Durango Opening

Just two days ago, on December 5, the vibrant city of Las Vegas welcomed the grand opening of Durango. If I'm not mistaken, this marks the first new casino opening since Circa debuted back in October 2020, three years ago. This latest addition is brought to you by Station Casinos.

The Durango is situated in the swiftly developing southwest area of Las Vegas, a region that previously lacked any casinos. Given this circumstance, I anticipate a successful turnout. This location matches the scale of other Station Casinos; however, it does not include amenities like a bowling alley or a movie theater, though there are talks of a potential future expansion.

Upon entering the Durango, I was struck by how exceptionally bright and inviting the interior felt. It's a common belief that casinos lack windows to help guests lose track of time, but that's not the case here. The Durango features numerous glass walls that allow an abundance of natural light to flood in.

The design features a refreshing color palette, with white granite flooring and walls accented by soft brown and red carpeting. In contrast to the typically overwhelming aesthetics found in many Las Vegas casinos, the ambiance here is visually soothing, reminiscent of the tranquility found in casinos in Macau instead of the usual raucous Las Vegas vibe.

Here’s a breakdown of the table game offerings available in the primary casino area:

1. Blackjack: 19
2. Baccarat: 6
3. Roulette: 5 (4 double-zero, 1 triple-zero)
4. Face-up pai gow poker: 5
5. Craps: 4 (3 traditional, one electronic)
6. Ultimate Texas Hold \"em: 4
7. Free Bet Blackjack: 3
8. Mississippi Stud: 1
9. Three Card Poker: 1
10. Crazy 4 Poker: 1
11. I Love Suits: 1

In the high limit room:

1. Blackjack: 5
2. Baccarat: 4

I chose a video poker machine at random while on the casino floor. The games available, as well as the pay tables for the $0.25 and $0.50 betting options, were as follows:

Game	Pay Table	Return
Bonus Poker	7-5	98.01%
Double Bonus	9-6-5	97.81%
Double Double Bonus	9-5	97.87%
Deuces Wild	20-12-10	97.58%
Deuces Wild Double Double Bonus	12-10	97.42%
Bonus Poker Deluxe	8-5	97.40%
Super Aces Bonus	6-5	97.78%
Super Double Double Bonus	6-5	98.25%
Super Double Bonus	7-5	97.77%
Deuces Wild Bonus	10-4-3-3	97.36%
Super Bonus Deuces Wild	8-4-3-2	97.87%

As I moved up to the $1, $2, and $5 betting levels, the pay tables improved significantly, detailed as follows.

Game	Pay Table	Return
Bonus Poker	8-5	99.17%
Double Bonus	9-7-5	99.11%
Double Double Bonus	9-6	98.98%
Deuces Wild	25-15-9	98.91%
Deuces Wild Double Double Bonus	10-8	98.70%
Bonus Poker Deluxe	8-6	98.49%
Super Aces Bonus	7-5	98.85%
Super Double Double Bonus	7-5	99.17%
Super Double Bonus	8-5	98.69%
Deuces Wild Bonus	13-4-3-3	98.80%
Super Bonus Deuces Wild	8-5	98.84%

I didn’t notice the typical enticing 100% games near any of the entrances. Within the high-limit room, video poker machines were available with bets ranging from $5 to $50. The game selections and associated pay tables appeared to mirror those mentioned previously for the $1 to $5 range.

I also took a peek at a randomly selected keno game. At the $0.25 and $0.50 levels, the game followed 'pay table 5' at location. There, the optimal odds are found in the pick 6 section, adhering to a 3-4-70-1600 pay table offering a return of 92.67%. Wizard of Odds The odds improved significantly at the $1 level, which followed pay table 7 according to Wizard of Odds. The best odds once again are in the pick 6 area, now relying on the 3-4-75-1660 pay table, promising a 94.99% return. I've always remarked that a casino's video keno looseness can often reflect their slot looseness. In this instance, the video keno appears quite generous, making the $1 pay table particularly appealing for keno enthusiasts. Kudos to Durango for this!

In general, Durango exudes a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere. However, I probably won’t be frequenting the place often since it's not in a very convenient location for me, and the activities there seem to be limited to gambling and dining. Additionally, I am part of the “no mail” restriction list with Station Casinos, so there's little incentive for me to engage with them. Nonetheless, I wish them all the best.

Accurate mathematical strategies and guidance are available for a variety of casino games including blackjack, craps, roulette, and hundreds more.

Links:

Discussion at Wizard of Vegas

Wikipedia Entry

Official web site

Written by: Michael Shackleford