Comparing Boulder Highway casinos

I've stayed at Sam's Town and at Eastside Cannery.  The rooms at Eastside Cannery were nicer.  I like the floor to ceiling glass.  I especially liked a corner room, but they charge more for that now and I usually go for the cheap.  Having two walls of floor to ceiling glass was really amazing, however.
Eastside Cannery has no resort fee and will discount for seniors $10 off the posted rates.  Booking.com will also book that casino if you don't expect to play enough to have rooms comped on the way out.  I get the better prices at booking.com and can book much earlier than on the Eastside Cannery website.
Eastside Cannery's 2-4 game is fine, but pretty local dominated. Sam's Town 2-6 spread is also full of regulars. 
 Monday night at 10 PM Claudine Castro has one of the best Latin lounge acts I have ever seen; it is well attended by local Latinos.  Almost completely in Spanish.  I always meet friendly people when I go.  I get there early and save a seat at a table, and there is always some folks who want to share my table as the place fills up.  So I usually get to dance.  I took a board friend from the Netherlands out one year and that was great fun.  She felt that she was getting an interesting piece of American Latino culture.
Here are some reports on my last experience at the lounge: 
http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/2014/11/tr-snippet-claudine-castro-at-eastside.html
Sam's Town has a resort fee.  I was getting some room offers on B Connected, but I don't anymore. 
Sam's town offers a bit more variety in gambling and shows.  They have the full pay nickel Deuces.  Eastside Cannery has some full pay quarter machines.  Sam's Town poker room is better attended with more variety.  Very good and inexpensive tournaments every day and an interesting 2-6 spread game. 
The 202 RTC bus as well as going across the street from Sam's Town, goes directly to the Eastside Cannery parking lot and the driver takes a ten minute break.  So coming home late at night, you can actually wait and see the bus from the circle in front of the casino and have time to walk across the parking lot to catch it.  So that makes it one of the safest stops late night.  I usually just walk over and wait and have never felt uncomfortable.  However, the 202 does not stop there all night long.  It changes route around 1 AM, so be careful or you have to walk to Nellis or take the BHX there.  The BHX does stop right in front of Eastside Cannery and I like that stop better than the one at Nellis as there are always sketchy characters at Nellis.  However, taking that BHX downtown late at night means seeing some rather sketchy characters.  And going out on it is a long ride.  The HDX used to stop at Sam's Town in just 16 minutes, but it altered its route.  That free Sam's Town shuttle is the best ride out, but not useful if you stay out too late.
If I am staying downtown, I often go out to Sam's Town in the morning for the 10 AM tournament (something like $25) poker around for the day there.  Walk down to the Eastside Cannery,  perhaps get a free meal at Eastside Cannery and take the 202 to the strip late night, walk around a bit to see the strip lights, or stop at Ellis Island for a late night steak special (no lines) and then I take the Deuce back downtown. I find that more comfortable than the BHX.
If I am at the Goldcoast, I take the 202 to Sam's of to Eastside for the Latin show.  It is a long ride out (45 minutes or so)  but it is a short ride back late at night because it stops less and there is less traffic.  It also drops right at the Goldcoast so there are no issues of safety getting on at Eastside Cannery or off at Gold Coast.
Across the street from the Eastside Cannery is a Bank of America ATM that I find convenient (no fee for B of A customers) for refunding my bankroll.  Also, the Longhorn is there.  From what I have read in reviews this is not a good place to stay, but the food is good and sometimes there are good matchplays.  Also, nearby is a Walmarts.  For both Sam's Town and Eastside the Walmarts offers a great place to stock up on room snacks. 


I did not stay there, but will in September.  I played very, very little, but have gotten some 2 for 1 offers.  When comparing prices, note that Eastside has no resort fee.  It also has free wifi.  If you go on the Eastside Cannery site, you can sign up and play some interesting puzzles and games that earn points for free food and drinks, matchplays, iced cream deals and some freeplay that is tied to a certain amount of play.  However, you have to bring in a printed voucher and redeem it within seven days. 
http://www.eastsidecannery.com/webpass
Their buffet is basic, but it feeds me.  I like it better than Sam's Town on most days, but it has less options.  It does have some very interesting moon cookies, but I can't eat them anymore.  When I can manage a trip out there early in my visit I get a couple glasses of red wine with free vouchers from the webPass puzzles and carry them into a free buffet.
Sam's Town buffet can be had for free with minimal play and an American Casino Guide coupon, but only once a year.
Sam's Town on Sunday hosts a great old fashioned Vegas review show called Toast of the Town.  It is often called the best free show in Vegas.  There you will see different talent every week, some of it perhaps drawn from strip shows.  I've seen some amazing acts.  However, the focus is on a senior crowd.
I have not yet stayed at Arizona Charlie's but I expect one of these trips I will because prices keep rising everywhere else.  They are the cheapest in Vegas and have a great deal on two room "suites" for just a few dollars more than the basic rooms.  I expect the rooms are worn and a bit scruffy, but for the frugal traveler a great bargain.  I've only talked to a few people who have stayed there, all of them not at all fussy and all satisfied.
Once on Boulder there are plenty of places to visit.  The cheapest craps in Vegas is at jokers wild.  This is hard to access by bus, but easy with a car. 
Skyline
http://skylinehenderson.com/Home.html
has good food options, full pay VP at less than a quarter, and on some Sundays, it  hosts  that very funny German band, The Dummkopfs:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Dummkopfs/253962001444951
Other entertainment  http://skylinehenderson.com/Entertaiment.html
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Boulder Highway is more like what Vegas used to be before it went upscale.