D Review by Mission

Quote: Tomspur

I'm sure he will find the dramatic improvement in certain areas pleasing. It sure does seem like the D is the place to B :)
(Copyright, Tomspur INC)
LOL

Oh, by all means have him look at it when it is updated. In fact, I think we may know the same person, I believe I met him back in December at Golden Gate, really nice guy.

Quote: UCivan

I don't know if Mission has mentioned these: (1) D charges the bottled water and coffee in the room [$7??] (2) the topless dancers in the showroom, 2nd floor, are much less attractive than those downstairs.

I'm not confident that my room in December even had bottled water in it, and I know that my room this trip did not have any already in there. I don't believe I had any coffee in this room, but my one in December, I think, had Keurig and they do charge for it, yes. In my original review, I specifically mentioned that there is nowhere to just go and get free coffee in the morning with exception to playing the machines. They might consider that. Both Downtown Grand and Cannery had such free coffee in the morning (and Cannery is an inferior property) and it really doesn't add too much to costs. I don't know if Four Queens has such coffee or not, I wasn't reviewing it and I was also in a hurry that morning.

I don't know anything about the topless dancers on the second floor for Raack and Roll or the topless dancers anywhere else. I don't frequent venues where topless dancing is something that happens.

Quote: Mission146

I don't know anything about the topless dancers on the second floor for Raack and Roll or the topless dancers anywhere else. I don't frequent venues where topless dancing is something that happens.

Does the Wizard pay for reviews of topless reviews?

Just curious about the Vue Bar, and the Blackjack... still $5 3:2 ?

Quote: 98Clubs

Just curious about the Vue Bar, and the Blackjack... still $5 3:2 ?

Oh yeah, 3:2 Double-Deck Blackjack is still alive and well at The D, even when the Dancing Dealers are around, same with their sister property Golden Gate.

The Vue Bar is a bar located upstairs (you can take the escalator up from outside, as well) on the second (Vintage Vegas) floor. The bar top poker is for quarters, although it is interesting in that there is a linked Natural Royal Flush Progressive amongst four of the games and all of the bartop units. Drinks at the bar are free provided one is betting at least $0.25 (in my experience) and even then, the bartenders are pretty lax about what pace you are playing.

A new development with the Vue Bar is that there appear to be Table Games right across from the main bar area as you enter from the outside escalator. It appears that they are going to be Blackjack Tables, which I would suppose is an answer to those who feel the music downstairs is too loud.

If you scroll about halfway down my original Review of The D:

https://wizardofvegas.com/hotels/d/

You will see some pictures that I got from the balcony just off of the Vue Bar, a balcony on which 15-20 people can probably comfortably stand and enjoy their drinks and the 'Vue' of the Fremont Street Experience.

The Vue Bar is just one of many features that makes The D Long on Fun, and Short on Ordinary!

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Per Wizard, "Liberal Banker Rules => A less than 5% commission on winning banker bets has been known to happen. Currently, the only land casino I know to offer reduced-commission baccarat, at 4%, is the D in downtown Las Vegas. For a short time in 1989 the Sahara offered 0% commission. The Betfair Internet casino offers a 2.75% commision in their "Zero Lounge." The following table shows the expected value on the banker bet according to the number of decks and commission." Is Baccarat still there?

Quote: UCivan

Per Wizard, "Liberal Banker Rules => A less than 5% commission on winning banker bets has been known to happen. Currently, the only land casino I know to offer reduced-commission baccarat, at 4%, is the D in downtown Las Vegas. For a short time in 1989 the Sahara offered 0% commission. The Betfair Internet casino offers a 2.75% commision in their "Zero Lounge." The following table shows the expected value on the banker bet according to the number of decks and commission." Is Baccarat still there?

I believe the 4% commission baccarat is now gone or on its way out.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

And I feel right at home at either American Coney Island or at Andiamos.

A few weeks ago had the chili hot dog from the D American Coney Island. 2AM and I was hungry and they were open.
It hit the spot, yummy yummy.

Quote: DRich

I believe the 4% commission baccarat is now gone or on its way out.

A few weeks ago it was still advertised in the airport.

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Quote: DRich

I believe the 4% commission baccarat is now gone or on its way out.

It's supposed to be on its way out, because nobody plays it, anyway, but it's still there right now. In many Asian cultures, four is an unlucky number which symbolizes death, so that might explain why many Baccarat players aren't exactly stampeding over one another to get to the game.

Is there a Baccarat table at the D? where is it?

There is, 4% Commission on Banker, High Limit Room. On the Fremont Street Experience side, enter and make a left just after the Big Six wheel and the High Limit room will be on an upraised platform on the left.

Thanks.

Not a problem, let me know how it goes. I think something like 0.1% of the Baccarat action in all of Vegas takes place considering all Off-Strip casinos combined, if I recall what I read correctly, so the Baccarat dealer should be glad to see you!

