The D Casino Review
When you first look at The D Las Vegas casino floor you immediately see the energy and fun confined to what seems to be a small casino. What you don’t see is the entire casino floor that stretches almost a city block where you can find a much more relaxing atmosphere. You also may not realize at first glance that The D casino actually occupies two floors. This isn’t the kind of casino you’ll find just anywhere in Las Vegas and it offers something for almost any mood.
If you want to party, just hang out at Long Bar which is the longest bar in Las Vegas or hit the tables located on the first floor. The up-tempo dance/pop music and the dancing dealers give the casino floor more energy than you’ll find in many casinos in Las Vegas. The normally reserved high limits table games room have a semi-private feeling but look out to the action on the main casino floor.
If you’re not in the mood to a party you can head upstairs to the Vintage Vegas casino and play slot machines, video poker, keno, wager on sports or one of the two Sigma Derby games in Las Vegas. The more mellow music fits the environment as much as the loud music fits the first-floor casino.
For many gamblers, the best thing about the casino are the fair odds and rules that you’ll find throughout the property. Let’s look a little deeper into what each casino floor has to offer.
(Also, be sure to check out : Review : Deluxe King Hotel Room At The D)
First Floor Casino
The first floor at The D is the larger floor of the casino and where you’ll find most of the action. This part of the casino is home to all of the table games (including high limits), the newest slot machines, some older reel slot machines, the high limits slot area (not a private room), a few stand-alone video poker machines and a 40-foot bar that has more video poker games than you can imagine.
The most action in the casino at The D can be found closer to the main Fremont Street entrance. When you walk into The D you’re smacked in the face with loud music almost all day and specifically once the sun goes down. Most of the dealers at night also dance on a small gogo platform and the bartenders bring out all the flair they can at Long Bar. High limits rooms are normally a bit secluded but at The D this room has its own dancing dealers and is open to the party outside.
Generally, when you have this kind of party environment you won’t have great gambling odds and you’ll have higher minimum wagers. That’s not the case at The D Las Vegas. Most table games on the main casino floor have $5 minimums during the day. They may be higher at night and on weekends but not always. The High Limits room at The D often has blackjack minimums set at $25 so a mid-level player on the Vegas Strip might feel like a big dawg in downtown Las Vegas. The table game rules and payouts are also very attractive at The D. All blackjack pays 3:2 and the two craps tables have 10x odds. You won’t find many casinos with better rules for each game.
If there’s a downside to the great gambling in this area of The D, it’s the video poker at the Long Bar. The video poker pay tables aren’t all the best in the casino. If you’ve had a bit to drink you might not even notice. For example, the Bonus Poker pay table offered appears to be full pay which would return 99.17% but since it pays 1 for two pair (instead of 2) the return rate is 94.18%. This isn’t the worst video poker paytable but it’s not the best. Consider this the “tax” you pay for playing video poker in the hub of the action. If you want to play video poker at Long Bar try the Bonus Deluxe which returns 98.49%. You can find plenty of better video poker machines in the casino if that’s your game. See a list of the best video poker at The D on vpFREE2.
When you walk past the Long Bar you’ll find more slot machines and video poker games. You’ll also find the high limits slot area. The machines in these areas are mostly older games but the music is a little lower in volume and it can be a little more relaxing. You’ll find a similar room of older slot machines just off the main casino floor when you walk towards the escalator to the Vintage Vegas casino.
2nd Floor Casino
This level of the casino is more mellow than the action you’ll experience at the first-floor casino and has the games you figure you’ll see in a vintage casino. The majority of the slot machines are older and popular slot machines like Wheel of Fortune and (my favorite) Top Dollar.
While the second floor is dominated by slot machines many of the video poker machines offer good returns. The Vue Bar has some of the best video poker game returns that you’ll find at a bar in Las Vegas. with full pay progressive Bonus Poker games. The bartenders often have a heavy hand if you’re into that sort of thing.
The second floor of the casino at The D is home to a small William Hill sports book and a keno lounge. The centerpiece of the second-floor casino at The D is one of two Sigma Derby machines in Las Vegas (the other is at MGM Grand). Sigma Derby is a coin operated game and almost always busy. Good luck getting a seat at the game at night or on the weekend. Not only does the game have a rabid cult following but it only costs a quarter to play. It’s proximity to the bar makes this a great spot for low rollers.
The two casino floors at The D offer a great mix of games, different environments and good odds at the tables. If you’re looking for a party just hang out downstairs. If you’re looking for a more mellow experience and don’t like the tables, just head upstairs to the Vintage Vegas casino. There’s a great mix of new and old Las Vegas at The D to satisfy just about any mood you may be in.
*Note: These photos were taken early one morning.
Like The D? We also reviewed the very unique The D | 2 Bedroom Suite.
