Tropicana Las Vegas is the oldest casino on the Las Vegas Strip. It won that title when Riviera shuttered on May 4, 2015. While Flamingo by name is older than both Tropicana and Riviera, there are no original buildings remaining at it.
Tropicana Las Vegas opened on April 4, 1957. It has a Miami Beach theme. It was last remodeled in 2011.
The Tropicana in Las Vegas is not related to any of the others. The property was acquired in bankruptcy separate from the other Tropicana resorts under what is now known as Tropicana Entertainment, which owns casinos under the same name in other markets including Atlantic City and Laughlin, NV.
Tropicana Las Vegas was eventually acquired by Penn National Gaming in 2015. Penn Gaming kept the Tropicana name. It is the first Las Vegas Strip property owned by Penn Gaming. The company also owns the M Resort in the far south end of Las Vegas Blvd. The standard Penn Gaming players club will replace the one used by Tropicana in 2016. Analysts expect Penn Gaming to improve the property with renovations, as well as the ability to draw players to it from regional casinos under the company’s umbrella.
Tropicana Tables and Games
There are 24 blackjack tables at Tropicana. The main casino floor hosts 18 of them. A high limit salon at the rear of the property keeps six more, but it is rare to find more than two open at any given time.
There are three different styles of blackjack tables on the main casino floor at Tropicana. The best game is a $25 to $2,000 double deck game that is dealt as a pitch. There is just one of these tables. Players may double down before and after splitting. The dealer hits soft 17. The house edge is 0.4%.
There are six six-deck shoe games. The bet limits are $10 to $1,000. Players may double down on any two cards and after splitting. Re-split aces is also permitted. The dealer hits soft 17. The house edge is 0.56%.
There are 11 tables with $5 to $1,000 limits. These games are dealt from a continuous shuffle machine. Many are by the front door. Make sure to walk past them to find the $10 games deeper in the pit. Players may double down on any two cards and after splitting, as well as re-split aces. The dealer hits soft 17. The house edge is 1.91%.
There are two games in the high limit salon. Each has bet limits of $100 to $5,000. The double deck game has the same rules as the one in the main pit. The six-deck shoe game permits double down before and after splitting, as well as surrender and re-split aces. The dealer stands on all 17’s. The high limit shoe game has a house edge of 0.33%.
TropLV Players Club for Frequent Blackjack Players
Tropicana Las Vegas uses TropLV as its players club. It will eventually be replaced by Penn Gaming’s proprietary card. Either way, Tropicana players can expect to receive better than average comps for play. There is no buffet at Tropicana, however, there is a decent café that is open 24 hours a day. Players can expect a comp for it or a slice or two of pizza after about four hours of play. Green chip players can expect free hotel rooms and a host, as well as invites to free slot tournaments and private parties.
What’s Different?
Players will find $10 blackjack that pays 3-2 at Tropicana. There are only two other tables at the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Blvd in other casinos with the same claim. Those are at New York New York. The comps are better at Tropicana than the three MGM Resorts properties on the other three corners at the intersection.
The Inside View
Tropicana is a great place for red chip players to play blackjack. Walking past the ripoff 6-5 tables by the front door is the key. The double deck game permits double down after splitting, something Caesars properties do not allow. High limit players should hit the six-deck game since it offers every player friendly rule that exists, including surrender, re-split aces and the dealer standing on all 17’s. Tropicana is a great place for blackjack comps, especially when compared to Caesars Entertainment and MGM casinos.
The hotel at Tropicana is in the three-and-a-half to four star range. Its rates are often lower than comparable properties in the Las Vegas Strip. This is another reason to choose Tropicana over the nearby MGM Resorts hotels.