Nothing beats finding an open $5 table game, especially on a busy weekend. The closing of the Riviera took with it the only $1 blackjack game on the strip, but at the right time, you can still find a couple of micro-stakes tables. Here are a few places to hit up for $5 or less.

Personally Cromwell isn't that far from Harrahs or even Mirage.So if a $5 table is what you are after and Cromwell has it, you won't have to trek much further at all. It's a much much nicer casino than Harrah's too. Aug 16, 2019 Famous for its “Space Needle” like tower stretching high into The Strip’s skyline, the Stratosphere also has the lowest-stakes craps game around. You can enjoy 10x Odds – the highest offered on The Strip outside of from The Cromwell – for just a $5 minimum base bet.

*Note: Obviously, many casinos offer $5 games on early weekdays. These are a few of the best offerings. I do not include any blackjack tables at a 6:5 payout.

The Strip:

Excalibur – $5 craps tables can be found day and night. Try to stay away from < $10 blackjack at MGM properties though, as they typically pay 6:5

Cromwell – Probably the classiest place to find a $5 game on the Strip. The craps table is affordable in the morning and early afternoons.

Bally’s – Will, on occasion, actually run a 3:2 $5 blackjack game. The same can be said for both Paris and Flamingo.

Circus Circus – Odd, since it’s an MGM casino, but it runs a $5 blackjack game with decent rules. This find comes from blackjack expert Ken Smith when he shared it on a recent podcast episode.

Casino Royale – This mid-strip casino is a low roller favorite. Cheap drinks, permeating Subway scent, and $5 craps. What more do you need?

Treasure Island – Has a lot of $5 blackjack games with decent rules. TI is quickly becoming a go-to Strip casino for low rollers with generous paytables and liberal drink comp policies.

Downtown:

Virtually every downtown property offers $5 table games. Here are a few of my favorites:

Golden Gate – Always offers 3:2 $5 blackjack and $5 craps, even on busy weekend nights. It’s my favorite gambling spot downtown.

Fremont – Craps fans can get their fix in at the Fremont, which has one $3 table running occasionally. It can be quite busy there, so you may have to wait a bit to find a spot. They also have a $3 blackjack game running at various times.

El Cortez – The Cortez has afternoon limits of $1 on roulette and $3 on craps. It also runs a single deck 3:2 blackjack game with a $5 minimum.

Main Street Station – Great craps odds and good craft beer always within arm’s reach. A great place for all types of gaming.

Off-Strip:

Off-Strip casinos, just like downtown, offer $5 games 24/7. Here are a couple you may want to try if you’re adventurous:

Ellis Island – Not far jaunt from center Strip. Runs $5 BJ and craps most of the time. Plus, you can grab some cheap craft beer and sing your heart out at karaoke.

Joker’s Wild – If you have a rental car and feel like taking a drive, this low roller joint has the cheapest craps around. $1 minimum and 10x odds. Yowza!

Alternative:

Electronic – While certainly not the same as sitting down at a live table and holding real chips in your hand, these can be a great alternative in the evening when limits go up. Electronic BJ and my favorite, Shoot-to-Win craps, can be found in numerous casinos and be played at extremely low stakes. The minimums tend to fluctuate, but I and others have had no problem finding games for $3 and under at all hours.

Know of any others? I’m always on the lookout for cheap gaming!

Previously known as Barbary Coast and then Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall and Saloon, The Cromwell has only had its name since 2014. Today, the Cromwell property is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. This property, which used to be something of a rowdy rundown dump that magnetized the majority of Las Vegas’ dregs, is now a fine little diamond in the rough.

The Cromwell is the smallest casino on the strip that tries to impress its patrons. The floor has a shiny luster to it, and while this isn’t an ultra “high class” casino, it has the look of one. It sits dead in the middle of the action on the corner of Flamingo Road and Las Vegas Blvd. If you exit the I-15 onto Flamingo Road, it’s the first place you see as you approach the strip.

Given its location and small size, it brings in a lot of foot traffic that just wants to check it out. This is very much a “party casino” that mainly attracts young tourists because there isn’t a lot to do here besides drink, party, and gamble…. and that’s fine. For what is darkly lit casino that controls the smell of smoke very well, it delivers. It has one of the most popular nightspots and after-hours joints in town, and its table game and video poker payouts can compete with any casino.

