
March 5th, 2011 at 10:20:13 AM
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Quote: NareedQuote: pacomartinSay it isn't so. The Western Casino now has a website! What's next!
Having clicked on the link, I suppose next they'll have a good website :P
They have had one for years but it was a static page the same format as a mailer they once did.
I have a bewitched egg that I use to play VP with and I have net over 900k with it.
March 5th, 2011 at 10:31:04 AM
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Quote: FleaStiffI went to the website. There was nothing there about getting anything special for your wristband from the Las Vegas Detention Center.
Many a year ago I was playing VP at the bar at the plaza a bit after midnight when the detention center let out it's newest batch of rehabilitated citizens, a group of 4 of them walk up to the bar at the Plaza and ask the bartender for their buffet coupon, drink and pack of smokes. The bartender they are talking to is befuddled but my bartender tells me that some of the guards at the detention center for giggles tell the newly released that the city has contracted out to the Plaza to feed them.
But the Spike was better for spotting the newly released than the Western was. First time to LV I wandered into the Spike late and noticed I was he only one w/o a wrist band. The spike still had $1 quarts of draft and $1 Sam Adams. I oft wondered who the hell is drinking Sammys aside from me here.
I have a bewitched egg that I use to play VP with and I have net over 900k with it.
June 3rd, 2011 at 5:01:24 AM
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Watch out for gum on the tattered bar stools, and drink only from a plastic glass or bottle, and make sure they open it right in front of you. Save enough for bus fare home, and don't pay for any additional services in advance.
Member In Good Standing!
August 30th, 2011 at 11:55:37 PM
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Is the Western still going strong? The smell of the place always
gets to me. Try walking the short distance from the Fremont St
Experience to the Western in the early evening. You'll only do it once.
gets to me. Try walking the short distance from the Fremont St
Experience to the Western in the early evening. You'll only do it once.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 13th, 2011 at 8:10:04 PM
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New Website
Perhaps the Western is a good business opportunity. It currently has 300 slot machines and four table games (3 blackjack and 1 craps table). Square footage is 9207 square feet.
It would be crowded but it is possible to squeeze in 500 slot machines. A facility with 500 slot machines qualifies as a place that can apply to operate internet poker under the law being prepared in congress. The Western may be the cheapest possible facility that you can purchase that qualifies.
Carson Valley Inn may have been the most inexpensive property in the nation to still have 500 slots. It was purchased last January for an unknown price, but the new owner poured in $8 million in the first few months. It is in a remote location in the Carson Valley, which is a narrow road over the mountains from South Lake Tahoe which may be impassible in the winter. But if you have a location for an internet poker business you only care about qualifying to meet the letter of the law.
Perhaps the Western is a good business opportunity. It currently has 300 slot machines and four table games (3 blackjack and 1 craps table). Square footage is 9207 square feet.
It would be crowded but it is possible to squeeze in 500 slot machines. A facility with 500 slot machines qualifies as a place that can apply to operate internet poker under the law being prepared in congress. The Western may be the cheapest possible facility that you can purchase that qualifies.
Carson Valley Inn may have been the most inexpensive property in the nation to still have 500 slots. It was purchased last January for an unknown price, but the new owner poured in $8 million in the first few months. It is in a remote location in the Carson Valley, which is a narrow road over the mountains from South Lake Tahoe which may be impassible in the winter. But if you have a location for an internet poker business you only care about qualifying to meet the letter of the law.
September 13th, 2011 at 8:39:26 PM
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anyone know their BJ rules ???
" If I had the money and the drinking capacity, I'd probably live at a blackjak table and let my life go to hell." Don Pedro
September 13th, 2011 at 8:50:53 PM
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Quote: DonPedroanyone know their BJ rules ???
No teeth, and leave a tip after you zip.
"What, me worry?"
September 13th, 2011 at 9:47:53 PM
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Quote: DonPedroanyone know their BJ rules ???