Played Baccarat at the D last year, and apparently the table gets very little action according to the dealer (one of the flapper dealers). She was just happy to be actually dealing cards and not just sitting there, and she was much more pleasant than the average casino dealer. On a Sunday evening, it was $25 minimum to play, but that increased to $100 minimum if you wanted to touch the cards (Macau-style). They had a discard rack and a discard slot/bucket so the game could be played either way.

The Golden Nugget also has $25 baccarat tables in the newer section of the casino, and it appeared those might have been squeeze tables, if you like to handle the cards.

Quote: Mission146

It's supposed to be on its way out, because nobody plays it, anyway, but it's still there right now. In many Asian cultures, four is an unlucky number which symbolizes death, so that might explain why many Baccarat players aren't exactly stampeding over one another to get to the game.

Has anyone patented 8% commission baccarat yet?

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

Has anyone patented 8% commission baccarat yet?

I don't think, just have a huge pay that triggers (with no additional bet) when Banker and Player tie with a score of Natural Eight and you're good!

Quote: AxiomOfChoice

Has anyone patented 8% commission baccarat yet?

I'm sure when they do, you'll find it right next to the 6:5 shoe blackjack games.

Upgraded elavators at the D
Kind of a smart computer elavaror system
A bank of 5
You punch your number into the keypad
The screen directs you to 1 of the 5 elavators
You wait for that particular one, get on and thats it
No buttons to push in the actual elavator.

Quote: terapined

Upgraded elavators at the D
Kind of a smart computer elavaror system
A bank of 5
You punch your number into the keypad
The screen directs you to 1 of the 5 elavators
You wait for that particular one, get on and thats it
No buttons to push in the actual elavator.

So, I assume they have someone delegated to come by occasionally to haul away the skeletons of those guests who were too drunk to figure it out and never managed to get anywhere. Or got in whatever opened, and when last seen alive were riding up and down trying to find something to push until they perished. Actually, I'm stone sober and having a little trouble with the concept.

Quote: DrawingDead

So, I assume they have someone delegated to come by occasionally to haul away the skeletons of those guests who were too drunk to figure it out and never managed to get anywhere. Or got in whatever opened, and when last seen alive were riding up and down trying to find something to push until they perished. Actually, I'm stone sober and having a little trouble with the concept.

It sounds simple to me, you hit the floor before you get in the elevator: that's it. A screen must light up or have a number to tell you into what elevator you are supposed to be getting.

Quote: DrawingDead

So, I assume they have someone delegated to come by occasionally to haul away the skeletons of those guests who were too drunk to figure it out and never managed to get anywhere. Or got in whatever opened, and when last seen alive were riding up and down trying to find something to push until they perished. Actually, I'm stone sober and having a little trouble with the concept.

It is kind of weird, no buttons in the elavator except open door, close door and alarm
If people are checking in, they have somebody at the elavators showing newbies the new system.

Quote: terapined

If people are checking in, they have somebody at the elavators showing newbies the new system.

That's good. Hope they plan to continue doing that indefinitely. There are some not quite so super smart elevators in town that are already notorious for creating a constant parade of frustrated guests.

For example, at Harrah's Las Vegas for the somewhat more upscale easternmost hotel tower of the two (I forget the festive sounding name they use for that tower the 'Carnival Tower' - I have an old key card folder in my desk) there are two sets of elevator banks, each dedicated to about half the floors, and only to those. One set of elevators only takes you to the lower half of the floors, the other only to the upper ones, and of course there are no buttons inside for floors they don't serve. There is some signage, but people are constantly befuddled trying to get to their room on say the 9th floor using the set of elevators that don't have buttons for that, or trying to get to floor #23 on the other bunch. They ride up and down, return and get on another elevator in the same bank, lather & repeat, lather more, re-rinse, start foaming at the mouth convinced they've been had by some evil scam and/or disturbed to have discovered they've suddenly become mentally incompetent to perform simple tasks of daily living. I've rescued quite a few myself from time to time when I'm feeling charitable by walking them over to the right ones as I pass by from the parking garage... I've gotten to the point that I recognize that special look, a peculiar combination of embarrassed & helpless seasoned with simmering angry frustration.

Or downtown, the tower elevators at El Cortez were rebuilt during their major remodel several years ago, now requiring hotel room key cards swiped in a slot inside the elevator to operate. Similar result, and I'd guess close to 20% of those lining up at the desk there are doing so to pound their fist on it because "the &#@% elevators are all broken, the buttons don't do anything and they won't move, dagnabbit!"

And both of those guest tormenting arrangements seem simpler to my simple mind than this description of the new HAL9000 Smart Elevator.

I suggest they'd be wise to write up that "smart elevator" helper/guide job description as a long-term permanent position, in my opinion. Or everybody else in the joint with a nametag could find themselves having a hard time getting their other usual work done forevermore, 24/7/365.