The self-parking and valet entrance is in the back of The Cromwell, and you can only get in using Flamingo road. Each service now charges, and your rate depends on your tier status and how long you’re going to be there. To get free self-parking, you need to be a Platinum cardholder in Caesars’ Total Rewards program, which is second from the bottom.

Casino at The Cromwell

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After undergoing numerous renovations, the 40,000 square foot gaming space finally looks good. This casino is simply constructed as a rectangle. Despite its smaller space, its table games occur in multiple pits. One up front as you walk in off the strip, and another that is towards the back. We were satisfied with its game selection, and most of them had a $5 minimum.

Baccarat

EZ Baccarat which has no 5% commission on winning banker hands starts at $15. There is also Midi-Baccarat with the Dragon Bonus going next to it for $100.

Blackjack

None of the blackjack tables accepted bets for under $15, but they all paid out 3-2 with the dealer having to hit on soft 17. This is great considering most strip casinos typically pay 6-5. Double deck blackjack is also available, and table minimums are split in $15, $25, $50, and $100. There weren’t any of the blackjack variations, but a virtual blackjack game with a live dealer can be played for $3.

Craps

The Cromwell’s most noteworthy feature is its 100x odds for all its crap games which are either $10 or $15 minimums. Virtual craps is also available for $1.

Roulette

$15 is the minimum for the standard double zero roulette wheel, however, its $25 wheel is European roulette which has just one zero. There is no question this will be the smallest minimum in town for a single zero roulette game.

Other Cromwell Table Games

– High Card Flush ($5 minimum)
– Three Card Poker ($5 minimum)
– Crazy 4 Poker ($5 minimum)
– Mississippi Stud ($5 minimum)
– Ultimate Texas Hold’em ($5 minimum)
– Fortune Pai Gow Poker w/ Progressive ($15 minimum)

This certainly isn’t the largest mixed game selection in town but considering this is a small casino it’s an acceptable amount. This casino floor is usually busy, but both pits won’t be open except during its busiest times. Therefore, there will always be a seat open for your favorite game.

High Limit Table Games Room

The high limit room is privately secluded and has blackjack. Minimums are $100 for either double deck or a full shoe. On double deck, the dealer must still hit on soft 17, and the bettor cannot double down after splitting. On the full shoe, the dealer must stand on soft 17.

We were surprised to see $100 tables were also on the main floor, but we figure that’s to give bettors the option between betting privately or with the crowd.

Slots at The Cromwell

There are 440 slot machines spread up and down the casino. There are penny slots, and betting limits increase gradually till you reach $1. Even though there’s far fewer slots here, the reel slot and video reel sections are marked off which is something you don’t normally see.

A view of the different slots sections room from our last visit:

All of the slot games at Cromwell were modern with plenty of today’s most popular choices. Some of them are Wheel of Fortune, Dragon Link, Buffalo, Britney Spears, and The Walking Dead.

High Limit Slots Room

The red carpeted high limit slots section which is called The Abbey is towards the back of the casino, across from the sportsbook. Here, the lighting is especially dark and the limits are tame, at $1, $5, $10, and $25. It’s mostly comprised of slot machines, but there is also video poker with the same betting limits.

A view of the high limit slots room from our last visit:

Video Poker at The Cromwell

Video poker is available to be played for comped drinks at the bars and are also around the casino floor. Most of them are at the front and depending which game you play betting limits are a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, $1, $2, and $5, with some of its machines advertising payouts of 99.73%. This payout is friendly and hard to compete with, so we definitely recommend The Cromwell for avid video poker players.

Sportsbook at The Cromwell

If you valet your car, the sportsbook will be on your right as you walk in. It is away from the noisy table games and bars and is small, seating only about 30 people. All the chairs are leather and there is a small VIP section. There is no horse racing, but the 20 TVs which include four big screens are of top level picture quality and the sound is also good.

We don’t expect this sportsbook to ever be especially active as avid sports bettors tend to gravitate towards the bigger books, but it probably gets close to full during the biggest events. Otherwise this is a good place to watch a game if you prefer to be away from crowds.

Regarding food, there’s nothing to eat nearby apart from the drug store that’s next to it, but you can order food directly to you here or at any of the bars using mobile dining. Just text LVCROMWELL to the provided phone number to get your order started.