It just say liberal. But this casino is the absolute bottom of the barrel. The smell of decades of cigarettes is overpowering. It is certainly not the kind of place that Washington envisions as home to internet poker. But if the only rule is 500 slot machines, then that is the only rule.
September 13th, 2011 at 9:55:47 PM
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just called 6D H17 and 2D 6/5 crapjack
I would not mind the run down place if they offered a decent BJ game for that area .
The tez a much better game.
I cannot bring myself to play subpar games
I would not mind the run down place if they offered a decent BJ game for that area .
The tez a much better game.
I cannot bring myself to play subpar games
" If I had the money and the drinking capacity, I'd probably live at a blackjak table and let my life go to hell." Don Pedro
September 13th, 2011 at 11:29:48 PM
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Quote:The Western RV Park is located in Downtown Las Vegas and is walking distance to the infamous Fremont Street. We have the lowest rates in town, so call today for your reservation!
$15.00 Nightly Rate!
Plus receive a 10% discount at the Eazy Café inside the Western upon check-in.
Infamous? Are they trying to bring people there or keep them away?
Quote:: having a reputation of the worst kind : notoriously evil <an infamous traitor>
: causing or bringing infamy : disgraceful <an infamous crime>
Sanitized for Your Protection
September 14th, 2011 at 12:36:20 AM
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When tips are bad at work (these last two weeks have been awful) I say "I am getting stiffed like a cocktail waitress at the Western"
September 14th, 2011 at 1:21:55 AM
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Sounds like the Carson Valley Inn purchaser knew that a bill was about to be introduced. Perhaps the real purchaser is the lawyer who wrote the bill?
Western becoming profitable due to Internet Poker? Maybe. I was thinking more along the lines of some politician using urban renewal to upscale the neighborhood and then have that gaming license be more profitable. Perhaps I should have been thinking of Internet Poker instead.
Western becoming profitable due to Internet Poker? Maybe. I was thinking more along the lines of some politician using urban renewal to upscale the neighborhood and then have that gaming license be more profitable. Perhaps I should have been thinking of Internet Poker instead.
September 14th, 2011 at 9:31:51 AM
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They upgraded their $1 Value Menu.
"Dice, verily, are armed with goads and driving-hooks, deceiving and tormenting, causing grievous woe." -Rig Veda 10.34.4
September 14th, 2011 at 10:06:28 AM
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Quote: FleaStiffSounds like the Carson Valley Inn purchaser knew that a bill was about to be introduced. Perhaps the real purchaser is the lawyer who wrote the bill?
Western becoming profitable due to Internet Poker? Maybe. I was thinking more along the lines of some politician using urban renewal to upscale the neighborhood and then have that gaming license be more profitable. Perhaps I should have been thinking of Internet Poker instead.
There was an urban renewal project called East Fremont St but technically it stops the street before the Western Casino. But still Western uses it in their website. But city sponsored urban renewal rarely makes you rich. It usually just slows the decay a little.
Actually, to be fair I was talking with a lawyer who is working on a bill for Nevada that is tied into the Federal bill. He wanted to know how he could determine which casinos have 500 or more slot machines. There were 109 casinos in Nevada. Obviously there are a couple of casinos that just miss the cut-off but could quickly add a few banks of machines.
Then he began discussing some of the moribund licenses in Reno that might be manipulated to get to the required number of machines (like Siena Hotel).
I was just curious as to what are the smallest casinos that still meet the 500 machine criteria. The smallest was in Henderson that dedicates 10K sq. ft to slots (out of 12K total) and fits in 550 machines. I thought of the Western which has just over 9K sq. ft. You would almost certainly have to remove the table games.
But there is a casino that should cost $5-$7 million and it would provide a platform which can be used to purchase an internet poker license.
Another loophole is to develop a legal "gaming device" that meets the letter of the law, but is very small. The bill tries to remove that possibility by not qualifying mobile gaming devices. Then your casino could fit in a storefront.
