Visitreno

[stan_allen]

Go get 'em, Alison! Definitely not rudeness; we're just having an honest debate.
Compare the two? Yes, they are very different, but there's no escaping the comparison urge, so:

-Gangs? Scary walks? Suspicious-looking freaks and weirdos? Cheesy downtown-crappiness? Sorry, but both cities lose; there's plenty to go around!

-Traffic? You've got to be kidding, and it's no contest: Reno recently completed construction in the downtown, so if there was congestion, it was for a reason, and now it's done. Just try driving down the Las Vegas strip on a Friday night, and let us know how it goes!

-Gaming? For odds, rules, and comps, there's just no comparison, as the Bear has pointed out - if you'd like to be shorn, by all means, head off to Vegas, but you'll spend a lot more time doing research and then driving to outlying casinos to get something comparable to Reno - and once you do, please make a note of the clientele quality.

So, you're right - there really is no meaningful comparison (but that's only because Reno would WIN IT!!!)

The only conceivable drawback to Reno is the risk that you might run into that guy with the birds...

[alison]

Stan, good point. I forgot the traffic aspect of Vegas. Its horrid!! Takes forever to get anywhere.

Reno odds are better too. I forgot to point that out as well. Thanks Stan!

Bottom line is Reno is no Vegas as Vegas is no Reno. They are completely different. I guess it just depends on what you want to get out of your trip. For me i want great drink service, short lines, free hotels, free food, free play.

[spinner]

I agree Reno has slowly over the years become "dumpy". Take a walk from Sands to downtown at night, a little scary, or from the old Ramada to downtown, also a little scary. How about parks around the riverwalk during the day, a lot scary. I took that walk with my 4 year old daughter and got the chance to give her an education on what a "bum" looks like and why she should not talk to men like that ever. I am sure that about 25% of them are registered sex offenders just sitting around with 100% being able to score high marks for drug/alcohol problems. Geez. Get them away from the areas you have made for people to go and feel safe. I mean you have kyackers right next to 25 indigent men sitting around.

Reno has torn down so much, that the downtown has lost the vibrancy it once had. There used to be excitement when you drove into town and saw all the action. From the Reno Arch to the Cal Neva, most of the action seems to be T-shirt shops. Harrah's ruined the visual appeal of downtown by wiping out the Harolds and Nevada Club. It seems a little dark and strange coming into town.

Now Reno is trying to dress up the downtown. More lights and more pedestrian friendly areas, which is long overdue. The problem is that the downtown is close to lots of old properties with gang types and such. Vegas Casinos buy so much land and are so large that it creates a buffer zone which Reno casinos downtown have not done.

Don't think I am down on Reno. I started my gambling career there 30 years ago, I have family in the area so I have been going there since the 60's. I just feel the "city fathers" have thought that the easy money would never end, and did nothing while nice businesses moved out of downtown, and crime moved into downtown. But, if I had friends from out of state, or out of the country that wanted to see a gambling destination, Reno would not be on my list. I just does not feel exciting.

Reno weather is much better than Vegas, Reno has great ski resorts and fishing nearby, and is not too far from Sacramento, San Francisco, etc.

But Reno will continue to live on knowing that her best days are behind her. It used to be "cool" in the 50's for Hollywood types to come to Reno, I heard that the Mapes was THE place to go back in those days. There used to be big bettors. I agree with the previous writer who mentioned that most of the players are less affluent than Vegas visitors. LVBear might think Reno is better on blackjack and such, but also he complains that they don't want action above the $5 chip player, and he has had to leave many casinos due to this. Also, Several downtown casinos use 6:5 blackjack, continuous shuffle machines, mindplay chip tracking, etc that he is very much down on.
Even though comps are easier then Vegas, people prefer to be associated with a place that is sexy, happening, and talked about in our culture all the time.

[stan_allen]

All points of view have weight in this bout, and it can't be denied that Reno's got a lot of work to do if it ever wants to recapture some of that old glory - but I do love a good debate, even if I can't win it.

In sum, RENO is an anagram of NERO, who you may recall, was the fellow who literally fiddled as Rome burned.

Chilling comparison!

(Or burning, depending on your location)

[alison]

I know how you love to debate Stan!!!

I just love to defend Reno. Sure it could use some minor improvements. I just hate when people try comparing it to Vegas. Its not Vegas!!! Don't compare the two.

[stan_allen]

I love Reno, too; we can agree on that!

In fact, we wouldn't be such active board members if we didn't love Reno - there's plenty of us who would actually prefer to spend our entertainment dollar there than Vegas, and we'd love it if the people who run the city felt the same way - are you listening, casino managers and elected officials??!

