Jokers Wild: Worth the Trip?

My son and I are flying in to Vegas early (by 9 a.m.) on May 16th. The others who are joining us will not get in until after 3 p.m. and on into the evening. We have a plan once they are there but my son and I wanted to head out and play some cheap craps until people begin to arrive. I will have a car for that day.

I'd like your opinions on going to Joker's Wild and ideas of other low dollar places to play.

Thanks!

I am curious as to why there are two votes "No". I have never been there, but have wanted to go. Cheap craps. I understand it's not the beautiful place, but c'mon, low level craps. How bad can it be?

Quote: bushman

I am curious as to why there are two votes "No". I have never been there, but have wanted to go. Cheap craps. I understand it's not the beautiful place, but c'mon, low level craps. How bad can it be?

I was hoping to get votes and thoughts; so far, just votes!! I was even kind of hoping another board member, or even the Wizard himself, would be around that morning and join me for some low-roller craps.

My wife and I had a ball playing beginners craps at Casino Royale, during the day on a Wednesday or Thursday, totally empty table, three dollar minimum. My favorite line was:
Wife: I've never played before!
World's Most Jaded Stickman Who Has Obviously Been Playing All His Life: Me neither sweetie, try to roll another 6.

Quote: AndyGB

My wife and I had a ball playing beginners craps at Casino Royale, during the day on a Wednesday or Thursday, totally empty table, three dollar minimum. My favorite line was:
Wife: I've never played before!
World's Most Jaded Stickman Who Has Obviously Been Playing All His Life: Me neither sweetie, try to roll another 6.

I do enjoy the sarcastic dealers at the Casino Royale. We'll end up playing there another day, so I was going to head somewhere else on the day Thursday. I always can get a comp to Denny's or the Outhouse steak place from them...

You know, I have tried to talk a buddy of mine to go with me to Joker's Wild. CR may have $3 craps (which is good) but JW has $1 with 10X odds "all the time". He won't go. He's too good and doesn't remember where we come from. I remember the days, excitedly, about playing the Frontier or Binion's Horseshoe with $1 and 10X odds. I loved it. Now, I have moved up, although probably shouldn't have, to $5 and 3,4,5 odds. However, I miss those days of long ago. Nothing like a progression up to $10 on the line with a black check backing it. Whoo hoo! Also, realizing one can't get "too hurt" betting $11 on the line.

EDIT: You know what. I don't care. I go to LV in Aug. and meet my buddy. I am going, whether or not I can drag his a$$. I am going.

GO!

Not only is it low limit with 10x odds, but they are one of only two casinos that have 25 cent chips on the craps table. That allows you to place $1.50 on the 6/8 and $1.25 on the 5/9 and get a correct payout of $1.75! Amazingly, you still see people making bets that can't be paid without rounding. Obviously, they round down. Note that the other casino rumored to have quarters on the craps table is El Cortez. I've never been there. They are on my list for my next trip.

It is also downright grungy in a old school Vegas sort of way.

Last time, I played for a while until my poker tourney started. My chair was not 10 feet away, so I said to take everything down and color up. I played TWO poker hands while they took care of that. Finally, I picked up 13 greens and a couple reds and whites. Odd that they didn't give me blacks. Whatever.

An hour later, during a break in the tourney, I went to the cage. Only one window but no waiting. After counting it, she picks up the phone. I could see the craps floorman pick up his phone, listen, look at me, and nod while answering. The cage girl then paid me. Really? She had to call for approval for three hundred bucks? Gotta love it!

Sigh, they recently closed the poker room, but I'll still stop by...

Some people refer to it as slumming but in reality its probably just closer to visiting the type of place that used to have sawdust on the floor. Low money, low key... a casino, not a glamor palace.

Thanks, DJ...I was thinking that a place with $1 craps may be a good place to let my son play without having to put too much at risk.

Funny that they held the black chips and gave you green instead...and that they had to call the floor for $300!!

I have played at El Cortez and I don't remember quarters on the table. I can't say that I like playing there--the dealers are just not all that good or nice on the craps tables. I did have a great dealer on the single deck $5 blackjack table but there were eyes on everyone betting $25 or more...lots of eyes...

It's definitely worth it. Fun, low-limit game in a no-frills casino. It'll give your son a look at a different side of Vegas. And, if you find out that it isn't your cup of tea, just hang a right on Boulder Highway and move on to Sunset Station, Sam's Town, Eastside Cannery or Boulder Station (or Longhorn...)

Quote: DJTeddyBear

GO!



It is also downright grungy in a old school Vegas sort of way.

Hmmmm....I was in there the other day and was surprised how much it has improved over the years. If you think that's grungy I can only imagine what you would have though about it in the 90's especially at the counter in the coffee shop. It was like a scene from One flew over the coo coos nest. with .49 cent breakfast. Then we have the lovely Western say 15 years ago they may of had dirt floors.

Ok. So maybe it's not THAT grungy. But it is when you consider a first time Vegas visitor's expectation of a casino is probably more is a strip casino feel.

Note that JW has only 1 craps table, and only about 8 other tables in the entire place.... Plus a bunch of slots.


I wanted to put it on the WoV Vegas maps I made, but the Wiz vetoed that because they don't have a hotel.

I did end up going to the Joker's Wild on our May trip to Vegas. The purpose of the trip was to celebrate our daughter's 21st birthday. I arrived early because I wanted to handle room check-ins, etc. for our group of six. My son came in about an hour after i did and we headed out to this casino as there were four or five hours until the next arrival.

We walked in and noticed the stale air immediately. It wasn't overly smokey, just stale and smelled of smoke. We joined the player's club and they gave us mugs from some other casino as our "gift".

Then it was off to the craps table. It was 10 a.m. on a Thursday and there were about five players there (we made it seven). It was a lot of fun to bet $1 with $5-$10 odds for me (my son bought in for $20 and bet $ with $1/$2 odds). I also did some come bets and even a couple of place bets. The playing atmosphere was fine but there were some typical degenerate comments from those who feel that the shooter is trying to screw things up (duh...jackass...we all want something besides a 7 on this table...do you see anyone playing the don't?).

We played for an hour or so and colored up--I was just at even and my son had $38 for his $20 buy-in.

Lunch at "In-N-Out Burger" was on him!!

I need to find an off-strip place with $3 or less craps for a trip in September. I'll be taking some non-craps players to learn. Joker's Wild is in the running for this trip...

I played here a couple of weeks ago on the $1 craps table. I was playing next to a guy that liked to cheer the darkside, and even though I was playing it I don't think it was a good idea to cheer for a seven. Anyway I got killed playing both sides at the wrong times :(