Before people get too excited, the bill is still in draft form. If the congressman is getting sound advice, they may change the requirement to owning a casino that makes $72 million or more in a fiscal year. That would cut the field of applicants back considerably.
Personally, I think that the lawmaker is pandering (what else is new?) because there is no reason that operation of an internet poker company should be restricted to companies that have physical casinos. I think they don't want to set up a qualification system. By relying on pre-approved operators at the state level, they don't have to qualify the internet companies.
November 15th, 2011 at 4:09:47 PM
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Western to close January 16, 2012 as owners consider re-development options.
November 15th, 2011 at 4:54:49 PM
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Quote: FleaStiffWestern to close January 16, 2012 as owners consider re-development options.
That's a damn shame. Now I am afraid the panhandlers will take their money to the El Cortez!
Vote for Nobody 2020!
November 16th, 2011 at 2:38:30 AM
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Great more unemployment here, I know the place was bad but it did provide jobs for some and now those people are screwed.
November 16th, 2011 at 3:37:20 AM
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Quote: NicksGamingStuffGreat more unemployment here, I know the place was bad but it did provide jobs for some and now those people are screwed.
Yeah, I hate seeing anyone losing their job in this economy (except, of course, crappy employees--but that is another story!!).
I was wondering if this was coming because they had recently announced something about shortening their hours. I have heard stories about the place, but I kind of wanted to see it for myself. We were at the El Cortez the last time and I just didn't want to make the walk down there with my wife--it just looked seedy once you left the main area.
November 16th, 2011 at 9:34:17 AM
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Yes, they had recently cut back on the hours... a sure sign of trouble brewing.
Its unfortunate dealers will be on the streets for awhile but casinos are not known for good attitudes.
Its good you hesitated to go to that neighborhood with your wife, even in daylight.
Now in a matter of months there may be an annoucement of some sort ... who knows. Those who just get out of the House of Detention will have to find somewhere else to go.
Its unfortunate dealers will be on the streets for awhile but casinos are not known for good attitudes.
Its good you hesitated to go to that neighborhood with your wife, even in daylight.
Now in a matter of months there may be an annoucement of some sort ... who knows. Those who just get out of the House of Detention will have to find somewhere else to go.
November 16th, 2011 at 5:45:16 PM
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Quote: FleaStiffIts unfortunate dealers will be on the streets for awhile
There's always been dealers on the streets there between ElCo and Western....oh wait. You mean BJ dealers, I guess.
"Poker sure is an easy game to beat if you have the roll to keep rebuying."
November 16th, 2011 at 6:33:51 PM
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I used to live in an apartment that was across the street from a dairy. It wasn't a problem at all until the dairy left, and the flies didn't have the cow manure to feed off, and swarmed over to the apartment complex. I get the feeling that the human vermin will find new homes along Fremont Street or El Cortez.
I once was playing blackjack at the Western (before they went 6:5) and the pit boss came over to tell me that they were closing the table in five minutes because the dealer was going on a break. Yup, only one dealer on, and nobody to take his place.
I once was playing blackjack at the Western (before they went 6:5) and the pit boss came over to tell me that they were closing the table in five minutes because the dealer was going on a break. Yup, only one dealer on, and nobody to take his place.
November 17th, 2011 at 1:35:08 AM
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I go to the Western every time I'm in Las Vegas, love it. I brought my girlfriend once around 1:30am and she had a great time, everyone was very nice and polite to her. She had never played black jack at a table before and didn't care to learn basic strategy so it was a great place to let her play without losing a lot of money. Drinks were so cheap I bought everyone at the table shots while I watched her play. On another trip I brought a female friend and she cleaned everyone out playing poker, the old men weren't happy about being beaten badly by a young girl. Once I gave a bum a dollar and he walked us up the street to the El Cortez and made all the other panhandlers leave us alone. I'm sad to hear it's closing.
