For the past few years, I've been playing a lot of slot machines in various casinos throughout Las Vegas and I think it's about time that I offer my humble opinion on those casinos I consider to be the best and the worst for the casino slot playing customers.

And I hope that some of you other Talk Vegas fans will pitch in and offer your opinions also.

So to make it as simple as possible, I've developed a rating system such as the following:

Grade A : I just about consistently win while playing the slot machines at this casino.
Grade B : I sometimes win and sometimes lose while playing the slots at this casino.
GraDE C : I never win here.

I only ask that you only grade a casino's slots if you have enough experience at that casino to offer a pretty valid opinion

Here goes ........ (All figures offered are approximations only and only slot machine action is graded!)

Only one person submitting grades does not set an accurate picture, so please feel free to offer your own and maybe we can come up with something valid.

Grade A :
The Palms - Out of the last 30 visits here I've probably walked out twice with less money than when I entered,
The M - I usually always win here but that may be because the slots are loose due to the fact that they just opened recently.
Ellis Island - Loose as a goose and good home brewed beer too.

Grade B
The Wynn/Encore - I've always felt that the slots would be tight here but I've discovered differently lately and actually think that the Wynn just have some of the loosest slots on the Strip. This assumption is only based on about five visits during the bast few weeks though.
The Orleans -
South Point - Yu gotta pick the right machine.

Grade C
Palace Station
Golden Gate

I do visit many other casinos but have yet to spend enough time at their slots of offer a valid grade.

Your grade of your favorite and least favorite casinos is appreciated. Any help is appreciated....

at some point, when playing the slots,you are ahead.take that money and leave.that is not a "loose" slot that's just smart money management.my favorite slot casino? the last one i won at

In the 90's I could pick out a winner in a NY minute.

Now, you'd have to take a sledge hammer to get money out of them.

My luck in the past few years have been at Wynn's ($20 in a $5 slot, $650 out). Took the money and ran.

Sam's Town at least keeps you even.

It all started going downhill when the Monte Carlo first opened.
They told me I won so I wasn't eligible for comps!

They were the first one's that tracked not just what I played, but what I won.

Ellen

Ellen, do you remember the comp system of The Orleans when it first opened? I forgot exactly how it worked. I think you only earned points on your card by coin out/credits earned. Interesting because you only earned comps if you won. If you put in $100 and lost every single spin, you earned nothing.

I think you're right Joe. It was very weird. I never heard from them nor did I win anything.

To be fair, they have sent offers lately.

The one I can't understand is Sunset Station. Last time we stayed there, they screwed me on the room. I got offered 2 nights comped, asked for an upgrade when booking months in advance, they said don't worry. Got there, no upgrades available.

This New Years, they were calling me up on the phone offering free rooms and tickets for New Years Eve party and show. Couldn't make it.

Now, going out in June, no offers and they're quoting $59 a night.

We've got 3 nights comped at Mirage and 3 at Ceasars.

Go figure.

Ellen

I'm with DAG on this one, the best place to play is where ever you won last, and that is a fickle fate kinda thing.

On the strip, I do not believe the slots pay very well over the long term. If I where to play slots, it's either at some of the out lying properties or downtown.

Sharon has had some luck at Caesars, and Flamingo, but it's nothing consistant, and lets face it, if it was consistent for everyone the casino would loose money and in short order that casino would close.

I like certain slots, rather then places to play.

But again if forced to pick a few places where I might have some luck???
Orleans, Green Valley Ranch, California, Main Street Station, Golden Nugget, Palms, Rio,& Eldorado. These would all be second tier according to your schedule Will.

OK, then let me ask you.... Where did you win last and did you win there the second to last time too? How about the third to last time? Etc.

I have to admit that I have been a consistant but not big winner at The Palms, the M and Ellis Island.

I consider a winner to be anyone who enters a casino, plays some table games or slots, has a couple of beers or glasses of wine or even a martini or two, meets a lot of very nice and interesting people in the process, and enjoys himself for three or four hours and leaves the house with a few bucks more than when he entered.

When that happens, I am a winner and so far I've been a winner at each of the three
casinos mentioned above.

Here are two of the three slot machines I consistantly take money from whenever I play them at one or more of the above mentioned casinos......

Mystic Forest
Alien Cows from Planet Moolah

If you try either, please let me know how you do. I know each of them extremely well because I play each of them consistantly and wherever I can find them.

Will, again, I don't know if I qualify to answer you. I am not a BIG slot player here on this BB.
I have never played any of your games mentioned.
Another reason, I don't know if I qualify to responed here is, your deffination of a winner. LOL Beleive it or not, I'm not in it to retire on my slot or table game winnings. I'm looking for entertainment value, an enjoyable day or evening, plucking away at some device, and not getting killed with what I feel is a chance at winning something. Nice people and a couple of free drinks along the way, and I might even put that session in the win collum without more jingle in my pocket.
I know, for a fact, I have more loosing trips to Vegas then I have winning ones @ about a 4 to 1 average. I normally looose more an any one trip, then I win on any one trip.
I guess I'm still looking at Vegas as a vacation. A complete vacation away from work, my troubles, and my worries. A win is more of a bonus, to me.
Lastly, I have never gone into a casino in recent times and just played slots, or for that matter just one kind of slot, so the winner thingy gets blurred pretty well here. Maybe a show, dinner or VP, or pi gow poker or BJ also might catch my eye on the same visit. I am not a steady slot player.
The last 2 times I've been in a casino and left with more of thier money then I walked in with....
Palm, Rio, Cannery on craig, are about it. I played slots, but not the whole time in any of these. BTW, my last trip was ugly the last day, so that rules out places like MSS, California, Fremont and the Nugget.

Lee, you wrote " I'm looking for entertainment value, an enjoyable day or evening, plucking away at some device, and not getting killed with what I feel is a chance at winning something. Nice people and a couple of free drinks along the way, and I might even put that session in the win collum without more jingle in my pocket. "

Definitely sounds like a winner to me.

BTW, I just returned from South Point after seeing The Hangover (I loved it and laffed my Okole off until tears came to my eyes). Stopped in the casino and played that little "Hot Sauce" slot machine and won $15 within five minutes. That was a $10 profit.

Would have played "Alien Cows from Planet Moolah" or "Mystic Forest" but the SP had to move them out earlier this week because they were in favor of the player just too darn much.

Thanks for the info you gave us on those casinos which have been profitable for you. Interesting to note that none were on the Strip.