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I live in the Wilkes Barre area. The video poker return is terrible. The best I found was 97.8%, and most are in the 95%-96% range. And no progressives on VP - reel slots only. I haven't put a penny in these machines and never will. Currently, table games are electronic only but real live table games are supposed to arrive shortly. Based on the VP payback, I'm expecting 8-deck shoes with the cut card after 4 decks, auto-shuffle machines, and a 6-5 blackjack payout. If we get anything better, it will be a surprise.All chairs are fixed to the floor. You can't move them forward or back to make yourself comfortable. Not that it matters to me since I don't play here, but I note this because I find it very annoying (I have long legs and always slide the chair back for comfort) at other casinos.
The casino is arranged in a circle, games inside, businesses outside, and a bar in the middle, much like the Hard Rock in Vegas. But unlike the Hard Rock, the casino floor is not sunken, instead the center bar is raised. And the machines are packed in pretty tight (not as bad as the El Cortez used to be, but still squeezed in like most downtown LV casinos today) with most having their volume set to maximum. This results in a claustrophobic feeling - you can see and hear only what's immediately around you. IMHO, they really blew it here. They had the opportunity to design something nice from scratch, and this is the best they could come up with? I also feel sorry for the handicapped. I'm not handicapped and am capable of walking a good distance, but ALL parking is a LONG way from the casino, even the closest handicapped spots. For some reason, they have nothing but roads and grass near the casino, with all parking way outside.
The food outlets are the only reason to consider going here. But be prepared to open your wallet; the buffet is more expensive than the Vegas-equivalent locals buffets, and the restaurants are expensive. The food is good, but I've personally decided to stay away and save my money for Vegas (when I go out to eat, I go elsewhere - it's cheaper).
In summary, this place is for suckers. But there seem to be plenty of them, people with magic pants that continually produce money. Until the suckers run out of money, things aren't going to change.
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