(Insert sound of crickets chirping here)

[lvbear584]

[remano]

[lvbear584]

[Yo Man]

Let me throw in my 2 cents worth. I just returned from a trip to Laughlin and Las Vegas. Laughlin is very lay-ed back, mostly lousy Blackjack (6/5) but very reasonable cost wise. Craps Tables can still be found from $1 up with odds up to 10 Times. We had a great time in Laughlin, found decent food at reasonable rates.

The Las Vegas Strip, well sucked. Traffic was just plain miserable and it takes a hell'va lot time to move around if you are going to be around the Strip. Strip Hotels are amazing to look at, but frankly a joke when it comes to gambling. Just amazing to see the high mins, 6/5 BJ and the tables are crowed. We only went on the Strip to see Mama Mia, and the Phantom of the Opera. (Both very good shows) Food prices on the Strip are hardly worth mentioning, but there has to be many, many folks making a lot of money to be paying $30.00 just for appetizers is some the these restaurants. (Don't tell me the economy is lousy in this country!)

Anyway being a humble poor Craps players whe found good games out on the Boulder Strip at Boulder Station, Arizona Charlies, Jokers Wild and the Festa. Food was good and reasonable. (Odds at Sam's 20 Times, others all 10 Times) Mins. were $1 to $5 and we had a ball and actually made a few bucks.

Now days we have to decide what kind of trip we want to enjoy. If we want to see good to great Entertainment it is a easy choice to choose Las Vegas. We stay at Sam's Town which has reasonable cost rooms ($35 - $50). (Strip $100 - $350 per night)

If we want more gambling action we would choose Reno. Siena, Cal Neva, Nugget in Sparks and the Western Village. Pretty damn good low roller action at reasonable mins and rules. I don't think much of the big downtown joints, hate Hurrahs, Silver Legacy and barely put up with the Eldorado. In our opinion Reno still has a slight edge over Lauglin, but it is getting harder to choose Reno as I have been watching the downtown area and Casino's continue to go down the tubes.

On the very positive side, Reno still is much friendlier than Laughlin. The Las Vegas Strip, again just totally sucks, and should be left to the rubber neckers.

Yo Man......over and out.

[llkraus]

I recently returned from a six-day meeting in Las Vegas. While there, I stayed downtown at the Four Queens for the first three nights, then moved to the Orleans for the last two nights. My meeting was at the Riviera, which put me on the north end of the Strip most of the day.

I purposely stayed downtown, rather than at the Riv, just to ge the better BJ games. However, I found that even downtown is getting bad. If you see a single deck game, the payout is 6-5. You can't get 3-2 until you move to double-deck, or sometimes a shoe. (The Golden Nugget even had a double-deck game from a shoe, which I had never seen before!)

The Orleans was nice; however, the same rules applied. Low limit, or single deck, 6-5. (However, the cocktail waitress uniforms almost made up for it.)

Both downtown and the Orleans, as well as the other large casinos I visited, were staffed by human dealing machines. There was almost no banter from the dealer, no encouragement to have fun, while lots of encouragement to leave tips.

(On the other hand, I did go out on Boulder Highway on my off day and found $3 blackjack with reasonable rules at the Jokers Wild, and $2 blackjack with reasonable rules at the Nevada Palace. However, neither of these places were locations where I would want to take my wife. Pretty grungy)

I did see one show, "Love" (the Cirque show using the music of the Beatles, remixed by George Martin, who had produced the Beatles original works) and it was fantastic.

In short, I much prefer Reno. Dealers are much friendlier, rules are generally a bit better, and the atmosphere is much more relaxing. My meeting next year will, again, be a the Riv. Since it is a free trip, I will go back. Other than that, however, there's no reason for me to visit Las Vegas. As was pointed out above, Reno is not Las Vegas, and Las Vegas is not Reno. Some people are just more comfortable in one place over the other and that place for me is Reno. As I write this, the countdown clock on my computer shows 181 days, 20 hours, until I board the big jet plane to bring me to my own personal mecca in Northern Nevada.

llk
_________________
Larry L. Kraus
Tyler, TX

[Yo Man]

Dang I missed the Nevada Palace. You are right about Jokers Wild it is a real dive. Like the Craps game as it was $1 min with 10 times odds. We really like the Fiesta and enjoyed Arizona Charlies. AC had $3 and $5 Craps with 10 times Odds.

I would agree, Reno still has the edge for gambling, but Las Vegas is tough to beat if you are looking for world class entertainment.

Reno used to have some great entertainment, but for the life of me I don't understand why most of the Hotel Casinos have junked their Cabarets, and cut way back on the quality of their shows.

Maybe someday some bright Reno Casino exec. will figure out reasonable games, where normal people have a fighting chance to win will bring in the money. Well, maybe someday.

[llkraus]

[spinner]

You know, I can't help myself with curiosity. I am definately going to the Nevada Palace next time I am in Las Vegas.

I got this quote from a travel website of a person who described the casino. I just gotta laugh because it sounds so realistic.

[lvbear584]