We were hoping drink tickets wouldn’t require more than $50 bets per each one, but they are $100. They claim to have a four-drink maximum, but we have a hard time believing they actually enforce this.

If you wan to bet on the go, you can do it with the Caesars Entertainment sports betting app. All you have to do is open an account right inside the book and this is a fast and free process. Betting on games after they have started, otherwise known as live betting cannot be done at this sportsbook and this is also still on the way for the app.

Hotel at The Cromwell

The Cromwell luxury boutique hotel has 188 rooms, offering 10% discounts to teachers, students, first responders, government employees, and military members. We’ll give you the bad news first. The resort fee after tax is a thick $41.94 per night which you cannot turn down or get waived. It includes Internet for two devices along with pool and fitness center access.

All the rooms are beautifully updated, some of which have strip views. The Cromwell is also a pet friendly for certain rooms. The standard room is 360 square feet, but we advise you do your research before booking. Room rates usually stay between $100-$200 which is of formidable value considering The Cromwell’s location. However, prices drastically fluctuate into the high $200s and sometimes $300s even during the week.

Suites

If you prefer a larger space, there are three suites: The Parlour Suite (723 square feet), Boulevard (1,061 square feet), and Gallery (1,411 square feet). The Parlour generally stays in the $300-$400 range with the Boulevard ranging between $500-$700. The Gallery will be $650 if you’re lucky, with it often being well over $800 and sometimes over $1,200.

There are only so many suites, so don’t wait on booking them as they often sell out especially on weekends. Usually these types of rooms are reserved for VIPs and they still could be, but they seem to be available for purchase more often than most hotels.

Being a small casino, we weren’t surprised there was no spa. On the bright side, its modern fitness center is conveniently open 24/7 and can be accessed with your room key.

Restaurants at The Cromwell

There isn’t much to choose from regarding food, but Eatwell is open 24 hours and is at the front of the casino. It has a variety of drinks along with casual food like pizza, tacos, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, and other fun food. They also serve Starbuck’s coffee in the AM.

Fine Dining

The only spot for fine dining is an Italian cuisine called Giada. They are open for dinner only during the week, but also serve brunch until 3 PM on weekends. To go with its classic choices of Italian dishes is an award winning wine selection, and beyond that they have monthly wine series dinners for $200 per person.

Bars at The Cromwell

There are 24/7 video poker bars on the casino floor, but its fancier bars are Bound and the Interlude Casino Lounge. Bound is The Cromwell’s elegant lobby bar. It opens afternoons and features live music every night of the week starting at 9 PM. They also have a small food menu whose offerings also come from Eatwell.

Interlude also opens in the afternoon and has cocktails for $1 during its daily happy hours between 6 PM and 7 PM. The first happy hour is immediately followed by another one, serving $5 cocktails and $3 beers. You can play video poker here, and Interlude also have live music seven nights a week.

Drai’s Nightclub, Beachclub, and After Hours Nightclub

The signature attractions at The Cromwell are its rooftop partying spots of Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub, and Drai’s After Hours Nightclub.

Drai’s was voted the #1 nightclub by the Las Vegas Review Journal. A cover charge to enter is $20 for women and $30 for men on Thursday and Sunday. On Friday, the split is $30/$50 and $40/$60 on Saturday. Locals get in free with their ID on Sundays, and the nightclub can be enjoyed indoor and outdoors. In each area VIP table and bottle service is available, and on Tuesday’s Drai’s also has a nightswim.

Drai’s Beachclub is above the nightclub. They are open 11 AM – 6 PM Friday to Sunday. Seven Star and Diamond cardholders along with hotel guests get in free, otherwise covers are $20 for women and $30 for men. If you want to party privately with your friends, you can make cabana reservations.

Lastly is Drai’s After Hours. Covers are $25/$35 for men and women, and the club is open from 1 AM – 10 AM every night except Tuesday. This separate lounge is underground and has just been remodeled. There are two different music types to go with its four rooms. It is darkly lit in red, providing a very cool late night vibe.

Even though Las Vegas never closes, there are only so many great places to hang out in overnight. And while Drai’s After Hours and the other clubs certainly require you ante up to be there, you very much get what you pay for. Partygoers and drinkers for all hours of the day: This is your venue.

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